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M-5

macrumors 65816
Jan 4, 2008
1,108
102
I’ve had the original iPad Pro for almost 7 years now, and it’s still running very well. I’m thinking about upgrading to the mini tho, just because of the size.
 

James Godfrey

macrumors 68020
Oct 13, 2011
2,068
1,710
My dad still uses the OG iPad, and it still works lol, yeah its slow etc but it still works none the less, Apple will likely still be supporting the M1 iPads with updates for at least 5 years, but probably longer.
 
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rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,920
13,264
My dad still uses the OG iPad, and it still works lol, yeah its slow etc but it still works none the less, Apple will likely still be supporting the M1 iPads with updates for at least 5 years, but probably longer.

Does he not use it for web browsing? Before I traded in the iPad 4, I still had it on iOS 6 and aside from being slow, most websites just don't work properly.
 
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rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,920
13,264
God knows lol, it’s good enough for the bin if you ask me lol

Lol, we got rid of our two iPad 3s back in 2017 as soon as the 5th gen was released.

The iPad 3 was already pretty awful to use. Even my iPod touch 4th gen (640x480) crashed a lot because of the 256MB RAM. Can’t imagine using an iPad (1024x768) with the same specs as the iPt 4. The iPhone 4 (A4/512MB) behaved much better.
 
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spiderman0616

Suspended
Aug 1, 2010
5,670
7,499
Lol, we got rid of our two iPad 3s back in 2017 as soon as the 5th gen was released.

The iPad 3 was already pretty awful to use. Even my iPod touch 4th gen (640x480) crashed a lot because of the 256MB RAM. Can’t imagine using an iPad (1024x768) with the same specs as the iPt 4. The iPhone 4 (A4/512MB) behaved much better.
I think I almost melted my iPad 3 once after an extended session of Infinity Blade. ? That was a rushed device for sure.
 

Digitalguy

macrumors 601
Apr 15, 2019
4,653
4,480
If am lucky my 2021 M1 pro's will last 6 to 8 years :D if am really lucky then 8 to 10 years ?

Have an ipad mini 4 in the family which was released in 2015 which still works great and has the latest ISO software :)

The Kids PC computer has a i7-4770k cpu which was released in 2013 and is still pretty fast and runs everything really well apart from the newer high demanding AAA games
Mini 4 is slow as hell as far I am concerned. But the M1 with its CPU and RAM will be fast even in 10 years, regardless of whether it is still updated or not. A battery service will probably be needed though. The i7-4770 is still amazing (the K does not make much difference, see LTT video about it), feels as fast or even faster than my M1 Mac Mini and paired with something like a 2070 super or even a slightly faster 3060 TI it's stilly a very capable 1440p gaming device (my experience with 2070 super and LTT video with 3060 ti, at 1440p the CPU bottleneck is minimal)
 

MarkC426

macrumors 68040
May 14, 2008
3,699
2,097
UK
God knows lol, it’s good enough for the bin if you ask me lol
My iPad 2 still has 'some' use.
I have a few apps on it, which don't support beyond ios 9, which are nice to see now and then.

Agreed though, internet is a no-go.
 

sracer

macrumors G4
Apr 9, 2010
10,405
13,290
where hip is spoken
Will the M1 iPad Pro 11 and the iPad mini 6 work well for 3-5 years? I’m assuming yes as the base iPad now has the a13 chip. With a battery replacement in 2 years will these iPads still be snappy and a good experience to use?
Thank you!
I know what I'm about to say isn't going to be popular, but, I wouldn't expect any iPad that doesn't utilize the "classic" chassis (lightning, headphone jack, home botton) or larger than 10" to work "well" (however one defines that) beyond 3 years. My iPad 1 and iPad 2 are still going strong. They're built like tanks. (My iPad 4, Air 2, and 6th gen continue to work extremely well even though I no longer own them) My Mini 5 is still a beastly little tablet.

All of my other experiences with newer iPads that are larger (12.9 Pro) or use newer chassis and form-factors (Air, Pro, Mini 6 etc.) have been concerning. Now I know that my personal first-hand experiences don't replace scientific data, and I don't expect or want anyone to make a decision based on MY experiences, but that's what I've got to go on and how I make MY decisions....

Having said that, buy what appeals to you and use it well. Enjoy it. Don't let others' experiences dampen your enjoyment of it, and don't let their positive experiences cause you to second guess your own negative experiences (if that happens).
 
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MarkC426

macrumors 68040
May 14, 2008
3,699
2,097
UK
My iPad 1 and iPad 2 are still going strong. They're built like tanks.
Although I don't use my iPad 2 much anymore, the battery life in standby is phenomenal.
It can sit there for months unused (not connected to WiFi) and still be pretty highly charged.

There is a lot to be said for the older Apple hardware from Steve Jobs era......:apple:
REALLY....who needs Face ID/Touch ID etc...
 
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rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,920
13,264
I know what I'm about to say isn't going to be popular, but, I wouldn't expect any iPad that doesn't utilize the "classic" chassis (lightning, headphone jack, home botton) or larger than 10" to work "well" (however one defines that) beyond 3 years. My iPad 1 and iPad 2 are still going strong. They're built like tanks. (My iPad 4, Air 2, and 6th gen continue to work extremely well even though I no longer own them) My Mini 5 is still a beastly little tablet.

All of my other experiences with newer iPads that are larger (12.9 Pro) or use newer chassis and form-factors (Air, Pro, Mini 6 etc.) have been concerning. Now I know that my personal first-hand experiences don't replace scientific data, and I don't expect or want anyone to make a decision based on MY experiences, but that's what I've got to go on and how I make MY decisions....

Having said that, buy what appeals to you and use it well. Enjoy it. Don't let others' experiences dampen your enjoyment of it, and don't let their positive experiences cause you to second guess your own negative experiences (if that happens).


In terms of build quality, I do agree. iPad 1-4 in particular are like tanks. OG iPad Air and newer feel flimsy in comparison.

In terms of performance though, iPads with A12 and faster have much longer useful life (assuming the hardware holds up).

With that said, I don't have the white spot issue on either of my iPad Pro 10.5 and Air 3 and my mom is happily using my 4+ year old iPad Pro 12.9 2nd gen. I also have monthly AC+ on my M1 iPad Pros so I think getting at least 4 years should be quite doable. I've tried Android and Windows tablets/convertibles but I just keep going back to the iPad. Hence for me, the AC+ is the best way to mitigate risk when using iPads long term.
 
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