Purchasing a used iPad
December 4, 2014 1:49 PM   Subscribe

What's a good source for a used iPad and what should I be looking for when I shop for my 6-year old?

I'm thinking of getting an iPad for my 1st grader. She's already very familiar with them via school and Grandma's iPad and I think it would be fun for her. BUT, I don't think there's any reason to buy a brand-new one since she doesn't care about the latest technology and won't care at all that it doesn't come in a cool package. What are some reputable places to shop from? I'd rather not go the Craigslist/eBay route from a random individual. Do she need the wi-fi? (FWIW, we have all Windows based laptops at home and the house is wi-fi-enabled). She'll be playing games and reading books, maybe watching videos.
posted by otherwordlyglow to Computers & Internet (16 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
All iPads have WiFi.

I think the easiest thing would be to buy certified used from Gazelle.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 1:53 PM on December 4, 2014


You can purchase refurbished iPads direct from Apple and they come with the same warranty that brand new iPads have.
posted by Librarypt at 1:56 PM on December 4, 2014 [7 favorites]


I've had good luck buying and selling gadgets on Swappa.
posted by John Kennedy Toole Box at 2:01 PM on December 4, 2014


I've had good luck with Glyde.
posted by sevenless at 2:08 PM on December 4, 2014 [1 favorite]


Another cheap reputable place is Cowboom, which is owned by best buy. They sell looked over used and refurbished ipads that people trade in to their stores, or that were store display models, returns with no issues, etc.

I wouldn't write off ebay so quickly though. Buying from a random person is one thing, buying from a power seller whose sold 300,000 things is like buying from a store. And ebay/paypal buyer protection is honestly great(and i say this as a seller, I know I will always lose and the person will always get their money back even if they're lying)

If you search ipad *model you want*, buy it now, sort by lowest price... Then scroll to one by a power seller and check it out. I'd link to an example, but my phone is being doofy and refusing to search right. Seriously though, there's businesses that sell on there and it'll say "131 sold" next to it or something. They just flat rate out tons of them. That's totally legit, and like buying from a store.
posted by emptythought at 2:13 PM on December 4, 2014


All ipads have wifi.

Apple sells refurbished ipads and they have the same warranty as new apple products.

One thing to consider is, though you understandably don't want the latest technology for a first grader, some of the apps that your daughter likes may only run on newer versions of the iPad. I would ask your daughter what apps she enjoys using, and then look those apps up on Apple's App Store to ensure that whatever model you get can handle the apps she wants to use.
posted by dfriedman at 2:15 PM on December 4, 2014 [3 favorites]


Seconding Apple Refurbished, mostly because they'll probably recondition the battery. If you're gonna buy a iPad 2 (which is perfect for your needs), you might be getting a unit with a 3.5 year old battery. Which wouldn't hold a charge for long.

If you get the refurb and the battery is indeed unchanged/dying, you can take it in and Apple still swap it under warranty. You might even luck out and get a newer unit if the iPad 2 is totally dead by then.
posted by JoeZydeco at 2:15 PM on December 4, 2014


An iPad 2 will be a frustratingly slow and unreliable experience. Looking at the prices on Gazelle, an extra $60 gets you from iPad 2 to iPad Air -- three full generations newer (well, 2.5 -- there's not much difference between 3 and 4). It's also going to be much lighter and easier to hold for a 6-year-old.
posted by Rock Steady at 2:41 PM on December 4, 2014 [1 favorite]


When you ask "does it need the WiFi?", you may be thinking of cellular, which you don't need. I'd recommend an iPad 2 Mini 16GB with WiFi. I got a good deal on one at Best Buy for $250. The resale value on Apple tablets is so good that there's rarely any reason to buy used, ironically. The full-size units are a lot more expensive, but for a child they don't make sense anyway because they are harder to hold and kids have good eyes. The mini 2 will be good for a long time.
posted by wnissen at 2:53 PM on December 4, 2014 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: Right, I meant cellular. Got it. I guess I'm not even sure what the most recent model is and what's all between the first one and that.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 3:25 PM on December 4, 2014


I have a regular ipad 2, and it's starting to creak and groan with ios 8, so I would definitely suggest something newer than that just to ensure that it'll last through a few years of updates.

Not that you have to do ios updates right away, of course, but eventually you'll start running into apps that are wonky on older ios versions. Going back one generation from current is often a good move -- you get the used discount and the not current discount without losing a lot of power or starting out really far behind the curve.

It seems unlikely your small child really needs a cellular data connection. You can play games and already downloaded content even where there's no wi-fi. She wouldn't be able to watch youtube videos in the car without it, but she can watch downloaded videos in the car.
posted by jacquilynne at 3:51 PM on December 4, 2014


I second the idea of refurbs sold directly by Apple. Same warranty as new products, and even if it wasn't the source of the original issue, I think they usually get a new case/new battery too, so it's pretty close to buying new.
posted by kup0 at 4:47 PM on December 4, 2014


Response by poster: Doesn't look like there are any refurbished minis in the Apple store that don't have cell capability but yeah, Best Buy is pretty cheap for new!
posted by otherwordlyglow at 8:50 PM on December 4, 2014


I have six iPads/iPhones in my home, all different. My six year old vastly prefers the mini iPad for size/weight. (I do too, actually).
posted by saucysault at 11:23 PM on December 4, 2014


If you decide to buy new, I'd recommend that you consider getting it at Walmart so that you can pay the extra $40-ish and get their protection plan. It covers all damage for 2 years (much better than applecare), which has come in handy when both my kids dropped their minis & shattered the screens.

The ipad mini is the perfect size for kids. There's no point in getting one with cellular unless you want to pay $30/month for them to watch YouTube while they're riding in the car & away from wifi.
posted by belladonna at 5:52 AM on December 5, 2014 [1 favorite]


If you go New but not Walmart, check out Square Trade's warranties. I haven't used them for iPads, but they just bought me out of a >2 year old laptop whose hard drive was starting to go (also failing USB port).
posted by getawaysticks at 7:37 AM on December 5, 2014


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