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iPad iPad 3 to iPad Air

Italianblend

Italianblend

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Mar 21, 2011
1,794
247
Fatima
At first I was going to make this upgrade but I have been backing off a little bit. I might wait until next years's model.

Has anyone made this switch? My ipad 3 ("new" ipad as they called it) is fine, although I haven't upgraded to ios 7 yet out of fear.
 
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I went from an iPad 3 to an air. I can definitely see a difference speedwise, with website browsing mostly. Plus being smaller & weighing less makes it much easier to use, I can 1 hand it while I read now!

Mimo is pretty impressive as well.

I had iOS 7 on my iPad 3, I didn't notice any slowdown because of it, don't be afraid to update!
 
Italianblend said:
At first I was going to make this upgrade but I have been backing off a little bit. I might wait until next years's model.

Has anyone made this switch? My ipad 3 ("new" ipad as they called it) is fine, although I haven't upgraded to ios 7 yet out of fear.
Click to expand...

Coming from the same iPad 3 but running iOS 7, I'd say so far it's seemed worth it. I've had my Air for about 24 hours so far.

I was debating on whether I should hold out for the next models with the inevitable 2GB of RAM (More iOS updates in the future maybe?) and fingerprint sensor.

I decided against waiting.
 
What are you afraid of? My iPad 2 runs iOS 7 without any issues at all. Sometimes there's a lag in the animated graphics, but that's it.

iPad 3 > iPad Air only in terms of weight, size and sluggishness, neither of which are favorable qualities in my book.
 
Italianblend said:
At first I was going to make this upgrade but I have been backing off a little bit. I might wait until next years's model.

Has anyone made this switch? My ipad 3 ("new" ipad as they called it) is fine, although I haven't upgraded to ios 7 yet out of fear.
Click to expand...

OMG. Not even close. I just upgraded from a 3 to an air and couldn't be happier. The light weight alone is amazing. The 3 was like a brick in comparison.

The air is way faster too. I used to notice lag in several apps with the 3 such as the kindle app and some games. All good now with the air. Well worth the upgrade. I was on ios 7 by the way. Not sure what the fear is. It's just an os.

Oh and wifi is faster too.

I sold my 3 to gamestop for $252 cash today.
 
LOL... we're talking about the iPad model that introduced retina but didn't have enough processing power to handle it? Yeah, you're right, better than the Air. LOL.

People will do anything to justify their decisions.
 
I disagree OP. The retina display was shoe-horned into the iPad 3 just to get people to buy it despite the technology not being ideal for use in an iPad 3 at the time. With the Air the technology has finally caught up and the retina is speedy and works swimmingly on the air without excessive heat or weight.
 
comatose81 said:
LOL... we're talking about the iPad model that introduced retina but didn't have enough processing power to handle it? Yeah, you're right, better than the Air. LOL.

People will do anything to justify their decisions.
Click to expand...
lol, ^ this!
 
The iPad 3 (or even 4) definitely is not > the Air, going from 4 to Air there are many improvements. Speed of most operations, especially Safari and PDF rendering in iBooks, the size, ergonomics and weight.

The Air scores a knockout over a 3 or 4.

There is only one reason not to upgrade, that is if you can't afford it. You know, food before Air ;).
 
I think you're misinterpreting the> symbol. It was meant as in "going from ipad 3 to air." I wasn't stating that it is better. I've never used an air

----------
DesertEagle said:
What are you afraid of? My iPad 2 runs iOS 7 without any issues at all. Sometimes there's a lag in the animated graphic
Click to expand...

Some people in this thread said they didn't have a good experience with ipad 3 ios 7. I don't want the animations to slow things down.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1652891/
 
Italianblend said:
I think you're misinterpreting the> symbol. It was meant as in "going from ipad 3 to air." I wasn't stating that it is better. I've never used an air
Click to expand...

OK, get you on the title, it's better now that you have made it clearer.

Try an Air, it's well worth the upgrade (unless you can't afford to buy one, it'll spoil your use of your 3 ;))
 
I just went from the iPad 3 (64gb ATT) to an Air (128gb ATT)

Very noticeable increase in speed and battery seems pretty solid so far.

iPad 3 runs iOS7 pretty well IMO although some of the animations are choppy.

I ran geekbench3 today on my Air and iPad3 and it was totally impressive the difference in power.

