All iPads Get iPad Pro or wait?

[Robbosan]

Buy now, worth it for promotion and quad stereo speakers, FID and no stupid TID on power button lol, or even a 2018 pro would be better IMO.
Also tap to wake is a bonus.

 

[PFox78]

Thanks for all your thoughts. I found one at a good price and will be picking it up tomorrow. Sure, if I wait I’ll have even better tech, but from the sounds of it, this is going to be a massive step up from the Air 2. Looking forward to using it.

 

[one more]

My personal philosophy on upgrading hardware is that there will always be something better in the future, so it is good to buy stuff when you actually need it. ?

Both iPad Air 4 and iPad Pro will offer you a considerably better device than your current Air 2. The question is whether you actually need it now and only you can answer it. iPad Air 4 should be available next week, iPad Pro 2021 - in March-April 2021 at the earliest. iPad Pro 2021 will also be more expensive than Air 4, this is pretty much certain.

 

[rui no onna]

My personal philosophy on upgrading hardware is that there will always be something better in the future, so it is good to buy stuff when you actually need it. ?

Both iPad Air 4 and iPad Pro will offer you a considerably better device than your current Air 2. The question is whether you actually need it now and only you can answer it. iPad Air 4 should be available next week, iPad Pro 2021 - in March-April 2021 at the earliest. iPad Pro 2021 will also be more expensive than Air 4, this is pretty much certain.

This to me is why I can afford to wait. Don't really need to upgrade immediately (2017 Pro) and if I'll be spending ~$2K, I want better bang for my buck than essentially a 2-year old chipset. You get pennies on the dollar for cellular+top storage on resale/trade-in.

If I had an Air 2 though, it would be a different matter. To be honest, 128GB isn't enough for me so I actually jumped on 256GB Pro 9.7 immediately.

 

[Expos of 1969]

If your current model is serving you decently you should wait. Buying one now may satisfy a current urge to buy but once that wears off you may wish you had waited until 2021.

 

[Tapiture]

I still haven’t run into the limit on my 32 GB iPad Pro 9.7. Sitting comfortably at 28 GB with a couple of movies downloaded and I’m an active college student, but I pay $1.99/mo for 50 GB iCloud and use OneDrive for all my Microsoft files. Reading this thread makes me nervous about what I thought was my rock-solid decision to buy the new iPad Air 64 GB for a total of $379 (including EDU discount, AppleCare+, and trade in of current iPad).

After looking here I did the calculation, and including all of those same things on the Pro and assuming I can somehow resell the AirPods for $150, it’d be a delta of around $200 for the Pro, and it’s in stock at my local store.

Goddamn, I knew I shouldn’t have looked on the MacRumors forums, now I’m torn with one day left in the deal.

 

[awmerkley]

assuming I can somehow resell the AirPods for $150

That's a bold assumption.

I think people are looking at this decision between the Pro 2020 and the Air 4 the wrong way. Everyone is freaking out about if they made the "wrong choice", but truthfully there is no wrong choice. If you know that you need the Pro's multi-core power or 128gb of storage, then there is no choice at all. If you don't need those things, then you just have to decide if you want to pay an extra $200 for a 120hz display. If you go Pro, you'll appreciate the 120hz. If you go Air, you'll appreciate the A14 snappiness and the extra $200 in your pocket. Either way, your device should last 5 years and you'll be happy as long as you have AppleCare+.

 

[satchmo]

My personal philosophy on upgrading hardware is that there will always be something better in the future, so it is good to buy stuff when you actually need it. ?

Both iPad Air 4 and iPad Pro will offer you a considerably better device than your current Air 2. The question is whether you actually need it now and only you can answer it. iPad Air 4 should be available next week, iPad Pro 2021 - in March-April 2021 at the earliest. iPad Pro 2021 will also be more expensive than Air 4, this is pretty much certain.

It's also a good bet that the iPad Pro 2021 with A14x and mini-LED will be more expensive than the current iPad Pros.
So while it's nice to have the latest and greatest, it'll come with a price tag.
Of course one could wait and pick up a discounted 2020, in 2021...if you don't need one right away.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

Presumably, waiting for the faster processor is in order to do a bit of future proofing - the newer processor will deliver longer years of service before it can't handle the inevitable extra burdens that will arrive sometime in the future. Meantime, the people who wait are running older, slower machines - the very thing they're trying to avoid sometime in the future.

