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I don't "underrate" the newest iPad, but I hardly consider it a "solid upgrade" from an iPad Pro 9.7". I suppose it might be reasonable for anyone with an iPad Air 1 or older.

No, it's not an update from an iPad Pro at all, nor is it supposed to be. Apple now has the "iPad" and the "iPad Pro" and they are different segments. I would expect the corresponding iPad Pro to be released later this year. What people are saying here is that this is a great device, especially for the price point.

I haven't tried this one yet so I can't specifically comment on it, but I very much like Apple's decision to simplify the iPad line and to offer an inexpensive iPad that is still a solid performer.
 
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The 2017 iPad is called iPad 5th gen for a reason. It is supposed to be a continuation of the original iPad (non-air) lineup. The iPad "Air" has evolved into the iPad "Pro." It's actually pretty simple.

Now if only Apple put a similar attention to the iPad mini. I'm still holding on my mini 2. So dar, it only sees ONE upgrade (I don't consider the mini 3 an upgrade). The mini 4 is already long in the tooth when it's released.
 
People really don't bother to read the context of my posts do they? Just read it wholesale and judge it as is.

I Don't necessarily think it's about reading your context, as it is fully understanding what somebody's trying to portray in a post. Everybody has different interpretations of how they understand or view what somebody's elaborating based on their views of the iPad. I don't necessarily think reading "Wholesale" would be the answer you're looking for, being that would easily Shortside discussions.
 
I'm currently with an iPad Mini 1 (my daughter use it mainly for video) and an iPad 4 (big, heavy and not really speedy any more) so all in all we really don't use our iPads like we used to, because my iPhone 7 is so much faster than using any of them (the Mini is REALLY slow for anything but some video).

I think this release is genius - I didn't really plan to upgrade, but suddenly it's very budget friendly and we still get a powerful great iPad - Haven't had any iPads with laminated displays and to be honest: I survived and the retina display still looks awesome
 
Its a great deal and a big upgrade for anyone that has an iPad air and below.

Its a hard sell with the air 2 as its still powerful and has a nicer screen.
 
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I suspect Apple wanted potential customers to have the same impression I had, when I checked the 2017 iPad out several days ago: I was blown away by the affordable price, and very impressed at the pretty screen. I certainly didn't stand there comparing specs with my Air 2 or the Pro. I The "gotta have it" reaction is critical to sales and Apple got it right.
 
I know I'm probably in the minority here, but I have had the chance to use the new iPad for about 1 hour a few days ago and about 3 hours right now.

Compared to the iPhones me 6S Plus, the color temp is SO WARM that images almost look dirty.

The lack of laminated panel or maybe something else makes it much less readable.

I had an Air 2 for a week and do not recall any eye strain.

The new 2017's definitely faster around the OS and especially using 5Ghz AC.

But there's just someth My about it that's giving me eye strain and some headaches.
 
If only there were more AAA cases/keyboards available for it...not even from apple store (really apple? only smart cover?)..

Also, an A9-based ipad mini would be an interesting proposition too..

About pen and keyboard (compared to Pro)
- there are 5 years worth of pre-Pencil ipad styluses for cheap and dumb alternatives to the pencil (for highlighting and doodling), both with broad and slim tip, and some apps have rudimental palm rejection; of course all of this is nowhere near the real deal (apple pencil), but it's something

- logitech created a wired (AND detachable) keyboard solution for the iPad 2017 via lightning passthrough:
https://www.macrumors.com/2017/03/21/logitech-rugged-combo-case-ipad/

Unfortunately only for education institutions and only in US/Canada. But the hope to see a general public version of the concept is reasonable..
 
I'm toying with the idea of the Logitech type+ for the Air. I wish it had more than one angle tho and am apprehensive about a lot of busted clip complaints on amazon.

I'm hesitant to use a case that snaps into the iPad because I've seen an Air 2 used in the Zagg Folio develop a "sensitive push area" after removing it. Kind of like when you press on an LCD and the image sort of blurs? Well, that would happen with a slight push on the back after using that case.
 
I'm curious, how annoying is the reflection on the display? I think I can survive the non-laminated screen, that's fine, but how does the reflection when you go outside, use it daily? And can someone compare it to mini 2 reflections?
 
First time ipad owner here - picked up the new ipad and my first reaction is that it feels a little cheap and bulky. However, I'm somewhat spoiled coming from a Samsung Tab S2 which is one of the thinnest and lightest tablets and has a great screen. But I wanted to switch to an ipad because the tablet experience on the S2 was subpar and I found myself reaching for my Iphone 7+ more often.

Is the Air 2 noticeably lighter and thinner feeling in hand? Not too concerned about the performance difference between the two, but would it be stupid to switch from the 2017 ipad to an Air 2?
 
First time ipad owner here - picked up the new ipad and my first reaction is that it feels a little cheap and bulky. However, I'm somewhat spoiled coming from a Samsung Tab S2 which is one of the thinnest and lightest tablets and has a great screen. But I wanted to switch to an ipad because the tablet experience on the S2 was subpar and I found myself reaching for my Iphone 7+ more often.

