iPad Air Wondering whether we'll ever upgrade from our iPad Air 2s…. Any reasons to?

[Saturn007]

We're still enjoying our iPad Air 2s. They’ve speedy, and do what we want and do it well — internet browsing, reading, email, newspapers, podcasts, Numbers spreadsheets, astronomy apps, dictionaries, some simple word games, solitaire, puzzles, and Sudoku, etc.

Even the battery life is still pretty good in spite of iOS 15 shaving two hours off of it!

As much as I’d like to upgrade, I can't figure out a good reason to or what it would get us!

Anyone else in that situation? Or, been in it?

I even wasted time today watching the keynote to see what the new iPad Air would be…. Impressive specs, M1 chip, and all that, but…

I also worry that we'd end up with a screen problem — e.g., was tempted by the iPad Mini 6, but jelly bean scrolling put me off. Promotion and other recent screens seem to produce eye strain and issues for some or many.

Any thoughts, suggestions, etc. would be appreciate!

 

[Dane95]

I do have an iPad Air 2 myself and while I certainly could see a reason to upgrade (i.e. my battery being pretty poor and certainly somewhat slow menus), I don't really fancy the current options.

I'd like an iPad in the 11" size, and while I don't need blazing fast chips, I do like some of the iPad Pro features like Face-ID and the beautiful screen of the bigger version. I don't consider something like Face-ID a "pro" feature, but I feel like I'm being pushed towards a way too powerful machine for my needs, because they've decided to hide those "nice-to-have" features away with the Pro-model.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

My Air2 has served me well and does fine on 14.8.1. No interest in updating to iPad OS15 and add battery issues that seem to be worse on devices that have deteriorated batteries.. My battery is starting to suffer so for me I'm going to replace it with an 11 M1 Pro 128gb, it will undoubtedly last me 5-6 years which is exactly how long my Air2 lasted. Apple will give me $165 trade in so I'm happy with that offer

 

[Guacamole]

I still have the Air 2 , I barely use it because of the battery, it's pretty bad, it's always empty. I might get a new iPad but probably the previous one if I find it refurbished

 

[rui no onna]

We're still enjoying our iPad Air 2s. They’ve speedy, and do what we want and do it well — internet browsing, reading, email, newspapers, podcasts, Numbers spreadsheets, astronomy apps, dictionaries, some simple word games, solitaire, puzzles, and Sudoku, etc.

Anyone else in that situation? Or, been in it?

Honestly, I've found the Air 2 to be sluggish for web browsing since iOS 12. Even changing font sizes on my favorite EPUB reader app has a noticeable delay with some longer books.

 

[ericwn]

If you’re happy with what you’ve got, what should others suggest for you?

My Air 2 served me well but has been replaced with a Pro a long time ago and serves as a toy for the kids now. Life is short, but what you like.

 

[Codestud]

My iPad Air 2 is still my daily driver and I don't know what to replace it with. The iPad Air 5 released yesterday has the same base storage (64Gb) as what my current iPad has! I'd like more storage to future proof things a bit but if you step up to the 256Gb model, then the price reaches iPad Pro territory, so you might as well buy one of those.

Maybe I'd be just better off with the base 9th Gen iPad.

 

[Saturn007]

Appreciate the replies. Always good to hear other people's take on such matters … Often, they'll mention an issue with or a decided advantage to a more recent device that the OP hasn't thought about or known about.

Dane, I do agree that higher end models have too much power for regular uses or desirable features at too great a cost. Guacamole, refurbished is a good idea and good option. Or, as Code suggests, the iPad 9! Yet, I also have thought about a battery replacement at some point, which would be even cheaper!

Rui, I'm surprised you've found browsing “sluggish” — and even since iOS 12! We've experienced no sluggishness at all, even with iOS 15.3.1. Just shows how idiosyncratic these things are. I wonder if this issue depends on the sites being visited, perhaps those with heavy video and advertising, which we don't go to. Do you use an ad blocker? We have several installed and they block just about everything. To the point where Apple's Privacy Tracker Report says 0 things have been detected or blocked!

