iPad Buy iPad Air 2 or wait for the next iPad

[Heisenberg888]

I have the smart case and I don't feel it on the glass. I barely even notice it now after owning it for around 9 months now. Tbh I would just get a refurbished Air 2 then wait for the Air 3 Imo. It should only be a minor spec upgrade and a 64GB refurb is a good price now

Turn your iPad Air 2 up to full volume and place your hand on the glass when playing a video and you'll clearly feel the vibrations, even with a smart case on. I'm not talking about with the smart cover on, as that defeats the object of the exercise if you're typing an e-mail whilst listening to music.

I did get a refurbished iPad Air 2 and now returned it because of this vibration problem. Fair enough if you're willing to put up with it or don't notice it anymore, but I'm willing to wait until October/November to see if iPad Air 3 will reduce this problem significantly. Another reason why I am not willing to put up with it is that there is no significant vibration problem with my iPhone 6 or iPad Mini 2, so don't see why there should be with the iPad Air 2.

 

[Closingracer]

Turn your iPad Air 2 up to full volume and place your hand on the glass when playing a video and you'll clearly feel the vibrations, even with a smart case on. I'm not talking about with the smart cover on, as that defeats the object of the exercise if you're typing an e-mail whilst listening to music.

I did get a refurbished iPad Air 2 and now returned it because of this vibration problem. Fair enough if you're willing to put up with it or don't notice it anymore, but I'm willing to wait until October/November to see if iPad Air 3 will reduce this problem significantly. Another reason why I am not willing to put up with it is that there is no significant vibration problem with my iPhone 6 or iPad Mini 2, so don't see why there should be with the iPad Air 2.

As I said i don't feel it

 

[cynics]

Yes, I felt the lower back half of the iPad Air 2 vibrate when playing sound. These vibrations reverberated through to the screen and to the top half of the iPad, even on 2-3 bars. Full volume i.e. 16 bars, was ridiculous; i just could not hold it. Yes I could live with it i.e. put it on a stand or plug in, but then I thought why should I and pay £409 for the privilege.

I tried other iPad Air 2s in my local apple store and they all had the same vibration issue. This was hardly mentioned in all the major reviews on Youtube like the Verge, Tested, Detroitborg, mobile tech review.

I am also not the only one, and this vibration problem has been covered more comprehensively in the following thread.

Gotcha. I have my Air 2 wrapped in an otterbox case so I think that must mute the vibration some. But I can still slightly feel it depending on how I'm holding it. For me personally that's a non issue but I could see how it could negatively effect some users experience.

 

[jdogz]

I have the ipad air 2 in an iPad Air 2 Leather Smart Case which dampens the vibration somewhat. Not saying you should but eventually you do get used to it, reckon its to do with the design and being so thin.

Depends how sensitive you are to it, but on 1-2 bars of sound volume especially when playing games you can feel it, think of it like force feedback/vibration in an ps3/4 xbox one/360 controller not as big though. *iphone 6 vibrates too but at higher volumes - not as bad, nothing like vibrate mode on the phone.

To me this is a minor annoyance, the biggest issue was the screen distortion while holding and not applying much pressure at all. I can glady say mine is fine on this issue, quite a few in store though were doing it, showed the sales rep at the time. These are the 2 biggest complaints so far.

another minor annoyance could be the TLC/MLC nand storage issue, my iphone 6 and ipad air 2 are both fine so far (touch wood) with TLC nand.

At the end of the day nothing is perfect, there always seems to be some minor quirks whether it be hardware or software related. not complaining but you do expect a bit more sometimes for the price you pay. Your choice whether you can live with it or not.

 

[rui no onna]

No because the Air 4 will be much better than the Air 3. Well, if I think about it, forget that, wait for the Air 5, it will be much better!

You can keep on waiting and waiting until the iPad is what you want it to be or you can draw the conclusion it simply isn't for you and look at something that does fill your needs. If you want an iPad now then why wait? If you want one now you're ok with what the current version is able to do. What if the new iPad is similar to the Air 2 or it's even worse? What if iOS9 does nothing on the newer hardware and we still have to wait another year like with the Air 2? You've just wasted time on waiting.

There's a difference between waiting just until both iOS 9 and the next iPad is announced/released (in less than half a year) versus always waiting for the next new thing. One is a relatively short, finite wait time. The other, not. Aside from the iPad 4, Apple's been fairly predictable when it comes to their release schedule so it's reasonable to expect an upgraded model come Oct/Nov. In any case, if/when the new iPad is announced and it isn't up to scratch, you can still get the Air 2 (likely for a discount even).

