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iPad Refurbished iPad pro 11 inch or wait for iPad air 5?

C

Cassr

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 15, 2021
61
13
Do you think its better to wait for an iPad air 5 or go for a refurbished iPad Pro 2020 11"?

I know specs aren't finalised on the new Air but just wondering if you think the specs will be good enough to rival the 2020 pro?

At £549 the pro deal is good...
 
My opinion:

The 11" 2020 iPad Pro is an A12z. The rumor on the upcoming iPad Air is that it will have the same A15 Bionic as the iPad mini 6 and may have improvements in the RAM department too.

That is a good deal on the Pro, I suppose, but it depends on how much you value the differences, such as processor speed, audio options, etc. The Air 5 may also inherit a feature or two from the iPad Pro that we're not expecting so keep that in mind as well.

If it were me, I'd wait for the new Air to launch, but it really depends on what you typically like to do with your iPads.
 
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spiderman0616 said:
My opinion:

The 11" 2020 iPad Pro is an A12z. The rumor on the upcoming iPad Air is that it will have the same A15 Bionic as the iPad mini 6 and may have improvements in the RAM department too.

That is a good deal on the Pro, I suppose, but it depends on how much you value the differences, such as processor speed, audio options, etc. The Air 5 may also inherit a feature or two from the iPad Pro that we're not expecting so keep that in mind as well.

If it were me, I'd wait for the new Air to launch, but it really depends on what you typically like to do with your iPads.
Click to expand...
Yeah I was thinking similar but wondering when it will be out!

My main use case is design programmes for my work. Vector programmes, image editing and some 3d design as well.
 
Cassr said:
Yeah I was thinking similar but wondering when it will be out!

My main use case is design programmes for my work. Vector programmes, image editing and some 3d design as well.
Click to expand...
Wow--in your use case, I'd definitely be looking for the more future-ready model, and that is not the 2020 Pro in this case as far as power. I would go for the new Air at LEAST, or maybe look for a good deal on a 2021 M1 11" iPad Pro. Either way though, I would think the iPad Air will be bumped with an A15 this spring. No way they let the new mini out-power the Air for very long, even if it's not by a noticeable difference. It just looks bad for marketing after all the holiday buzz about the new shiny stuff wears off.
 
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Yeah I mean my old iPad just about manages what I do now but I do want something that will really last so I can stop thinking about this stuff!
 
Cassr said:
Yeah I mean my old iPad just about manages what I do now but I do want something that will really last so I can stop thinking about this stuff!
Click to expand...

Performance-wise, I expect faster single core CPU from Air 5 but more or less similar performance in terms of multi-core CPU and graphics.

Apart from Center Stage, I don't think the Air 5 will be getting any features that will make it better than the 2020 Pro. Perhaps on par, but not better. I do expect better battery life though (5nm iPhone chipset).

Storage and RAM are unknown at this point and could swing either way but I don't see the Air 5 getting more than the 2020 Pro's 6GB/128GB base.

If TouchID, chassis color, faster single threaded performance and power efficiency aren't priorities, I'd personally just go for the 2020 refurb.

With that said, the 2021 iPad Pro with M1 and 8-16GB RAM is a good option with greater headroom for just a little more. At least in the US, I've seen it on sale for $699 which is just $90 more than the 2020 refurb. I don't know if you get sales like that in the UK.
 
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I had one of the refurbished 2020 iPad Pro’s & its a great device but ultimately I decided to exchange it for the 2021 iPad Pro for various reasons like the M1 cpu, centre stage which is briny the way, more ram etc. In fact I liked it so much I bought my daughter one too.
 
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Cassr Amazon have got the 2021 ipad pro 11 for £727 at the moment which is probably the best price we got in the UK:

2021 Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, Wi-Fi, 128GB) - Space Grey (3rd Generation) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0932RLTHF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_DPS5PTXXV3GX9FFWDXJZ

For the graphically intense work you are doing you should get the M1 ipad pro in my opinion, not cheap i know but will last you for years with the amount of performance the device has in terms of CPU, GPU and RAM. Otherwise wait couple of months for the Ipad Air 5th gen which will be your second best choice in terms of performance (full fat A15 from 13 Pro) for around £579.

The one time i brought an Apple refurbed ipad air 3, it didn't work, so i cant really recommend refurbs to you (but many others have had no issues with refurbs).
 
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Just to update this. I finally took the plunge and went for the refurbished 2020 iPad pro. Had it a few days and it's great! Just what I needed.
So now I have this for my design work and the iPad mini 5 as my organiser :).
 
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