So... if you need better performance now, why wait? You're suffering in the here-and-now in order to have potentially better performance in an unknowable future.

If what you have now is adequate to your needs, then you may as well wait anyway - not because next year will be somehow better, but because what you have is still serving your needs. Maybe you don't really need the performance next year's CPU might bring - whether next year, or three-four years after that.

I don't seem to put many demands on my processors. My late 2013 iMac with its entry-level 3.2 GHz Quad-Core i5 Haswell is still serving me quite nicely, as is my first-gen 12.9" iPad Pro with its "ancient" A9X and my iPhone X with its A11 Bionic. It seems likely I'll be replacing all of these before CPU speed/performance seems to be a problem.

Barring a major hardware failure, I'll be waiting for a big-screen Apple Silicon iMac (late 2021?). My current Mac won't run Big Sur (or subsequent versions) and I want to be on the AS path going forward (universal iOS/Mac apps, etc.). A 5K display would be a bonus. But otherwise? This has been the best-performing 7-year-old computer I've ever owned. With an entry-level CPU and GPU.

I'm not sure what would induce me to retire my first-gen iPad Pro within the next couple of years, other than an accident.

iPhone X? I was on the fence regarding the 11 Pro - a bit of a camera upgrade, perhaps. At this point that ship has sailed, so it'll probably be the 12 Pro, but likely not until sometime next year - around the time I need to replace the battery (it'll still get that battery and be gifted to a family member, it's far from end-of-life).

So, that's me. I'm a 2-liter/4-cylinder engine kind of guy.

 

[PFox78]

OP here. I ended up finding someone on Kijiji selling a BNIB Pro at $200 less than retail. The guy had a receipt and everything. I bought it and took it to the Apple Store, then got Apple Care, the pencil and a case. This thing is a beast. I can’t believe what a massive upgrade it is from the Air 2.

 

[Caliber26]

I wouldn't consider that more than conjecture from some posters here, and should be accompanied by a Himalayan salt lamp. Apple isn't going to force users who don't want the larger size to forego the "Pro" features and settle for an Air 4, any more than it will stop offering the iPhones Pro in anything but the larger Max phablet size.

Now, the company may give the 12.9" extra features, such as mini-LED, or more RAM (as it has done in the past), but it's not going to leave money on the table by not offering an 11" Pro, when it outsells the larger model.

The aim is to incentivize up-sells without stepping over the line into forcing deeper compromises, as would be the case with the Air 4 as surrogate, or, penalizing users outright.

As for the OP's dilemma, I answered that myself and picked up a 11" Pro today at the local store, which can have stock, despite what Apple's website indicates. It succeeds an 64GB Air 1, which is still OK in most respects, and can even run iOS 12, but feeling its age when it comes to battery life and limited memory (both RAM and storage).

I had been waiting for the Air to make the leap to a modern form factor, and if the Air 4 had been offered with 128GB, it would have been a much easier choice. I've visited a couple stores recently, and based on the disclaimers personnel are giving about it not having arrived, there is a great deal of interest in the Air 4. Indicate you're interested in an iPad, and the first thing the store people will mention is that they don't have the Air yet.

But with the price of the 256GB model the same as the 128GB Pro's EDU, or sale pricing (as Amazon has been offering recently, as well as some resellers), the confluence of features of the Pro won out. For qualifying EDU buyers, the soon-to-expire free AirPods offer is the coup de grâce, to be enjoyed, or re-sold.

The A14 is a beast (which portends even better things for those who can wait for the A14X), but the only place where it opens a gap on the A12Z is in the single-core score. The more modern neural engine in the A14 is probably a leap as well, but that doesn't explicitly manifest itself in benchmarks. In other respects, the two are in the same ballpark.

Apple does a great deal of work on iOS' memory management, and the Air 4's 4GB RAM does provide a cushion over the current 3GB baseline in the value/mainstream products (SE2, iPad 8). But, ultimately, the support window in iOS devices has been heavily influenced more by memory than outright speed, so the 6GB in the Pro provides more cushion.

