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iPad 10 vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Is the $250 Difference Worth It?

The weird thing is the base iPad is available with a keyboard with function keys and larger trackpad, whereas the Air has neither. So much for being the better option.
 
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'Nuff said.

Screenshot 2024-05-21 131402.png
 
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No.

If your livelihood relies on an iPad, eg to quickly download and preview wedding photos then you’ll just buy a Pro model which are now better than ever.

If you’re a teenager who needs something to create with, an average consumer who just wants a computer without the faff or just someone who needs a bigger portal of content then the iPad 10 will serve you well.

Since the Pro line got an upgrade the Air models are kinda superfluous.
 
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The key difference to me is the main chip. I plan to keep my apple devices for 5 or more years. The M2 chip will work for the next 5-7 years just fine (unless the integration of AI in the devices changes requirements to the CPU). The iPad air will be problematic in a few years from now. The other components are good enough for me, don't need a better screen or sound. I just wish they would have offered more exciting colors on the iPad Air.
 
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PaperMag said:
It was updated with current information—M2 iPad Air (2024).
Click to expand...

Thanks captain obvious. I was making a joke given the recent old photos situation. That being said it is reasonable to question how valuable the old posts are versus just starting a new article.
 
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I get the 64GB ones on BackMarket for like $275 purely so my kiddos can be on USB-C devices and I only need lightning for my AirPod Maxes, usually store demos with a scratch or two. At that price, no brainer.

For my personal use, of course I'd get an Air.
 
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icanhazmac said:
Thanks captain obvious. I was making a joke given the recent old photos situation. That being said it is reasonable to question how valuable the old posts are versus just starting a new article.
Click to expand...
Go back to your original post and ask yourself, "Who is going to find humor in this comment?"

And then come back and say, "Sorry I put you through that. There is no humor there and I just wasted everybody's time for forcing them to read that."
 
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PaperMag said:
Go back to your original post and ask yourself, "Who is going to find humor in this comment?"

And then come back and say, "Sorry I put you through that. There is no humor there and I just wasted everybody's time for forcing them to read that."
Click to expand...

LOL! Go back to my post and look at the emoji responses, I got a couple of laughs.

Not sorry at all, move on if you didn't find it amusing. 🙄

Again, jokes aside, one can question if 1.5 year old posts are pertinent today.
 
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andiwm2003 said:
The key difference to me is the main chip. I plan to keep my apple devices for 5 or more years. The M2 chip will work for the next 5-7 years just fine (unless the integration of AI in the devices changes requirements to the CPU). The iPad air will be problematic in a few years from now. The other components are good enough for me, don't need a better screen or sound. I just wish they would have offered more exciting colors on the iPad Air.
Click to expand...
On the other hand, by the time it gets problematic you simply could get the new base iPad. You'll enjoy a new chipset, guaranteed longer software support and updates, new warranty, new battery, trade-in value, etc.
 
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icanhazmac said:
LOL! Go back to my post and look at the emoji responses, I got a couple of laughs.

Move on if you didn't find it amusing. 🙄

Again, jokes aside, one can question if 1.5 year old posts are pertinent today.
Click to expand...
Updating posts (rather than creating new posts) is a common SEO tactic that improves ranking in search engines, which is 99% of Macrumors goal with these type of posts—to increase inbound traffic 🤣
 
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If you are using iPad purely for consumption then the iPad 10 would probably be good enough.
The Air is going to last longer with it's M2.
 
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bradman83 said:
While the A14 in the iPad 10 is no slouch for the tasks people would use a base iPad for, it's still a chip going on 4 years old and is constrained by its 4GB of RAM (compared to 8GB plus swap in the M1 and higher Pro and Air). That's going to become increasingly constrictive as RAM requirements increase.

Hopefully Apple updates the base model and the Mini to at least an A15/A16 with 6GB of RAM if not an A17 with 8GB. If Apple wants more complex pro-quality apps on the iPad (and subsequently the Vision Pro) then it needs to provide more RAM at the low end so developers can target every possible model.
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Apple wants you to buy the most expensive iPad (or any other of its devices) that you can swing Financially. Therefore, it behoves them to limit the amount of RAM at the low end. Now, I do think the next Mini (and next base iPad) will have more powerful processors and possibly a bit more RAM. But don’t expect too much.
 
