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iPad mini iPad Mini 2 First Purchase of an iPad

M

MrGuder

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Nov 30, 2012
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Please bear with me, I know there are tons of threads about the iPad mini....I've had my iPhone 5 for over 2 years now and it still works perfect, had the battery replaced recently for free.

However, I've never had an iPad before and I have always wanted the iPad Mini since I like the form factor. I don't need the mini 3 for the finger print reader and I don't want to pay full price for a Mini 2.

If I get a Refurbished iPad Mini 2 w/ Retina display Wifi version and 64 GB, they are selling for $349.00....this is a pretty good deal, right? I thought of the 32 GB but I have 52 GB of music in iTunes and if I want to put it on my iPad I thought I better get the 64 model. I trust Apple's Refurbished products since I bought a Time Capsule refurb a year ago for my Mac Mini and it works perfect.

So this is a good deal at $349.00 for a refurb??
 
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That sounds fair to me. Have you considered an LTE model,though? The mini makes a wonderful gps device, if you need it for that.
 
RickTaylor said:
That sounds fair to me. Have you considered an LTE model,though? The mini makes a wonderful gps device, if you need it for that.
Click to expand...

Yes, I thought about that but in the past 2 months I've never seen a Verizon refurb mini 2 they always have AT&T but never a Verizon and if I keep waiting I may as well wait till Fall for the refresh so I think I'm just going to get the Wifi model, I can always tether from iPhone 5 creating a hotspot, right?
 
hmm, I still would have gotten the AT&T model, if only for the GPS chip. I'm not sure if tethering sends the GPS info anymore, but there are plenty of offline navigation apps, my current favorite being Here maps from Nokia.
 
MrGuder said:
Yes, I thought about that but in the past 2 months I've never seen a Verizon refurb mini 2 they always have AT&T but never a Verizon and if I keep waiting I may as well wait till Fall for the refresh so I think I'm just going to get the Wifi model, I can always tether from iPhone 5 creating a hotspot, right?
Click to expand...

Thats what I do, tether off my iPhone 5. And I agree that the refurb models look new except the packaging you would not know the difference!
 
Thanks everyone, I snagged a Wifi model before they were gone, I think the refurb is the best deal and I've had no issues with other refurbs I bought from Apple. I already have Google Maps navigations on my iPhone 5 so don't really need a Cellular Model.

I've been comparing prices:
Wifi Refurb iPad Mini 2 (64 GB) is $349.00
Wifi New iPad Mini 3 (64 GB) is $499.00

So that is $150.00 savings.

I'm really looking forward to getting my first iPad, just want to use it around the house for photos, facetime, surfing web, media. I'm tired of looking at my 4" iPhone screen all the time.
 
MrGuder said:
Thanks everyone, I snagged a Wifi model before they were gone, I think the refurb is the best deal and I've had no issues with other refurbs I bought from Apple. I already have Google Maps navigations on my iPhone 5 so don't really need a Cellular Model.

I've been comparing prices:
Wifi Refurb iPad Mini 2 (64 GB) is $349.00
Wifi New iPad Mini 3 (64 GB) is $499.00

So that is $150.00 savings.

I'm really looking forward to getting my first iPad, just want to use it around the house for photos, facetime, surfing web, media. I'm tired of looking at my 4" iPhone screen all the time.
Click to expand...

Refurbs are always the way to go.
 
So my refurb iPad Mini 2 w/ Retina is on it's way to me from Apple, does anyone know what iOS version will come on it? Will it be iOS 7.0 or 8.0 or the latest 8.1.2?
 
A dash-mounted (Proclip) iPad, particularly a Mini with nav makes a lot of sense. My 5s is mounted on the dash and works well, but is a little hard to read and manipulate due to its size and the distance. Maybe a phablet device would be ok and would of course be something you would take with you all the time anyway.

Or, simply buy a Tesla with the giant screen...

I buy cars, tools, electronics refurb with warranties from real companies and never have had a problem.
 
MrGuder said:
Please bear with me, I know there are tons of threads about the iPad mini....I've had my iPhone 5 for over 2 years now and it still works perfect, had the battery replaced recently for free.

However, I've never had an iPad before and I have always wanted the iPad Mini since I like the form factor. I don't need the mini 3 for the finger print reader and I don't want to pay full price for a Mini 2.

If I get a Refurbished iPad Mini 2 w/ Retina display Wifi version and 64 GB, they are selling for $349.00....this is a pretty good deal, right? I thought of the 32 GB but I have 52 GB of music in iTunes and if I want to put it on my iPad I thought I better get the 64 model. I trust Apple's Refurbished products since I bought a Time Capsule refurb a year ago for my Mac Mini and it works perfect.

So this is a good deal at $349.00 for a refurb??
Click to expand...

Apple Refurb prices tend to match the used market if not be only a hair more expensive. But it's worth it as you get stock warranty and AppleCare options whereas with a used product, you're sort of at the mercy of the seller's attention to these services and the date that THEY purchased it.

But yes, that does sound like a fine deal.
 
Just an update that I received my iPad Mini 2 w/ Retina Refurbished from Apple and can confirm it came with iOS 7
 
Just got a mini 2 last night from the Apple Store and it had iOS 7 on it. Updeated straight away for handoff and sms texting from the iPad. I now have an air 2 and mini 2. Overkill? Idk but it's nice to have both around
 
take a look at microcenter deals.
they are clearing out their old stock.

I picked up iPad Mini 2 (retina) 64GB Cellular for $239 or something around there.

It was $253 or so with tax.
 
You people living in the states are so lucky :( in canada, there is almost zero stock for apple refurbished products. When i go on the american website, there are ALWAYS so many refurb options! Very jealous.
 
adam9c1 said:
take a look at microcenter deals.
they are clearing out their old stock.

I picked up iPad Mini 2 (retina) 64GB Cellular for $239 or something around there.

It was $253 or so with tax.
Click to expand...

Wow. That sounds too good to be true. iPad mini 2, 64 gigs, Wi-fi + Cellular?

Do you have the link by any chance?
 
This was a local pickup only, limited stock.

I checked availability in the two local stores (online) and they did not have this deal anymore.
They had a 128 version for $50 more as well.

The unit I got was set for Sprint and I almost returned it and bought a 16GB for $20 extra just so it says TMO (which is my carrier).
Turns out all iPad Mini 2 (r) Cellular are the same.

It's sweet. 64 is plenty of space for me as I have iPad 2 16GB and IP5S 32GB
 
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