Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Which iPad should I get?

  • Air 2

    Votes: 21 29.2%
  • Pro 8.7 inch

    Votes: 51 70.8%

  • Total voters
    72
I'm sure many 12.9 users will love true tone when it comes on updated version

I didn't give a rat's a** about TT.

Why?...because I don't want the color balance to change merely because it's darker or lighter around me.

It's a gimmick that I could do without.

Planning to buy the Pro2 12.9" once it goes on sale.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sracer
If you are planning on getting and using an Apple Pencil and or Smart Keyboard, you should get the Pro. Otherwise save the money and get the Air 2. The Air2 will be able to handle your usage patterns for years to come. True Tone is okay, but it will make your iPhone display look blue after using it. The speakers are nice on the pro. The camera is better but who really uses a tablet camera? Other than that, same ram and similar battery life. So again it comes down to if you want to use the pro accessories or not.
 
Thanks everybody for your help! I've concluded that I'm going to wait until March and re-assess then. My plan is to either get the current 9.7 Pro at a lower price or explore the new 10.X inch option Apple will introduce. Thanks again for your help and opinions!

Smart decision. I think Apple is going to integrate a bunch of the features from the larger iPad Pro and smaller iPad Pro into a midsize iPad that will likely have new features as well. I'm Also waiting until March before I upgrade, which I plan on doing in March if I like this new iPad.
 
Thanks everybody for your help! I've concluded that I'm going to wait until March and re-assess then. My plan is to either get the current 9.7 Pro at a lower price or explore the new 10.X inch option Apple will introduce. Thanks again for your help and opinions!

Good call! I think the new 10.5" model is going to be very good, but the upgrades to the other Pro lines will also be very attractive. I wouldn't go for the Air 2 with March so close, I use my Air 2 for everything and I am already seeing lag, don't forget it is more than 2 years old now!
 
I didn't give a rat's a** about TT.

Why?...because I don't want the color balance to change merely because it's darker or lighter around me.

It's a gimmick that I could do without.

Planning to buy the Pro2 12.9" once it goes on sale.
I agree about TrueTone. Except for rare use cases, I think extolling the virtues of TrueTone is little more than the "power of suggestion" for which Apple is famous for.

The same is true for the Apple Pencil. I own one and use it and it's great. But that's because I was using various styli on my non-Pro iPads... with surprisingly good success. The Apple Pencil just brought it to a terrific level... but it in and of itself is not a reason.

But that's Apple's schtick... "play it safe". Encourage customers to "play it safe" by buying AppleCare. "Play it safe" by buying the next storage model (don't want to run out of that 16GB storage, now the base is 32). "Play it safe" by buying an iPad Pro because you might someday want to use the Pencil or Smart Keyboard. "Playing it safe" can add significant cost to the customer. People need to be wise about it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rillrill
But that's Apple's schtick... "play it safe". Encourage customers to "play it safe" by buying AppleCare. "Play it safe" by buying the next storage model (don't want to run out of that 16GB storage, now the base is 32). "Play it safe" by buying an iPad Pro because you might someday want to use the Pencil or Smart Keyboard. "Playing it safe" can add significant cost to the customer. People need to be wise about it.

Brilliantly stated. I'd venture to say that Apple Care revenue is a decent portion of Apple's profit margin. These forums are chalked full of users insisting that others MUST buy Apple Care on every single thing they purchase. If it's a $2,500 MacBook Pro, probably a good idea. But sometimes it's a waste of money. Plus what are you really doing other than paying for an extended warranty which, with what Apple charges for their products, should be a minimum of three years anyway.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: rui no onna
not sure apple care is ever truly worth it until it's covered under theft. if my iPhone gets smashed it goes through my bank insurance. iPad? they are at home so chances of them being damaged are very slim. for what you pay with apple care it doesn't seem worth it at all. Unless of course that you are very clumsy then thats different. i have not ever damaged my phone or had a cracked screen in all the times I've been using smart phones/ipads. Just seems like wasted money to me
 
For Christmas, I got my wife a new iPad Air 2 32 GB for $275 from BB (Holiday sale). I added a nice Targus pleather case, also on sale for like $30. So for about $300, she has a great device that will be well protected and last her at least 3 years.

Of course, she just wants a device for email, web, messaging, calendar, contacts, reminders, photos, Netflix, tons of books, simple games, and some banking.....so definitely not pushing the envelop.

BTW - I believe the iPad Air 2 can easily handle additional tasks. Home Budgeting and Investment Tracking using Numbers and Mint. Creating Documents using Pages and Keynote (might want to buy a $40 wireless keyboard if you do this frequently). Reviewing and annotating PDFs using GoodReader. Making simple videos with iMovie. For 90%+ of the consumers, this is more than enough capability for their personal use.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: sracer
not sure apple care is ever truly worth it until it's covered under theft. if my iPhone gets smashed it goes through my bank insurance. iPad? they are at home so chances of them being damaged are very slim. for what you pay with apple care it doesn't seem worth it at all. Unless of course that you are very clumsy then thats different. i have not ever damaged my phone or had a cracked screen in all the times I've been using smart phones/ipads. Just seems like wasted money to me

I tend to agree but getting AppleCare for the 12.9" might be worth the peace of mind considering the cost of potential repair.

It's something I may well consider when I'm ready to buy. We'll see...

But only for the 12.9"...for example, see the recent thread from Ludatyk on whether to repair his 12.9...$600 is a bitter pill to swallow.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: sracer
I tend to agree but getting AppleCare for the 12.9" might be worth the peace of mind considering the cost of potential repair.

It's something I may well consider when I'm ready to buy. We'll see...

