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iPad Air 2019 vs iPad Pro 11

D

DJTJ

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 3, 2005
170
21
Hi all. I currently have an iPad Air 2. Does the trick but is starting to lag. To be expected from a 5 year old device.

Looking at a new one. On the fence between the 11 pro and the new air.

Prices in Canadian with taxes are
$735 air
$1130 pro

Almost $400 difference.

For ProMotion, quad speakers, better processor, pencil 2 support, and a better camera - is it worth it?

I can’t seem to justify the pro whatsoever.

Can anyone?

Thanks!
 
As soon as the new Air was released, I ordered an iPad Pro 11 - mainly due to:

ProMotion
600 nits
better camera
usb-c
faceID

For me the difference was just 200 EURO compared to the Air.
I got a new Pro at a special discount from an online shop.

The Air has “only” 500 nits and I guess in Sommer using outside it will make a small difference.
 
For me, it is worth it. Pencil 2, Promotion, FaceID, and 4 speakers are worth 300 dollars for a device I will keep a few years.
 
VineRider said:
For me, it is worth it. Pencil 2, Promotion, FaceID, and 4 speakers are worth 300 dollars for a device I will keep a few years.
Click to expand...

Don’t forget that it also has 4GB of ram, and a much more powerful processor the A12X, and the GPU too.

Something is telling me 5 years would be much easier on a iPad Pro 11”

But, it cost more.

It’s your decision if the extra features are worth the money.
 
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DJTJ said:
Hi all. I currently have an iPad Air 2. Does the trick but is starting to lag. To be expected from a 5 year old device.

Looking at a new one. On the fence between the 11 pro and the new air.

Prices in Canadian with taxes are
$735 air
$1130 pro

Almost $400 difference.

For ProMotion, quad speakers, better processor, pencil 2 support, and a better camera - is it worth it?

I can’t seem to justify the pro whatsoever.

Can anyone?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I guess it depends on what you are going to do with it.

Note that if you get an Apple stylus, Pencil 2 (new) is much more expensive than Pencil (new or refurb). Pencil 2's charging is much better, and is magnetically held to the iPad Pro 11" though, so it's less annoying. Pencil 2 also has a function button on it.

Also, if you get the keyboard, you can sometimes get the 10.5" Apple Smart Keyboard for $150 on Amazon.ca through third party sellers, whereas the 11" Apple Smart Keyboard is pretty much always $240 at various retailers. The 10.5" keyboard is lighter, but doesn't cover the back. (You can buy a third party back case for it though, for $8-20 on Amazon.ca.) The 11" keyboard is heavier but has two stand angles and covers the back.

I ended up buying the 64 GB 10.5" Pro at the Apple Canada refurb store for $619, but it's no longer available in either the 64 GB or the 256 GB size. Only the 512 GB model is available.

The 10.5" Pro uses the same accessories as the 10.5" Air, but includes 4 GB RAM, ProMotion, quad speakers, and better camera with flash. However, it also has an older CPU and probably a year shorter of iOS updates (I'm guessing). Plus, some people have reported a white spot issue with the 10.5" Pro after 4-18 months of use. (I have a two-year warranty through my credit card.)
 
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Buy what you can afford I say. If the Pro is out of your price range, either wait for a better offer or just pick up the Air 3.

Everybody will put a different value on the feature differences. Many people keep their iPads for 3-5 years and over that timeframe the price difference might be easier to put in perspective.
 
I struggled with the exact same decision myself. I bought the Pro back in January and kept it for a week before returning it. The $1130 CDN price tag for the base 64GB model with tax (here in MB) was too much for me. It was a beautiful machine and I loved the design and Face ID. I just couldn’t justify the price tag though.

I picked up an Air this weekend for $730 with tax (base model). So far I love it. For media consumption (YouTube, Netflix, Crave) it’s great. I don’t really game (I play SimCity and it runs fine). I don’t notice any lag whatsoever, it’s really zippy and moving between apps is fast. The screen is a perfect size and I find I don’t have as many errors touching the bottom of the screen since there is a small bezel (I found the Pro 11” was a bit awkward for me).

I have to get used to Touch ID again, but overall I’m finding it is a natural return (I’ve been on the X and now XS Max) since launch.

I’ve been shopping around for a new iPad since I returned the Pro. I wasn’t excited about moving to a 6th gen, so I held off. So glad Apple has released the Air. It hits the perfect spot for me at least.

Go try both in store, if you are leaning towards one, buy it and try it. You might find you don’t like it and that hopefully helps you make a decision. Overall, I’m happy with my Air.
 
chrisforpm said:
I struggled with the exact same decision myself. I bought the Pro back in January and kept it for a week before returning it. The $1130 CDN price tag for the base 64GB model with tax (here in MB) was too much for me. It was a beautiful machine and I loved the design and Face ID. I just couldn’t justify the price tag though.
Click to expand...
Yeah, CAD$999 or $939 edu for a 64 GB 11” Pro with 4 GB RAM is just crazy. At that price it should have at least 128 GB storage and 6 GB RAM. Hopefully the next version will come with both amounts.
 
EugW said:
Yeah, CAD$999 or $939 edu for a 64 GB 11” Pro with 4 GB RAM is just crazy. At that price it should have at least 128 GB storage and 6 GB RAM. Hopefully the next version will come with both amounts.
Click to expand...

It seems like it would be a better option to have someone from the US buy one and mail it to you?
 
tps3443 said:
It seems like it would be a better option to have someone from the US buy one and mail it to you?
Click to expand...
No. It's actually cheaper in Canada (at least for retail pricing).