Besides, it's not like iOS 9 has officially been released yet. It's still in beta. Unless you absolutely must have the splitscreen feature during beta phase or you're buying your first ever iPad, there's really not much loss in utility.

Mind, this is speaking as someone who dislikes buying Apple products mid-cycle and is a wee bit frugal enough not to upgrade her iPads every 6 months or less (although 8+ months is acceptable).

 

[rpetunderclass]

That is generally true. However, sometimes Apple keeps the previous gen model available but drops the price... like the iPad mini 2. If that should happen to the iPad Air 2, the resale value won't be so great.

This is why i usually sell my stuff a few days before what ever event they have upcoming.

 

[dyn]

I have the ipad air 2 in an iPad Air 2 Leather Smart Case which dampens the vibration somewhat.

I think "vibration" is not the right terminology here. Resonance seems more in place (speaker vibrates causing the other components to resonate). It just shows that the components are a bit too freely to move.

There's a difference between waiting just until both iOS 9 and the next iPad is announced/released (in less than half a year) versus always waiting for the next new thing.

If you stick your head in the ground maybe but in all other cases it is exactly the same thing. If you weren't waiting for the next new thing you'd have bought what is available now aka the Air 2 In this case we are guesstimating that Apple will announce something in fall based on previous announcements. That doesn't mean Apple is actually going to do that, they might opt for doing nothing. We just don't know. You're basing something entirely on sheer hope for a new model.

Besides, it's not like iOS 9 has officially been released yet. It's still in beta. Unless you absolutely must have the splitscreen feature during beta phase or you're buying your first ever iPad, there's really not much loss in utility.

Exactly: why wait for new hardware if you don't need all that or are not going to use it? The current version will last you for some years.

Mind, this is speaking as someone who dislikes buying Apple products mid-cycle and is a wee bit frugal enough not to upgrade her iPads every 6 months or less (although 8+ months is acceptable).

Yeah, that's what I thought

 

[rui no onna]

In this case we are guesstimating that Apple will announce something in fall based on previous announcements. That doesn't mean Apple is actually going to do that, they might opt for doing nothing. We just don't know. You're basing something entirely on sheer hope for a new model.

It's not sheer hope. More like reasonable expectations. Given relatively level or slightly decreasing tablet sales, I'm not sure Apple will risk iPad sales going even lower by not releasing an upgrade. They could do that with the iPod line since most folks were already moving or have moved to smartphones. I don't think they have a replacement for the tablet category just yet although I can certainly see phablets cannibilizing iPad mini sales enough to kill that specific line.

Exactly: why wait for new hardware if you don't need all that or are not going to use it? The current version will last you for some years.

I did have a disclaimer for first time buyers.

For upgraders (particularly if you're just one generation behind), it's not exactly the same. It's more a question of what does the new model do that the old one cannot and will those new features make me happy for $X or will I be happier using $X to buy beer.

Besides, whether a certain model will last you for "some years" before wanting to upgrade is debatable. My upgrade cycle has been as follows:

iPhone 16GB > iPhone 3GS 32GB > iPhone 4 32GB > iPhone 5 32GB > iPhone 5s 32GB > iPhone 6 64GB

iPad 2 64GB > iPad 3 64GB > iPad 4 128GB > iPad Air 16GB

Time between upgrades is somewhat erratic and varies from 9 months to over 2 years. I just evaluate whether the additional utility/features of a specific model is worth my cash. For me, the Air 2 wasn't a significant enough upgrade from the Air to make the jump. That still hasn't changed and won't change until iOS 9 is released at which point, we'll only be 1-2 months away from the typical upgrade schedule. I think I'd rather wait the 2 months than suffer buyer's remorse. Granted, if my iPad 4s and Air get stolen today, I'd buy an Air 2 right away as replacement.

 

[bevsb2]

I've had the Air 2 since launch and love the fact that it is thin, lightweight and super fast. It has a gorgeous screen. I do have a minimal bookspine and have had past issues with yellow tinted screens but think that is just luck of the draw with any generation and also happens with iPhones and Macbook Pros. I tested once for distortion and it was there with significant pressure but have never seen it with normal use. Mine vibrates a little, but I rarely listen to music on it so also a non issue for me. I'll probably upgrade to the Air 3, but not because of any unhappiness with the Air 2.

 

[dyn]

Why upgrade to the 3 if the 2 works fine? Size? Pen input?