iPad 2 and iPad 4 were probably the models with the longest legs. The original iPad and iPad 3 were too underpowered. The iPad Air arguably has gimped RAM. Is it safe to say the iPad Air 2 is the next model that will last a lot longer than others?
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iPad Is Ipad Air 2 the next longevity model?
- Thread starter Kendo
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FWIW, The iPad 3 I used a long time ago has just been retired by my significant other, who just got my Air. The 3 I got about a month after launch. So it's served pretty well, considering.
That said, the Air 2 is probably going to be the longevity model. I don't think next year will bring any serious spec bumps, as this bump is pretty large.
Of course, I could be wrong. Never really know what's going to happen next year.
That said, the Air 2 is probably going to be the longevity model. I don't think next year will bring any serious spec bumps, as this bump is pretty large.
Of course, I could be wrong. Never really know what's going to happen next year.
I hope so. I have decided to take the plunge even though I have a rMini because I can make it work financially and I want to have another full sized iPad in the house.
If its not....I will probably turn the iPad Air 2 into the Air 3....and will probably just hold onto the rMini for as long as I can.
If its not....I will probably turn the iPad Air 2 into the Air 3....and will probably just hold onto the rMini for as long as I can.
I think the Air 2 is the new iPad 2. It's the first model with an extra core and 2 GB ram. No doubt the ram will remain the same for a few years and unless we get a lot more cores next year I can't see the air 2 being too laggy while the iPad Air with its 1 GB ram is supported.
iPad 3 - Retina Display. High Quality screen will be the standard for many years
iPad 4 - Lightning port. Apple's future iDevice cable connector for future connectivity and charging
iPad Air - 64 Bit Processor. The future of CPU processing for all iDevices
iPad Air 2 - 2GB of RAM. The new RAM standard for future generations and yet to be revealed features
Everyone always thinks the new iPad is the iPad 2 and will last forever. It will be the same story for iPad Air 3 next year.
iPad 4 - Lightning port. Apple's future iDevice cable connector for future connectivity and charging
iPad Air - 64 Bit Processor. The future of CPU processing for all iDevices
iPad Air 2 - 2GB of RAM. The new RAM standard for future generations and yet to be revealed features
Everyone always thinks the new iPad is the iPad 2 and will last forever. It will be the same story for iPad Air 3 next year.
Slightly nitpicky, but the iPad 3 wasn't really ready for prime time. Processor was a little slow and weren't there some overheating issues? The iPad 4 fixed this, as well as adopting the lightning connector.
As for the iPad Air, it didn't seem like a significant upgrade over the 4. 64 bit processing was more of a marketing point than actual spec bump. Same amount of memory as previous 2 generations. Same resolution screen as previous 2 generations. I know I'm not the only one that stayed away from this model due to its hardware inconsistencies (primarily 64 bit with low amount of RAM). Not even an x variant of its corresponding iPhone processor.
Apple rarely increases RAM, an iPad Air 2 just got doubled. If history is an indicator, we can expect to be at 2 GB for at least another 2 years. We just got another core and a beefed up A8. I definitely think this is the next "longetivity" model.
EDIT: So basically, no, every year I don't think the next model is the longetivity model. Not saying I'm nostradamus or anything over here. I picked up an iPad Air 2 for the above reasons. Feel free to quote me in a year if I'm wrong
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The difference is how we felt 5 minutes after the keynote, and how we felt 5 days after the release. They all seem great 5 minutes after the keynote.
iPad 3- Underpowered.
iPad 4- Actually a decent buy; the best of the "iPad 2 Derivatives"
iPad Air- Awesome size improvement, but the 1GB combined with the 64-bit processor limited it.
iPad Air 2- Fixed the issues of the iPad Air. Unclear whether it will be the longevity model, but looks promising.
All of these weaknesses being cited were 'after the fact', only becoming an issue once the next generation was out or on the verge of releasing. Upon release, every new model was the reincarnation of Jesus in iPad form and will be a good 'future-proof' model. Just read any review for any of these when they first came out. They were all 'Best iPad EVER'.
iPad 3 performance was good at release and for a few years though iOS5 & iOS6. iOS7 finally took its toll on performance, but it still was OK, and that wasn't released until the Air was out, 2 generations later. There was no overheating issues. I had one, it never overheated. The A5X with its quad core GPU was incredibly impressive and there was high praised for the Retina display.
iPad Air was highly praised for the revised form factor, greatly reduced heft, and lightning fast A7 processor (that was 2x faster CPU & GPU than the A6X). A year ago, having an A7 means you had a 64bit processor and were prepared for the future in terms of CPU power. Today is somehow is a terrible tablet because Safari reloads tabs.
As it stands today, the Air 2 is the best iPad made. It is a great device and I would really like one. I believe it will have a nice usable lifecycle, but those same claims were made for every iPad before, yet we see certain models condemned or praised for one reason or another.
