Given the similar specs….is the new ipad Air (M2 chip) really worth double the cost of the 10th gen iPad. Advice please?
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All iPads New iPad Air v iPad (10th gen)
- Thread starter Roosterman
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People could probably advise if you specify the type of usage. Might also depend on whether some folks want the additional functionality (and cost) of the new pro pencil and magic keyboard.
Honestly? I don't think so. The only real drawback of the 10th gen compared to the air, to me, is the 4 gb of ram. That will likely obsolete the device long before the processor will. But at almost half the price, it can also afford to not be in use as long.
The base Air has double the RAM, double the SSD, a better screen, better speakers, supports the Pencil Pro, and has faster USB-C. If none of that maters to you, get the cheaper iPad 10.
Also laminated display on the air / not on the iPad 10
For me personally that’s an important feature
For me personally that’s an important feature
It makes a huge difference. To me the iPad 10 also feels cheap and less sturdy, which is also really important to me.
The 128GB base storage as well as 8GB of ram, Much better P3, better speakers, and laminated display/thinner bezels makes it worth double the price against iPad 10.. in Middle East its only like 1.5 times higher price, not double, and the iPad Air Features itself is in middle or even closer to the Pro (except 120hz and oled) so making it worth it to buy again.. even the older iPad Air M1 is better choice just for 8gb ram alone for sure the older m1 iPad air will drop the price
Thanks for the replies. Most important for me is screen (general internet browsing, Netflix etc). I didn’t realise there was a significant difference between the screens on the 10th gen and the new iPad Air. Maybe I need to compare then more closely.
I honestly doubt you'd notice the difference.. when the time comes just have a look in person
I think the screen is pretty good on the 10th gen. It's definitely better on the air but that doesn't mean the 10th gen's screen is bad by any means. I was debating between the 10th gen and the 5th gen air but decided on the 10th gen and I'm very happy with it. I mostly am using mine for media consumption so I don't need anything too fancy.
Edit: I ended up returning the 10th gen and got the 5th gen air. After reading all the comments and watching some videos on the two, I realized it was worth the extra $50 to upgrade.
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I on my second 9th gen and had the 10th and have the Air 5…
In my opinion the Air is definitely worth the upgrade. Regular iPads force refresh tabs eventually and it is annoying. The Air is a great tablet, my only real complaint being power button fingerprint reader vs Face ID on the Pros.
In my opinion the Air is definitely worth the upgrade. Regular iPads force refresh tabs eventually and it is annoying. The Air is a great tablet, my only real complaint being power button fingerprint reader vs Face ID on the Pros.
I think it's a real subtle difference, and one you won't notice after you leave the store and are not looking at them side by side. From actual use, the only real impact of the screen is that the pencil is just a tad above the screen when you write, but it's fine for note taking (which is all I do). The only other impact I've felt so far of going with the 10th gen is that some poorly written websites struggle without the extra ram/swap space that the Air would have.
The last non-laminated iPad I bought was the iPad 9th gen and honestly, the extra thickness makes it feel sturdier than the Pro 10.5 and Air 3.
The plasticky feel and hollow sound when tapping on the screen does make it feel cheaper though.
The 64GB ain’t gonna fly for my mom. iOS and apps have gotten quite bloated nowadays that even 64GB feels cramped. I find the 128GB M1 Pro and 2024 128GB M2 Air to be better value than the 256GB iPad 10th gen.
When I updated a 32GB iPad 7th gen to 17.5 beta, it wanted 10GB free. I had to delete/offload practically all apps on the device just to install the OTA update. This reminds me of my frustration with the 16GB iPad Air like 8-10 years ago.
I'm normally not one to complain about storage, but yeah I had the same problem with a 32GB 8th gen iPad. I even use iCloud storage to offload originals, but with pictures/iMessage taking up about 5GB, and the base OS needing ~17GB, iPadOS needs close to 10GB just to do an update!! Ridiculous.
Collected my iPad Air M2 today. After close comparison the screen on the air was slightly better, especially with darker colours. Couldnt resist the M2 processor and double the RAM! Quite happy!
That's not a resounding statement in favor of upgrading! But hope you enjoy the M2! I was on the verge of upgrading from my sturdy IP 10 to the Air M2. But haven't quite felt able to do it. Have some fondness for my unglamorous IP 10, which has been with me to numerous countries on five continents and has just been a very solid, reliable workhorse in all sorts of places/conditions.
Just to clarify, I wasn’t upgrading from iPad 10. I was upgrading from 5+ year old iPad and choosing between the Air M2, or buying the iPad 10. For me, the new price for iPad 10 was a tempting option. Very impressed with all three current iPad options (……unlike the current iMac desktops but that’s another issue)
@Roosterman What did you end up getting?
I have a family member asking me for advice. They are just a basic user (no need for keyboard, pencil, etc.) so iPad 10th gen should suffice, but MR buyer's guide says caution while M2 Air is a recent update. Also it sounds like the screen on the Air is better. I will have them look at screens side by side and see if they have a preference. But reading through this thread, sounds like RAM on the iPad 10th gen is also a limiting factor.
I think they want 256GB so in their case it would be $699 for iPad Air vs $469 for the iPad 10th gen -- so $230 more for the iPad Air.
I have a family member asking me for advice. They are just a basic user (no need for keyboard, pencil, etc.) so iPad 10th gen should suffice, but MR buyer's guide says caution while M2 Air is a recent update. Also it sounds like the screen on the Air is better. I will have them look at screens side by side and see if they have a preference. But reading through this thread, sounds like RAM on the iPad 10th gen is also a limiting factor.
I think they want 256GB so in their case it would be $699 for iPad Air vs $469 for the iPad 10th gen -- so $230 more for the iPad Air.
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