iPad Pro Upgrade from iPad Air 2 to Pro 9.7 worth it now before iOS 13 is announced?

[gdourado]

Hello, how are you?
I currently have an iPad Air 2.
It is the 64gb with lte version.
I have someone you is willing to buy my iPad for 250 euros and I can get a mint 32gb wi-fi 9.7 pro for 300.
So I am looking at a 50 euro upgrade.

I know they are not much different, as the body and build quality is much the same.

I know the biggest difference is the screen has True Tone on the pro and the pro has the 4 speaker setup.

In regard to cpu, from what I see on the Geekbench browser, the air 2 on iOS 12 scores around 1800 single core and 4500 multi core while th pro scores 3000 and 5000 respectively.

My biggest reason for thinking about the upgrade though is that I read some rumors that say the air 2 probably won’t be getting iOS 13. So it might loose it’s value once iOS 13 is announced and the support officially dropped.
So I am thinking of taking the opportunity to sell it now and get a pro that almost for sure will get iOS 13.

What do you think?
Is it worth it?

Thank you.
Cheers

 

[rui no onna]

Apple will drop the original iPad Air (A7/1GB) before they drop the Air 2 (A8X/2GB).

€50 is an okay upgrade price but if I were you, I'd spend a bit extra for a 4GB RAM iPad.

 

[gdourado]

Apple will drop the original iPad Air (A7/1GB) before they drop the Air 2 (A8X/2GB).

€50 is an okay upgrade price but if I were you, I'd spend a bit extra for a 4GB RAM iPad.

I know both the air and air 2 where upgraded to iOS 12.
So it makes sense for iOS 12 to be the last update for the air making it 5 big os upgrades and the air 2 should still make it to iOS 13 since it launched with iOS 8.
But there are rumors floating around that iOS 13 will bring some new features to better utilize the iPads and as such, apple might not upgrade the air 2 and mini 4.
Which is stupid since apple is still selling brand new mini 4s currently for 400 euros.
But we never know.

I thought about getting a 4gb pro.
But to get a 10.5 I am looking at selling my air 2 and then add another 200 euros on top and that is for an out of warranty 10.5 which is really stressful due to the white spot issue.
For one with warrant, I am looking at almost 300 plus the sale of my air 2.
That is overkill for what I use the iPad, so I was looking at this 9.7 pro deal.

 

[millydog]

My thought is that you are only upgrading from one year to the next, so you may only be buying an extra year of iOS upgrade support by upgrading from an Air 2 to a 9.7” Pro. I think that you are better off looking at the 10.5” now or wait 1.5-2 months when a new 9.7 2019 is likely to be announced and get a good deal on a 9.7 2018 if a deal is your priority.

 

[gdourado]

My thought is that you are only upgrading from one year to the next, so you may only be buying an extra year of iOS upgrade support by upgrading from an Air 2 to a 9.7” Pro. I think that you are better off looking at the 10.5” now or wait 1.5-2 months when a new 9.7 2019 is likely to be announced and get a good deal on a 9.7 2018 if a deal is your priority.

I can get a good deal on the 2018 iPad now.
But the screen and build quality are a downgrade from my current air 2.
And the 9.7 pro adds True Tone and the 4 speakers.
That’s why I think it may be better than a 2018 iPad.

 

[AppleHaterLover]

Trust me, the 4 speakers make a WORLD of a difference if you're planning to listen to music or watch videos at all on that iPad.

I reckon that iPad Pro will have around the same performance as the 2018 iPad (iPP is A9X, 2018 iPad is regular A10).

Remember the iPad Pro 9.7 was only introduced in 2016 and sold until June 2017, that's less than two years ago. It should be supported at least into iOS 13.

iPad Air 2 is a different story, it was introduced in 2014 and by 2015 everybody had forgotten about it. It was only discontinued in 2017 but by then nobody remembered it even existed. I'd be surprised if it got iOS 13.


See if you can get a deal on a 10.5, but the 9.7 is still very good for light tasks.

 

[millydog]

I can get a good deal on the 2018 iPad now.
But the screen and build quality are a downgrade from my current air 2.
And the 9.7 pro adds True Tone and the 4 speakers.
That’s why I think it may be better than a 2018 iPad.

Yes, you are right that it’s better in regards to True Tone and 4 speakers, I was thinking in terms of the processor in the 2018 iPad being newer and potentially giving it a longer life for your money.
I’d consider the 10.5 for an upgrade that is 2 models ahead instead of 1. I’m just wondering if you go for the 9.7” Pro whether you will feel the same way in another year and want to upgrade again. I really like my new 12.9” 2018, but I still think that my 10.5” has been my favourite device to hold and use, all that power in such a small size. Admittedly, I haven’t had the 11” since I went for the 12.9”.

