iPad iPad with 32GB. Would I be crazy?

[Rockbird86]

I want one for one of my cherubs for Christmas. She's 8, she'll only use it for games, Netflix and some school apps so 128GB and the extra £100 wouldn't be worth it. But 32GB? I can't remember the last time anything of mine had such little space. I'm guessing this has been done to death on here but what were they thinking? Is it doable or just not worth the bother?

 

[C. Robert]

I say yes don't get it if you even have the question hovering in your mind. Some people are going to be like this or that but I say no.

 

[rui no onna]

How many and how big are the games and school apps? Will you be wanting to download Netflix videos for offline watching (e.g. road trips, etc)?

I know my dad's doing just fine on a 32GB iPad (probably still has 10-15GB free). He doesn't download anything. Mostly just uses it for Facebook, YouTube and web browsing. The only games he has installed are solitaire and chess.

 

[MisterSavage]

For an 8 year old that's a tough call. Games can add up quickly. My nephew and I like playing "Crush the Castle" and that's 695 MB. I have several games that are over 2GB. The Jurassic World game he likes is a 1.6 GB download.

 

[satchmo]

Fine for adults browsing emails etc...but gaming might be challenging unless the kid is playing only a few games or deletes those not played regularly.

 

[Fred Zed]

I’d say it’s fine. They can learn how to manage the file system and delete games that they no longer play to free up space. Free housekeeping lessons learned also.

 

[JPack]

32GB will be enough. About half of that space will be available for use. Many schools us MS Teams for remote learning and that's a 200MB app. Netflix is a streaming app. Most games for kids are 500MB or less. Girls are less interested in action/adventure games which tend to be multi-GB in size. Games like Hay Day or Candy Crush are small.

 

[Rockbird86]

Yeah she'll be playing Word Cookies and Cooking Fever, nothing major. Plus things like Times Table Rockstars. She doesn't really need to download video, I have unlimited data so if Wi-Fi isn't available she can use that. She does like videoing herself though, that's probably my main concern. It's a tough call.

 

[xlii]

How long will this be your daughters iPad? It can easily last 5 or 6 years of use. Spread 100£ over 5 or 6 years and it really isn’t that much more £. Give the iPad enough memory so it will suit your daughters needs into the future. I’m about to replace my 2013 iPad that I use everyday. I put 128 GBs in it and I’m glad I did.

 

[MisterSavage]

Netflix is a streaming app but if you're going somewhere where there is bad/no connection then it's nice to be able to download shows/movies. That takes space.

 

[darngooddesign]

Should be fine, and it's a good way to teach her to not digitally hoard. The only downside is if she starts playing around with games or apps which would require more space. Also consider that a slightly used one will give you more space for the same price.

 

[Crow_Servo]

My iPad I use at work is 32GB and it seems to be enough. Essential apps don’t take up much space. It’s when you start to add games and photos and non-essential apps that you risk filling up the storage. 32GB is doable, but not if she starts discovering a bunch of apps she wants. Some games are small, some are 7GB+. You never know. For personal use, I wouldn’t choose 32GB. If it was only for schoolwork and no play, I’d say go for 32, but it sounds like it’ll be for more than that.

 

[AutomaticApple]

I’d say it’s fine. They can learn how to manage the file system and delete games that they no longer play to free up space. Free housekeeping lessons learned also.

They don't have to delete the games. They can offload them instead.

 

[Fred Zed]

They don't have to delete the games. They can offload them instead.

Thanks for the clarification

 

[xylitol]

Why not iPad mini (2019) 64GB? My daughter basically stole mine.


Edit 3 days later: Now she wants the new iPad. I'll get her one of the 128GB versions and I'll get myself my mini back!

 

[ejin222]

One solution: Maybe get her the 32GB iPad with updated iCloud? Gives you 50GB/month for just $1/month. That way, she can backup her iPad on iCloud or store videos/photos there and save her disk space.

Even at $1/month, it would take 100 months to equal that upgraded disk space.

 

[bluespark]

This is what we used for our kids, and it has been fine. We occasionally help them go through and delete unused games and videos, and we only store 3-4 movies at a time (for example, before a trip). But with that little bit of maintenance, 32 GB doesn't seem like a problem at all.