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On average, how many years do you keep your iPad before upgrading?

On average, how many years do you keep your iPad before upgrading?

  • 1

    Votes: 21 13.0%

  • 2

    Votes: 38 23.6%

  • 3

    Votes: 38 23.6%

  • 4

    Votes: 36 22.4%

  • 5

    Votes: 15 9.3%

  • 6

    Votes: 7 4.3%

  • 7

    Votes: 1 0.6%

  • 8

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 9

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 10 and over

    Votes: 5 3.1%
  • Total voters
    161
Usually about 2 years, for example I got the iPad Pro and then the second one (2015 to 2017) before that I had the Air 2 and before that one I had my very first iPad which was the iPad 3. However I may be breaking with tradition this year IF Apple do a design change and put Face ID into the new iPad Pro which is rumoured to be taking place, if that happens I will get this years iPad as well and pass my current iPad Pro onto a family member.
 
rui no onna said:
In the earlier days of the iPhone/iPod Touch, I actually stuck to just one major firmware update or sometimes even just the launch firmware (with minor point updates).

Whenever one installs a firmware update, there's always a possibility that the update might slow down the device, introduce new bugs or break app support.

I used to update my iPod Touch first and if everything works properly after 1-2 weeks, that's when I updated my iPhone. Used to do that with iPads, too, but I skipped some models or handed down the iPads to family members so now I don't have any more spares to test new firmware (at least not ones that can run iOS 11).
Click to expand...

Not sure how effective your methods are seeing you were testing on completely different devices. The builds are different for different devices, which means testing a new update on one device doesn’t really give any idea on how it will work on another device.
 
Every 2 years on average.

First iPad was the iPad 3, which was slow and heavy, but sold me on the usefulness of the tablet form factor.

Then I upgraded to the iPad mini 2, because the A5x processor was painfully slow (had issues rendering a pdf while mirrored to an Apple TV), and for the lighter form factor.

I would later upgrade to the 9.7" iPad Pro for the Apple Pencil support (multitasking was nice too).

Still using it, and depending on what newer iPad models come out this year, might finally consider a 12.9 iPad for the larger display.
 
akash.nu said:
Not sure how effective your methods are seeing you were testing on completely different devices. The builds are different for different devices, which means testing a new update on one device doesn’t really give any idea on how it will work on another device.
Click to expand...
Installing on a slower device gives me an idea (or at least a floor) on how performance will be like on faster devices. Besides, if an update breaks app compatibility, it's typically the same on all devices running the same firmware.
 
I use my iPad constantly--as much as my phone, if not more. I'm an avid reader, and I do all of my reading on my iPad. I'm also an instructor, and I use my iPad for quick check-ins online when I don't want to take out my laptop. (Though now that I've finally got a Mac instead of a PC, that's changing too.)

Until this question was asked, I didn't realize just how many iPads I had been through. There was the original iPad. I upgraded to iPad 3, then when iPad 4 came out two weeks later, I returned it and got that one. That was fine until it cracked everywhere, leading me to go to iPad Air 2. I was happy with that one, but when I went to upgrade my phone last year, AT&T was having an amazing deal; get a new iPhone for regular price and get a new (2017) iPad LTE for $99. So that's my latest one.

So every two years. But since I'm constantly on my iPad, I can justify the expense. Though I'd love to have the pencil capability, I'm sitting this year out.
 
Well, seeing I have only owned one iPad until today...

Had an iPad 3 purchased (If I recall correctly; was March 2012) on day one of availability. Was a solid device for 6 years. Sure, of late, lots of "website crashed" messages on certain websites, but outside of that, was acceptable performance for what I was using it for (I'm old: I can remember back to the day when I used computers that were hella slow so don't get too bent out of shape with the slightest dip in performance).

Bought the Gen 6 iPad this morning at the local Apple Store. So far, so good.
 
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If you write to Tim and let him know that you are a developer, and need to have the latest hardware for your apps that you are developing. He will hook you up. He is pretty good at hooking up his developers with the latest hardware.
 
When Apple released the first iPad, I upgraded yearly until the iPad 4.
Then they released the mini and I know I want the smaller form factor but with retina screen. When Apple released the mini 2, I sold my iPad 4, and the mini 2 has been my sole iPad until the 10.5" Pro.
 
sunapple said:
I buy an iPad every time I think it can replace most things I do on my iPhone and MacBook, then sell it after some 6 months because it can't.
Click to expand...

