iPad Pro Does it make sense to buy an iPad pro now or wait until the release in the fall?

[Freida]

How ? It’s the opposite of foolish. If you can find a good deal you’re better off getting one NOW.... they aren’t going to do anything major until at least 2021 .... $380 off the 512gb model is better then a minor spec bump for any device coming out 2019-2020

I wasn't talking about deals. Of course, if you get one for $1 then get it (exaggerating) but its not a good time to buy now.
Its like buying an iPhone XS now when its most likely going to get updated in 1-2 months. (sure its different than iPad but principle stands)
OP has iPad he can use (iPad 6) and doesn't show that he is in urgent need of one, so why not wait? The current iPad has a lot of criticism for weak structure so surely if they improve just that the wait is worth it.

Also, $380 off from 512gb sounds great but is OP going to use that? I have 64gb Air 2 and I'm fine. Surely, I could use more if I wanted as I could start editing pics on it etc. but its not something that I HAVE to have.
So unless you really need 512gb then its a waste regardless.
Buy the storage you need + little extra if you feel it may change and save the money for the new tech later.
People buying the biggest storage because they fear they might run out are usually the ones that NEVER use that space. Its the usual marketing tactic.

So, deal or no deal, OP wait till the update season is done and then decide. I wouldn't buy one now, totally the worst time. But hey, some people don't care so its your call where you stand.

 

[rui no onna]

I wasn't talking about deals. Of course, if you get one for $1 then get it (exaggerating) but its not a good time to buy now.
Its like buying an iPhone XS now when its most likely going to get updated in 1-2 months. (sure its different than iPad but principle stands)
OP has iPad he can use (iPad 6) and doesn't show that he is in urgent need of one, so why not wait? The current iPad has a lot of criticism for weak structure so surely if they improve just that the wait is worth it.

Also, $380 off from 512gb sounds great but is OP going to use that? I have 64gb Air 2 and I'm fine. Surely, I could use more if I wanted as I could start editing pics on it etc. but its not something that I HAVE to have.
So unless you really need 512gb then its a waste regardless.
Buy the storage you need + little extra if you feel it may change and save the money for the new tech later.
People buying the biggest storage because they fear they might run out are usually the ones that NEVER use that space. Its the usual marketing tactic.

So, deal or no deal, OP wait till the update season is done and then decide. I wouldn't buy one now, totally the worst time. But hey, some people don't care so its your call where you stand.

I think 30+% off is a decent deal for the 2018 iPad Pro 11" even if we are expecting new models to arrive fall 2019. That's assuming, as mentioned, someone will actually use that capacity and one has a MicroCenter nearby or a store that will price match. I'm actually gunning for unlocked 1TB LTE but deals aren't plentiful on those.

That said, doesn't seem like OP is in any hurry so he might as well wait to see what's around the corner. There are sure to be Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales on 2018 iPad Pros anyway if the OP decides he'd prefer to save money by getting the older models.

 

[Closingracer]

I wasn't talking about deals. Of course, if you get one for $1 then get it (exaggerating) but its not a good time to buy now.
Its like buying an iPhone XS now when its most likely going to get updated in 1-2 months. (sure its different than iPad but principle stands)
OP has iPad he can use (iPad 6) and doesn't show that he is in urgent need of one, so why not wait? The current iPad has a lot of criticism for weak structure so surely if they improve just that the wait is worth it.

Also, $380 off from 512gb sounds great but is OP going to use that? I have 64gb Air 2 and I'm fine. Surely, I could use more if I wanted as I could start editing pics on it etc. but its not something that I HAVE to have.
So unless you really need 512gb then its a waste regardless.
Buy the storage you need + little extra if you feel it may change and save the money for the new tech later.
People buying the biggest storage because they fear they might run out are usually the ones that NEVER use that space. Its the usual marketing tactic.

So, deal or no deal, OP wait till the update season is done and then decide. I wouldn't buy one now, totally the worst time. But hey, some people don't care so its your call where you stand.