Otherwise, Face ID (albeit a subjective preference, YMMV), ProMotion screen (+brightness), dual-cameras w/flash +LiDAR, quad-speakers, and five microphones are additional features I was willing to trade for the extra storage. 64GB a bit too constricting, 256GB more than enough, but 128GB just right. Learned that lesson with my 64GB XS, and didn't want to encounter that situation again. More nits can be picked in terms of the narrower bezels, and 18 vs 20W adapter, but they are very minor in my book.

So, for me, for today, the 11" Pro is a better overall package, if one can't manage with the base 64GB Air 4. The EDU promo with the AirPods made it a no brainer.

Apple's product planners about as good as they get in terms of up-sells, and they've found another victim.

Hell, you just sold me on an 11” Pro and I wasn’t even in the market for one. ?

 

[Bluepig45]

I have an old iPad Air 2 that I got through work when it first came out. It’s still working fine, but it’s also showing its age and is a bit on the slow side. I was looking at the Air 4, but it’s missing some key features I want like Face ID, 4 speakers, etc., that the Pros have. However, a concern is that the chip in the Pro is now outdated vs the A14. So, buying the Pro now a mistake and is it better to wait until the 2021 version or bite the bullet now?

Disclaimer; while I use a M1 Mac mini, and an iPhone 12 Pro Max, I'm not a fanboy, nor do I succumb to the IT HAS TO BE APPLE mindset.

I take a need v want, as well as a tech forward lifecycle approach. If your iPad Air 2 is doing the job, and not pushing you to upgrade, I'd wait. The 2021 iPads are going to be a step forward on the performance curve, if for no other reason than it will have a new chip and a continuation of integrated memory. The chip could either be the A15, or a variation of the M1/2. It makes sense for Apple to universally implement the M series chip in all of their platforms, and actually abandon the A series chip (I don't think they will do this, so they can say they solve many challenges with both). Also the physical size of the M1 might mean they have to keep the A series for phones, speakers, and possibly the Apple TV.
My very recent upgrades to the M1 Mac mini and 12 Pro Max were want over need. My i3 Mac mini was actually faster than my M1 in several areas as it had 32Gb of Ram, and I ran/run several apps that are not optimized for the M1. My iPhone 11 was fine, was fast enough, and I did not need, nor have I used all of the camera functions. Both purchases were also a tech forward adoption of the new chips (A13 to A14, and Intel i3 v M1), all the while knowing the only day you're ahead of the tech curve is the day you purchase, then the clock starts ticking.

Based upon what you've listed, and your ability to wait as your Air 2 is working, I would strongly suggest waiting. You won't be waiting long (March to June) for the next variation of the iPad, and if your needs change between now and then, the I suspect the next MacBook will finally be a game changer (with the next M series chip 'possibly a 3nm', finally 21st century bezels, more RAM, much needed additional ports, lighter, and 14" in the same or smaller 13.3 frame size).

Best of luck in your decision making and Merry Christmas.

 

[DiamondarBoss]

Disclaimer; while I use a M1 Mac mini, and an iPhone 12 Pro Max, I'm not a fanboy, nor do I succumb to the IT HAS TO BE APPLE mindset.

I take a need v want, as well as a tech forward lifecycle approach. If your iPad Air 2 is doing the job, and not pushing you to upgrade, I'd wait. The 2021 iPads are going to be a step forward on the performance curve, if for no other reason than it will have a new chip and a continuation of integrated memory. The chip could either be the A15, or a variation of the M1/2. It makes sense for Apple to universally implement the M series chip in all of their platforms, and actually abandon the A series chip (I don't think they will do this, so they can say they solve many challenges with both). Also the physical size of the M1 might mean they have to keep the A series for phones, speakers, and possibly the Apple TV.
My very recent upgrades to the M1 Mac mini and 12 Pro Max were want over need. My i3 Mac mini was actually faster than my M1 in several areas as it had 32Gb of Ram, and I ran/run several apps that are not optimized for the M1. My iPhone 11 was fine, was fast enough, and I did not need, nor have I used all of the camera functions. Both purchases were also a tech forward adoption of the new chips (A13 to A14, and Intel i3 v M1), all the while knowing the only day you're ahead of the tech curve is the day you purchase, then the clock starts ticking.

