That's a good point, it's a solid £200 saving.. Damn, I did not see this predicament coming...
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPad Air 2 or iPad Pro 9.7 inch?
- Thread starter coreas692
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
That's a good point, it's a solid £200 saving.. Damn, I did not see this predicament coming...
I am too on an iPad 3 thinking about taking the plunge, what are your initial impressions of using the 9.7" iPad Pro after coming from an iPad-3 ? is it like are you totally blown away ?
I like the Pro 9.7 more than the Air 2 personally. Main reasons: the speakers are OUTSTANDING and the true tone display is awesome. It's also nice to see 32GB as the base model. For me personally 16GB (11 actually usable) is not enough, and 64GB is a bit too much so 32 is a nice sweet spot.
I have just upgraded to iPad Pro 9,7 from iPad 3. I was considering getting the iPad Air 2, but I'm pretty sure I made the right call here. As most users mention, speakers are phenomenal. It's even hard to compare them with my old iPad... But what truly amazed me is the display. I have never seen anything like this on any iPad or any other tablet. Very happy with it and I'm sure it will serve me well for the next 3-4 years. 
I have just upgraded to iPad Pro 9,7 from iPad 3. I was considering getting the iPad Air 2, but I'm pretty sure I made the right call here. As most users mention, speakers are phenomenal. It's even hard to compare them with my old iPad... But what truly amazed me is the display. I have never seen anything like this on any iPad or any other tablet. Very happy with it and I'm sure it will serve me well for the next 3-4 years.
I'm on iPad 3, and from what I've read on this forum, I'll be getting an Air 2/64gb. There's a $250 price jump to get the minimum 64gb I'll need for the next couple years. If I can make an iPad 3 last 4 years, which everyone has said is byfar the most underpowered of the iPad history, then I can absolutely make an Air2 last another 3 (given it is already 1.5 years old).
My previous strategy of not upgrading iOS until years after could probably be used here, too.
Technically, that's actually the original iPad. Apple cut support early, too, since they know hardware couldn't keep up.
You'll be fine.
No reason why the Air2 wouldn't be good for another 4-5 years if you use a little judgement when upgrading iOS.
Last edited:
5 years would mean atleast 5 iOS iterations so when you say use judgement while upgrading iOS as in how many iterations of iOS do you say would be recommended 2 ?
I said that you could use the Air2 for another 5 years...not that the Air2 would run the next five iOS versions or that Apple would support it for the next five years.
But just as my iPad 2 is still going strong and will reach the 5 yr mark in May, one could argue that the Air2 can likely do the same.
I would guess that iOS 10 will be fine on it at the very least.
Basically just wait for feedback on how the device performs on the new iOS before upgrading. I've had iPhones and iPod Touch that I never upgraded beyond the launch firmware (updated to point releases but not the next major version). Honestly, with the iPad 3, even iOS 6 brought noticeable slowdown. I couldn't stand using it for web browsing on iOS 7 and 8 although it seems performance has improved with iOS 9.
Really, primary issue is when apps you use stop supporting older iOS versions.
I sold my iPad 2 32gb for $ 180 and now I have no iPad.
My options are get an Air 2 64GB (WiFi only) refurbished by USD 419 plus tax or an IPP 32gb WiFi for USD 599 plus tax.
But I live in Brazil and if I buy more than 500 dollars in electronic devices I have to pay fees equivalent to 50% of which exceed 500 when I return tô my country.
In short:
- Air 2 64gb = 419 x 1.07 (FL sales tax) = 449;
- IPP 32gb = 599 x 1.07 = 641 + 71 (tax Brazil) = 712 USD.
Apple pencil has no use for me. It is worth 263 dollars more to bring the iPP instead of Air 2?
My options are get an Air 2 64GB (WiFi only) refurbished by USD 419 plus tax or an IPP 32gb WiFi for USD 599 plus tax.
But I live in Brazil and if I buy more than 500 dollars in electronic devices I have to pay fees equivalent to 50% of which exceed 500 when I return tô my country.
In short:
- Air 2 64gb = 419 x 1.07 (FL sales tax) = 449;
- IPP 32gb = 599 x 1.07 = 641 + 71 (tax Brazil) = 712 USD.
Apple pencil has no use for me. It is worth 263 dollars more to bring the iPP instead of Air 2?
Yes, you will be probably fine power wise. I am expecting Apple to limit some features of future iOS releases for iPad Air 2 users though. Not because these devices are lacking power to run them but to force their users to buy the newer one. Don't get me wrong - I think Air 2 is still a great tablet but Apple has shown such practices in the recent past.
Even not so recent, too. Original iPhone didn't get folder support while iPhone 3G did despite similar hardware.
Just ordered refurbished Air 2 Wifi 64MB. This was my first time ordering a refurbished Apple product. I can easily afford to buy Pro, but I simply cannot justify the price increase.
PS: If the Pro had USB3 support and 4GB RAM I would have bought it on the day one. Apple decided to be greedy, well I'll play along and be greedy also.
PS: If the Pro had USB3 support and 4GB RAM I would have bought it on the day one. Apple decided to be greedy, well I'll play along and be greedy also.
Don't forget that in case of Pro you might want to buy that new fancy pencil and the keyboard. In Singapore, Pro 9.7+keyboard+pencil cost twice as much as refub Air 2 + cover.
These are fair assessments. I can't actually name a feature I've needed out of any of the iOS updates since... iOS 4 when multi-tasking was introduced. I actually only hope that the only feature of each iteration is a massive improvement to battery life. One can dream.
The only real reason to upgrade for me is when Apps stop working, or new apps on the Appstore don't support my older version.
Last edited:
I was fully planning on replacing my 64gb Air 1 with a 128gb Air 3. But with the Pro 9.7 I waited to see if the new features justified the increase in price. After playing with them at the Apple Store on launch day, I bought an Air 2 64gb. Definitely made the right choice. I use my iPad as a leisure device, so the extra processing power means little to me. The Air 2 is just as thin and light as the Pro 9.7, plenty fast, has the same 2gb of RAM, and way less money. A week in so far and absolutely no regrets whatsoever.
Can't beat the price ($400)...but if going from air1 to air2 (same capacity)...I would have waited to score a refurb.
I think I have decided that a 9.7 pro is the best if I want to keep this thing for 3+ years.
Last edited:
This is exactly where I am too. I am really tempted to upgrade and can easily afford the pro (and just won a $200 gift card in a raffle the other day so it's even more in reach). But Apple choosing to skimp on the RAM and also raise the price at the same time just seems like such an unnecessary slap in the face to their customers. It also seems like a curious choice at a time when iPads sales are declining. Why would you raise the price of entry?
I may pull the trigger anyway and upgrade (I would really like to use the pencil to take all my notes on the iPad). But my patience with Apple's more and more blatant monetization of each little piece of the iPad experience is starting to wear thin. Take cases for example. With the Air 2, you could buy a Smart Cover for $40 or a more complete smart case for $80 and there were leather options. Now it's $50 for a Smart Cover and it's $70 for a back cover that only comes in silicone. So, if you want complete protection from Apple, you have to shell out $120 and don't get a leather option. That's a 50% price increase for something that's not even as nice!
Apple's behavior is starting to remind me of the recent "freemium" trend in games that has spilled over into paid games. It used to be you paid for the game and you got the whole game. Now, you get some of the game and then they keep pulling more and more money out of you for things that used to be included. It has completely ruined video games for me and the iPad experience is starting to feel similar. It's also starting to seem like Apple really has nothing else up its sleeve on the innovation front and is just trying to wring as much revenue as possible out of its existing product lines. That's not a good situation for the company to be in long term.