You should NEVER do that .... just because you don’t use it now doesn’t mean you will later on and you can’t expand storage so you’re better off buying the most you can afford or willing to spend. The 512GB model is still cheaper then the 64GB model being about $40 cheaper. You could of gotten the 64 for $619 at micro center . Blah blah blah about structure .... they said the same thing about the iPhone 6 Plus and I owned that for two years ( pretty rare for own a phone for 2 years ) and had zero bent issues during “bendgate” . If you don’t abuse your iPad you won’t have any issues. The next iPad Pro will have the same design as this one so you’ll be stuck with it for better or for worse . Price savings will be better then the minor spec upgrade.

 

[Closingracer]

I think 30+% off is a decent deal for the 2018 iPad Pro 11" even if we are expecting new models to arrive fall 2019. That's assuming, as mentioned, someone will actually use that capacity and one has a MicroCenter nearby or a store that will price match. I'm actually gunning for unlocked 1TB LTE but deals aren't plentiful on those.

That said, doesn't seem like OP is in any hurry so he might as well wait to see what's around the corner. There are sure to be Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales on 2018 iPad Pros anyway if the OP decides he'd prefer to save money by getting the older models.

My point is if you can get a good deal now on a 2018 go get it. I didn’t need the 512gb one and was planning on getting 256 since 64 is too small and they don’t offer 128. The 512 is cheaper then msrp for the 256. I would either wait for Black Friday and get the 2018 you want on sale then get a new one and pay MSRP.

I kind of wanted a 12.9 but the price for a 256 one is too expensive for me. I considered a 64GB cellular model since it was the same price as the 512 but 64 is barely good enough for my phone . Only reason why it’s ok is because of cellular service is great and I use like 100gb a month with no issue. To use that much on a cellular iPad to compensate for the low storage isn’t worth it to me


I got my iPhone X in May 2018 knowing it would be old in a few months but I have it on lease for 18 months for $20 a month and the buy out and total lease payment would total around $640 before taxes. That’s a good deal for a phone with a MSRP of $999.99

 

[EugW]

Once new models are released, deals abound on the old discontinued models.

Unless you specifically need that very specific model on sale and need it now, there isn’t really a good reason to buy now.

 

[Freida]

You should NEVER do that .... just because you don’t use it now doesn’t mean you will later on and you can’t expand storage so you’re better off buying the most you can afford or willing to spend. The 512GB model is still cheaper then the 64GB model being about $40 cheaper. You could of gotten the 64 for $619 at micro center . Blah blah blah about structure .... they said the same thing about the iPhone 6 Plus and I owned that for two years ( pretty rare for own a phone for 2 years ) and had zero bent issues during “bendgate” . If you don’t abuse your iPad you won’t have any issues. The next iPad Pro will have the same design as this one so you’ll be stuck with it for better or for worse . Price savings will be better then the minor spec upgrade.

You should ALWAYS do that. Buying more storage because you "might" need it is the worst possible thinking you can do. In reality, you will be throwing money out the window most of the times. When I studied I worked for Apple for 2 years and you have no idea how many people were using so little storage just because there was someone like YOU who told them to get the most storage they can afford/willing to buy. It was hilarious that they often didn't even fill up 20% of the storage in 2 years time. So no, your advice is not very helpful.
People's habits usually stay the same or very similar so from that data you can gather what and how much storage you need. Those that actually need the storage they already know.

 

[sracer]

You should ALWAYS do that. Buying more storage because you "might" need it is the worst possible thinking you can do. In reality, you will be throwing money out the window most of the times. When I studied I worked for Apple for 2 years and you have no idea how many people were using so little storage just because there was someone like YOU who told them to get the most storage they can afford/willing to buy. It was hilarious that they often didn't even fill up 20% of the storage in 2 years time. So no, your advice is not very helpful.
People's habits usually stay the same or very similar so from that data you can gather what and how much storage you need. Those that actually need the storage they already know.

Given Apple's exorbitant prices increases for the higher storage capacities it is not financially wise to spend that much more (which in some cases can nearly double the price of the base model) unless one KNOWS they will be using that extra space. But "fear" is a great marketing force... fear drives people to buy AppleCare+, it also drives them to spend more for more storage. It's even worse with their laptop line where they have those upcharges on both RAM *and* storage.

