iPad Air Cheap iPad Air that runs iPadOs 16

[rowi1de]

Hey Folks,

my mum is rocking her iPad Air 2 .. which is now only running iOS 12 and App support is declining.

Which older iPad (Air) could make sense? Should run current and 1-2 new Major versions smoothly.
Oldest supported iPad Air seems to be 4th generation, which already somewhat pricy. Did that purpose of the Air change?
iPad 9th generation seem to be similar to that old air 2?

 

[FeliApple]

Hey Folks,

my mum is rocking her iPad Air 2 .. which is now only running iOS 12 and App support is declining.

Which older iPad (Air) could make sense? Should run current and 1-2 new Major versions smoothly.
Oldest supported iPad Air seems to be 4th generation, which already somewhat pricy. Did that purpose of the Air change?
iPad 9th generation seem to be similar to that old air 2?

The oldest supported iPad Air is the Air 3, which probably has a couple of iPadOS updates left, at least.

The iPad Air, starting with the Air 4, includes a full-screen design. It’s very nice, but only you can determine whether the price is worth it.

That said, for a light and casual user, the iPad 9 should be absolutely fine. It doesn’t have a full-screen design, but it’s a lot more powerful than an Air 2. The Air 4 is better, but I think it’s a little more expensive. The main advantage is the screen. Whether it’s worth it depends on user needs and how much you want to spend.

For a casual user? I’d probably recommend the iPad 9th gen unless you absolutely want the full-screen design, in which case I’d recommend the Air 4.

 

[rowi1de]

For a casual user? I’d probably recommend the iPad 9th gen unless you absolutely want the full-screen design, in which case I’d recommend the Air 4.

I think the full screen wasn’t perceived as an advantage for the casual user, as it’s not possible to hold it easy without touching the screen.

iPad Air 3 could also be an option.

 

[bodonnell202]

Are you sure she has an Air 2? If it is an Air 2 it can be updated to iOS 15 and app support should still be quite good (and if it can be updated it may be worth keeping for another couple years based on her use case as app support for iOS 15 likely won't drop off for a bit and it will continue to receive security updates for a couple years). If it can only update to iOS 12 then it is probably a 1st gen iPad Air.

Best bets may be trying to get a used 3rd gen iPad Air (A12 chip), 8th gen iPad (A12 chip) or a new 9th gen iPad (A13 chip), all of which would be a familiar form factor (coming from an older Air) but with updated internals. I'd go with the newest chip your budget allows for the longest software support.

 

[rowi1de]

Are you sure she has an Air 2? If it is an Air 2 it can be updated to iOS 15 and app support should still be quite good

It’s actually the original Air with A7 Chip, bought late 2014 when air 2 was out => would have lasted way longer now 😢

I'd go with the newest chip your budget allows for the longest software support.

Definitely, to keep it as long as possible

Thanks .. will just need to figure out which form factor is better. For home use bigger display could be nice

 

[Richard8655]

Actually some people prefer the older bezel design over "full screen", such as holding without fingerprinting the display and overall comfort in many sitautions. I probably fall into that group and a candidate for 9th gen.

 

[bodonnell202]

It’s actually the original Air with A7 Chip, bought late 2014 when air 2 was out => would have lasted way longer now 😢


Definitely, to keep it as long as possible

Thanks .. will just need to figure out which form factor is better. For home use bigger display could be nice

Yep, really any would be fine for casual use but of course newer devices will receive updates for longer.

 

[rui no onna]

my mum is rocking her iPad Air 2 .. which is now only running iOS 12 and App support is declining.

Which older iPad (Air) could make sense? Should run current and 1-2 new Major versions smoothly.
Oldest supported iPad Air seems to be 4th generation, which already somewhat pricy. Did that purpose of the Air change?
iPad 9th generation seem to be similar to that old air 2?

The OG Air, Air 2 and Air 3 were $499 upon release. The Air 4 and Air 5 are $599 upon release so still within that ballpark (with a bit of inflation thrown in).

Given your mom still uses the OG iPad, I expect even Air 3 (A12/3GB but prone to white spot issue), 8th gen (A12/3GB) or 9th gen (A13/3GB) would be fine for her needs.

iPad 10th gen and Air 4 (A14/4GB) can both be had for around $400 but I don’t expect it to last much longer than 3GB RAM iPads.

For something that would last longer, I’d go straight to the Air 5 with M1/8GB RAM or maybe a refurb 2020 iPad Pro (A12Z/6GB).

 

[sublunar]

What does your mum use the iPad for? Banking? Content Consumption? Candy Crush?

One of the basic iPads ought to feel very fast as mentioned already - 8th or 9th gen for example, but if you can find a 2018 iPad Pro from the Apple refurb store - now that would be a sweet spot for me. The 2020 iPad Pro has 6gb RAM which should make it last longer for iOS updates and responsiveness.

Older iPads Airs due to the screen issues are probably not as good of a deal and if your mum prefers Touch ID over Face ID I'd say one of the basic iPads should do the job.