Bug, I just checked trade-in value on mine. Excellent condition, but I was checking it via a possible purchase of iPad 9. The trade-in is only $100! You were told $165! So, how much Apple will give depends on what you're buying, not an estimate of what it is intrinsically worth! I'll have to look into a refurbished iPad Air 4 and see what the trade-in would be on the Air 2 with that. Note: Apparently, no trade-ins on a refurb buy; plus, Apple doesn't tell buyers which Air it is! The current one listed is the 2019 model… perhaps, the Air 3?!!

Getting a new Apple toy is a wonderful treat, but not if it turns out to be an expensive let down. The original iPad was a marvel. The iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini were magical in their own right. But I fear the bloom is off the rose… and I might be disappointed with a new one.

 

[rui no onna]

I'm surprised, rui, that you've found browsing “sluggish” — and even since iOS 12! We've experienced no sluggishness, at all, even with iOS 15.3.1. I wonder if that's an issue with the sites you visit, perhaps heavy video and advertising. Do you use an ad blocker? We have several installed and they block just about everything. To the point where Apple's Privacy Tracker Report says 0 things have been detected or blocked!

I've been using ad blockers ever since Apple added that feature option. I guess I just have low tolerance. Yes, the websites are most definitely at fault. I found Best Buy and a bunch of online shopping sites aside from Amazon quite slow on older iPads. I don't go on Twitter much but on the rare occasions I click on a Twitter link, the website has been atrocious even on a 2017 iPad Pro (A10X/4GB).

Recently had to do some stuff on an iPad 6th gen (A10/2GB) updated to iPadOS 15 and I found even that annoying to use. The user has been complaining about the 6th gen too so I'll likely replace it when the 2021 iPad Pros hit the refurb store or when I see $100-200 discounts again.

 

[Saturn007]

Rui, appreciate your insights! As I noted, I’m using an iPad Air 2, with iOS 15, and haven't run into such problems. Of course, I don't go to Twitter.

Yet, I have no problem with the Best Buy website — quite responsive.

Now, I use Freedom, Ka-Block!, and Legacy as ad blockers, in addition to Apple's block tracking. Maybe that makes a difference. But speed isn't the issue. It was the battery hit — 2 hours — when I first upgraded to iOS 15.

 

[Jerhen]

I have an iPad Air 2 also. I don’t really use it anymore the last time I used it was last October. I am thinking of getting rid of it and just having my iPhone and MacBook Pro only. Apple trade in will give me $100 for it. Anyone else consider trading theirs in to upgrade, etc and if so do you think the Apple trade in price is reasonable? Thanks.

 

[Saturn007]

Jerhen, my big concern about trade-ins is that Apple has used a third party evaluator that often finds things wrong with the devices that aren't. That may be more often with Macs.

From what I’ve read here, your best bet is to do the trade-in at an Apple store. That is, if you have one locally. They are supposed to be quite accurate, without any funny business.

I assume they will give you a price quote *before* you do the trade-in, so you can decide to skip it if needed.

 

[Jerhen]

Jerhen, my big concern about trade-ins is that Apple has used a third party evaluator that often finds things wrong with the devices that aren't. That may be more often with Macs.

From what I’ve read here, your best bet is to do the trade-in at an Apple store. That is, if you have one locally. They are supposed to be quite accurate, without any funny business.

I assume they will give you a price quote *before* you do the trade-in, so you can decide to skip it if needed.

Thanks for your reply. I don’t have an Apple store nearby but I have done a trade in before for an iPhone 6s and had no problems but I have seen countless horror stories regarding Apples trade in partner. I might just keep my Air 2 not sure yet. I have a feeling it’s not going to get iOS 16 this fall. What’s your thoughts on using an unsupported device? Thanks.