 

[rui no onna]

People's habits usually stay the same or very similar so from that data you can gather what and how much storage you need. Those that actually need the storage they already know.

This is true. I usually get top storage iPads but then again, I have a 20TB NAS that's bursting at the seams.
[doublepost=1565731566][/doublepost]

But "fear" is a great marketing force... fear drives people to buy AppleCare+, it also drives them to spend more for more storage. It's even worse with their laptop line where they have those upcharges on both RAM *and* storage.

Thankfully, I'm quite okay with Windows/PC where 32GB RAM and 2-4TB SSD upgrades can be had at fairly reasonable prices as aftermarket upgrades.

 

[JPack]

You should ALWAYS do that. Buying more storage because you "might" need it is the worst possible thinking you can do. In reality, you will be throwing money out the window most of the times. When I studied I worked for Apple for 2 years and you have no idea how many people were using so little storage just because there was someone like YOU who told them to get the most storage they can afford/willing to buy. It was hilarious that they often didn't even fill up 20% of the storage in 2 years time. So no, your advice is not very helpful.
People's habits usually stay the same or very similar so from that data you can gather what and how much storage you need. Those that actually need the storage they already know.

In reality, most consumers don't know how much storage they need.

Apple doesn't tell you how storage a photo use or how big a video is. In the end, consumers choose the middle tier to be the on safe side. Apple wins.

 

[EssModelsRule]

You should ALWAYS do that. Buying more storage because you "might" need it is the worst possible thinking you can do. In reality, you will be throwing money out the window most of the times. When I studied I worked for Apple for 2 years and you have no idea how many people were using so little storage just because there was someone like YOU who told them to get the most storage they can afford/willing to buy. It was hilarious that they often didn't even fill up 20% of the storage in 2 years time. So no, your advice is not very helpful.
People's habits usually stay the same or very similar so from that data you can gather what and how much storage you need. Those that actually need the storage they already know.

Agree with the general sentiment here (and have easily used 64GB iPads since 2015), but with Apple finally acknowledging the software needs more computer-like functionality, if I get a new Pro I’m going with >64GB with the expectation that it’ll expand my usage of iPads beyond what it has been up until now.

 

[Freida]

In reality, most consumers don't know how much storage they need.

Apple doesn't tell you how storage a photo use or how big a video is. In the end, consumers choose the middle tier to be the on safe side. Apple wins.

They don't but good Apple employee does. Because if you had iPhone for few years or iPad for few years then you develop a pattern which you can get the data from.
Ie. if a customer is going to upgrade a phone and he/she has 64gb iPhone and is asking if to get 64gb again or 128gb (or more) you look at that customers phone and see he/she uses only 20gb (in those 2 years) so you pick the 64gb.
if its almost full then you advice the next one but before you tell the customer the situation.

Either way, you never ever go by that stupid rule to "get the most you can/willing to afford".

EVER!
[doublepost=1565732206][/doublepost]

Given Apple's exorbitant prices increases for the higher storage capacities it is not financially wise to spend that much more (which in some cases can nearly double the price of the base model) unless one KNOWS they will be using that extra space. But "fear" is a great marketing force... fear drives people to buy AppleCare+, it also drives them to spend more for more storage. It's even worse with their laptop line where they have those upcharges on both RAM *and* storage.

exactly
[doublepost=1565732314][/doublepost]

Agree with the general sentiment here (and have easily used 64GB iPads since 2015), but with Apple finally acknowledging the software needs more computer-like functionality, if I get a new Pro I’m going with >64GB with the expectation that it’ll expand my usage of iPads beyond what it has been up until now.

Yep, I have Air 2 and still only use about half.
I might change that in the future when I get the Pro but then I will know that the PRO will be for other usage and I will adjust accordingly. Its all in the data. So yeah, but what you need, not what the marketing tricks you into

 

[EugW]

I find my RAM needs increase more over time than my storage needs. With my 2009 MacBook Pro, I went from 2 GB to 4 GB to 8 GB for RAM, but from 160 GB HD to 128 GB SSD to 256 GB SSD for storage.