Sounds like my story. I tend to buy an iPad every 2-3 years and keep it for 6 or so months. I continually realize that I don’t really need it and that while convenient at times, it can’t do everything I need it to. Then I ask myself why I didn’t learn from the last time, only to be lured in again a couple years later.

I love the iPad, but I simply don’t need it. That said, looking forward to owning another one next year lol.
 
trife said:
Sounds like my story. I tend to buy an iPad every 2-3 years and keep it for 6 or so months. I continually realize that I don’t really need it and that while convenient at times, it can’t do everything I need it to. Then I ask myself why I didn’t learn from the last time, only to be lured in again a couple years later.

I love the iPad, but I simply don’t need it. That said, looking forward to owning another one next year lol.
Click to expand...

The use cases for me seems to be different every time though. The models were always the bigger steps: iPad 1st gen (2010), 3rd gen Retina (2012), Air (2013) and Pro 12.9” (2015).

Glad I was able to hold off buying the 10.5” because it wouldn’t have lasted long anyway.
 
sunapple said:
Glad I was able to hold off buying the 10.5” because it wouldn’t have lasted long anyway.
Click to expand...
Why, the 10.5 is a great iPad. Promotion, laminated screen, 4GB of ram, A10X processor, its really a nicely sized fast iPad that will last for years to come imo.
 
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I upgrade every time the lack of RAM is a problem. Upgraded from iPad 1 to iPad 2 around iOS3. Upgraded from the iPad 2 to iPad Air 2 when we hit iOS9. Will upgrade again when it becomes an issue, or when I can get a 10" pro for much less than what it costs now, as I want a pencil.
 
maflynn said:
Why, the 10.5 is a great iPad. Promotion, laminated screen, 4GB of ram, A10X processor, its really a nicely sized fast iPad that will last for years to come imo.
Click to expand...

It was based on my past experience, even though iPads have had great new updates, it's still an iPad.
 
sunapple said:
It was based on my past experience, even though iPads have had great new updates, it's still an iPad.
Click to expand...
Ok, but that doesn't answer why the 10.5 won't last long and you're glad you didn't buy one?
 
T'hain Esh Kelch said:
I upgrade every time the lack of RAM is a problem. Upgraded from iPad 1 to iPad 2 around iOS3. Upgraded from the iPad 2 to iPad Air 2 when we hit iOS9. Will upgrade again when it becomes an issue, or when I can get a 10" pro for much less than what it costs now, as I want a pencil.
Click to expand...
iPad 2 launched with iOS 4.

I skipped the iPad 1. It was thicker and heavier than I'd like and I knew the single-core Apple A4 + 256MB RAM wouldn't last long. Heck, 256MB is barely enough on the 4th gen iPod Touch and even the iPhone 4 had 512MB RAM. Looking back, should've just waited for the iPad 3. Lack of retina on the iPad 2 meant it often sat unused in a drawer for months.
 
rui no onna said:
iPad 2 launched with iOS 4.

Lack of retina on the iPad 2 meant it often sat unused in a drawer for months.
Click to expand...
Then it was iOS4. :) The iPad 2 was amazing, and one of the best Apple products I've owned. So sad that they killed it with iOS8 and 9, since it was perfectly useable with iOS7.
 
I am unsure how to calculate this based on my usage:

Took up a refurb iPad Air 1 16GB for my part time job 4 years ago that needs one to be used outdoors. Bad move on hindsight but hey, it is a nice introduction to tablets.

Kept it at iOS 7.1.2 due to work requirements, which made it so valuable for old apps that I decided to keep it once I realised its potential and got myself a second hand iPad Pro 1 as my main tablet in start of 2017. Would have been a sweet deal if not for the sudden but awesome announcement for the iPad Pro 2 3 months later.

Sold the iPad Pro 1 away for a loss and went ahead with a new iPad Pro 2 that has a different color and has cellular later in October 2017. Has been happily using it since then except that I had to swap for a new one this week due to a screen issue.

So you can either say 4 years, 3 months or 6 months haha!
 
I update every year to a new iPad but at the moment I am so happy with my 10.5 iPad Pro that I think I will hold onto it for the next few years.
 
It is interesting to see that iPad users update more often than MBP users. So, does that imply that laptop is still more useful than iPad?
 
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