 

[Digitalguy]

Rui, appreciate your insights! As I noted, I’m using an iPad Air 2, with iOS 15, and haven't run into such problems. Of course, I don't go to Twitter.

Yet, I have no problem with the Best Buy website — quite responsive.

Now, I use Freedom, Ka-Block!, and Legacy as ad blockers, in addition to Apple's block tracking. Maybe that makes a difference. But speed isn't the issue. It was the battery hit — 2 hours — when I first upgraded to iOS 15.

I have had the same experience as Rui, and I actually sold my air 2 in 2019 with IOS 12. I think speed is a relative concept. For me getting used to the iPad pro, including the first gen, made it obvious how slow the air 2 was. But if you have nothing to compared with, you won't complain waiting a couples of seconds for things to open or pages to load. Then sure, I was using desktop versions of sites, which doesn't help slower iPads. And of course, I was blocking ads everywhere, as I always do and always will do.... My mother was ok using an old Android tablet from 2013, which was probably slower than the air 2, before I bought her a 1st gen pro 2 years ago, and some people are still using an Air 1 to this day and don't complain, so again how speed is perceived is a relative thing....

 

[spiderman0616]

My son still has his Air 2. It is slow, laggy, and doesn't support the apps he wants to use anymore. It's in a drawer and hasn't been powered on in years.

 

[Username-already-in-use]

To upgrade, the new item needs to have features which you demand for functional purposes, or perhaps another feature which you find compelling or desirable.

If you’re struggling to think of either, then perhaps you do not need to upgrade.

Personally, I find iPads before 2017 to be a bit of a struggle (especially with 2GB RAM) - but these things are subjective.

 

[MajorFubar]

You're fresh, I've still got the Air 1. Because I've had it since almost new I have versions of apps on it I wouldn't be allowed to download now because the current versions are incompatible with iOS 12.

 

[rui no onna]

I have had the same experience as Rui, and I actually sold my air 2 in 2019 with IOS 12. I think speed is a relative concept. For me getting used to the iPad pro, including the first gen, made it obvious how slow the air 2 was. But if you have nothing to compared with, you won't complain waiting a couples of seconds for things to open or pages to load. Then sure, I was using desktop versions of sites, which doesn't help slower iPads. And of course, I was blocking ads everywhere, as I always do and always will do.... My mother was ok using an old Android tablet from 2013, which was probably slower than the air 2, before I bought her a 1st gen pro 2 years ago, and some people are still using an Air 1 to this day and don't complain, so again how speed is perceived is a relative thing....

+1. For me, I was comparing performance with a circa-2013/14 Core i5-4570 desktop. I think the Pro 9.7 was the first to match it. Alas, 2GB RAM has been a pain since iPadOS 13.

I opened Best Buy on Air 2 Safari and it was occasionally freezing and unresponsive to touch while I was scrolling through the home page. Perhaps I'm just too impatient but I don't know how others can tolerate it.

To upgrade, the new item needs to have features which you demand for functional purposes, or perhaps another feature which you find compelling or desirable.

If you’re struggling to think of either, then perhaps you do not need to upgrade.

Personally, I find iPads before 2017 to be a bit of a struggle (especially with 2GB RAM) - but these things are subjective.

We're replacing a 6-year old Pro 9.7 and 4-year old 6th gen soonish, both due to RAM.

The 6th gen is easy since the user wants FaceID.

The Pro 9.7 is more difficult since the user still wants a home button. Unfortunately, I'm not expecting the 9th gen with 3GB RAM to still have good performance after 3-4 years. It's already reloading a lot on iOS 15. The 9th gen's CPU has a lot of power but I wish it had 4-6GB RAM at least.

 

[spiderman0616]

+1. For me, I was comparing performance with a Core i5-4570 desktop. I think the Pro 9.7 was the first to match it. Alas, 2GB RAM has been a pain since iPadOS 13.