My current MacBook is 256 GB and that’s all I will need for the foreseeable future. My current iPad Pro is 64 GB which is OK but occasionally tight. 128 GB for an iPad would be perfect for me for years to come.

The other factor here is that the RAM is not expandable in the new iPads and Mac laptops. In contrast, we can use external storage for the Macs, and with iPadOS 13, with the iPads as well.

 

[Closingracer]

You should ALWAYS do that. Buying more storage because you "might" need it is the worst possible thinking you can do. In reality, you will be throwing money out the window most of the times. When I studied I worked for Apple for 2 years and you have no idea how many people were using so little storage just because there was someone like YOU who told them to get the most storage they can afford/willing to buy. It was hilarious that they often didn't even fill up 20% of the storage in 2 years time. So no, your advice is not very helpful.
People's habits usually stay the same or very similar so from that data you can gather what and how much storage you need. Those that actually need the storage they already know.

You should NEVER do that. With apples ideology to refuse to use micro SD cards and charge a pretty premium for iCloud which isn’t even that good of a system to begin with the longer you own the device it behooves you to get the most capacity you can afford. You can’t change that later which means you’re stuck or have to buy a new iPad. Using you’re insane logic I should be ok with a 64GB ipad since I have s 64Gb phone and was fine with a 64Gb ipad back in the day. Just because I’m fine with those at the time storage is pretty meh on my phone and I use a ton of data to stream a lot of video. I already used 80GB on my iPad and I owned it for like 2 days now. If you can afford to get the next size up and it won’t break your budget and planning on keeping your iPad for a long period of time it behooves you to get it vs getting the most basic.

 

[Closingracer]

Given Apple's exorbitant prices increases for the higher storage capacities it is not financially wise to spend that much more (which in some cases can nearly double the price of the base model) unless one KNOWS they will be using that extra space. But "fear" is a great marketing force... fear drives people to buy AppleCare+, it also drives them to spend more for more storage. It's even worse with their laptop line where they have those upcharges on both RAM *and* storage.

For $100 more you can get 256GB... if you’re planning on keeping it 3+ years you’re better off spending that $100 and have the peace of mind of the extra space unless you’re WiFi is insanely high speed and no data caps or unless you really just check your email but then why would you be buying th iPad Pro... I rather buy that then pay for iCloud storage. You have the added benefit of external storage coming soo. But I rather still avoid carrying it.



Apple care plus is an easy choice tho ... $147 total ( monthly payment) or $130 is cheaper then $499 to fix the 11 inch pro

 

[Closingracer]

They don't but good Apple employee does. Because if you had iPhone for few years or iPad for few years then you develop a pattern which you can get the data from.
Ie. if a customer is going to upgrade a phone and he/she has 64gb iPhone and is asking if to get 64gb again or 128gb (or more) you look at that customers phone and see he/she uses only 20gb (in those 2 years) so you pick the 64gb.
if its almost full then you advice the next one but before you tell the customer the situation.

Either way, you never ever go by that stupid rule to "get the most you can/willing to afford".

EVER!
[doublepost=1565732206][/doublepost]
exactly
[doublepost=1565732314][/doublepost]
Yep, I have Air 2 and still only use about half.
I might change that in the future when I get the Pro but then I will know that the PRO will be for other usage and I will adjust accordingly. Its all in the data. So yeah, but what you need, not what the marketing tricks you into

So? I have a 64GB iPhone X ... I live with 10GB left but I’m sacrificing some stuff... data doesn’t mean much because you’re out of luck if it changes and stuck with a base ipad

 

[Closingracer]

I find my RAM needs increase more over time than my storage needs. With my 2009 MacBook Pro, I went from 2 GB to 4 GB to 8 GB for RAM, but from 160 GB HD to 128 GB SSD to 256 GB SSD for storage.

My current MacBook is 256 GB and that’s all I will need for the foreseeable future. My current iPad Pro is 64 GB which is OK but occasionally tight. 128 GB for an iPad would be perfect for me for years to come.

The other factor here is that the RAM is not expandable in the new iPads and Mac laptops. In contrast, we can use external storage for the Macs, and with iPadOS 13, with the iPads as well.

Yeah because I want to carry more stuff to save a few bucks ...