 

[gdourado]

Yes, you are right that it’s better in regards to True Tone and 4 speakers, I was thinking in terms of the processor in the 2018 iPad being newer and potentially giving it a longer life for your money.
I’d consider the 10.5 for an upgrade that is 2 models ahead instead of 1. I’m just wondering if you go for the 9.7” Pro whether you will feel the same way in another year and want to upgrade again. I really like my new 12.9” 2018, but I still think that my 10.5” has been my favourite device to hold and use, all that power in such a small size. Admittedly, I haven’t had the 11” since I went for the 12.9”.

I am also eying 10.5 pros, and there are some reasonable deals, but they are all out of warranty.
And with the white spot issue I would be extremely nervous about getting one.

 

[rui no onna]

But there are rumors floating around that iOS 13 will bring some new features to better utilize the iPads and as such, apple might not upgrade the air 2 and mini 4.

I doubt that'll happen. They're more likely to remove iOS 13 features that are not compatible with the Apple A8. Kinda like 32-bit chips not getting Ad Blocking and Night Shift on iOS 9. Or the iPad Air not supporting side-by-side apps.

 

[sracer]

I know both the air and air 2 where upgraded to iOS 12.
So it makes sense for iOS 12 to be the last update for the air making it 5 big os upgrades and the air 2 should still make it to iOS 13 since it launched with iOS 8.
But there are rumors floating around that iOS 13 will bring some new features to better utilize the iPads and as such, apple might not upgrade the air 2 and mini 4.
Which is stupid since apple is still selling brand new mini 4s currently for 400 euros.
But we never know.

I don't think the Air 1 will receive an update to iOS 13. It has only 1GB RAM and slower processor.

With the 9.7 iPad Pro having only 2GB RAM, I doubt that any of the supposed new features in iOS 13 will be supported by it. If the 9.7 Pro is supported, so will the 2018 iPad (which has the same RAM, a faster processor, and lower price).

I would never consider a used iPad, and certainly not one that is 3 years old. But that's me.

I thought about getting a 4gb pro.
But to get a 10.5 I am looking at selling my air 2 and then add another 200 euros on top and that is for an out of warranty 10.5 which is really stressful due to the white spot issue.
For one with warrant, I am looking at almost 300 plus the sale of my air 2.
That is overkill for what I use the iPad, so I was looking at this 9.7 pro deal.

All iPads have much lower resale values these days, and the current resale value on the Air 2 can't go much lower... if it does, it is a "better to keep it and repurpose it" than sell it.

I recommend waiting a bit to see what new iPads get announced in March/April. There are some solid rumors of a 2019 iPad and Mini 5. Wait to see what these offer and at what price. If the 2019 is similar in features and price as the 2018 then that would be the one I'd recommend.

 

[gdourado]

I don't think the Air 1 will receive an update to iOS 13. It has only 1GB RAM and slower processor.

With the 9.7 iPad Pro having only 2GB RAM, I doubt that any of the supposed new features in iOS 13 will be supported by it. If the 9.7 Pro is supported, so will the 2018 iPad (which has the same RAM, a faster processor, and lower price).

I would never consider a used iPad, and certainly not one that is 3 years old. But that's me.


All iPads have much lower resale values these days, and the current resale value on the Air 2 can't go much lower... if it does, it is a "better to keep it and repurpose it" than sell it.

I recommend waiting a bit to see what new iPads get announced in March/April. There are some solid rumors of a 2019 iPad and Mini 5. Wait to see what these offer and at what price. If the 2019 is similar in features and price as the 2018 then that would be the one I'd recommend.

I am curious as to why that is.
About the resale value.
Is it because there is a general lack of interest in tablets in general?
Do iPhones currently hold value better than iPads because today people are generally more interested in phones than tablets?

 

[sracer]

I am curious as to why that is.
About the resale value.
Is it because there is a general lack of interest in tablets in general?
Do iPhones currently hold value better than iPads because today people are generally more interested in phones than tablets?

There's no hard and fast data, but logically speaking, iPads now regularly go on sale. Gone are the days where the MSRP was it and only it. These days, it is possible to buy a brand new iPad when on sale for LESS than Apple sells the same model as a refurb.

Regarding iPhones, I don't know. I no longer own one so I don't keep up on sale trends.

 

[Freakonomics101]

I will never, ever buy a Wi-Fi only iPad. I always consider a non-LTE model a downgrade. Cellular access can be quite convenient if the user isn’t around trustable Wi-Fi. Even better if you can land a free data plan like FreedomPop.

I would go for a cellular 10.5 if I were you. Much more future proof. 4 GB makes a huge difference. Plus ProMotion.... I can’t go back.

 

[sracer]

I will never, ever buy a Wi-Fi only iPad. I always consider a non-LTE model a downgrade. Cellular access can be quite convenient if the user isn’t around trustable Wi-Fi. Even better if you can land a free data plan like FreedomPop.

I would go for a cellular 10.5 if I were you. Much more future proof. 4 GB makes a huge difference. Plus ProMotion.... I can’t go back.

There is no such thing as "future proof".

Considering the premium added to the price of an iPad for LTE, unless one is going to use it regularly, that is not a wise financial decision. On those occasions I need connectivity and WiFi isn't around, I simply tether it to my phone.