I opened Best Buy on Air 2 Safari and it was occasionally freezing and unresponsive to touch while I was scrolling through the home page. Perhaps I'm just too impatient but I don't know how others can tolerate it.




We're replacing a 6-year old Pro 9.7 and 4-year old 6th gen soonish, both due to RAM.

The 6th gen is easy since the user wants FaceID.

The Pro 9.7 is more difficult since the user still wants a home button. Unfortunately, I'm not expecting the 9th gen with 3GB RAM to still have good performance after 3-4 years. It's already reloading a lot on iOS 15. The 9th gen's CPU has a lot of power but I wish it had 4-6GB RAM at least.

I don't think I'm alone in how I picture rui deals with iPads: there is a huge stack of them in her office, and sometimes a family member or friend will come to her and ask for one, and then they go over all the RAM and hard drive specs to figure out which is the best fit. Each member of her circle has 5 iPads, and each of the 5 is in constant rotation.

Am I pretty close @rui no onna

PS: Of course, I'm just giving you a hard time. I find your iPad knowledge very helpful.

 

[rui no onna]

I don't think I'm alone in how I picture rui deals with iPads: there is a huge stack of them in her office, and sometimes a family member or friend will come to her and ask for one, and then they go over all the RAM and hard drive specs to figure out which is the best fit. Each member of her circle has 5 iPads, and each of the 5 is in constant rotation.

Am I pretty close @rui no onna

PS: Of course, I'm just giving you a hard time. I find your iPad knowledge very helpful.

Lol, I'm the only one who has a lot. Admittedly, the family has 2 iPads each.

Mom: iPad Pro 9.7 LTE (unlimited) + iPad Pro 12.9 2nd gen LTE (no service)

Dad: iPad 5th gen wifi + iPad 7th gen LTE (T-Mobile $10/5GB)

Brother: iPad Air 2 wifi (broken) + iPad 6th gen LTE (T-Mobile $10/5GB)

There's no discussion on CPU/RAM/storage. I decide that based on free space on their current device and expected useful life of the new device. It's just the features that I discuss with them (FaceID vs TouchID, lack of home button, 3.5mm jack, etc).

 

[boltjames]

Last month the battery are my Air 2 finally got to the point where it couldn’t be trusted to maintain a charge even for a few days. With some travel coming up and the need to use this as my entertainment on long flights, it was time to get the Air 4.

I am extremely pleased with the upgrade, especially the lighter weight, thinner squared edge design, and the fantastic Apple Folio case whose magnets hold the cover open and allow the iPad itself to be removed in under one second. Had I known about the case, I would’ve upgraded years ago.

 

[Digitalguy]

Lol, I'm the only one who has a lot. Admittedly, the family has 2 iPads each.

Mom: iPad Pro 9.7 LTE (unlimited) + iPad Pro 12.9 2nd gen LTE (no service)

Dad: iPad 5th gen wifi + iPad 7th gen LTE (T-Mobile $10/5GB)

Brother: iPad Air 2 wifi (broken) + iPad 6th gen LTE (T-Mobile $10/5GB)

There's no discussion on CPU/RAM/storage. I decide that based on free space on their current device and expected useful life of the new device. It's just the features that I discuss with them (FaceID vs TouchID, lack of home button, 3.5mm jack, etc).

Nice. In my case, I am also the only one who has many iPads (my family does not understand why...?). When in 2013 I first bought an 8inches Galaxy Note 8, both my mother and sister bought the same (just without LTE).
Then when it was time to upgrade for them in 2019 because the battery was dead (I had long moved to iPad since 2014), my sister got an iPad 6 on sale and I got a used 9.7 pro for my mother.
My mother has never complained, my sister started to complain last year a bit, I explained slowdowns were because of RAM, since she preferred going with the 6 instead of the 7 because she found it 100 EUR cheaper in 2019, but she's not upgrading anytime soon, they are both on iPadOS 13.4, just like my 9.7 pro. And I told them to never upgrade in the future. I am pretty sure they'll have the same iPad on 13.4 in 5 years and probably more. For what they use it for (my mother facebook, messenger, local video, tv and my sister mainly documents, books etc.) apps will mostly still work fine for 5 or even 10 years on 13.4.
For context we all have android phones, so no ecosystem, and we now all live in different countries...

