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iPad Should I buy now or wait?

alexanderasher

alexanderasher

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 13, 2014
73
4
Hi, so, I'm currently waiting for college to start in about a month now. This will be my freshmen year and I'll be buying an iPad for it, mainly for ebooks, web browsing, and some games (Pheonix Wright and TWEWY are two that come to mind)

I guess my question is, how much of a performance boost is anticipated on the iPad Air 2? Will it be noticeable? I have an iPhone 5s, and the Touch ID is basically no use to me. I can wait and use physical books for my first semester classes then an iPad later, but will it really be worth the wait? I'm kind of anticipating the purchase, I had one before but I sold it due to money reasons.

Any thoughts on this?
 
No one (outside Apple) knows exactly what they will do or when. rumours range from minor spec bump and Touch ID to signicant improvements.

Another rumour: it might be released in October. Depending on how minor or significant the differences are, if it is radically better than the current model and same price the launch-day queue will be long and it might be some while after that before you can get it. So, how long can you wait?

It is a bad time to buy if you don't need it now. I bought an iPad Air last month because it does what I need it to do and I wanted it then.
 
Like nightlong said... no one knows. I would wager it's a bigger year for iPhone and MacBook but who knows, maybe the iPad gets something really cool too. I would never concern myself with what's coming though - buy what you need when you need it.
 
I personally would wait for two reasons:

1) You'll be able to buy the current hardware brand new for a discount.

2) Spec bump and new features.

Your upgrade costs will be zero if you can wait.
 
On the off chance that split screen multi tasking is in ios 8 and limited to the new ipad air 2, I would wait for that reason only.
 
here in Finland they are discounting 'current' ipads

now you entered the 'better wait' time :p
unless you want to lose 50-100$ value on the product you just purchased, in the next few weeks
 
Buy now?

I was wondering the same thing. My original intention was to wait until "iPad Air 2" but then I realised that if I waited until the next one came out my iPad 3's (64GB) resale value would go down significantly (it would be at least 6 months older and 3 generations out of date ins read of 2).
So I sold my iPad 3 a couple go weeks ago on eBay for £200 and that along with a few other thing that I didn't need added up to slightly more than the £325 that my used but current generation (6 months old) 32GB iPad Air cost. So essentially I got an upgrade for free. BTW I had already decided that I really didn't need 64GB as I've stopped putting music on my iPad and now just have it on my iPhone (64GB 5s) thus the 32GB. Hope this gives you a different perspective.
 
I'm expecting Apple to release new iPads in the September/October time frame. You're stuck between a rock and a hard place. Needing to wait one maybe 2 months for an iPad but wanting one now.

I say wait and your patience will be rewarded.
 
maflynn said:
I'm expecting Apple to release new iPads in the September/October time frame. You're stuck between a rock and a hard place. Needing to wait one maybe 2 months for an iPad but wanting one now.

I say wait and your patience will be rewarded.
Click to expand...

Didn't the new iPad's go on sale around October/November last year? I seem to recall getting the iPhone 5s in the early fall and then the iPad Mini a couple of months later, and I ordered both on launch day. Do you think Apple will release the next iPad's earlier than last year?
 
I thought having a Buyer's Guide would eliminate the need of such topics.. I think the info there is really all there is to know. The rest is kind of personal.
 
sunapple said:
I thought having a Buyer's Guide would eliminate the need of such topics.. I think the info there is really all there is to know. The rest is kind of personal.
Click to expand...

It's a helpful tool, but that doesn't mean the topics can't be discussed.
 
SandboxGeneral said:
Didn't the new iPad's go on sale around October/November last year? I
Click to expand...
Yup, in October, though I half expect to see that push up to maybe September/October this year, if for the only reason we'll not be seeing any new Macs this year. They need to have something for the Christmas season.
 
maflynn said:
Yup, in October, though I half expect to see that push up to maybe September/October this year, if for the only reason we'll not be seeing any new Macs this year. They need to have something for the Christmas season.
Click to expand...

That makes sense. I certainly do hope so because I want a new iPad Mini this year.
 
maflynn said:
Don't you have one now? Is it a retina model?

I have the rMini and I'm content with it, I see no reason to upgrade that.
Click to expand...

Yep. I bought the rMini last year and it's the white one. I don't like the color of it as much as I thought I would, though I have the white 5s and I think it's great.

I want the new one so I can get it in black and hopefully have Touch ID too. Then I'll give my current white one to my sister.

Other than my preference for the color and wanting Touch ID, I'm 100% happy with with it.
 
