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Air 2 purchases this week

S

seattlecard

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 14, 2007
97
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Just curious, how many people bought an Air 2 this week? After months of waiting and being underwhelmed by the 9.7 Pro announcement, I went and bought an Air 2 64GB model yesterday (gold/white).

I really wanted to like the Pro, but the 100 dollar increase in price, along with only 32GB storage and 2 GB of ram - not to mention the $100 decrease for the Air 2 sealed the deal for me.
 
I'm still debating it. You can get refurb Air 2 64gb (new casing 1 year warranty etc) for $419.

That's a HUGE difference from $599 really.

I have no need for the pencil nor the $150 overpriced keyboard. So it's really is the A9x THAT much better than the A8x (speakers mean little to me not a media device but for work). My guess would be no, not $180 price difference better; 2/3rd the cost.
 
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Picked up a mint condition iPad Air 2 64GB tonight for £285. So that's a difference of £215 compared to the 32GB iPad Pro 9.7".

Very happy with that sort of saving.
 
WRXiceman said:
Picked up a mint condition iPad Air 2 64GB tonight for £285. So that's a difference of £215 compared to the 32GB iPad Pro 9.7".

Very happy with that sort of saving.
Click to expand...

Not bad at all! Any reason why you went for the air 2 (other than price difference)? The only thing holding me back from the air 2 is the already 18 month old tech.

Cheers
 
roop27 said:
Not bad at all! Any reason why you went for the air 2 (other than price difference)? The only thing holding me back from the air 2 is the already 18 month old tech.

Cheers
Click to expand...

I went for the Air 2 because:

No protruding camera.
Still very powerful now.
iPad Pro has pencil and keyboard support that I wouldn't use.
Same RAM.
Improved screen on Pro is nice but the Air 2 screen is still beautiful.
Quad speakers on Pro wouldn't really benefit me as I don't listen to much audio on the iPad.
Big price difference.

If the pro was set at the same price point as the previous 9.7" iPads (£399), I would have bought that instead as the price would have been more reasonable and bearable in my opinion, but £100 more is just a bit too much for the difference in tech.

To sum up, the Air 2 is more than enough for my personal needs.
 
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jbachandouris said:
AT&T has 128GB LTE for $427.99. They say certified refurbished, but Apple confirmed that it will be eligible for AppleCare.
Click to expand...

Can you link this please? I can't find it on their site.

EDIT: Oh I found it. It's the 2 year contract price. Ugh. Still a good deal though!
 
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WRXiceman said:
I went for the Air 2 because:

No protruding camera.
Still very powerful now.
iPad Pro has pencil and keyboard support that I wouldn't use.
Same RAM.
Improved screen on Pro is nice but the Air 2 screen is still beautiful.
Quad speakers on Pro wouldn't really benefit me as I don't listen to much audio on the iPad.
Big price difference.

If the pro was set at the same price point as the previous 9.7" iPads (£399), I would have bought that instead as the price would have been more reasonable and bearable in my opinion, but £100 more is just a bit too much for the difference in tech.

To sum up, the Air 2 is more than enough for my personal needs.
Click to expand...

Fair dos! I'm tempted to follow suit but I plan on keeping this iPad for a good few years so am leaning towards the latest tech. I'm not going to use the pen or keyboard. I plan on using the iPad for browsing, gaming, plex and general document editing. Nothing too fancy.
 
Im still in a debate.

32gb IPP 9.7 for $599 or 64gb air 2 refurb for $419.

Lot of coin less and not buying the pencil (ever) or smart keyboard (highly highly unlikely b/c of $150 price will just get a BT keyboard).

The real question is since the Air 2 is now 1.5 years old will the processor become a dog on iOS10 or 11; ie. how future-proof is is really as it will be 2.5 years old at the end of this year. That's what scares me about saying a few bucks on it. The Air 2 is now the the "lowest" iPad model as they cut the Air 1; so it will be next to be phased out.
 
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stulaw11 said:
Im still in a debate.

32gb IPP 9.7 for $599 or 64gb air 2 refurb for $419.

