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All iPads How often do you upgrade your iPad?
- Thread starter The Game 161
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Too often.
usually for significant form factor changes or perhaps performance jumps. I should let people test them for a while and be more pragmatic about whether I need it. Bought an iPad Pro 3rd gen replacing my 2nd gen. realistically the 2nd was fine but the new form factor looked nice. I have found usb-c to be a benefit (can share my MBP accessories) but I could *easily* have lived with the previous one.
usually for significant form factor changes or perhaps performance jumps. I should let people test them for a while and be more pragmatic about whether I need it. Bought an iPad Pro 3rd gen replacing my 2nd gen. realistically the 2nd was fine but the new form factor looked nice. I have found usb-c to be a benefit (can share my MBP accessories) but I could *easily* have lived with the previous one.
I try to wait at least 2 years before I upgrade, but I would like to shoot for at least 3 years. I had the Air 2 for 2.5 years before I upgraded to the Pro 12.9 Second Gen. I've had the 2nd Gen Pro for 2 years and 2 months now. I had planned to keep the Pro for 4 years, but the screen cracked a few days ago and my AC+ expired 2 months ago. It's still perfectly usable and the crack is barely noticeable, but I'm using it as an excuse to upgrade to the Pro 12.9 3rd Gen. I'm getting the 3rd Gen now instead of waiting for the next one that's expected to be released soon because I feel the 3rd Gen is already a beast and I don't see the form factor changing so soon. Plus they're on sale.
My goal is to keep the new Pro for 3 years at least. I don't need to really update my iPad annually because the differences are barely noticeable for one year to the next.
Original iPad - 2010
iPad 3 - 2012
iPad 4 - 2013 (won in a raffle or wouldn't have upgraded at this time)
iPad Air 2 - Late 2014 (still have)
iPad mini 4 - June 2017
iPad Pro 12.9 2nd Gen - June 2017 (still have)
iPad mini 5 - June 2019 (still have)
iPad Pro 12.9 3rd Gen - Purchased today
My goal is to keep the new Pro for 3 years at least. I don't need to really update my iPad annually because the differences are barely noticeable for one year to the next.
Original iPad - 2010
iPad 3 - 2012
iPad 4 - 2013 (won in a raffle or wouldn't have upgraded at this time)
iPad Air 2 - Late 2014 (still have)
iPad mini 4 - June 2017
iPad Pro 12.9 2nd Gen - June 2017 (still have)
iPad mini 5 - June 2019 (still have)
iPad Pro 12.9 3rd Gen - Purchased today
Yes daily driver
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I know Apple does the service. I’m just wondering if it’s even worth it for a device that old.
For the Pro 9.7, I personally still would at this point in time as I really like it and it appears to fare well enough on iOS 13.
Of course, I'm in the habit of force closing all background apps (I like having all my RAM reserved for Safari) so the 2GB RAM hasn't been much of an issue. Besides, even my 4GB RAM 2017 Pro 10.5 and 12.9 still aren't completely reload-free.
My iPad is doing fine other than poor battery life. One other reason that's been tempting me to upgrade is to get more LTE bands. the 9.7 Pro doesn't support band 66 or 71 which are long range for Google Fi/T Mobile. I tend to use a lot of cellular data with my iPad so it would be nice to have more range and better coverage especially when I'm in rural areas.
iPad Mini bought in 2013
iPad Air 2 bought in 2016
iPad Pro 12.9 2018 bought in 2019
All only wifi, 16 gb for the mini, 64 gb for the other
iPad Air 2 bought in 2016
iPad Pro 12.9 2018 bought in 2019
All only wifi, 16 gb for the mini, 64 gb for the other
Can confirm. While 4GB is absolutely fine I feel the lack of RAM or the system's limitations on managing RAM on my iPad Pro 10.5". I usually keep 4-10 tabs open in Safari, jumps to PDF expert with some large PDFs, music, notes, etc. Basically using my iPad as a casual/lightly productive machine and I experience tab reloading and app relaunches. It's not terrible, but it's not seamless. Especially given the focus on multitasking in iPadOS Apple needs to address this.
I won't update my iPad Pro until it has at least 6GB of RAM not because I'm one of those "MORE RAM OR BUST" users I see post here, but because I know that that will have one of the most important impacts on my day-to-day use.
Also - side tangent - I see posts here and on Reddit that say more RAM isn't the issue, iOS is a "leaner" operating system and that more RAM just lets app developers slack on quality coding. While I'm sure that is the case in some instances (and I've absolutely seen that on Windows and macOS), I don't think that's a valid argument here. There's a reason Mac's can come with 64GB to 1.5TB of RAM - certain applications can or need that.
If Apple wants full Photoshop on the iPad and push the iPad to enable more extreme video and audio production the system's hardware needs to improve. These applications rely on caches and memory for layers and certain components. No amount of streamlined coding will negate this need.
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Sorry - wanted to add:
There are rumors of the iPad Pros getting a more sophisticated camera system, well those cameras need considerable RAM to operate. That's why the Plus model phones had 3GB of RAM over the standard 2GB and I can see on my iPhone 11 Pro that often opening the camera app acts to purge heavy apps in the system. If Apple add's in a multi-camera system and keeps RAM the same, multitasking is going to suffer.
A bit irrelevant, but my dream iPad that would push me to upgrade in a moment is to keep the current design but increase the thickness a bit to enable the back to be completely flush with the camera and use that space for enhanced battery. This will enable more RAM without a battery cost and push the iPad past its stagnant "10 hour all day battery life" because right now I'm happier with my iPhone's batter life Thant he iPad's.
