All iPads Refurbished iPad or Mini iPad vs forthcoming new one(s)

[mcNY]

I'd love some advice.

I have been wanting to buy an iPad for a while, something more portable beyond my MacBook Air (M2, still love it!). I'd always wanted the mini for that reason, even though the entry level makes more monetary sense for what it is. I write, so primary use will be documents and tons of pdfs, and probably streaming shows. I even looked into standalone ereaders, but they don't display pdfs well at all.

I was going to pull the trigger this year, waiting for the new models of each one to compare the two, and of course the prices just went up significantly. I noticed that there are new refurbished minis in the Apple Store, and wonder if it's worth waiting for the new models or not.

I can make a case for each of these options: buy the refurbished mini now; wait for the new iPads and decide then between the two but having a hard time making the decision. Also, is wifi plus cellular a better option?

Thanks so much, friends!

 

[Dansometimestheman]

Do you desperately need a tablet at this moment? Keep an eye on amazon. I’m confident they will have a sale on mini 7 again. If they get to 399 I’m buying another. If prices continue upward I’ll grab a refurb from Apple and slap care+ on it.

 

[mcNY]

Thank you, that's super helpful. I think that when the new one comes out (this fall? this winter?) there might be stoppage as well. It's tempting to get the newest model when it comes out, but heck, those prices are way higher than I can fathom for a tablet.

 

[Dansometimestheman]

Thank you, that's super helpful. I think that when the new one comes out (this fall? this winter?) there might be stoppage as well. It's tempting to get the newest model when it comes out, but heck, those prices are way higher than I can fathom for a tablet.

I certainly won’t pay it. I have a mini 7 that I got before the price hikes and an Air M4. I’d never pay $800 for an Air M4 now.

 

[Sosab123]

The iPad Mini 7 was $389 for a few days the deal isn't on Amazon anymore. It convinced me to upgrade my aging Mini 6 to a 7. Even though the 8 is just a few months away, I plan on doing a full refresh of all my handhelds next year so its good enough to hold me over.

 

[mcNY]

The iPad Mini 7 was $389 for a few days the deal isn't on Amazon anymore. It convinced me to upgrade my aging Mini 6 to a 7. Even though the 8 is just a few months away, I plan on doing a full refresh of all my handhelds next year so its good enough to hold me over.

I'm always checking the apple refurbished but I never check amazing for some reason. Thanks for this idea; I can still get apple warranty if I buy on Amazon. And perhaps there might be more sales with back to school.

Did you get it with cellular at that price? Or only wifi?

 

[mcNY]

I certainly won’t pay it. I have a mini 7 that I got before the price hikes and an Air M4. I’d never pay $800 for an Air M4 now.

Yes, that's exactly it. I'm hard pressed to pay that for a tertiary product for me even though it would make my life easier in some ways. On the other extreme I've looked at stand alone readers and I'm tempted by them, but all of them seem to be unfriendly to pdfs (and they aren't as cheap as I thought they'd be, either!)

 

[benholt]

For heavy PDF use — especially anything with real layout, like design files, sheet music, or technical diagrams — a Mini gets cramped fast. I use the 12.9 Pro split-screen with a PDF plus notes constantly for work and I wouldn't go back to a ~10-inch class screen for that. Novels in the Kindle app? Mini's perfect. But PDFs are the one thing that really punishes a small screen.

On cellular: unless you know you'll actually use it off wifi more than a couple times a year, I'd skip it. The resale bump doesn't cover the ongoing plan cost, and tethering off your phone covers the odd trip.

 

[mcNY]

For heavy PDF use — especially anything with real layout, like design files, sheet music, or technical diagrams — a Mini gets cramped fast. I use the 12.9 Pro split-screen with a PDF plus notes constantly for work and I wouldn't go back to a ~10-inch class screen for that. Novels in the Kindle app? Mini's perfect. But PDFs are the one thing that really punishes a small screen.

On cellular: unless you know you'll actually use it off wifi more than a couple times a year, I'd skip it. The resale bump doesn't cover the ongoing plan cost, and tethering off your phone covers the odd trip.

benholt, thanks for bringing the details around pdfs; in my case, I'll be reading pdf versions of books (I'm a writer), rather than more complicated items that you've listed. I could read them on my phone, but oy, it is painful, so I've been thinking about pulling the trigger on this, so I'm not always carrying my laptop around.

The ereaders Ive researched often do have the same issues with pdfs and they are surprisingly not that much cheaper; which is why I'm thinking of staying in the Apple universe, since at least everything will sync. I also don't think I need more than a 256 because I'm not looking at is as a laptop replacement. The WiFi/cellular issue I hadn't thought about in those terms; but you're right, I think. I can pre download a lot of the materials I need before I travel, and I'd still have my phone with me.

Really truly helpful. I so appreciate this community.