My stepmother is looking to buy a new iPad to replace her ancient iPad 2, but she is unwilling to buy a new one, she wants to save as much money as possible. She mostly uses it for watching TV shows and paying bills online. Ideally I would recommend the newest, but since she seems unwilling to do this, I was curious which refurb would be best. I was look at the 5th-7th generation online, and I don't see much difference between the three for someone with such light usage. Any reason to go for a 6th or 7th generation over the 5th in this situation? Any notable differences between the three that would make an impact?
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iPad Which iPad for older user?
- Thread starter retta283
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RAM has increased in 7th gen to 3GB. iOS has a heavier footprint now so it could be helpful. For example, I'm doing some comparison shopping right now (150+ tabs open) and Safari crashed on me. This is already on an iPad with 4GB RAM. If multiple tabs and apps isn't going to be a problem, then 2GB might be workable.
I'd go at least 6th gen to be safe though. The A9 chipset on the 5th gen doesn't have hardware HEVC encode (although it does have decode).
I'd go at least 6th gen to be safe though. The A9 chipset on the 5th gen doesn't have hardware HEVC encode (although it does have decode).
Why would OPs stepmother need to encode HEVC video (or am I missing something)?
The iPad 2 was launched in 2011, so she kept her iPad for 9 years. That’s amazing! Obviously, she is not a pro or power user. She will probably be able to get the base iPad 8 on sale during the holidays for as low as $250. I really don’t see how she can get a better value by purchasing an older used iPad. If it lasts her another 9 years, that’s less than $30 per year. $2.50 per month. One cup of regular coffee at Starbucks per month.
Base iPad, maybe with more RAM if she starts wanting to save videos, seems to be the obvious choice.
Unless she has a vision or accessibility problems of another variety, I don't see a reason for a bigger screen or fancy speakers.
Buy new, with warranty, reduce help calls!
Unless she has a vision or accessibility problems of another variety, I don't see a reason for a bigger screen or fancy speakers.
Buy new, with warranty, reduce help calls!
If you can handle the cost, get the new 8th generation with 128GB. Or with the lower storage to bring the cost down.
Agree completely. The iPad isn’t like a phone where there’s of a feeling of needing a new one every other year(not that everyone conforms to that).
I’d get the 8th gen for future proofing at an affordable price. It will last longer
Yeah. I don't get buying a used iPad 5, 6, or 7 for $50-$100 less than a new iPad. I would just wait for a good sale on the current base model. For $250 on sale, the current iPad is one of the best deals in tech, IMHO. You get a brand new iPad with a one year warranty.