iPad Pro Can't decide which one to buy

[It from Bit]

Refurbished iPad Pro 12.9 2021 2TB Cellular for $1000 or M4 iPad Pro 13 256gb Cellular for about $1400. Use case is only for regular web browsing, watching videos etc., excluding productive use.
Thanks in advance.

 

[sparksd]

Have both in the house and both will readily suit your needs. In the long-term, the M4 will have longer support from Apple. I really like the 13" M4 for the beautiful display and its thinner form factor and lighter weight. I also like the newer Magic Keyboard. Would the smaller storage fit your needs?

Edit: should note that both in our house are 512GB.

 

[It from Bit]

Have both in the house and both will readily suit your needs. In the long-term, the M4 will have longer support from Apple. I really like the 13" M4 for the beautiful display and its thinner form factor and lighter weight. I also like the newer Magic Keyboard. Would the smaller storage fit your needs?

Do you think the M1 will last till 2030?

 

[TDPHunter]

I have a M1 iPad Pro with 2TB and I'm so glad I opted for the higher storage. I enjoy the convenience of having everything with me on my tablet. However, If I had celluar, I might not really need so much storage because I could just manage my content from the cloud. I find it most helpful when I go on cruises. I don't have access to internet and I like have everything on my ipad for downtime.

 

[sparksd]

Do you think the M1 will last till 2030?

I believe that Apple does 7 years of updates for iPads.

 

[It from Bit]

I believe that Apple does 7 years of updates for iPads.

So 7 years from May 21 "2021" onwards?

 

[sparksd]

I have a M1 iPad Pro with 2TB and I'm so glad I opted for the higher storage. I enjoy the convenience of having everything with me on my tablet. However, If I had celluar, I might not really need so much storage because I could just manage my content from the cloud. I find it most helpful when I go on cruises. I don't have access to internet and I like have everything on my ipad for downtime.

That is a positive for sure. I don't like Apple's charges for memory so I use USB-C SSDs for external storage of large things like videos when I travel.

 

[sparksd]

So 7 years from May 21 "2021" onwards?

Yes, from my understanding.

 

[Username-already-in-use]

I believe that Apple does 7 years of updates for iPads.

It will get the latest OS for 7 years, but it will still get updates for another 2 years beyond this for stability, performance and security reasons. The 2015 1st Generation iPad Pro has had further patches on iPadOS 16 throughout 2023 and 2024.

So it would be fair to assume that the M1 will get the latest OS to 2028 and will get another 2 years of updates on that same OS, taking it to 2030.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

If you are buying for 2030 use, you already know which one to buy. The general rule of thumb is about 7 years. One of those might still be somewhat functional but even base apps like Safari might be struggling to work with some websites. The Apple way is "buy again" at worst- every about 7 years. To maximize your 7, buy a 2024 iPad vs. a 2021 iPad.

However, that shared, your uses would work fine all the way down to a regular iPad. A "pro" is far overkill for stated uses. Base iPad does those uses just fine and costs far less.

 

[muzzy996]

$1000 for the M1 in cellular in that capacity is a steal. Probably just me but judging from the price of the refurbished unit I can't help but wonder if it is a certified refurbished unit or not (given that Apple refurbished 12.9 Pro 2021 Wifi 2TB is listed at $1550 on their site). I'm typically one to buy refurbished units directly from Apple and parlay the savings into AppleCare+ for long term peace of mind so I can't help but wonder if it would be possible to add such coverage to the unit OP is looking at. If so then that's an even better deal than it already seems to be.

 

[RLRabb]

I would go with the M4. I upgraded to the M4 13” from the M1 12.9” and, in addition to points made by others, the battery life on the M4 has been much better than the battery on the M1 model even when the M1 was brand new. Plus, if you find that you need/want extra storage you have the option of later getting a portable SSD that you can carry with you in your bag.

 

[CharlesShaw]

Probably just me but judging from the price of the refurbished unit I can't help but wonder if it is a certified refurbished unit or not (given that Apple refurbished 12.9 Pro 2021 Wifi 2TB is listed at $1550 on their site).

Agreed. And Apple refurbished iPads get a new battery and outer shell, and new charger and cable, all of which you know are genuine.

 

[GusBougadis]

Refurbished iPad Pro 12.9 2021 2TB Cellular for $1000 or M4 iPad Pro 13 256gb Cellular for about $1400. Use case is only for regular web browsing, watching videos etc., excluding productive use.
Thanks in advance.

I wouldn’t buy the refurbished one. Refurbished is used and previously broken.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Refurbished iPad Pro 12.9 2021 2TB Cellular for $1000 or M4 iPad Pro 13 256gb Cellular for about $1400.

"Refurbished" from anyone other than Apple, means "Used." So kind of an Apples-to-rotten-Apples comparison.

If you don't have a need for 2TB storage, the M4 will give you:

• Thinner case (REALLY nice - if you haven't been to a store to hold one, give it a try)
• OLED display
• 2-3 years longer updates

Of course if 2TB is important to you, that'd be a lot more than $1,400.

