iPad Is Ipad Air 2 the next longevity model?

[urkel]

Nice. But you're argument could be used against ANY iPad because your main arguments lay down faults for real world use not utilizing the power of the latest A Series chip and the OS.

Yes. And thats the point. Every (working) iPad will last as long as the user wants it to, but Every iPad is on a fast track to being "outdated" because of Apple's annual update schedule. And that will only be more true as tablet sales level off and Apple starts to do something "game changing" in order to revitalize their stake in the market.

The iPad Air 2 may be equipped to last longer than previous gens but IF the iPad Pro becomes their template for the future of iPads then that means every previous model will be left in the dust. And that includes the Air 2 that I just got.

 

[ttNB]

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.

Agree. I loved the iPad 4th Gen. It was the most well put together iPad form from the iPad 2 design era. The 3 was gorgeous, but yes well underpowered. That Beautiful display and underpowered/clocked processor is what limited it.
Unless they do a different screen resolution all together, even yet still, they just reduced the battery capacity.

 

[Pjrufus]

I had my iPad 2 for 3 years. I shattered the screen awhile back and it was never the same. So, for me, my new Air 2 (thank you, Best Buy) will be MY longevity model, unless I break it.

 

[wolfboy]

The iPad Air 2 may be equipped to last longer than previous gens but IF the iPad Pro becomes their template for the future of iPads then that means every previous model will be left in the dust. And that includes the Air 2 that I just got.

If it's still on track to get released in early 2015, then I have a gut feeling the iPad Pro and Air 2 will have the same innards (A8X, 2gb RAM, etc.) with the only difference being the screen size and resolution increase. It's very very typical of Apple to create new 1st gen products that are "just enough" to run it (rMBP, iPad 1, iPad 3 Retina, 5K iMac) particularly when it comes to resolution bumps. The innards for the Air 2 has a lot of overhead, but for the Pro with its resolution bump, it could be just enough.

I highly doubt they will give the 1st gen iPad Pro an A9.

EDIT: Maybe thats why the Mini 3 still has the A7. Maybe they're saving the A8X for the Pro and that's what all the talk about them shifting focus from the Mini to the Pro is all about.

 

[haruhiko]

If it's still on track to get released in early 2015, then I have a gut feeling the iPad Pro and Air 2 will have the same innards (A8X, 2gb RAM, etc.) with the only difference being the screen size and resolution increase. It's very very typical of Apple to create new 1st gen products that are "just enough" to run it (rMBP, iPad 1, iPad 3 Retina, 5K iMac) particularly when it comes to resolution bumps. The innards for the Air 2 has a lot of overhead, but for the Pro with its resolution bump, it could be just enough.

I highly doubt they will give the 1st gen iPad Pro an A9.

EDIT: Maybe thats why the Mini 3 still has the A7. Maybe they're saving the A8X for the Pro and that's what all the talk about them shifting focus from the Mini to the Pro is all about.

I don't really think the 15-inch 2012 rMBP (yeah I have it..) is "just enough" since it has a quad core Ivy Bridge i7 CPU and a discrete graphics card. However, the first 13-inch rMBP is severely crippled with the crappy Intel HD graphics. Fairly speaking, the rMBP is not truly a first gen product because it's an improved version of the original MBP: high DPI screen with SSD.

 

[wrhd]

In my opinion, yes, iPad air 2 will be the model apple will keep a for awhile.
It looks like to me that apple, will be have a line up of iPads, starting at a lowest price but also with less features, mini3 since its a mini updated but not like air 2, then, a mid range iPad, the iPad air 2, and now they are focusing on the pro range iPad, the iPad pro; bigger, and with more features than the iPad air 2. Apple might even think about producing their own keyboards/cover, or for example, accessories for designers or for people that really need the bigger screen and maybe faster processors or better graphics. But that is just my thinking.....

 

[mtneer]

Every iPad will be the second coming of Jesus Christ... until the next one is released. And the definition of "longevity" is up to the user. There are people who will go an upgrade from an iPad rMini 2 to the r Mini 3 citing ground breaking advancements. I am still on my 2.5 year old iPad 3; no "underpowered" this or "overheated" that ever bugging me.

I guess it all comes down to how much you would want to justify purchasing a newer device - the easiest way is to vilify and find faults with the older device.

 

[s2mikey]

Every iPad will be the second coming of Jesus Christ... until the next one is released. And the definition of "longevity" is up to the user. There are people who will go an upgrade from an iPad rMini 2 to the r Mini 3 citing ground breaking advancements. I am still on my 2.5 year old iPad 3; no "underpowered" this or "overheated" that ever bugging me.

I guess it all comes down to how much you would want to justify purchasing a newer device - the easiest way is to vilify and find faults with the older device.

Absolutely correct. I often wonder what exactly these people are doing with their devices to constantly find them slow, unusable, etc. I get that hardware updates are nice and all but ipads last a very long time despite what the miserable "gotta have the new one" crowd says. Heck, there are even posts chiding the Air for being outdated and slow. Yeah, right.

And, you are also correct that many times these folks are just trying to bolster the validity of their own purchase and make themselves feel better. Like: "yeah, I needed the Air 2 because, well, ya know, it's got a faster chip or something". Whatever.

