Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPad iPad Air - Should I Buy or wait?

D

dmr123

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 15, 2013
7
0
Hi,
I am looking at buying an iPad Air - 16gb WI-FI (no cellular) tomorrow. It will cost me £400, but I'm not sure if I should wait, or go ahead and buy it.

The way I see it, I can pay £400 now, for an iPad which has failed everyones damage tests (dramatically failed), or I can wait for the new iPad (whenever that may be) and hope it is a more reliable device with fingerprint technology.

What would you say?

thanks
 
thefredelement said:
Is there an iPad that passes a damage test?

I'd say buy it and then buy a case for it too.
Click to expand...


But for the money we all want a reliable iPad. Do you have an iPad Air? Would you recommend getting one now?

I can only afford to buy one, so if I buy it, and a new one comes out I cant afford to buy it.

Are there any rumours on when the next iPad will be released?
 
dmr123 said:
But for the money we all want a reliable iPad. Do you have an iPad Air? Would you recommend getting one now?

I can only afford to buy one, so if I buy it, and a new one comes out I cant afford to buy it.

Are there any rumours on when the next iPad will be released?
Click to expand...

There will ALWASY be another iPad

As long as they are made out of glass they will ALWAYS be fragile

buy one, get a case, get Applecare, that should have you covered.

iPads have a pretty awesome resale value too, so when a new one comes out, sell your current one, existing apple care is a huge value add too.

It's pretty easy to cover yourself from every direction with apple technology these days.
 
thefredelement said:
There will ALWASY be another iPad

As long as they are made out of glass they will ALWAYS be fragile

buy one, get a case, get Applecare, that should have you covered.

iPads have a pretty awesome resale value too, so when a new one comes out, sell your current one, existing apple care is a huge value add too.

It's pretty easy to cover yourself from every direction with apple technology these days.
Click to expand...

Do you have an iPad Air?
 
dmr123 said:
Hi,
I am looking at buying an iPad Air - 16gb WI-FI (no cellular) tomorrow. It will cost me £400, but I'm not sure if I should wait, or go ahead and buy it.

The way I see it, I can pay £400 now, for an iPad which has failed everyones damage tests (dramatically failed), or I can wait for the new iPad (whenever that may be) and hope it is a more reliable device with fingerprint technology.

What would you say?

thanks
Click to expand...

Damage tests? You are wanting an iPad that will withstand damage tests?

Try Otterbox.
 
I would not base my buying an iPad on damage/drop tests.

The iPad Air is noticeably faster over WiFi than the iPad 3, for instance.

Most of the problems with the Air are really problems with iOS7, which appear to be getting straightened out.

So the question for me comes down to memory/memory management in the Air versus what expectations are for the next iPad. If you assume they'll move up to 2GB RAM, I think I'd wait if this will be your "one and only". Ymmv.
 
dmr123 said:
Hi,
I am looking at buying an iPad Air - 16gb WI-FI (no cellular) tomorrow. It will cost me £400, but I'm not sure if I should wait, or go ahead and buy it.

The way I see it, I can pay £400 now, for an iPad which has failed everyones damage tests (dramatically failed), or I can wait for the new iPad (whenever that may be) and hope it is a more reliable device with fingerprint technology.

What would you say?

thanks
Click to expand...

You don't need an iPad Air I think you should try Nexus 10. :apple:
 
dmr123 said:
Do you have an iPad Air?
Click to expand...

I actually do and love it. But that's just me. Trying to play the right-time game with tablets or any other electronic is a losing proposition. If you want one and will get enjoyment out of it, buy it right now and don't look back.

That's my two cents. ;)
 
I have an Air and I love it too. I added a cheap silicone TPU cover to the back so now it's grippy enough around the house and a case for when I take it out.

As far as damage goes, it's like anything else made of glass and metal... Under the right circumstances anything can get damaged. I would not let someone else's experience deter me from buying one.

My Air has only crashed Safari about 5 times since I got it (purchased Nov. 7 or abouts). I could still send it back but I'm not going to. The screen on my Air is beautiful and it's much faster than my 3 or Mini was...Just remember, you do have a return period if you're not 100 percent satisfied. Good luck with your purchase.
 
I'm waiting for the next iPad Air... but that's only because I don't have the cash for the current Air now. I highly doubt you'd have any regret grabbing one now. :)
 
dmr123 said:
The way I see it, I can pay £400 now, for an iPad which has failed everyones damage tests (dramatically failed), or I can wait for the new iPad (whenever that may be) and hope it is a more reliable device with fingerprint technology.
Click to expand...
I think you're mixing up your terms - damage tests having nothing to do with reliability. Sure a "passing" mark means its more durable or can withstand more abuse but it has nothing to do with reliability.

As for these damage test, do you have a link to them? Personally I treat my tablet with a level of care that any expensive electronic product would require, I don't go throwing it around the place, try not to get it wet, do my best to avoid dropping it, etc etc.

I don't think you'll see Apple make one made of rubber or designed in such a way to alter its results in these damage tests.
 
dmr123 said:
Hi,

I am looking at buying an iPad Air - 16gb WI-FI (no cellular) tomorrow. It will cost me £400, but I'm not sure if I should wait, or go ahead and buy it.



