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iPad Pro iPad Pro 2018 still a good buy?
- Thread starter slimejester
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As owner of a refurb 2018 12.9 iPad Pro, yes, it's a good buy and I hope to get the same duration from this one (although will surely be tempted by the latest and greatest too). Refurb iPads, as you probably know, are like-new condition, receive a new outer shell and battery (and other parts that need replacing), come with all the accessories and new box, and the one-year Apple warranty. There's an option to buy Applecare+ too. Now that we can have AC+ for an extended period, that makes keeping a refurb for a longer period even more attractive.
There haven't been any 12.9s in the US refurb store this week so far but keep a look out several times a day. Hope you snag the one you want.
There haven't been any 12.9s in the US refurb store this week so far but keep a look out several times a day. Hope you snag the one you want.
iOS 14 will still support the iPad Air 2 (2014). I'd expect a minimum of three more new releases for the 2018 iPad Pro.
I use my 2018 6th gen iPad heavily on a daily basis and it still powers through my tasks so I suspect a 2018 iPad Pro will do even better.
My iPad 5th generation is still powering along for 4k movies and tv shows so you should be fine.
That’s the one I currently have, and the iPP purchase is definitely a want and not a need. I’d probably go for 11”, but have obsessively debating between 11” and 12.9”, waiting for a new model with micro-led and not waiting. Strangely enough, the 2020 ones don’t seem so appealing to be with only upgraded cameras and additional RAM. I’ll likely wait, but I’m always on the fence whenever refurbished ones come in stock.
I know that feeling. Index finger headed like a guided missile to the Buy button 😆
It’s hell. I actually bought one in March and returned it. It was so much better than my 6th gen. Every time I use my iPad 6, I’m reminded of how much better it could be.
And what if that "how much better it could be" leads to a great creative breakthrough? I can help anyone justify a new purchase. Of the hundred ways to justify an Apple purchase, and when you can afford it, "life is short" is usually the one that works for me. Buying refurbs too requires much less justification. I say, treat yourself ...
When the videos came out comparing the 2020 iPad Pro to the 2018 I decided they were similar enough to get the older one. In March I bought a 12.9 refurbished from the Apple Store for $699. I put a Magic Keyboard on it and couldn’t be happier.
Yeah, that combo seems like astonishingly great value. lol other than the $350 keyboard case
Who am I kidding, this is the setup I salivate over.
I hope so because I’ve just got a brand new one from my mobile phone provider. 1TB 12.9” LTE Model for £1200 which is over £400 saving over the equivalent 2020 model. They are fast running out of stock of them though, they only had the higher capacities left no 64GB’s or 256’s.
I’m curious to see if the 1TB model that I have got with it’s extra ram will be supported slightly longer than the standard 2018 models or if it will be dropped at the same time. In theory it should be able to be supported for as long as the 2020 models as all it’s lacking is a GPU core by comparison.
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I’m curious to see if the 1TB model that I have got with it’s extra ram will be supported slightly longer than the standard 2018 models or if it will be dropped at the same time. In theory it should be able to be supported for as long as the 2020 models as all it’s lacking is a GPU core by comparison.
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What’s the magic keyboard like? I’m getting the 12.9” pro to replace my laptop as all I do is consume media on it, but I want a way to keep it sat up on my lap to watch like I do with a laptop when I laze on the sofa.
Lol, same. 😆
Been checking out the refurb store but I haven’t been able to pull the trigger. After taxes, refurb 12.9” 1TB LTE is still $1400+.
Alas, it’s lower on the list of priorities right now. Got Windows 7 PCs* that are overdue for an upgrade. 😅
* Used for iTunes encrypted backup, 4K UHD/Blu-ray ripping, Plex Media Server, Calibre and the occasional website that doesn’t play nice on iOS (e.g. ordering $199 iPhone SE 2020 from Walmart)
I just yesterday went from a 3rd gen 12.9 to 4th 11 and the only reason I did was because my wife wanted an iPad. Give her the old, keep the new. I wanted to go to a smaller size but still not enough of a reason to have upgraded. The 3rd gen is still a beast of a computer.