Is the Air 2 noticeably lighter and thinner feeling in hand? Not too concerned about the performance difference between the two, but would it be stupid to switch from the 2017 ipad to an Air 2?

Just looked it up - the Tab S2 is 5.6mm thick, that's pretty impressive. Did you have the 9.7" version of it? The Air 2 will likely feel closer to the S2 than the new iPad does. 6.1mm thick, laminated screen. I find a significant difference in size/feel from the Air/2017 iPad to the Air2/9.7" Pro.
 
Battery life on this thing is INCREDIBLE. 8800 mah vs 7300 on the iPad Air 2 and Pro. More than a 20% increase. It's just like a tank, keeps going. I know it says 10 hours for the battery but you can easily get 12 hours out of it, if not more.

I can say, without question, that this is the longest lasting battery I have ever had. Apple FINALLY did what everyone has been begging them to do: sacrifice thinness for a bigger battery. And wow did it pay off.

My only complaint, if it's even that, is that you def need to use the included 2.4A charger. It charges relatively quickly with that (several hours for a full charge).
[doublepost=1491945694][/doublepost]
First time ipad owner here - picked up the new ipad and my first reaction is that it feels a little cheap and bulky. However, I'm somewhat spoiled coming from a Samsung Tab S2 which is one of the thinnest and lightest tablets and has a great screen. But I wanted to switch to an ipad because the tablet experience on the S2 was subpar and I found myself reaching for my Iphone 7+ more often.

Is the Air 2 noticeably lighter and thinner feeling in hand? Not too concerned about the performance difference between the two, but would it be stupid to switch from the 2017 ipad to an Air 2?
Yes its bulky. But the battery is 50% bigger than your S2 and it shows.

The Air 2 feels better to hold and the screen is a little better, but only slightly.

Personally, I was ready to return my iPad over the screen quality and get an Air 2. Then I gave it more time, saw how incredible the battery life is, and decided to keep it. If battery life is at all a concern of yours, keep the iPad.
 
IMO the value of battery life is directly proportional to portability. This makes battery life a big deal for smart phones, but less of a factor for large devices like the MacBook Pro or the 12.9" iPad Pro... reason being that you're unlikely to use these on the move, but more often at a location that usually has a power source.

As a result, I only really care about battery life on my iPad mini. I'm not so concerned if my 9.7" or 12.9" has somewhat less battery life. ~10 hours is pretty good.
 
I've used many iPads over the years, and battery life has never been a concern. With the mix of use I usually have on the a 9.7" Pro, reaching 15-20 hours of use isn't uncommon.

Even just looking today as an example, I was out on the road for 8-9 hours. All of my usage on it was on cellular. It's currently showing 7 hours use since early this morning and I have 40% battery remaining.
 
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Finally got use a new 2017 iPad and I'm not a fan of the bulkiness and screen. If I still had my Air 2 I would not upgrade as it's a downgrade imo.
 
That's ok even if they are all his devices. iPad's are my favorite tech gadget from the last ten years. The more the merrier.

Definitely. Purchased and still own the original iPad (still works!), iPad 2, iPad 4, Air and Air 2. Never saw a need to pick up the Minis or Pros but this new "value" iPad has me thinking of upgrading my older ones.
 
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IMO the value of battery life is directly proportional to portability. This makes battery life a big deal for smart phones, but less of a factor for large devices like the MacBook Pro or the 12.9" iPad Pro... reason being that you're unlikely to use these on the move, but more often at a location that usually has a power source.

As a result, I only really care about battery life on my iPad mini. I'm not so concerned if my 9.7" or 12.9" has somewhat less battery life. ~10 hours is pretty good.
This.

Just as an update, I let the battery run down to under 20%, then charged it back up to 100%. Since then, I've gotten 8.5 hours of screen on time and my battery is at 47%! That's INSANE.
[doublepost=1492013320][/doublepost]Wait so the iPad Pro has a BETTER display than the iPad Air 2? I thought it was the same.
 
I don't own one but some random general ideas about this vs the pro
- it may be bulkier but being half the price you could live with protecting it less, maybe with a skin vs a bulky case, so it may end up being slimmer, like people use value android phones/tablets naked because they're cheap
- I said "half the price" above but the ownership of a Pro could end up costing much more than double if you factor in the "now that I have a Pro, I might as well buy the smart keyboard, a premium case and the apple pencil" mindset...if you get sucked in the Pro ecosystem you could spend much more
- since it's so cheap to max this to 128GB and the A9 is a good gaming workhorse, one could buy one of these to dump all his/her big games (Planescape:Torment anyone?) on it, every comic book, every "Family Guy" episode and stuff like that, and save on a "current" Pro at 32GB for everything else (instead of buying a 128GB/256GB next gen pro); the bad thing is some classic games are 32 bit and won't be updated for iOS11

This is the plastic Macbook of ipads except it's not plastic but it's the same as a Macbook Pro from 3 years ago.
 
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