I don't need touch id, so that there's nothing drawing me to the new minis
 
alexanderasher said:
Hi, so, I'm currently waiting for college to start in about a month now. This will be my freshmen year and I'll be buying an iPad for it, mainly for ebooks, web browsing, and some games (Pheonix Wright and TWEWY are two that come to mind)

I guess my question is, how much of a performance boost is anticipated on the iPad Air 2? Will it be noticeable? I have an iPhone 5s, and the Touch ID is basically no use to me. I can wait and use physical books for my first semester classes then an iPad later, but will it really be worth the wait? I'm kind of anticipating the purchase, I had one before but I sold it due to money reasons.

Any thoughts on this?
Click to expand...

Definitely wait. Sold my iPad Air few days ago. I got enough from crashing and memory low warnings . Especially if you are going to use it in a college I quess you will start using a pen soon to take notes. You would save money a) to get it cheaper when Air2 is coming or b) hopefully better performance with Air2. Imho, Air1 is waste of money. Im using pen alot and with Air1 is was terrible experience compaired to Note tablets. Even my old Note 10.1 (2012) works better than Air1 which crashed several times even a day. If you dont have much money, dont get it and wait to see how Air2 works irl. And maybe iOS8 fixes some buggies for Air1 too. But now, it is waste of money.
 
alexanderasher said:
Hi, so, I'm currently waiting for college to start in about a month now. This will be my freshmen year and I'll be buying an iPad for it, mainly for ebooks, web browsing, and some games (Pheonix Wright and TWEWY are two that come to mind)

I guess my question is, how much of a performance boost is anticipated on the iPad Air 2? Will it be noticeable? I have an iPhone 5s, and the Touch ID is basically no use to me. I can wait and use physical books for my first semester classes then an iPad later, but will it really be worth the wait? I'm kind of anticipating the purchase, I had one before but I sold it due to money reasons.

Any thoughts on this?
Click to expand...

Wait. It is only a couple of more months.

The bump between A7 and A8 may be substantial. If you can wait, why not get the new stuff. I think A8 marks the beginning of Apple hardware catching up with the new iOS.

Nobody knows anything for sure, but it is so close. Why not just wait.

I have a friend, girl, who bought an iPhone 5, 3 weeks before the 5s came out. So now she has a 2 year old phone when she could be sitting on a 1 year old phone.

The difference when it is this close to being updated is huge. The iPad Air 1 is almost a year old already. Just wait 8 more weeks. It'll be worth it.
 
If you want it now, but it now. Life is short. There is always something better just a few months away. The current Air is a great device and the second gen Air isn't going to have any groundbreaking features, IMO.
 
s2mikey said:
If you want it now, but it now. Life is short. There is always something better just a few months away. The current Air is a great device and the second gen Air isn't going to have any groundbreaking features, IMO.
Click to expand...

If I'm going to pay that much, I would rather pay it for the new one instead of paying the same for a 1 year old tablet.

It may not have anything groundbreaking but it will be a better tablet.

It's not a few months away. iPads are updated once a year. If it was January I would say, buy the iPad Air now, but 8 weeks from the new one, get the new one.

How stupid is he going to feel if Apple decides to discontinue the 16GB models and starts selling them at $499 for 32GB. Look at what happened to the 11" Macbook Air. Those who wanted one and waited just a couple of months, not only got way better battery life but they got 128GB for the price of the 64GB.

This close to release, you wait.
 
Last edited:
chupachup said:
If I'm going to pay that much, I would rather pay it for the new one instead of paying the same for a 1 year old tablet.

It may not have anything groundbreaking but it will be a better tablet.

It's not a few months away. iPads are updated once a year. If it was January I would say, buy the iPad Air now, but 8 weeks from the new one, get the new one.

How stupid is he going to feel if Apple decides to discontinue the 16GB models and starts selling them at $499 for 32GB. Look at what happened to the 11" Macbook Air. Those who wanted one and waited just a couple of months, not only got way better battery life but they got 128GB for the price of the 64GB.

This close to release, you wait.
Click to expand...
Yes a 16G ipad is pretty useless in the long run
 
IMO, it will have been worth waiting if there is more memory in the next generation iPads. I've found 1GB to be very limiting when multitasking with PDFs and the Web browser on the rMini (bought it used cheaply a couple of weeks ago). That is, if you're averse to finding a good deal locally and then flipping it for minimal, if no loss when the next Gen comes out.
 
it's not only IF the new ipads will be a lot better (or a little)
it's also worth waiting in case you take the current ipads (not now) by 50-100$ less.


don't buy now unless you must fly to tibet tomorrow.
 
maflynn said:
I don't need touch id, so that there's nothing drawing me to the new minis
Click to expand...

I don't need the Touch ID either, but I do like it. I'd like to have both of my iDevices authentication methods be the same.

mattg3 said:
Yes a 16G ipad is pretty useless in the long run
Click to expand...

This is what I am finding with my own iPad. I've hit the wall a couple of times with my 16GB as well. The next one will be at least 32GB, like my current iPhone.
 
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