 

[wingsabr]

Agree....held onto my 2 and 4 the longest of all with the 4 just being replaced

 

[MacDarcy]

Finally went to the Apple Store and checked out the iPad Air 2 in person. Yes, it's thin...but I still way prefer the iPad mini. It's just the perfect size. Larger than the iphone 6 plus, but smaller and more portable than the Air.

I think all this talk bout the mini being dropped by Apple is bogus.

 

[augustya]

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.

What about major changes in design of the iPad with new shape body curvy, slim wavy or whatever with a new screen ? is that not looking as a possibility ?

 

[augustya]

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

I like your confidence I dont know if it is over-confidence or being too pompous but it is indeed a bold and daring statement lol !

 

[christarp]

This is the most valid point, the iPad 1 would still work well if the OS was never updated.

Not true. I've still got my shsh blobs (even though I don't think you actually need them really) and I have gone back to iOS 3.2 a few times for kicks. Standards have changed and the ipad is all about content consumption, and from that viewpoint, it doesn't work well. Safari is not great at all on 3.2, the tab view is the worst, and old apps like netflix don't even work (they offer the old version for iOS 3.2 but it's so old that it doesn't connect to the netflix servers), whereas iOS 5.1 doesn't run as smoothly, but it does have a working netflix, and safari is better at rendering pages and whatnot.

iOS 5.1 will happily run videos and netflix smoothly, and to that end, running on iOS 3.2 is actually a worse experience. Faster, but worse.

 

[iPutz]

I have an iPad 2 16 gb that I have not upgraded to iOS 8. Nor will I. I've deleted most apps to free up storage. I use it only when I do cardio and it works great for listening to music while surfing the Internet and email. If I knock it off the elliptical while working out, I'm not out much. I use my Air2 64gb for everything else. I hope I can get as much use out of the Air2 as I am getting from the 2.

 

[theBostonian]

I think the Air 2 is "gimped" by battery life. Next year will (hopefully) see more energy efficient processors and also the implementation of the new DDR4 standard of RAM.

I just hope the new RAM isn't so expensive that it cuts into AAPL's profit margin, or else they won't bother using it.

I have an Air and for my uses, which is mainly media consumption as opposed to gaming or creation, it's perfect with a 13-14 hour battery life.

 

[Kendo]

I think the Air 2 is "gimped" by battery life. Next year will (hopefully) see more energy efficient processors and also the implementation of the new DDR4 standard of RAM.

I just hope the new RAM isn't so expensive that it cuts into AAPL's profit margin, or else they won't bother using it.

I have an Air and for my uses, which is mainly media consumption as opposed to gaming or creation, it's perfect with a 13-14 hour battery life.

Not sure what you mean? I use the iPad Air 2 in the same manner I used the Air 1 and I am regularly getting 13 hours of battery life.

 

[Aluminum213]

I think the Air 2 is "gimped" by battery life. Next year will (hopefully) see more energy efficient processors and also the implementation of the new DDR4 standard of RAM.

I just hope the new RAM isn't so expensive that it cuts into AAPL's profit margin, or else they won't bother using it.

I have an Air and for my uses, which is mainly media consumption as opposed to gaming or creation, it's perfect with a 13-14 hour battery life.

I get the same 10 hour battery life as I've always had with my previous iPads

 

[Closingracer]

I think the Air 2 is "gimped" by battery life. Next year will (hopefully) see more energy efficient processors and also the implementation of the new DDR4 standard of RAM.



I just hope the new RAM isn't so expensive that it cuts into AAPL's profit margin, or else they won't bother using it.



I have an Air and for my uses, which is mainly media consumption as opposed to gaming or creation, it's perfect with a 13-14 hour battery life.

Lol it won't have DDR4 ram since that costs way to much to be put in a tablet and that's even if they made mobile versions yet ( desktop and laptop I know it exists and expensive ).


I had the first iPad Air for about 4 months and it lasted around 10 hours and so does this iPad Air 2 cellular model with gps, LTE and wifi on

 

[sanke1]

I predict 12" iPad Air Pro is going to fail once initial hype dies down.

For it's size, a full proper laptop with bigger screen and better specs running full Windows would be better.

Holding a 12" screen close to face in bed at night is just idiotic.

But once the Pro is out, watch how our iPad Air 2 automagically gets slower with each passing update to iOS.

 

[Mivo]

I predict 12" iPad Air Pro is going to fail once initial hype dies down.

If it's just an iPad with a bigger screen and slightly improved specs, yes. I'd have no use for that, either, and already find the regular iPads a little large. But if it's more hybrid-y, more like the Surface, and if it has better connectivity (USB3 for example), I'd be all over it. But that's unlikely.

 

[Kendo]

Looks like my initial prediction was right on the money.

 

[Kendo]

Anyone still kicking it strong with their iPad Air 2?

 

[Math889]

Anyone still kicking it strong with their iPad Air 2?

Me I will stick with my iPad Air 2 for a looong time ..... It will be the next longevity model

 

[Channan]

Anyone still kicking it strong with their iPad Air 2?

People are still regularly buying the iPad Air 2 even over the Pro because it offers better value for most people. Almost two and a half years later and many people still don't see the point in getting the latest model over this.

This was easily the best iPad of its time by a country mile.

 

[RudySnow]

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.

This post is the epitome of TL;DR.