But only for the 12.9"...for example, see the recent thread from Ludatyk on whether to repair his 12.9...$600 is a bitter pill to swallow.
I say, "playing it safe" you say, "peace of mind".... Tomayto, Tomahto. ;)

There is no universally applicable rule of thumb regarding AppleCare.

For me, when I consider all of the Apple products that I purchased for myself, my wife, and kids over the years the number of times we could have taken advantage of AppleCare is... ZERO. That amounts to a couple of grand in savings.

But I know some folks who are so accident prone that AppleCare is a necessity. For THEM, it would unwise to forgo AppleCare.
 
I say, "playing it safe" you say, "peace of mind".... Tomayto, Tomahto. ;)

There is no universally applicable rule of thumb regarding AppleCare.

For me, when I consider all of the Apple products that I purchased for myself, my wife, and kids over the years the number of times we could have taken advantage of AppleCare is... ZERO. That amounts to a couple of grand in savings.

But I know some folks who are so accident prone that AppleCare is a necessity. For THEM, it would unwise to forgo AppleCare.

Yep, I'm like you...eschew AppleCare for the most part, but when it comes to the 12.9" potential high repair cost, it certainly is more compelling.

I've yet to pay for any extended warranty coverage on anything, but one...bought a Square Trade 2 or 3 year protection plan (I forget) on my 10pg micro-shredder for $12 about a year ago.

More on a curiosity and whim factor than anything else. The shredder cost about $95 although I got $20 off by opening a VISA Amazon card.
 
=
**I screwed up on the poll. I meant to type "Pro 9.7 inch."

Hi,
I am going to buy an iPad today but I'm kind of torn between the Air 2 and the Pro 9.7 inch. The Pro is 200 dollars more and I don't really know what for - other than Smart Connector and a slightly better chip. However, it scares me that the iPad Air 2 has been around for almost 3 years. I'm going to use my iPad primarily for streaming video, Google Docs, surfing the web and note taking. What are your recommendations?

Thanks!

If money is no issue then I would go Pro. Good luck
 
But I know some folks who are so accident prone that AppleCare is a necessity. For THEM, it would unwise to forgo AppleCare.

I know what you mean. I know someone who drops every single phone they buy and smashes the screen, typically within a couple of weeks of purchase.
 
Brilliantly stated. I'd venture to say that Apple Care revenue is a decent portion of Apple's profit margin. These forums are chalked full of users insisting that others MUST buy Apple Care on every single thing they purchase. If it's a $2,500 MacBook Pro, probably a good idea. But sometimes it's a waste of money. Plus what are you really doing other than paying for an extended warranty which, with what Apple charges for their products, should be a minimum of three years anyway.
Considering you're paying well over $200 for the initial cost of Apple Care plus your deductible when you actually use it, that's probably pretty close to Apple's cost of a new iPhone. Even if half the people that got Apple Care used it once, Apple is still most likely making a profit from it, and I doubt anywhere near half the people who have it use it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: capathy21
While it doesn't really apply so much to the other devices (because people don't generally upgrade these items yearly), apple care for the phone isn't a bad idea if you upgrade every year, because you can get a refund (or gift card) for the unused portion.

I upgrade phones yearly & when I get the new one, I call & cancel the apple care on the previous phone.....

I'm not sure how many people take advantage of this. Granted it's not a ton, but it cuts the cost of apple care in half.
 
Okay, well if anyone has seen the cover page of MacRumors, Apple will probably wait to launch the new iPads until September or later. So.... what should I do now? Should I still wait until march? I'm not keen on waiting until September. Also, can someone explain what the "Caution: Price Cut Only" banner on the buyer's guide means?
 
Last edited:
Anyone have advice factoring in this latest news?
You've waited this long, you might as well wait until March. But it is very possible that there will be some excellent sales on existing Air 2 and Pro 9.7 (by excellent, I mean $150 off) between now and March.

The question to ask yourself is, "If I were to buy a current iPad at $150 off, will I be upset if there are new models in March?"

There might not be any sales by March. Then March arrives and there are no new models.
 
Anyone have advice factoring in this latest news?

To add to what sracer posted above, there isn't any 'latest news' in the last 2 weeks beyond rumor.

If nothing is announced in March, you know what to do. If a good sale pops up, might be worth it to buy.

You decide.
 
wait till end of march if there's nothing then you know it's coming during iphone event or after
To add to what sracer posted above, there isn't any 'latest news' in the last 2 weeks beyond rumor.

If nothing is announced in March, you know what to do. If a good sale pops up, might be worth it to buy.

You decide.
Thanks, I reckon I'll still wait until March. I'm hoping for a discount, but I doubt they will release the new iPads then.
 
No, I seriously am torn between the two. People were recommending I wait and I was simply telling them why it wouldn't make any more sense for me to wait.
[doublepost=1484596263][/doublepost]
Thanks for that, I didn't know the speakers on the Air are sub-optimal.

However, they also completely stopped selling Apple Watch 1st gens on their website when they released series 1 and 2. So it's kind of a gamble. :confused:

Buy the PRO.
If you buy the Air2 you will find in the back of your mind you will always question how much faster the PRO would have been compared to your brand new just purchased iPad Air2.
Just get the best one. You won't regret paying more in the end for the extra quality. Get at least the 128gb version, don't buy the 32gb.
My two cents.
 
Buy the PRO.
If you buy the Air2 you will find in the back of your mind you will always question how much faster the PRO would have been compared to your brand new just purchased iPad Air2.
Just get the best one. You won't regret paying more in the end for the extra quality. Get at least the 128gb version, don't buy the 32gb.
My two cents.

The Pro 9.7 isn't that much faster than the Air2.

Buy the Pro for the better speakers and TT if you want, but to argue for the better performance that it delivers over the Air2 is downright laughable.

Yeah, it's faster but not as much to make a big difference.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.