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All iPads How long do you keep your iPad?

How long do you keep your iPad?

  • 1 year

    Votes: 53 33.3%

  • 2 years

    Votes: 45 28.3%

  • 3 years

    Votes: 30 18.9%

  • 3+ years

    Votes: 23 14.5%

  • still haven't purchased one

    Votes: 8 5.0%
  • Total voters
    159
  • Poll closed .
rui no onna

rui no onna

Contributor
Original poster
Oct 25, 2013
15,182
13,736
USA
I see a lot of arguments against purchasing deeply discounted older generation iPads in the name of future proofing. Personally, with how fast technology moves, I don't think there's such a thing as future proofing. I just upgrade when there are new features I find useful at a price point I'm willing to pay.

So now this made me curious, do people actually keep their iPads long enough to lend credence to the future proofing argument? How long have you guys had your iPads?
 
Not sure what value this post or survey will give you.

For starters, your group is very selective here, and not the general public.

And, since lots of people still have their Ipad- first edition and lots get every single upgrade... the result is of zero meaning.
 
I bought my iPad 2 in March of 2011. I am well overdue for an upgrade. I almost got the last iPad when they bumped it to 128GB but I held off. Glad I did.
 
until it breaks or if I feel like the features in the newer model will benefit me, and I can sell my older model for a decent amount of money.
 
For the last few years I upgrade regularly with the releases.

Places will buy your phone for enough to almost do a swap at most Verizon stores. I've got my wife and is iPads sold for about $900. Planning on getting a 32GB mini for her and 64GB air for mer both on Verizon. Sure we aren't ahead like we are on phones but we do enough with them where it's worth it.
 
I agree^^ Have upgraded my phone every single year and made good money selling my old one.

The reason you can come out ahead on an iPhone is because the cost is subsidized so you can sell it for high dollar and upgrade at new contract pricing which is much lower than people will pay for even a used off contract device.

Luckily I have somehow ended up with an annual upgrade even though I sign a 2 year contract every time. Let's hope that continues.
 
xxBURT0Nxx said:
I agree^^ Have upgraded my phone every single year and made good money selling my old one.

The reason you can come out ahead on an iPhone is because the cost is subsidized so you can sell it for high dollar and upgrade at new contract pricing which is much lower than people will pay for even a used off contract device.
Click to expand...

You are right. If you have a good account rep are your carried then all things are possible

Tablets are different.

Im working to get myself being able to work from an iPad at some point. Tired of carrying things.
 
Got a good price on my iPad 2 when the iPad 3 came out. That one got stolen replaced it with another iPad 2 and now I am going to get iPad air so I guess that's just under two years.
 
Got my iPad 3 a couple weeks after the release date. Keeping it until iOS no longer supports it. Had the 1st gen and only got rid of it due to it being cut out as iOS 6 came out.
 
xxBURT0Nxx said:
I agree^^ Have upgraded my phone every single year and made good money selling my old one.

The reason you can come out ahead on an iPhone is because the cost is subsidized so you can sell it for high dollar and upgrade at new contract pricing which is much lower than people will pay for even a used off contract device.

Luckily I have somehow ended up with an annual upgrade even though I sign a 2 year contract every time. Let's hope that continues.
Click to expand...

How are you upgrading at new contract pricing every year when you sign 2 year contracts?
 
Bought the iPad 2 in March 2011. Bought the iPad 3 in March 2012. Now, in November 2013, I'll be buying the iPad Air. I had been planning on making my 3 last 2+ years, and so I was planning on waiting until the iPad 6 (or iPad Air 2, whatever you want to call it). Unfortunately, iOS 7 runs unacceptably on my iPad. My new iPhone 5S runs iOS 7 so smoothly, and its frustrating to deal with how laggy it is on my iPad. So for me, combined with the reduction in weight, it's an instant purchase for me. Hard to believe that in under 2 years, I'm going to be getting 4x better processing power.
 
Got the first one, it was cool.
Got the second one, it had improvements.
Got the third one, Retina!
Got a mini, it's so light!
Getting a Air, full size and light!
 
Got the 1st one, was too slow compared to a MacBook Air while web browsing, didn't use it at all really. Got the iPad 4, was quick enough to replace my MBA as my portable machine. Will get the Air and most likely update every year.
 
In the past it's been 1 year. The resale value + changes in the new model made it a decent proposition. It'll take a bigger hit w/ my 3 though b/c of the shorter model life. I'm going to upgrade this time b/c I want a lighter iPad and also to get rid of my last Dock Connector device. But if iPad Air value doesn't hold during the next year I'll hold on to it for a couple years as I don't see anything too compelling coming next year other than Touch ID.
 
I've lost no more then $80 on every iPad I've sold, so I upgrade every year because of that
 
Like my MBPs, they become family hand-me-downs. The misses will get my iPAd 2 exclusively when I get the Air.
 
As with most, particularly Apple, every other update.

1, 3, 5

Honestly I'm yoyoing really hard between a refurb 4 and a 5 though as little difference as there is. Biggest want is ditch 30pin and gain Airdrop.
 
Still using my iPad 2 since december 2011. Since iOS7 Ive found it to be performing much more smoothly so plan to keep it for as long as possible - possibly for at least another year.

The retina screen is so tempting though.... :D
 
The future proofing game is tiresome. I'll keep my devices until they no longer serve me or a new feature gets introduced that I want.

Then again, if technology is a hobby for you, only the latest gear will quench your appetite.
 
BenTrovato said:
The future proofing game is tiresome. I'll keep my devices until they no longer serve me or a new feature gets introduced that I want.

Then again, if technology is a hobby for you, only the latest gear will quench your appetite.
Click to expand...

This is me. My iPad 2 has served me well even without Retina. I've noticed some slow down in the past year on certain apps.

I think the poll here is also a bit skewed as I'm sure there are a ton of people out there with iPad 1s around.
 
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