Based upon what you've listed, and your ability to wait as your Air 2 is working, I would strongly suggest waiting. You won't be waiting long (March to June) for the next variation of the iPad, and if your needs change between now and then, the I suspect the next MacBook will finally be a game changer (with the next M series chip 'possibly a 3nm', finally 21st century bezels, more RAM, much needed additional ports, lighter, and 14" in the same or smaller 13.3 frame size).

Best of luck in your decision making and Merry Christmas.

Very Well said! I agree.
Merry Christmas to you too!

 

[rui no onna]

The chip could either be the A15, or a variation of the M1/2. It makes sense for Apple to universally implement the M series chip in all of their platforms, and actually abandon the A series chip (I don't think they will do this, so they can say they solve many challenges with both). Also the physical size of the M1 might mean they have to keep the A series for phones, speakers, and possibly the Apple TV.

Geekbench 5 scores for the Apple A14 3.0 GHz 2/4 is 1600/4200 and M1 3.2 GHz 4/4 is 1700/7300. It looks to me the lower clock rate and 2 less high performance cores account entirely for the difference in A14 vs M1 CPU performance.

The M in M1 is simply branding for Mac. I think it's probably more accurate to say the M1 is a variation of A14. I'm guessing the A14X/Z expected to be on the next iPads will be nearly identical to the M1.

M1 die size is bigger than the iPhone SoCs but it's in line with the AX chipsets for the iPad Pro line. The A9X chipset on the first iPad Pros is actually bigger than the M1.

That said, I agree. If you can wait, then wait. There's always something new around the corner.

 

[gorkt]

So I had a 2018 pro until 2 days ago, when it got smashed on Christmas. I just bought the 2020 air instead of the pro, mostly because the processor was newer and fine for what I use it for (don’t need great multi core processing) and I LOATHE face id on the iPad. Touch ID is a much better experience. I have LIDAR on my phone so I didn’t need it on the iPad too.

What I DO miss, and what is having me contemplate switching out the Air for a Pro, is the 120hz screen. It really is a much better experience and easier on the eyes. I really don’t want to go back to Face ID though until they fix it and make it work better in portrait mode.

So I am debating exchanging for a Pro, or just using this until they debut a new Pro model in another 6 months or a year.

 

[Astonish_IT]

So I had a 2018 pro until 2 days ago, when it got smashed on Christmas. I just bought the 2020 air instead of the pro, mostly because the processor was newer and fine for what I use it for (don’t need great multi core processing) and I LOATHE face id on the iPad. Touch ID is a much better experience. I have LIDAR on my phone so I didn’t need it on the iPad too.

What I DO miss, and what is having me contemplate switching out the Air for a Pro, is the 120hz screen. It really is a much better experience and easier on the eyes. I really don’t want to go back to Face ID though until they fix it and make it work better in portrait mode.

So I am debating exchanging for a Pro, or just using this until they debut a new Pro model in another 6 months or a year.

I think that in case if you want to buy the new iPad Pro as well when it comes out, wait with your iPad Air as an 256 GB iPad Pro would be more expensive than your air, so when you trade it in or sell when the new iPad Pros come out, you can loose more money. If the money is not a problem, then get the pro just because you love the 120 hz screen and I can not blame you for that.

 

[daddyd302]

So I had a 2018 pro until 2 days ago, when it got smashed on Christmas. I just bought the 2020 air instead of the pro, mostly because the processor was newer and fine for what I use it for (don’t need great multi core processing) and I LOATHE face id on the iPad. Touch ID is a much better experience. I have LIDAR on my phone so I didn’t need it on the iPad too.

What I DO miss, and what is having me contemplate switching out the Air for a Pro, is the 120hz screen. It really is a much better experience and easier on the eyes. I really don’t want to go back to Face ID though until they fix it and make it work better in portrait mode.

So I am debating exchanging for a Pro, or just using this until they debut a new Pro model in another 6 months or a year.

I just upgraded to the new Air from my 10.5 pro which I bought last year. I did consider the Pro but alot of rumors of the new Pro coming out next year made me go with the Air. I did trade in my 10.5 for the Air and I'll trade in the Air next year if the new Pro is worth it. That's assuming it's released next year.