 

[Freida]

You should NEVER do that. With apples ideology to refuse to use micro SD cards and charge a pretty premium for iCloud which isn’t even that good of a system to begin with the longer you own the device it behooves you to get the most capacity you can afford. You can’t change that later which means you’re stuck or have to buy a new iPad. Using you’re insane logic I should be ok with a 64GB ipad since I have s 64Gb phone and was fine with a 64Gb ipad back in the day. Just because I’m fine with those at the time storage is pretty meh on my phone and I use a ton of data to stream a lot of video. I already used 80GB on my iPad and I owned it for like 2 days now. If you can afford to get the next size up and it won’t break your budget and planning on keeping your iPad for a long period of time it behooves you to get it vs getting the most basic.

Your are saying somethign I didn't.
What I said was that you should get the storage you will need based on the usage you will have.
In fact, your example is perfect. You filled it up to 80GB in 2 days. You knew that before you bought it that you will be heavy user so you got what you needed.
Anyway, you misunderstood my message here so I hope now its clear.
You should NEVER get more than you think you will need. That was the idea.

 

[EugW]

Yeah because I want to carry more stuff to save a few bucks ...

The point is if you don't need 512 GB, getting a "deal" on a 512 GB model isn't a good way to save money. I need 64 GB, and 128 GB would be ample space for years to come, while 256 GB would actually be overkill. "Saving" on a 512 GB model would not help in any way.

I'm not suggesting one should plan to use USB flash drives, but just that it's a possibility. They same cannot be said for RAM.

It's not as if USB flash drives are big either.

 

[rui no onna]

I find my RAM needs increase more over time than my storage needs. With my 2009 MacBook Pro, I went from 2 GB to 4 GB to 8 GB for RAM, but from 160 GB HD to 128 GB SSD to 256 GB SSD for storage.

My current MacBook is 256 GB and that’s all I will need for the foreseeable future. My current iPad Pro is 64 GB which is OK but occasionally tight. 128 GB for an iPad would be perfect for me for years to come.

The other factor here is that the RAM is not expandable in the new iPads and Mac laptops. In contrast, we can use external storage for the Macs, and with iPadOS 13, with the iPads as well.

My RAM requirements haven't really increased in the past 5 years. Then again, my machines were already 8GB standard by 2009 and 16GB standard by 2012.

That said, iPads had to play plenty of catch-up to get to what I had in 2012/2013: i5-3570, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD (+ 2TB HDD + 12TB NAS). I don't expect my iPad to be able to hold all my data. That said, I do want it to have a healthy selection available for offline entertainment. Certainly, I want it to at least be able to hold my favorites.

 

[Closingracer]

The point is if you don't need 512 GB, getting a "deal" on a 512 GB model isn't a good way to save money. I need 64 GB, and 128 GB would be ample space for years to come, while 256 GB would actually be overkill. "Saving" on a 512 GB model would not help in any way.

I'm not suggesting one should plan to use USB flash drives, but just that it's a possibility. They same cannot be said for RAM.

It's not as if USB flash drives are big either.

More things to lose ...

That 512GB is still cheaper then the base 64 msrp. My point was a good deal ... microcenter has good deals across all of them. At least around $50 off.

 

[rui no onna]

The point is if you don't need 512 GB, getting a "deal" on a 512 GB model isn't a good way to save money. I need 64 GB, and 128 GB would be ample space for years to come, while 256 GB would actually be overkill. "Saving" on a 512 GB model would not help in any way.

I'm not suggesting one should plan to use USB flash drives, but just that it's a possibility. They same cannot be said for RAM.

It's not as if USB flash drives are big either.

To be honest, I'm liable to break my iPad's USB-C port if I had to rely on something like that. Depending on transfer speed, might be a decent enough option for mobile "top-ups", though.
[doublepost=1565739405][/doublepost]

That 512GB is still cheaper then the base 64 msrp. My point was a good deal ... microcenter has good deals across all of them. At least around $50 off.

MicroCenter's deals tend to be B&M only and not widely available. Stores in my area won't price match because there's no MC near here.

