All iPads How often do you upgrade your iPad?

[jahutch2]

I have 2 iPads currently -- an old iPad mini 5 I bought refurbished a long time ago, that lives in my bedroom, and an iPad Air 4, that I travel with and has become my main personal (as opposed to work) computing device for a lot of use cases.

Because I find myself using the iPad way more than I expected, I may treat myself to one of these new Pros when they come out, move the Air to bedroom duty, and retire the old mini and finally be rid of lightning. I certainly don't need M3 power in an iPad, but OLED, thinner, and magsafe (if true) will be huge plusses. So we'll see, depending on price.

 

[killhippie]

Until it dies or it cant get any more updates. The iPad doesn't do what I need as much these days and is not a necessary part of my work flow, its more a add on that's getting used more when I relax and browse the web and check out a few things that spring to mind away from my work space at home. My desktop and iPhone are more important, but I don't update the iPhone every year either as there is just no point in doing that either for my needs. Apple have had a lot my money over the years, now not so much.

 

[Macalicious2011]

I certainly don't need M3 power in an iPad, but OLED, thinner, and magsafe (if true) will be huge plusses. So we'll see, depending on price.

In the past few years brand new iPads have been terrible value. A pro ipad + screen protector + premium/keyboard case are the same price as an apple silicone laptop.

The best value iPads are those that are 2-3 years old. Last year I bought my daughter a 3rd gen iPad Air as her first tablet. It cost £160 refurbished with warranty and is in brand new condition. She uses a £20 iPad Pencil alternative with it but most importantly Roblox is 100% lag free on her iPad. Because of 64GB she doesn’t have space for Genshin impact but mainly plays Roblox and watches YouTube shorts.

I gave my 2017 iPad Pro to my GF and honestly there is no perceptible difference between it and my M1 in pretty much everything but triple A gaming at max settings. Basically a £170-200 iPad can do everything a £850 iPad can unless you must have Face ID, External monitor support apple Pencil 2 support.

At least with iPhones annual or frequent upgrades give you better camera and the very latest chips. However the non-pro iPads are the worst. Powered by previous gen silicone they only have 64GB. Bump the storage up and you’ll pay more a refurbished previous M1/M2 powered iPad Pro.

 

[Isamilis]

About 3-5 years. It seems the tech innovation in iPad has been stagnant, the good side is we can keep our iPad longer.

 

[Macalicious2011]

the good side is we can keep our iPad longer.

Totally. The M1, M2 and M3 chips for example, have power that far exceeds what iPadOS is capable of exploiting. Most gaming developers design for the lowest common denominator. Therefore a recent iPad Pro should last 6-10 years like a laptop.

 

[abrasion]

It's one of the device I use forever... I don't see point of newer chip when it just give more layers in my procreate. I don't use a program which can make use of the extra power.

 

[stevemiller]

Just hitting the 8 year mark with my 9.7 pro. I’d like to replace it, but I’d want a 11” pro to make it worthwhile since every other device I own has promotion and either oled or mini led. But that’s awfully expensive given rumoured price hikes.

Basically iPads have put themselves in a terrible spot for me. They’re my least essential computing device, and the cheap ones are buying a backwards step in quality, and the expensive ones are really hard to justify for the price. I guess I wait for the oled 11” to be out for a year and go on sale?

 

[BugeyeSTI]

I went from an iPad 3 to the iPad 4 in one year, then I waited 3 years and got an Air2 and finally waited 6 years and got a 12.9 M1 Pro. Still have the Air2 on 14.8.1 and use it while my Pro is charging

 

[Shanghaichica]

It’s getting longer each time.

iPad mini 1 to iPad Air 1 14 Months. iPad air 1 to iPad Air 2 9 months. iPad Air 2 to ipad pro 10.5 2.5 years. iPad Pro 10.5 to ipad pro 11 (2018) 3 years. iPad Pro 11 2018 to iPad Pro 11 M2 3 years 7 months.

I have also owned ipad minis but apart from the 1st gen they have not been my main iPad so I didn’t include upgrade times between iPad mini cycles.

 

[geta]

It’s getting longer each time.

iPad mini 1 to iPad Air 1 14 Months. iPad air 1 to iPad Air 2 9 months. iPad Air 2 to ipad pro 10.5 2.5 years. iPad Pro 19.5 to ipad pro 11 (2018) 3 years. iPad Pro 11 2018 to iPad Pro 11 M2 3 years 7 months.

I have also owned ipad minis but apart from the 1st gen they have not been my main iPad so I didn’t include upgrade times between iPad mini cycles.

Damn, you're one of the lucky ones who had a 19.5” iPad Pro. 😂

 

[Shanghaichica]

Damn, you're one of the lucky ones who had a 19.5” iPad Pro. 😂

Ha ha they gave me an early preview. Tim is my uncle lol

 

[Digitalguy]

It’s getting longer each time.

iPad mini 1 to iPad Air 1 14 Months. iPad air 1 to iPad Air 2 9 months. iPad Air 2 to ipad pro 10.5 2.5 years. iPad Pro 10.5 to ipad pro 11 (2018) 3 years. iPad Pro 11 2018 to iPad Pro 11 M2 3 years 7 months.

I have also owned ipad minis but apart from the 1st gen they have not been my main iPad so I didn’t include upgrade times between iPad mini cycles.

3 years for moving from the 2017 10.5 pro to the 2018 11" pro? Did you buy it just before the new (early) 2020 model arrived or you got the number of years wrong?

 

[Shanghaichica]

3 years for moving from the 2017 10.5 pro to the 2018 11" pro? Did you buy it just before the new (early) 2020 model arrived or you got the number of years wrong?

Yes I got it just before the 2020 model came out and only upgraded because my kids had broken my 10.5 inch pro. That was the very last time they were allowed it use my stuff!

 

[AR15MBP]

I have gone from the original iPad (April 2010) to iPad 3 (Oct. 2012) to iPad Pro 9.7 inch (March 2016) to iPad Pro 11 inch (Sept. 2019) to M1 12.9 inch iPad Pro (March 2023). I bought the last two iPads mid/end cycle at great discounts, especially the M1 which was $800 off from Best Buy. I see the current one I use lasting at least another 5 years in my EDC. They have become better and better, and has become an indispensable tool.

 

[nj-morris]

I went from an iPad 3 to the iPad 4 in one year, then I waited 3 years and got an Air2 and finally waited 6 years and got a 12.9 M1 Pro. Still have the Air2 on 14.8.1 and use it while my Pro is charging

Air 2 gang

You're actually not the only other person I've seen on here who still uses one, I'm very surprised that I'm not the only one who gets some use out of it.

 

[philipma1957]

I am on my third ipad mini. I get them when they come out say every 2-3 years.