 

[rui no onna]

Nice. In my case, I am also the only one who has many iPads (my family does not understand why...?). When in 2013 I first bought an 8inches Galaxy Note 8, both my mother and sister bought the same (just without LTE).
Then when it was time to upgrade for them in 2019 because the battery was dead (I had long moved to iPad since 2014), my sister got an iPad 6 on sale and I got a used 9.7 pro for my mother.
My mother has never complained, my sister started to complain last year a bit, I explained slowdowns were because of RAM, since she preferred going with the 6 instead of the 7 because she found it 100 EUR cheaper in 2019, but she's not upgrading anytime soon, they are both on iPadOS 13.4, just like my 9.7 pro. And I told them to never upgrade in the future. I am pretty sure they'll have the same iPad on 13.4 in 5 years and probably more. For what they use it for (my mother facebook, messenger, local video, tv and my sister mainly documents, books etc.) apps will mostly still work fine for 5 or even 10 years on 13.4.
For context we all have android phones, so no ecosystem, and we now all live in different countries...

We all use our iPhones and iPads for banking apps so at most, we can only stay 1-2 versions behind. A lot of banking apps won't work on super old firmware.

The family normally avoids updating themselves but sometimes it's tricky. You think you're just entering the passcode to unlock but unbeknownst to you, you're on the latest firmware next time you use your iPad. Also, the nagging can be annoying. We all have iPhone+iPad+Apple Watch so we're quite reliant on the ecosystem.

 

[Digitalguy]

We all use our iPhones and iPads for banking apps so at most, we can only stay 1-2 versions behind. A lot of banking apps won't work on super old firmware.

The family normally avoids updating themselves but sometimes it's tricky. You think you're just entering the passcode to unlock but unbeknownst to you, you're on the latest firmware next time you use your iPad. Also, the nagging can be annoying. We all have iPhone+iPad+Apple Watch so we're quite reliant on the ecosystem.

My mother is 80, so too old to even use a banking app... She just goes physically to the bank to withdraw money like 40 years ago... She doesn't even want a credit card... She is on Android 10 and will probably stay there the rest of her life...? My sister probably does everything bank related on her pc... She kept her galaxy note 3 (on Android 5) till 2 years ago...before upgrading to a current note... She'll probably upgrade again in a distant future well past the last OS update...

 

[rui no onna]

My mother is 80, so too old to even use a banking app... She just goes physically to the bank to withdraw money like 40 years ago... She doesn't even want a credit card... She is on Android 10 and will probably stay there the rest of her life...😅 My sister probably does everything bank related on her pc... She kept her galaxy note 3 (on Android 5) till 2 years ago...before upgrading to a current note... She'll probably upgrade again in a distant future well past the last OS update...

When I upgraded to the iPad 4, we gave the old iPad 2 to my then 86-year old grandmother. She used it for Skype, FaceTime and as picture frame. One of my cousins lived with her and handled all the basic tech stuff.

I don't think she ever had a smartphone. They just had a cordless landline (for calling other landlines) plus two basic cellphones on different networks for texting/calling family's cellphones (prepaid Smart & Globe in the Philippines, no unlimited and pay per use rates were much higher for other networks).

Grandma was in a wheelchair and didn't like going out so all her banking was handled by my aunt who had power-of-attorney while I prepared her tax returns.

My mom still does her account reconciliation (with Excel) and tax return on the desktop. She's gotten fairly tech savvy though and now uses her iPhone/iPad for sending money, paying bills, depositing checks, disputing credit card charges, etc.