 

[JamesMay82]

I’ve always wondered about its longevity as its always been marketed or reviewed as massively over powered so you’d like to think you’d get longer out of it..

 

[klasma]

The M4 for sure. You don’t need the 2TB, the tandem OLED is much better than mini-LED, and the M4 is markedly thinner and lighter. The only downside is that the speakers sound a bit thinner. The refurbished is likely to have less battery capacity.

 

[FlyingDutch]

The M4 for sure. You don’t need the 2TB, the tandem OLED is much better than mini-LED, and the M4 is markedly thinner and lighter. The only downside is that the speakers sound a bit thinner. The refurbished is likely to have less battery capacity.

If it was properly refurbished, the battery is brand new.
As for the screen, I would choose miniled over OLED everyday.

 

[klasma]

If it was properly refurbished, the battery is brand new.

“Used, like new” models are often sold as “refurbished”, without any actual refurbishing having taken place.

As for the screen, I would choose miniled over OLED everyday.

Because of the OLED grain, or PWM?

 

[01cowherd]

It will get the latest OS for 7 years, but it will still get updates for another 2 years beyond this for stability, performance and security reasons. The 2015 1st Generation iPad Pro has had further patches on iPadOS 16 throughout 2023 and 2024.

So it would be fair to assume that the M1 will get the latest OS to 2028 and will get another 2 years of updates on that same OS, taking it to 2030.

You're not fully patched unless you're on the latest OS, though. The extra two years are for the more serious issues, and even then it's only whenever Apple gets around to it. If OP is fine with that, then yeah the M1 should be fine through 2030.

Apple clarifies security update policy: Only the latest OSes are fully patched

New document confirms what security researchers have observed for a few years.

arstechnica.com

PSA: Apple isn’t actually patching all the security holes in older versions of macOS

Big Sur got a fix 234 days before Catalina did, although both are supported.

arstechnica.com

 

[Username-already-in-use]

You're not fully patched unless you're on the latest OS, though. The extra two years are for the more serious issues, and even then it's only whenever Apple gets around to it. If OP is fine with that, then yeah the M1 should be fine through 2030.

Apple clarifies security update policy: Only the latest OSes are fully patched

New document confirms what security researchers have observed for a few years.

arstechnica.com

PSA: Apple isn’t actually patching all the security holes in older versions of macOS

Big Sur got a fix 234 days before Catalina did, although both are supported.

arstechnica.com

It's far more nuanced than what the article makes out. Note that Rapid Security Responses (RSS) for example went out for iPadOS/iOS 18.1.1 and for legacy devices iPadOS/iOS 17.7.2 on the same date (19 Nov 2024), both which addressed the same security issue. You will also get times in which a current-year OS update introduces a bug or vulnerability which will then require an RSS to fix, but which wouldn't be necessary for a legacy OS. However it's not unusual for Apple to release security updates for three OS versions simultaneously for the same issue, which happened 22 January 2024 (17.3, 16.7.5, 15.8.1 due to an issue in WebKit).

 

[01cowherd]

It's far more nuanced than what the article makes out. Note that Rapid Security Responses (RSS) for example went out for iPadOS/iOS 18.1.1 and for legacy devices iPadOS/iOS 17.7.2 on the same date (19 Nov 2024), both which addressed the same security issue. You will also get times in which a current-year OS update introduces a bug or vulnerability which will then require an RSS to fix, but which wouldn't be necessary for a legacy OS. However it's not unusual for Apple to release security updates for three OS versions simultaneously for the same issue, which happened 22 January 2024 (17.3, 16.7.5, 15.8.1 due to an issue in WebKit).

It's a fact that Apple states only the latest OS is guaranteed to receive all security patches. Most people don't care about patches; I know plenty of people running a horribly out of date Windows computer, when Windows isn't even as secure as iOS. OP hasn't even said whether they care. And yes, new code means new chances for vulnerabilities. That's the reality of software.

It's far more nuanced than what the article makes out.

Well, I'd say it's "far more nuanced" than you stated in your original comment.

To provide some examples of what I mean when I say it's for the more serious issues, I'll use your example of 22 January 2024 (17.3, 16.7.5, 15.8.1). Per Apple's disclosures, in 17.3, there were 19 vulnerabilities fixed; in 16.7.5, there were 9 vulnerabilities fixed; and in 15.8.1, there were 2 vulnerabilities fixed, both of which state:

Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited against versions of iOS before iOS 16.7.1.

So, Apple only fixed the most serious vulnerabilities that were actively being exploited against those older devices.

The iPhone 5S with iOS 12 is sometimes held up as an example of how Apple gives security updates for 10 years, since they released security updates for it in 2023! Let's look at those updates (12.5.6 and 12.5.7). Both have a single vulnerability fixed, with the note that

Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.

The current OS receives all security patches. The previous OS receives most of them, and probably all of them during the intermediary period before Apple starts pushing users to upgrade. The OS before that receives some critical patches.

I don't say this to scare the OP. Apple devices in recent years are very secure, and most people are well served by using a good adblocker. But to say they get security updates for two more years after losing support is only partially true.