iPad Pro or iPad Air 2?
May 4, 2016 12:12 PM Subscribe
My 2nd gen iPad has finally given up the ghost after half a decade. With tax rebate in hand, I am considering a purchase of a new one. But which?
My 2nd gen was 64G, which I didn't fill up. I mostly use/used my iPad for downloading school lectures to read, games, online magazine reading, and occasionally music. I don't really watch Netflix on it unless I travel and I kept it at wi-fi option (I have an iPhone so I don't need a cell network on an iPad.)
There's a lot of bells & whistles on the iPad Pro as well as insane storage, but would I just be better off with the Air 2? I have taken up photography recently so maybe a Pro would make sense for photo-editing?
Hive mind, please help me make a sane decision with where my tablet money goes!
My 2nd gen was 64G, which I didn't fill up. I mostly use/used my iPad for downloading school lectures to read, games, online magazine reading, and occasionally music. I don't really watch Netflix on it unless I travel and I kept it at wi-fi option (I have an iPhone so I don't need a cell network on an iPad.)
There's a lot of bells & whistles on the iPad Pro as well as insane storage, but would I just be better off with the Air 2? I have taken up photography recently so maybe a Pro would make sense for photo-editing?
Hive mind, please help me make a sane decision with where my tablet money goes!
Response by poster: Preferably no more than $700-800 tops. I definitely don't want to hit the four digits.
posted by Kitteh at 12:24 PM on May 4, 2016
posted by Kitteh at 12:24 PM on May 4, 2016
Are you going to want to use the Pencil? I have a Surface at work, and really like being able to take notes using a stylus, so I'd probably be wanting that feature if I was in the market for an iPad. I think the Pro supports Pencil but Air does not.
posted by cubby at 12:25 PM on May 4, 2016
posted by cubby at 12:25 PM on May 4, 2016
(sorry, hit post too early)
Since the iPad upgrade cycle is so long and iPad sales growth has slowed, most apps (and games, depending on what types of games) don't use all of the processing power of the iPad Air 2. Therefore, I think an iPad Pro would be overkill for you. Given that I wouldn't recommend a 16GB or even 32GB iPad these days (they fill up quickly), I'd look for a refurbished, 64GB iPad Air 2 in space gray so it comes with a black bezel.
That said, an iPad Pro will be more future-proof... but who knows what the world will look like in 3-4 years when you might be looking to replace this device? Save the extra couple of hundred bucks.
And, as cubby said, think about the Pencil. It's significantly better than any other stylus I've ever used, but adding a Pencil adds a lot of expense. If buying a Pencil means you'd have to drop down to 32GB of storage, I wouldn't recommend that trade-off.
posted by griseus at 12:28 PM on May 4, 2016
Since the iPad upgrade cycle is so long and iPad sales growth has slowed, most apps (and games, depending on what types of games) don't use all of the processing power of the iPad Air 2. Therefore, I think an iPad Pro would be overkill for you. Given that I wouldn't recommend a 16GB or even 32GB iPad these days (they fill up quickly), I'd look for a refurbished, 64GB iPad Air 2 in space gray so it comes with a black bezel.
That said, an iPad Pro will be more future-proof... but who knows what the world will look like in 3-4 years when you might be looking to replace this device? Save the extra couple of hundred bucks.
And, as cubby said, think about the Pencil. It's significantly better than any other stylus I've ever used, but adding a Pencil adds a lot of expense. If buying a Pencil means you'd have to drop down to 32GB of storage, I wouldn't recommend that trade-off.
posted by griseus at 12:28 PM on May 4, 2016
Response by poster: Sorry to threadsit, but why would I get the Pencil? I don't currently use a stylus. Or would I need a stylus for photo-editing?
posted by Kitteh at 12:45 PM on May 4, 2016
posted by Kitteh at 12:45 PM on May 4, 2016
At $499 (USD) the refurbished 128GB Air 2 is an amazing value. Still so totally overpowered for most everyday tasks. Even running multiple instances of CPU-intensive music making apps, mine rarely feels truly taxed. If you decide to go refurbished and want a specific model / colour, use something like RefurbMe to track availability.
posted by Lorin at 1:03 PM on May 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Lorin at 1:03 PM on May 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
The Pencil provides really precise and responsive input for things like drawing, note taking, etc. Although you can use it for certain types of photo editing, you certainly don't need it for photo editing.
posted by griseus at 1:54 PM on May 4, 2016
posted by griseus at 1:54 PM on May 4, 2016
In my view the long upgrade cycle actually means the Pro makes more sense than the Air 2 - the price delta spread over (say) 4 years is minor, and there's a significantly greater chance that the Pro will be able to handle everything thrown at it over the next 4 years rather than the Air 2 which is already a generation behind.
No need to buy the pencil right away if you don't think you'll use it, but always nice to have the option.
posted by modernnomad at 4:53 PM on May 4, 2016
No need to buy the pencil right away if you don't think you'll use it, but always nice to have the option.
posted by modernnomad at 4:53 PM on May 4, 2016
If you can afford it, go for the 9.7 inch iPad Pro with 128GB for $750. Everything that you do will be faster and a little bit more pleasant. It's at the start of the refresh cycle at the moment too.
Games will load faster and in a few years you'll still be able to play the newest games. Magazines will load faster and look better. All the reviews talked about the colours on the screen which are better than the Air 2. Photo editing will be faster too. If you use the built-in speakers for music it will sound better (it has more speakers).
I wouldn't get the bigger iPad Pro and I wouldn't get the 32GB one, it's too little storage. Unfortunately there's no 64GB option.
If you can't afford that or want to save your money, or if you feel the extras aren't worth $250, get a 64GB Air 2 in the refurb store for $420 or new for $500. I went from an iPad 2 to an Air 2 and the difference was huge, especially in the time waiting for a game to start. I still use it, but if I was going to buy one today, I'd get the latest. I think it's worth the money.
posted by nevan at 6:42 AM on May 5, 2016
Games will load faster and in a few years you'll still be able to play the newest games. Magazines will load faster and look better. All the reviews talked about the colours on the screen which are better than the Air 2. Photo editing will be faster too. If you use the built-in speakers for music it will sound better (it has more speakers).
I wouldn't get the bigger iPad Pro and I wouldn't get the 32GB one, it's too little storage. Unfortunately there's no 64GB option.
If you can't afford that or want to save your money, or if you feel the extras aren't worth $250, get a 64GB Air 2 in the refurb store for $420 or new for $500. I went from an iPad 2 to an Air 2 and the difference was huge, especially in the time waiting for a game to start. I still use it, but if I was going to buy one today, I'd get the latest. I think it's worth the money.
posted by nevan at 6:42 AM on May 5, 2016
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posted by griseus at 12:17 PM on May 4, 2016