Lot of coin less and not buying the pencil (ever) or smart keyboard (highly highly unlikely b/c of $150 price will just get a BT keyboard).
Click to expand...
Don't forget the 128GB LTE Air 2 for $427 from AT&T (also a refurb).

It's in my cart, I just haven't checked out yet as I'm a sucker for the latest and greatest. :(
 
jbachandouris said:
Don't forget the 128GB LTE Air 2 for $427 from AT&T (also a refurb).

It's in my cart, I just haven't checked out yet as I'm a sucker for the latest and greatest. :(
Click to expand...

Yeh but then you have to add a data line that I dont need so that just raises the cost $15/25 per month whatever it is to the iPad cost.


Im with you there. My BIGGEST fear now is the Air 2 is 1.5 years old now. It will be 2 years this fall. That's a LONG time for tech and now is the lowest model iPad. How long before that stops being supported or the dog of the new OS like the older iPads now?

I think this chart says a lot about that too that worries me about trying to save $150 now to end up spending more later.

iPad-Pro-9.7-charts.001.png
 
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stulaw11 said:
Yeh but then you have to add a data line that I dont need so that just raises the cost $15/25 per month whatever it is to the iPad cost.


Im with you there. My BIGGEST fear now is the Air 2 is 1.5 years old now. It will be 2 years this fall. That's a LONG time for tech and now is the lowest model iPad. How long before that stops being supported or the dog of the new OS like the older iPads now?

I think this chart says a lot about that too that worries me about trying to save $150 now to end up spending more later.

iPad-Pro-9.7-charts.001.png
Click to expand...
Point taken. One of the many reasons I haven't clicked submit.

For me it would be $10/month added to my existing plan.
 
jbachandouris said:
Point taken. One of the many reasons I haven't clicked submit.

For me it would be $10/month added to my existing plan.
Click to expand...

Yeh that's the issue, another $120/year defeats the discount really.

That chart is my issue. How long before the Air 2 becomes the dog on iOS 10/11 the earlier iPads are now on iOS9? It's processing power is not much more than the A8 devices. I just don't see it being more than a 12 month solution, which is saving $150 now worth it then to have to upgrade next year.

The IPP 9.7 will also likely hold more of it's resale value that a 2-3 year old device come next year; so that makes the money issue even tougher to figure out.
 
stulaw11 said:
Yeh that's the issue, another $120/year defeats the discount really.

That chart is my issue. How long before the Air 2 becomes the dog on iOS 10/11 the earlier iPads are now on iOS9? It's processing power is not much more than the A8 devices. I just don't see it being more than a 12 month solution, which is saving $150 now worth it then to have to upgrade next year.

The IPP 9.7 will also likely hold more of it's resale value that a 2-3 year old device come next year; so that makes the money issue even tougher to figure out.
Click to expand...

My train of thought - I'm coming back to ios after a brief stint in android where my tablet had front facing speakers etc. Ignoring the price I would have always wanted to come back to the latest tech as a future proof method and as I use my device as a media device id want the best screen and speakers available. Albeit the ram is the same as the air 2, the ONLY device at the moment come iOS 10 with more ram is the larger IPP so the software should be optimised for the majority of devices (barring some extra features for the IPP12.9) so I reckon all the iPad Air 2s will start to suffer come iOS11 etc whilst the IPP9.7 may have another year in it based on the improved processor etc. Everything I just stated is me trying to convince myself I need the latest tech...which I probably don't ;)
 
Yeh Im not so worried about the RAM part as I think the 2gb will be the standard still for some time; and the IPP 12.9 will be the niche at 4gb. The 12.9 also needs it pushing around that huge screen resolution no other device has.

My biggest future-proof fear is that chart i posted above with the Geekbench. i think its more than evident that the Air 2 benchmarks well against the A7/A8 devices at slightly higher; but is slaughtered by the A9x. Almost DOUBLE!

The gap is much much wider between the A9x and A8x (1200 points) than A8x to A7/A8 (100-400 points). Like 3 times or more than difference.