$1 CAD is about 75¢ US, so the 11" Pro 64 GB is about US$750 in Canada.

The Best Buy USA sale pricing is more reasonable (at US$675), but that's sale pricing.
 
EugW said:
No. It's actually cheaper in Canada (at least for retail pricing).

$1 CAD is about 75¢ US, so the 11" Pro 64 GB is about US$750 in Canada.

The Best Buy USA sale pricing is more reasonable (at US$675), but that's sale pricing.
Click to expand...

Oh ok. I was thinking that a 1TB iPad Pro is $2,100 US dollars in Canada.
 
DJTJ said:
Hi all. I currently have an iPad Air 2. Does the trick but is starting to lag. To be expected from a 5 year old device.

Looking at a new one. On the fence between the 11 pro and the new air.

Prices in Canadian with taxes are
$735 air
$1130 pro

Almost $400 difference.

For ProMotion, quad speakers, better processor, pencil 2 support, and a better camera - is it worth it?

I can’t seem to justify the pro whatsoever.

Can anyone?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Get the 11” iPad Pro.
 
There are some good deals on Pro models now, so the price gap has closed with the new Air. It really is a matter of how much you want/need the extra Pro features. I suspect most consumers would be perfectly happy with the Air, which is the route I took. Of course, if I waited a few months, there would have been some good deals on the Air, but I wanted to enjoy it now.

On the other hand, if you wait, WWDC will reveal new iOS 13 features in June, so there might be software enhancements that exclusively benefit the Pro models. TBD.

BTW - I am very happy with my new iPad Air. No regrets.
 
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I think it largely depends on how long you plan to keep it. I had my first iPad 3.5 years and have had my second 4.5 and counting. Spending a little more (or even a lot more) on something I’ll use for years doesn’t seem so bad. If I upgraded every year that would be a lot more money.
 
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iPads have the longest life cycles. It seems they’re just broken in at the 2 year old mark. Obviously the better it is now, in 2 years it’ll still seem very viable to whatever new fancy machine my be out.

Look at the iPad Pro 2nd gen. Do you think these guys are desperate to upgrade? No way.

Anyways, good luck with your choice. Please keep us updated.
 
QCassidy352 said:
I think it largely depends on how long you plan to keep it. I had my first iPad 3.5 years and have had my second 4.5 and counting. Spending a little more (or even a lot more) on something I’ll use for years doesn’t seem so bad. If I upgraded every year that would be a lot more money.
Click to expand...
True.

The problem for me is I may say that I plan to keep it for at least 3 years. Alas, there's absolutely no guarantee I'll stick to the plan and not pre-order the next model as soon as it's announced. Hence, I prefer to limit spending on what I can afford to fritter away in a year. :)
 
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I usually keep my iPads a long time, but the iPad Pro 10.5 64 GB with keyboard and Pencil was an experiment for me. I wanted to know if:

1) I’d use the iPad in more ways and more often than I used the iPad Air 2 with 64 GB.
2) If I really needed and liked the Apple Smart Keyboard for the 10.5” or 11”.
3) If I would need more than 64 GB.
4) If I’d really use Pencil.

The answers to those questions are yes, yes, yes, and yes.

Regarding #3, 64 GB was fine for me with the iPad Air 2, because of the way I used it. Now with the 10.5” I use it differently. I can get by with 64 GB, but it will be restrictive sooner rather than later. Next time around I’ll buy an 11” with 6 GB RAM and 128+ GB storage. Fortunately, I can continue to use this one for a few years, and then perhaps pass it down to my wife or kid(s). I was originally going to give the kids my Core 2 Duo MacBook or MacBook Pro but in retrospect I suspect those may be too clunky and old for them. From a bygone era...

For #4, my use of Pencil is pretty limited, but it’s still quite nice to have.
 
loybond said:
Dunno where you're located, but in the GTA, you'll see those little cell stores advertising iPad Pros for around 950. You can even find sealed ones on Kijiji for around 900.
Click to expand...
Well, one thing is they generally are not authorized retailers. Also, $950 for what exactly?

$950 for a 64 GB 11" from an unauthorized dealer is a terrible deal, but it would be decent for a 256 GB model.
 
rui no onna said:
True.

The problem for me is I may say that I plan to keep it for at least 3 years. Alas, there's absolutely no guarantee I'll stick to the plan and not pre-order the next model as soon as it's announced. Hence, I prefer to limit spending on what I can afford to fritter away in a year. :)
Click to expand...

Yea, I’m gonna be selling mine and ready to role over to the new iPad Pro 4th gen whenever it gets announced.

It might be a while though.
 
Why do you need an authorized reseller? Your warranty is valid regardless of where you buy it from. It's based on the serial number; you don't even need a receipt.

EugW said:
Well, one thing is they generally are not authorized retailers. Also, $950 for what exactly?

$950 for a 64 GB 11" from an unauthorized dealer is a terrible deal, but it would be decent for a 256 GB model.
Click to expand...
 
I would get the Air unless you think you need the processing power of the 11 Pro, but I also vastly prefer TuochID and wish my 11 Pro had it.
 
loybond said:
Why do you need an authorized reseller? Your warranty is valid regardless of where you buy it from. It's based on the serial number; you don't even need a receipt.
Click to expand...
It depends on the credit card and/financial institution, but IIRC some of the credit cards may not offer extended warranty on the item if it's not purchased at an authorized retailer, but YMMV.
 
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