Fast forward to a year from now and I guarantee there will be some type of complaints about the Air 2 next year. The issues we're seeing because its too thin, vibration, distortion, short battery life will be raised. The Air 2 looks the same as the Air 1 with no decrease in weight. Performance wise, people will complain the A8 was only a minor variation of the A7 so single core processing isn't much improved at all. The 40% increase of generation to generation CPU performance is the 2nd lowest ever for iPads (2nd gen & 3rd gen were about the same) and the smallest for a next gen A* processor we've seen. Every new A* processor (A4 -> A5 -> A6 -> A7) was was 2x CPU improvement except for this one.
The Air 3 will be awesome because the A9X is a complete redesign of the mobile processors that vastly improve both single and multi core performances. With updated design language, it will make the old Air 1 and Air 2 look out of date. The chamfered edges made the Air 2 less comfortable to hold and the new edge glass like the iPhone 6 make the Air 3 much better to use.
Ok, that was long winded, my point is that everyone always thinks the newest iPad is the best model that will last forever. And they're correct until the next model comes out, then that model will have something 'we need for the future'. Longevity is more dependent on Apple's roadmap than it is about a certain hardware specification.
iPad 3 performance was good at release and for a few years though iOS5 & iOS6. iOS7 finally took its toll on performance, but it still was OK, and that wasn't released until the Air was out, 2 generations later. There was no overheating issues. I had one, it never overheated. The A5X with its quad core GPU was incredibly impressive and there was high praised for the Retina display.
iPad Air was highly praised for the revised form factor, greatly reduced heft, and lightning fast A7 processor (that was 2x faster CPU & GPU than the A6X). A year ago, having an A7 means you had a 64bit processor and were prepared for the future in terms of CPU power. Today is somehow is a terrible tablet because Safari reloads tabs.
As it stands today, the Air 2 is the best iPad made. It is a great device and I would really like one. I believe it will have a nice usable lifecycle, but those same claims were made for every iPad before, yet we see certain models condemned or praised for one reason or another.
Fast forward to a year from now and I guarantee there will be some type of complaints about the Air 2 next year. The issues we're seeing because its too thin, vibration, distortion, short battery life will be raised. The Air 2 looks the same as the Air 1 with no decrease in weight. Performance wise, people will complain the A8 was only a minor variation of the A7 so single core processing isn't much improved at all. The 40% increase of generation to generation CPU performance is the 2nd lowest ever for iPads (2nd gen & 3rd gen were about the same) and the smallest for a next gen A* processor we've seen. Every new A* processor (A4 -> A5 -> A6 -> A7) was was 2x CPU improvement except for this one.
The Air 3 will be awesome because the A9X is a complete redesign of the mobile processors that vastly improve both single and multi core performances. With updated design language, it will make the old Air 1 and Air 2 look out of date. The chamfered edges made the Air 2 less comfortable to hold and the new edge glass like the iPhone 6 make the Air 3 much better to use.
Ok, that was long winded, my point is that everyone always thinks the newest iPad is the best model that will last forever. And they're correct until the next model comes out, then that model will have something 'we need for the future'. Longevity is more dependent on Apple's roadmap than it is about a certain hardware specification.
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The issues with CPU speed on the 3 didn't come until long after it was replaced.
Here is what Verge said about the iPad 3 at the time of its release.
Sounds exactly like the love and praise reserved for 'the iPad of the future' if you ask me.
And my point to you is that I fundamentally disagree that every iPad model is praised as the next greatest thing. Citing XYZ's review doesn't really prove your point. Apple sells every device as the next big thing. Theres always good reviews for bad movies. In that review you posted the Verge acknowledged there were concerns about the processor. They felt it was a nonissue, but it sounds like it was not a unanimous sentiment at product release.
Take the iPad Air. Mind you, all of these concerns were valid at the time of release, not uncovered when iOS was updated or at some time in the future.
-Packed a vanilla A7 processor as opposed to an A7x.
-64 bit processor with 1 GB ram
There are no such red flags with the iPad Air 2. Basically everything has been upgraded sans screen resolution.
Take the iPad Air. Mind you, all of these concerns were valid at the time of release, not uncovered when iOS was updated or at some time in the future.
-Packed a vanilla A7 processor as opposed to an A7x.
-64 bit processor with 1 GB ram
There are no such red flags with the iPad Air 2. Basically everything has been upgraded sans screen resolution.
I don't think you understood what The Verge was trying to say as it relates the A5X. They're saying that while people have observed its still based on the A5, their testing shows speed was not an issue and it was as powerful as it needed to be. What people consider to be an issue today was a non issue when it was released. They aren't saying it was a problem or they were torn about it.
Ironically you could consider the A8's iterative improvement over the A7 to be a similar situation that will unfold in a few years time.