My iPad 3
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My iPad Air
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I made the switch from an iPad 3 to an Air and it is probably the greatest upgrade I've ever made within the Apple family of products.

Just the feel of the device in your hands (weight + form factor) will convince you. I suggest going to an Apple store and trying out a floor model for yourself. The second you pick it up, you will want an Air.

However, if that still isn't enough for you, what's inside of this thing is just as good as what's outside. The Air is much faster than the iPad 3. The difference may not be as noticeable between a 4 and an Air, but coming from a 3, the Air is just a whole different world. Wifi, Apps, Email, Safari, Menus - everything is 'snappier' if that makes sense.

I HIGHLY reccomend making the jump. Once you lift one up, you won't know how you ever coped with a 3.
 
I went from the 3 to the Air and don't regret it. Other than the obvious reduction in weight and size, the speed is definitely apparent.

My 3 felt sluggish at first with iOS 7, after 7.0.3 it starting working like it should. It can still hold its own and is definitely not out of the game.

Jumping from the 3 to the Air is definitely noticeable, but hardly a must. It never is. If you have the funds, go for it. Otherwise, the 3 should suffice for another year.
 
comatose81 said:
LOL... we're talking about the iPad model that introduced retina but didn't have enough processing power to handle it? Yeah, you're right, better than the Air. LOL.

People will do anything to justify their decisions.
Click to expand...

If the decision is to not spend more money i really dont understand the superior tone. I dont see where the person said their ipad3 was better, just that it did the job for them so far but they havent moved to ios7.

This attitude is weird and makes me think theres some justifying in the other direction happening
 
davideotape said:
If the decision is to not spend more money i really dont understand the superior tone. I dont see where the person said their ipad3 was better, just that it did the job for them so far but they havent moved to ios7.

This attitude is weird and makes me think theres some justifying in the other direction happening
Click to expand...

Usually > means "greater than"... the OP mentioned that's not what they meant so I take it back.
 
Well all the comments are very interesting. I think I'll hold off and buy an ipad 6 next year. Then I'll come on this board and say blah blah blah... about the greatest improvements I've ever seen on the ipad tablet and how foolish the people are buying into 1gb ram ipad air with no touch id. In the end of the day, everyone need a reason to justify their purchase right? and the best way is to bashing others who owns a previous gen!
 
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Have enjoyed the Air since Friday am pickup. My IPad 3 has served me well since launch day in March 2012. The positive differences in speed, weight, handling, size, are remarkable. This Air has been on for 4 straight hours and is as cool temperature wise as when I turned it on. No regrets in upgrading from 3 to Air.
 
I went from an iPad 3 to the Air. Nothing wrong with the 3. iOS 7 was running fine on it. Still getting 10-12 hours of battery life with it. Only reason why I upgraded was because my mom expressed interest in an iPad. I was going to get her the Mini when it got the retina display, but with it only $100 cheaper, didn't think it was worth it.

So I upgraded to the Air and she'll be getting the 3.

As for the jump, it's huge in terms of how it feels in your hands. So much thinner and lighter.
 
Sold my iPad 3 16gb for $370 about a week ago on kijiji. Bought the Air and the weight loss is the best feature. Previously I wouldn't want to pick up the iPad because it was so heavy. I'd always rest it in my lap and rarely take it around the house. Now I feel like it can go anywhere without a second thought. The screen doesn't feel like glass anymore and I'm a bit concerned that it may be more prone to scratching.
 
I am an original iPad3 owner that upgraded to the Air on launch day...I am actually meh about it. I'm not into the flimsier feel of the screen, and mine is tinted slightly blue all over compared to my 3's more natural tones. The everyday user experience is only slightly better....I didn't notice a world of difference really.

I have already switched back to my 3 and am more happy here with the solid screen feel and perfect color reproduction. I'll be holding off until the 6, but now i'm thinking that i'll get a 4 when my Applecare is up from Apple direct as a refurb for cheap with the 1 yr warranty...it'll be faster with the same screen feel i prefer.
 
I have sold my iPad 3 for 2 months age.
The iPad 3 is so lag when installed iOS 7 beta so I switch back to the iOS 6 and waiting for the 5th-gen iPad (iPad Air).

Compare with my new iPad Air and my father's current iPad 3. The iPad 3 is just too slow and lag when playing some games e.g.:Real Racing 3, but very smooth in my iPad Air.
 
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