That 10 hours is more like 5-7 depending on heavy usage at 75% brightness. When they're new they're "good" but they quickly degrade to "ok." I'm shocked that 9 years in with these more efficient screens and processors we haven't managed to push it to "12 hours" or more. Honestly I feel like the 4th generation iPad (the tank design with the A6X) had the best battery life to date.
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If you think upgrading to a new iPad instead of replacing the battery on your old one serves your needs better, then by all means do that.
Just ordered a 2019 iPad 10.2 for eSIM/dual SIM and LTE band 66 & 71 support.
128GB. It's for my dad. Probably would've been fine with 32GB but he's likely gonna keep it forever so figured might as well spring the extra $80 for the storage upgrade.
Doubt he'll even notice a performance difference from his 5th gen but I know he'll appreciate the built-in internet. My mom, too, since dad wouldn't need to borrow her LTE iPad anymore when they travel.
The T-Mobile $10/5GB/150 day plan on eSIM plus $3/4GB/7 day plan on local carrier SIM (physical) should work very well for him.
The 1TB models of the 12.9 and 11 iPad Pro's have 6GB of RAM. if you want to spend that much just to have two more GB of RAM.
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It would be nice to have a newer model but other than the battery there's nothing technically wrong to warrant the upgrade. my normal use is Notability, Affinity Photo, and media consumption which it all does perfectly fine. The only time I see its age show is when editing photos or when I have a lot of tabs open. I think when I finally do upgrade I will stick with the Pro. I know the newer non pros have all of the features of the older pros (True Tone, pencil support, laminated displays). I preordered the 9.7 pro and its lasted all the way until now where as before I had a mini 2 and before that a 3rd gen iPad (retina) and those barely lasted me a year or so before I was wanting to upgraded. the Pros tend to just have more longevity for me at least.
I bought a 6th gen last Christmas and would have kept it for a few years but I found a good deal on a 256 Air so I bought that too.
Nah. Longevity's just improved on iPads in general (starting with Air 2).
The 2019 iPad does have Pencil and ASK support but it's missing a lot of the Pro features. That said, the A10 isn't really a huge jump compared to the A9X so not really worth considering as an upgrade coming from a Pro 9.7 (unless one just wants an inexpensive replacement).
The 2019 iPad Air is very similar to the 2017 iPad Pro 10.5 with laminated display and TrueTone but has worse camera and no flash, no quad speakers and no ProMotion. It's also missing USB-C which the 2018 Pros have (and FaceID obviously).
Personally, the 2018 Pro 1TB LTE is looking mighty attractive now that it's dropped from $1699 MSRP to $1279-1299 on sale. I've just been dragging my feet because I don't wanna give up the home button. Also, with USB-C external storage support, I'm now questioning whether I actually need 1TB or if 256GB might suffice. Caveat there is RAM downsizing from 6GB to 4GB.
USB C is also a major reason to upgrade for me as I used a lot of USB C accessories. it would be awesome to be able to connect my camera to my iPad with one cable with a single connector.Nah. Longevity's just improved on iPads in general (starting with Air 2).
The 2019 iPad does have Pencil and ASK support but it's missing a lot of the Pro features. That said, the A10 isn't really a huge jump compared to the A9X so not really worth considering as an upgrade coming from a Pro 9.7 (unless one just wants an inexpensive replacement).
The 2019 iPad Air is very similar to the 2017 iPad Pro 10.5 with laminated display and TrueTone but has worse camera and no flash, no quad speakers and no ProMotion. It's also missing USB-C which the 2018 Pros have (and FaceID obviously).
Personally, the 2018 Pro 1TB LTE is looking mighty attractive now that it's dropped from $1699 MSRP to $1279-1299 on sale. I've just been dragging my feet because I don't wanna give up the home button. Also, with USB-C external storage support, I'm now questioning whether I actually need 1TB or if 256GB might suffice. Caveat there is RAM downsizing from 6GB to 4GB.
I used to only upgrade when they made new Minis. Bought the Mini 1 (my first iPad), 2 and 4 all near release date. Got tired of waiting for the Mini 5 and bought a 10.5” Pro which I sold and recently replaced with an 11” Pro. Oh, and I added the Mini 5 to the arsenal while I still had the 10.5” Pro. Who knows what I’ll do next.
This is my first iPad in years (iPad Pro 12.9 2018). It’s essentially replaced what I use my MacBook Pro (I still have a pro) and my Mac is unused for weeks at a time now. I don’t forsee upgrading even every 3-4 yrs because it doesn’t play a role in my daily use like my iphone that I upgrade more often. With the phone i feel I am chasing the best camera and the best battery life, but with the iPad it does multitasking, it’s great for typing on the Smart Keyboard, and the awesome pencil. Other than that I don’t really know what else I need an iPad. When it breaks I guess I’ll change it. Maybe in 6 yrs?
If there is a big upgrade or it breaks.
2014- IPad Mini 2 (October)
2015- Pro 12.9 November 1st Gen
2018- Pro 12.9 November 3rd Gen
2014- IPad Mini 2 (October)
2015- Pro 12.9 November 1st Gen
2018- Pro 12.9 November 3rd Gen
I maybe the longest sucker here. Bought my last iPad in 2013. ANd the only reason I’m getting rid of it now is because all the apps became obsolete. It’s in great condition with a great battery life. I got the new mini but I’m visually having trouble with it so I’m kinda worried on how this will go
I have the Pro 9.7 and mine (knock on wood) is running great. I usually upgrade every couple of years but haven’t due to hearing all about the touch screen issues.
I was similar. Bought the iPad 3 in September 2012 and upgraded to the Mini in April. Took a couple of days to get used to the smaller size, but I wouldn’t go back now.
Is the iPad Air 3 too big for you? It has the same internals as the Mini 5.