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But the Pro -- it's only a few hundred dollars more than the Air, and look at all of those better features!
 
What an absolute nothing-burger of an article. Could have saved a ton of time and just posted the comparison table and a short conclusion. If you need the extra processing power of the M2 you have to buy the Air. Duh. No actual recommendation - just stating the obvious.
 
For clarification, I'd like to add that both products have a 10.86 inch display size. Apple has made the creative decision to market the new iPad Air as 11-inch, but once you scroll down and read the fine print, they do sheepishly admit that it is the exact same 10.86 as the 10th gen. iPad and previous version iPad Air. So if you're going to compare the differences between the two, display size is not one of them. I don't know an example of Apple being more shady than this, except for when they every year advertise the Apple Watch as having a new SiP when it's the exact same CPU for three years. It was also shady when Apple released the third generation iPad mini with no change at all besides adding Touch ID and a new storage option. Hardly a next generation. 5C was also a disaster, but in the case of the new iPad Air they are just straight up lying and not following common business practice of rounding up only to the nearest decimal. They're rounding 1.4 integers rather than .4
 
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I wonder why Apple sells 4-years-old devices... with insufficient RAM and impossible to use 64GB storage...
Lack of innovation? Do they have unsold stock?
I also find the lineup of the iPad very confusing. Compatibility is also a concern. Some models are compatible with certain accessories but not with others. Like the new iPad Air. Compatible with Pencil Pro but... not the latest keyboard...

In 2024 users expect minimum 128GB storage and 8GB RAM for base models. The differentiation should be by screen size: e.g. 8.3; 11; 13 inches. Version 2024. Configurable in "standard", "enhanced" and "more enhanced" (Apple can come up with some fancy names such as Air, Pro, Ultra, Whatever...). All customisable Storage to bigger capacity.

JUST AS AN EXAMPLE

iPad mini "standard" would be called:
iPad 8.3 (2024) - 8/128 - M4-8/4. Customisable Storage to bigger capacity.

iPad mini "enhanced" would be called:
iPad 8.3 (2024) - 12/256 - M4-6/6. Customisable Storage to bigger capacity.

iPad mini "more enhanced" would be called:
iPad 8.3 (2024) - 16/512 - M4-4/8. Customisable Storage to bigger capacity.
I WOULD BUY THIS IMMEDIATELY.

Similarly:
iPad 11 (2024) - 8/128 - M4-8/4. Customisable Storage to bigger capacity.
iPad 11 (2024) - 12/256 - M4-6/6. Customisable Storage to bigger capacity.
iPad 11 (2024) - 16/512 - M4-4/8. Customisable Storage to bigger capacity.

iPad 13 (2024) - 8/128 - M4-8/4. Customisable Storage to bigger capacity.
iPad 13 (2024) - 12/256 - M4-6/6. Customisable Storage to bigger capacity.
iPad 13 (2024) - 16/512 - M4-4/8. Customisable Storage to bigger capacity.

Now you know the screen size you are getting, the year it's entered market and the technologies associated to it, RAM/STORAGE, the chip used, and the energy-efficient vs heavy-duty cores... and all this without having to go read the specs sheet.

All with newest processors, with different sets of cores for the various uses (standard, more intensive and power-user). And all compatible with the newest accessories, using came connections (USB-C) without unnecessary bandwidth bottlenecks.
And a proper iPadOS.
PLEASE 🙏
 
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I picked up the 10th gen iPad base for $350 and got the flobberty magic keyboard folio on Amazon for $110 instead of the ridiculous $250 actual price. It's the perfect iPad for someone who doesn't need one.

The screen is absolutely fine, so is the weight and performance. I can't find anything wrong with this device for most people. Even 64GB is enough, I don't need to anything on my iPad.
 
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The M1 Air is on sale for 399 all over the place right now, so anyone picking up a 10th gen iPod instead of an Air is just dumb. The 50 dollar extra is more than worth it.
 
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