It might be cheaper than 64GB MSRP but there are plenty of US-wide available deals bringing down pricing of that specific configuration to $650 or so. Come Black Friday/Cyber Monday, we're likely to see lots of US-wide deals on the 2018 iPad Pros so the expected keynote announcing the new iPads is actually perfect timing to make a decision.

 

[EugW]

My RAM requirements haven't really increased in the past 5 years. Then again, my machines were already 8GB standard by 2009 and 16GB standard by 2012.

That said, iPads had to play plenty of catch-up to get to what I had in 2012/2013: i5-3570, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD (+ 2TB HDD + 12TB NAS). I don't expect my iPad to be able to hold all my data. That said, I do want it to have a healthy selection available for offline entertainment. Certainly, I want it to at least be able to hold my favorites.

My main machine was a 2 TB iMac in 2010. I partitioned it and used half of it for the main drive, and the other half for stuff like Boot Camp and alternate OS installs etc. I added a NAS later. I switched to a 1 TB SSD iMac in 2017 plus that NAS.

I need much, much less storage on my portable devices.

As for memory, my 2010 iMac went from 8 GB to 12 GB, and for my 2017 iMac I went with 24 GB. For my MacBook Pro, 2 GB was tight, but 4 GB was sufficient for many years... until it wasn't, and that's when I switched to 8 GB. For the 2017 Core m3 MacBook, I went with 16 GB though. 8 GB would be sufficient most of the time, but under heavy multitasking it gets tight. I'd probably be fine with 12 GB for several years on a laptop, but you can't get 12 GB so I got 16.

I'm currently on a 4 GB 64 GB iPad Pro. My wife wants that, so I will upgrade and give my current one to her, but would hope to get a 6 GB 128 GB model. If not 6 GB 128 GB, then perhaps 6 GB 256 GB. So yes, I'm counting on the new model getting 6 GB across the board. If it does not, I may consider getting a 2018 model for cheap, but I will decide once the new models land. As mentioned, when the new models are released, there will be lots of sales on the 2018 models.

 

[Freida]

So? I have a 64GB iPhone X ... I live with 10GB left but I’m sacrificing some stuff... data doesn’t mean much because you’re out of luck if it changes and stuck with a base ipad

/facepalm

I never said to get base ipad.
I said get what you need or KNOW you will need. Don't get more than that just because hypothetically you MIGHT need more. Those are two different things.

I used 64gb as an example.

So if you have 64gb and you have 10gb left and you already know that you are sacrificing something then next phone you will get bigger because now you know what you NEED! So 128gb is fine.
But don't get 256gb. That was my point.

Because some people here suggested to get the biggest you can/or willing to afford. And THAT is what I disagreed with!

 

[myapple2019]

dont want to miss any major features. The buying guide suggests we won't get an updated pro this year. Should I wait to be safe?

If you do not need an iPad now, wait until October when a new iPad is generally announced. Make your decision based on your urgent need.

 

[Closingracer]

/facepalm

I never said to get base ipad.
I said get what you need or KNOW you will need. Don't get more than that just because hypothetically you MIGHT need more. Those are two different things.

I used 64gb as an example.

So if you have 64gb and you have 10gb left and you already know that you are sacrificing something then next phone you will get bigger because now you know what you NEED! So 128gb is fine.
But don't get 256gb. That was my point.

Because some people here suggested to get the biggest you can/or willing to afford. And THAT is what I disagreed with!

I wasn’t suggesting getting a 1TB ipad that’s just dumb. But if you’re use case doesn’t reach 55GB now and you think 64GB is fine .... you might be better off buying a 256gb iPad Pro vs a 64GB model. iPads are usually kept longer then iPhones and Apple knows this since they rarely follow a 12 month cycle thee days. With a phone I would suggest only getting what you need because of the fact you probably only keep it 2 years tops unless you do keep it longer .... you should get more then what you need now for an iPad unless you upgrade whenever they come out with new ones. If you can afford a 256GB iPad Pro go get it tbh. You can’t add more later. The only time I would suggest getting a 64GB ipad is if you really only web surf , email and stream. It’s dumb that Apple only includes 64Gb on their iPad “Pro”. The longer you will own the device the better it serves you to get the next storage up option.