The 'vanilla A7' was a bigger jump over the A6X than the A8X is over the A7. Even with the 3rd core the A8X is still isn't as big of an improvement as the A7 brought to the table. Not too shabby for a 'vanilla' processor.
Uh, yes quoting a review (aka the sentiment at the time) and contrasting it with today's posts is exactly my point. The newest iPad is always best thing ever at release and then after some time the opinion is quite negative for whatever reason.
Today the Air 2 is the best thing ever. Then wait until we get further in the life cycle, then whatever improvements that come out on the Air 3 will expose whatever 'weaknesses' that exist on the Air 2. Then that will be the 'longevity model'. Rinse and repeat every single year.
Honestly, reading between the lines in that review, we could conclude that it would not be a longevity model compared with the iPad 2 (which was a year old at this point):
"there's not some obvious speed boost in comparison to the previous generation iPad"
In other words, the reviewer is saying "it works fine now, just as last year's model did."
i love this game.
i hit the bullseye by buying the ipad 4
i also hit it when i got the iphone 4s and the 2008 Macbook pro (the first with a multitouch touch pad! still fully supported by Yosemite today!)
all 'longevity' models.
i didnt hit it when i got the iphone 3g (no multitasking)
and i have a feeling i didnt hit it when i got the iphone 6 (1gb ram)
but with the iphone 6 i havent encountered any slowdowns at all and my diagnostics never has any 'lowmemory' errors so that remains to be seen.
i hit the bullseye by buying the ipad 4
i also hit it when i got the iphone 4s and the 2008 Macbook pro (the first with a multitouch touch pad! still fully supported by Yosemite today!)
all 'longevity' models.
i didnt hit it when i got the iphone 3g (no multitasking)
and i have a feeling i didnt hit it when i got the iphone 6 (1gb ram)
but with the iphone 6 i havent encountered any slowdowns at all and my diagnostics never has any 'lowmemory' errors so that remains to be seen.
A little long winded but dead on!
. This Air 2 will enjoy it's heyday for a few months and then once rumors start coming about the next gen ipad, all of the nitpicking will surface and they'll update something on the new one that will make the feel outdated.I went from the iPad 2 to the Air and felt it was an enormous update. I plan on hanging onto my Air for a while. But, the thread about the crazy deals people are getting at Best Buy or where ever are starting to get me thinking.....
There is no obvious speed boost observed because there was no stutter, lag or delay. In other words, the responsiveness was immediate. Hard to observe speed faster than that.
Also, re read that last paragraph. That closing line certainly made it seem like the iPad 3 had long legs and 'was the product to beat'.
My Air and probably many others don't stutter or lag at all. Not even slightly. Maybe that's what the reviewer was saying?
I'm sure there will circumstances where the new chip will flex its muscles but the A7 in the Air isn't exactly a dog. Far from it.
I read it as "there is no better tablet for sale," which doesn't necessarily mean, "this tablet will have a long useful life."
Not trying to be combative or anything... Just saying I could read that review much more pessimistically than you do. I think the real take-away is that "good" reviews should be taken with a grain of salt. iPad 3 was good when it was released, but the review didn't really consider longevity.
A little long winded but dead on!
I went from the iPad 2 to the Air and felt it was an enormous update. I plan on hanging onto my Air for a while. But, the thread about the crazy deals people are getting at Best Buy or where ever are starting to get me thinking.....
Yes, it was a little long, but it was fun to type up. These forums sentiments are so finicky its pretty fun to poke fun at it.
The Air 1 is an impressive tablet and probably the biggest generation to generation leap throughout the entire iPad line. 64 bit processor, 2x CPU & GPU, best battery, new beautiful design language, smaller bezels, lightest and thinnest full size iPad upon its release. THINNER THAN A PENCIL. Plus it doesn't vibrate when you listen to sound or distort the display when you hold it.
But since the Air 2 came out, it is totally outdated right now. It can't do anything with a measly 1gb of ram (same as iPhone 6, but shhhh). Safari tab reloads are SOOOOOOO 2013
Back to reality - The Air 2 is also very impressive. I haven't decided to get an Air 2 yet, but I would move on the right deal. I got the 10% BB Movers Coupon and a Target 10% off coupon stashed away waiting for the right time. Still thinking...
There are very valid points here.
One of the biggest factors is iOS updates. If you never update your iOS to the next version than you will have a longevity model. An iPad 3 on iOS 5 or 6 today wouldn't be slow at all.
It doesn't matter how beefy the A? is in a device, iOS will determine when it will slow down.
One of the biggest factors is iOS updates. If you never update your iOS to the next version than you will have a longevity model. An iPad 3 on iOS 5 or 6 today wouldn't be slow at all.
It doesn't matter how beefy the A? is in a device, iOS will determine when it will slow down.