That does not make me so confident on iOS10 or say 11 in 15 months that the Air 2 will still perform perfectly well; perform, yes, but maybe like the iPad 2 now on iOS 9 kinda dog-ish

We are only talking about a $150-180 difference or so even getting a refurb Air 2. It's money but not huge huge money here. The issue is if you save that now will it cost you right back in a year from now having to upgrade again.
 
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stulaw11 said:
Yeh Im not so worried about the RAM part as I think the 2gb will be the standard still for some time; and the IPP 12.9 will be the niche at 4gb. The 12.9 also needs it pushing around that huge screen resolution no other device has.

My biggest future-proof fear is that chart i posted above with the Geekbench. i think its more than evident that the Air 2 benchmarks well against the A7/A8 devices at slightly higher (100-400 points); but is slaughtered by the A9x. Almost DOUBLE! 1200 points or so.

The gap is much much wider between the A9x and A8x than A8x to A7/A8

That does not make me confident on iOS10 or say 11 in 15 months that the Air 2 will still perform perfectly; perform, yes but maybe like the iPad 2 now on iOS 9
Click to expand...

There's your answer...and mine...IPP 9.7 here I come. The way I see it is...64gb air 2 = £429. IPP 9.7 £499. For £71 it's worth it (I'd always buy from Apple for warranty purposes)
 
Yeh that's the toughest question. If the Air 2 was just about 1 year old, if this was 6 months ago, ok that's one thing. But the Air 2 will be 2 years old come fall in like 6 months from now; like the iPad 4 now. And support for that is done pretty much.

It still works ok but was the cutoff line for new features (Air 1 and above). The Air 2 is now the lowest iPad Apple sells

A few weeks ago I was deadset on a new iPad. Then 2gb RAM and the pricing hit and why not get an Air 2 for $150 cheaper.

But seeing that Geekbench reminded me that saving a small amount may hurt more later in performance and having to upgrade sooner.

And those IPP 9.7 scores are SIGNIFICANTLY higher; 3 times the difference from the A8x in the Air 2 compared to the prior A8 and A7. That chip looks pretty future-proof to me; a LOT more than the A8x
 
stulaw11 said:
Yeh but then you have to add a data line that I dont need so that just raises the cost $15/25 per month whatever it is to the iPad cost.


Im with you there. My BIGGEST fear now is the Air 2 is 1.5 years old now. It will be 2 years this fall. That's a LONG time for tech and now is the lowest model iPad. How long before that stops being supported or the dog of the new OS like the older iPads now?

I think this chart says a lot about that too that worries me about trying to save $150 now to end up spending more later.

iPad-Pro-9.7-charts.001.png
Click to expand...

That is a bit misleading as the iPad Air 2 is 3 core where the 9.7" Pro is 2 core. So on multi-threaded applications, which they should all be now ;), the performance difference is much smaller. Also so the 9.7 is under clocked vs the 12.9 which is in these graphs.

iPad-Pro-charts.002.png
 
Although everyone seems to be worried about the 2 years, I wonder, how long was the IPad 2 sold/supported? Pretty sure it was more than 2 years. Not sure though.

The thing is, many of us who are obsessing over specs, myself included, barely use the current specs. If you only use it for media consumption and web browsing, how 'fast' does it really need to be?

If you 'need' the new features, then IPP is a good choice. If not, it's probably not a good decision.
 
stulaw11 said:
Yeh but then you have to add a data line that I dont need so that just raises the cost $15/25 per month whatever it is to the iPad cost.


Im with you there. My BIGGEST fear now is the Air 2 is 1.5 years old now. It will be 2 years this fall. That's a LONG time for tech and now is the lowest model iPad. How long before that stops being supported or the dog of the new OS like the older iPads now?

I think this chart says a lot about that too that worries me about trying to save $150 now to end up spending more later.

iPad-Pro-9.7-charts.001.png
Click to expand...
The iPad 2 is 5 years old now and is still receiving updates. Compared to the iPad 2, the iPad Air 2 has 4x as much RAM and is MUCH faster. Not to mention the iPad Air 2 has an extra core over the Pro, so while the Pro still beats it in multicore performance, it's not by much.

I don't think there's anything to worry about with buying the Air 2 now.
 
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