I’ve just seen a brand new 11” 2018 model for £619, which is £150 less than the 2020 model.
That extra £150 gets double the storage (128 vs 64), 2GB extra RAM and the LIDAR scanner, which I have no use for.
I’m not going to be editing photos or movies, but would get the pencil and MKB for note taking, writing, office work etc.
I’m assuming the 2018 model would be fine and will last as long as the 2020 model but the extra storage and especially the extra RAM is giving me pause for thought.
That extra £150 gets double the storage (128 vs 64), 2GB extra RAM and the LIDAR scanner, which I have no use for.
I’m not going to be editing photos or movies, but would get the pencil and MKB for note taking, writing, office work etc.
I’m assuming the 2018 model would be fine and will last as long as the 2020 model but the extra storage and especially the extra RAM is giving me pause for thought.
Yup, it is. I had the 2018 iPad and bought the 2018 Pro in April, the biggest difference is how well it manages to hold lots of safari cards and open apps in memory - this is where the regular iPad was a bit annoying with reloads after just a few minutes of inactivity. Besides, there is just no comparison regarding the screen - the refresh rate and the fact that it is laminated make a huge difference.
So yeah, as a person who bought an iPP 2018 this year, I totally recommend it!
In my case, the upgrade was something between want and need, I loved the design and features of the iPP, but was on the fence due to the price and the necessity to upgrade the Pencil. But as I have a strong professional use case for it, I got it and do not regret.
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So hard to say where iPad is going as a whole. I think you're safe.
I'm hopeful that more professional grade software will get ported but right now there is little that really pushes the A12X and developers want to develop for more than the current generation. So even if the A14X adds new features/possibilities, chances are good the 2018/2020 models will but supported for quite a while. They are the first model to really support what I think will be the "modern" features: heterogenous multi-core CPU, accelerated machine learning, and console-quality (terrible term, but I think you get it) GPU. I don't think it was just convenience that Apple chose the A12Z for the DTK, I really think it will be the benchmark for at least the next generation of Apple Silicon.
I don't see the memory handling model changing anytime soon, so the biggest issue with 4GB will be longer pauses/reload times switching between tabs and apps as software matures. Depending on what you do that may not be a big issues, or it may drive you crazy. Weigh that against waiting with what you have for another 6-12 months (I hope less but we did just see an update...)
I'm hopeful that more professional grade software will get ported but right now there is little that really pushes the A12X and developers want to develop for more than the current generation. So even if the A14X adds new features/possibilities, chances are good the 2018/2020 models will but supported for quite a while. They are the first model to really support what I think will be the "modern" features: heterogenous multi-core CPU, accelerated machine learning, and console-quality (terrible term, but I think you get it) GPU. I don't think it was just convenience that Apple chose the A12Z for the DTK, I really think it will be the benchmark for at least the next generation of Apple Silicon.
I don't see the memory handling model changing anytime soon, so the biggest issue with 4GB will be longer pauses/reload times switching between tabs and apps as software matures. Depending on what you do that may not be a big issues, or it may drive you crazy. Weigh that against waiting with what you have for another 6-12 months (I hope less but we did just see an update...)
Seriously considering a 1TB 12.9 3rd Gen rather than the brand new one - even a refurb (with warranty, etc) is a £400 saving that pretty much pays for the Magic Keyboard and Pencil - I’m not sure (given that the 1TB has 6GB RAM) that I’ll see any real difference compared to the newer one.
My wife and I got our iPad 2018s in February. We don’t regret them at all, they’re going strong and we’re looking at years of usage before we even think about upgrading again (came from the 10.5 Pros). Unfortunately, we paid full price but you might be able to find a better price than we did!
Right now there's some 2018 refurb iPad Pro 11s and a 12.9.
Refurbished iPad - iPad Pro 11" - iPad Pro 12.9"
Save up to 15% on a refurbished iPad at Apple Online Store with free delivery. All models are Apple-certified with a 1-year warranty.
www.apple.com