The way I see it, I can pay £400 now, for an iPad which has failed everyones damage tests (dramatically failed), or I can wait for the new iPad (whenever that may be) and hope it is a more reliable device with fingerprint technology.



What would you say?



thanks
Click to expand...


What exactly are you planning to do with this iPad mate? My advice is buy a slim case and don't drop the damned thing. No iPad has ever faired well in drop tests because they are not designed to be dropped! It's a bit like not buying a car on the basis that if you drive it into something, you might dent it. My ipad Air works absolutely fine with normal careful use.


You might want to shop around too as you can get the 16GB wifi model for a lot cheaper than £400/£399. I only paid £369 for mine shortly after launch with John Lewis and know people who got it cheaper again through Tesco and other places.
 
I imagine eventually portable electronics will be manufactured with some super indestructible material. Maybe another 5,6,7 years away...?
So yeah, sure- go ahead and wait.
 
maflynn said:
I think you're mixing up your terms - damage tests having nothing to do with reliability. Sure a "passing" mark means its more durable or can withstand more abuse but it has nothing to do with reliability.

As for these damage test, do you have a link to them? Personally I treat my tablet with a level of care that any expensive electronic product would require, I don't go throwing it around the place, try not to get it wet, do my best to avoid dropping it, etc etc.

I don't think you'll see Apple make one made of rubber or designed in such a way to alter its results in these damage tests.
Click to expand...

I'm anal when it comes to caring for my stuff, so much so if it gets any scratches I get it replaced. This is why I have mentioned this

Have there been any rumours on when the next iPad will be released?

Thanks
 
dmr123 said:
I'm anal when it comes to caring for my stuff, so much so if it gets any scratches i get it replaced. This is why i am mentioning this.
Click to expand...
Get ghost armor, they sell skins for the front and back - that keeps my iPad in pristine condition and then get a decent case. You'll not incur any scratches.

Have there been any rumours on when the next iPad will be released?
Click to expand...
Next year - Since apple updated the line in October, you'll most likely have to wait a year for the next one. Like its predecessors though, you'll not see a major design change imo, all you'll get is probably better components and maybe a new feature or two, nothing for the durability
 
dmr123 said:
I'm anal when it comes to caring for my stuff, so much so if it gets any scratches I get it replaced. This is why I have mentioned this

Have there been any rumours on when the next iPad will be released?

Thanks
Click to expand...

No, no rumors that I've seen. But here's one I will start now. The new iPads will be just as susceptible to scratches as the current models.
 
ZBoater said:
No, no rumors that I've seen. But here's one I will start now. The new iPads will be just as susceptible to scratches as the current models.
Click to expand...

That's the issue, if the OP waits for an iPad that is more impervious to scratches, he'll never get one. There are ways to protect the investment which I mentioned, many of use embrace those solutions to avoid scratches.
 
maflynn said:
That's the issue, if the OP waits for an iPad that is more impervious to scratches, he'll never get one. There are ways to protect the investment which I mentioned, many of use embrace those solutions to avoid scratches.
Click to expand...

Yup. I just cannot see how an iPad can remain thin and beautiful and impervious to scratches. Maybe some new material will be invented in the future, and it will make its way down to iPads, but not any time soon.

I remember the original iPod. That was a scratch magnet in that shiny back.

So it boils down to one's tolerance to scratches, and how careful you can be with your devices. I don't like scratches, so I cover up my beautiful idevices will all sorts of plastic. It is sad, really. For the iPad I use the Belkin back cover with the Apple Smart Cover, and I carry it all in a Saddleback Leather gadget pouch. But when I'm home I take it all off and use it (the iPad) naked. It is such a nice feeling.
 
ZBoater said:
Yup. I just cannot see how an iPad can remain thin and beautiful and impervious to scratches. Maybe some new material will be invented in the future, and it will make its way down to iPads, but not any time soon.

I remember the original iPod. That was a scratch magnet in that shiny back.

So it boils down to one's tolerance to scratches, and how careful you can be with your devices.
Click to expand...

All my electronic devices are never placed on hard services which are easy to scratch, when I heard how easy they are to scratch that put me off..

Apple to updates dont they? in the apple stores? Say I bought the iPad Air today, and in a few months time a new one was released, could I trade the Air in and pay additional for the newer model?

Does anyone know what their "trade in/ exchange" price is at the moment?

thanks
 
You're asking questions no one can really answer. The iPad Air came out less than 2 months ago, we won't see new ones until October 2014. The chances of any sooner are very slim at best.

If you're that worried about scratches, buy a case for it, like from Otterbox.
 
Uh I've had my ipad Air Naked from Day one, and it doesn;t have a scratch on it. I place it on all sorts of surfaces... leather, granite, the bathroom sink... it's still perfect. Honestly, I wish my Slate iPhone 5 was this resilient.

OP - Get one now. It is a remarkable piece of engineering. And get a case too.
 
I live near Newcastle, England...

The closest apple store to me is at the Metro Centre, Gateshead. They do trade in for iPhones, so I wasnt sure.

Can anyone suggest any good covers for under £100.

Thanks
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back