I have an 11 inch ipad Pro that is great but as the potential price of a replacement rises (£999 in the UK) i worry about it getting lost, damaged or stolen when I travel. I saw an 1st gen Ipad air at £79($95) and I wonder if it could be a travel replacement using it solely for watching Netflix and other shows I’ve downloaded before I travel. Will it be able to handle that or is it that cheap because it’s basically useless?
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iPad Air Can a 1st gen ipad air still do the basics in 2023?
- Thread starter Nikojas
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App support for iOS 12 is quickly running out - not worth the price. An Air 2 for that price, maybe.
No, it’s basically useless or will be imminently.
A7 with 1GB RAM won’t let you browse from a practical POV. Netflix app itself already requires iPadOS 15.
A7 with 1GB RAM won’t let you browse from a practical POV. Netflix app itself already requires iPadOS 15.
Purely for Netflix playback, yes.
Netflix allows older versions of their apps to still be downloaded for devices on older firmware. The old Netflix app version installed on my OG Air on iOS 9 still works albeit that one doesn't have offline download support.
Do expect browsing for videos to be slow on the OG Air. Also, battery is probably iffy on a device that old. Do also expect app support to be quite limited at this point in time.
Netflix allows older versions of their apps to still be downloaded for devices on older firmware. The old Netflix app version installed on my OG Air on iOS 9 still works albeit that one doesn't have offline download support.
Do expect browsing for videos to be slow on the OG Air. Also, battery is probably iffy on a device that old. Do also expect app support to be quite limited at this point in time.
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If you have home contents insurance, see if your policy also covers personal electronics (phones, iPads, laptops) outside of the home as part of the plan, or whether it is something that can be added for a small fee.
If you really want a second iPad, then look out for deals on iPad 9, or a see how much you can get an iPad 7/8 second-hand.
If you really want a second iPad, then look out for deals on iPad 9, or a see how much you can get an iPad 7/8 second-hand.
I have an original iPad Air, from 2013, you can see it on my signature. Great device ten years ago, the first iPad with a 64bit SoC, and with a new, slimmer body. My mom used it for as long as 7 years, most of them on iOS 10. Once I updated it to iOS 12 (for obvious reasons), it started to lag and to show its age.
Nowadays she uses it as a digital radio, that's it. The battery is well below 50%, the system won't support most of the apps, and the performance is not dramatically bad but it is laggy for 2020 standards.
I wouldn't spend a cent on a device like that. As a bare minimum, I'd go for an 8th gen iPad, with an A12 SoC.
Nowadays she uses it as a digital radio, that's it. The battery is well below 50%, the system won't support most of the apps, and the performance is not dramatically bad but it is laggy for 2020 standards.
I wouldn't spend a cent on a device like that. As a bare minimum, I'd go for an 8th gen iPad, with an A12 SoC.
I have an iPad 6 on iPadOS 13.7 and I can still log in to Netflix but I can't seem to watch anything... It says can't connect to Netflix... I'm thinking Netflix has dropped support for iOS 13/iPadOS 13 however I can't find anything to confirm that...
I'm thinking of upgrading it to iPadOS 16 however I don't like the UI of anything post iOS 13/iPadOS 13 and it could also make the device slower...
I'm thinking of upgrading it to iPadOS 16 however I don't like the UI of anything post iOS 13/iPadOS 13 and it could also make the device slower...
I have an Air 2 that I use for media in my gym. It’s fine for Spotify or YouTube but when I use certain websites for media playback it bogs down hard. It’s also very slow compared to my regular iPad Pro for regular tasks like just using the keyboard or switching between apps. I already don’t enjoy using it as is, I can’t imagine taking it with me for travel.
The only issue would be app compatibility. I’m not sure how much longer the first gen air will support the popular streaming apps. Power wise it should be able to do it but it won’t be as smooth or fast as your iPad Pro. Would you consider an iPad mini for travelling? You could get a mini 4 or 5 for A reasonable price.
Good suggestion. On reflection I think a mini 4 would be both better for travel and also inexpensive.
It was good enough for me until a month ago when I got a refurbished M1 11” pro. It did all my casual surfing, music and streaming content and via a B&O Bluetooth speaker, and ran my HomeKit smart home with cameras (via an ATV4k as a hub) all on my OG iPad air. Sure it was slow, didn’t do slide over view and the rest, but it was just fine! Even got a security update the other day. I wouldn’t want to go back to it having used an M1 mind 😂
I have an original iPad Air. It no longer gets the current iPadOS updates, and a number of installed apps no longer will update either. It is significantly slower than my newer iPad Pro, and basically sits unused. It doesn't even have much of a trade in value anymore either. I will likely donate it soon.
Solely for Netflix? Yes, it will work. iOS 12 still supports many streaming apps, it supports web browsing (though not completely), and many apps. It’s not perfectly compatible, but it is far better than, say, iOS 10.
For downloading Netflix episodes it will be fine.
OP, you suggested a Mini 4 as well. Yes, the newer the better, and a Mini 4, like you said, would be more portable. Both will work for that, though.
For downloading Netflix episodes it will be fine.
OP, you suggested a Mini 4 as well. Yes, the newer the better, and a Mini 4, like you said, would be more portable. Both will work for that, though.
I don’t understand why you’re looking at things so… old.
I get it, price, but you’re really going to get what you pay for.
look for an iPad Air 3 or 4, or an iPad Mini 5, or an iPad 7 or 8 or a 2018 iPad Pro.
Look for stuff that’s… You know… 3 to 5 years old, not 10.
As already said in here, iOS 12 and Netflix are already starting to have issues, and it’s only going to get worse and worse. You’re even more in trouble if you’ve got a 16 GB iPad Air.
So again, try to find something that’s like 3 to 5 years old instead of 8 to 10, and also try to at minimum get something with 32 GB of storage that can run at least iPadOS 15.
I get it, price, but you’re really going to get what you pay for.
look for an iPad Air 3 or 4, or an iPad Mini 5, or an iPad 7 or 8 or a 2018 iPad Pro.
Look for stuff that’s… You know… 3 to 5 years old, not 10.
As already said in here, iOS 12 and Netflix are already starting to have issues, and it’s only going to get worse and worse. You’re even more in trouble if you’ve got a 16 GB iPad Air.
So again, try to find something that’s like 3 to 5 years old instead of 8 to 10, and also try to at minimum get something with 32 GB of storage that can run at least iPadOS 15.
Get an iPad Mini 4 if you want an iPad which is cheap to buy second hand, better than the OG iPad Air, can do the basics plus
Dark mode
Low power mode
Widgets
Supports the latest AirPods and beats headphones
AirTags
8MP back camera
2GB RAM
PAL Video support
Apple Lossless and Lossless Hi-Fi
Laminated display and anti reflective coating
Apple Music Classical ( no iPadOS version but iPadOS 15 supports iPhone apps onto an iPad hence another reason not to get the OG iPad Air)
And despite the iPad Mini 4 and Air 2 not getting iPadOS 16 and that OS only being less than 6 months old they will get OS updates for some years and more security patches than the OG Air ( latest iOS 12 release had 1 patch whilst the latest iOS/iPadOS 15 patch had 5 security patch’s so please don’t get the OG Air)
Dark mode
Low power mode
Widgets
Supports the latest AirPods and beats headphones
AirTags
8MP back camera
2GB RAM
PAL Video support
Apple Lossless and Lossless Hi-Fi
Laminated display and anti reflective coating
Apple Music Classical ( no iPadOS version but iPadOS 15 supports iPhone apps onto an iPad hence another reason not to get the OG iPad Air)
And despite the iPad Mini 4 and Air 2 not getting iPadOS 16 and that OS only being less than 6 months old they will get OS updates for some years and more security patches than the OG Air ( latest iOS 12 release had 1 patch whilst the latest iOS/iPadOS 15 patch had 5 security patch’s so please don’t get the OG Air)
Useless. It's possible that the stock applications will still function fine. I don't know how iOS 12 was on the original iPad Air. But, unless you're only using Apple's apps, I'd say it's pointless. You're probably better off looking for a fifth generation iPad or a 9.7-inch iPad Pro. But even that's probably not worth it, for the most part. Fifth Generation iPad mini might be available at a good price.
I wouldn't bother. I had the first gen iPad Air and it started struggling with newer software features as soon as the Air 2 came out. It didn't have the RAM to support things such as Split View + Slide Over, which actually came out soon after that model released. The mini 3 struggled in all the same ways because it was just a small Air 1 with Touch ID added in if I remember correctly.
I can't even imagine how poorly an Air 1 would perform in 2023. The gulf in performance between Air 1 and Air 2 was already pretty staggering.
I can't even imagine how poorly an Air 1 would perform in 2023. The gulf in performance between Air 1 and Air 2 was already pretty staggering.
Yes you’re correct about the Mini 3. It was another iPhone 5c because the 5s and Air 2 were out in 2013 and 14 and were so much better for $100 more not to mention years of OS and security patchs
LOL, I have a old iPad 2 in my collection, there are a few things it can do, and is does not do any of them well. For a specific set of things it does work but it still depends on what those things are. However in terms of general use today you answer is a simple no. An iPad Air (1st gen) now you are getting closer to something useable generally speaking, but I still would not recommend it these days.
Yes, a 1st generation iPad Air can still perform the basics in 2023, such as browsing the internet, sending and receiving emails, using social media apps, and watching videos. However, it may not be able to run the latest versions of some apps, and it may not be as fast or efficient as newer iPad models. Additionally, the battery life may not be as strong as it was when the device was new, and it may not receive software updates beyond a certain point. Nevertheless, it can still serve as a functional device for basic tasks.