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iPad Pro Is it dumb to buy an iPad Pro right now?
- Thread starter Jerhen
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Maybe, depends on whether you care about any of the rumored improvements.
But the new iPads may be $100 more which means that you would actually be saving $250.
For what it's worth, I think that was also the pricing at Amazon and Best Buy during Holiday 2021.
If you don't need an iPad asap, it might be worth waiting to see what's coming and whether there'll be bigger discounts.
Its not dumb, however, if you dont need an iPad ASAP, like, "yesterday", then you might want to wait for M2 update and then decide for yourself whether M2 suits your needs or M1 at greater discount could be better choice.
Ive read that M2 october iPads might start at the same price as M1 iPP models. Unlike Macbooks, iPad Pro models supposedly dont sell as well, thus it could be wrong move on Apples side to increase already high, ever increasing iPad Pro prices even higher, there was already price hike on 12.9 due to miniLED display and some people werent too happy about it regardless, so not sure Apple would risk losing sales of iPad Pro's and iPadOS 16 certainly wont be as mature to lure people pay for it extra to get Stage Manager on an iPad with lack of desktop software and lack of proper desktop mouse support in all apps.
I for one was pondering about upgrading from my base 5G 12.9 M1 to 1TB model since they have been on sale on and off for the past months at a good price, but I will wait out for october ipadOS 16 release to see whether its worth it(so far so good, but not sure it can do all I want it to at the moment) and whats the price and features on new M2 12.9 Pro are.
Oh and dont forget that there are rumors about possible 14" iPad or iPad Pro release somewhere in spring, if youre interested in large size talbet, that is.
Ive read that M2 october iPads might start at the same price as M1 iPP models. Unlike Macbooks, iPad Pro models supposedly dont sell as well, thus it could be wrong move on Apples side to increase already high, ever increasing iPad Pro prices even higher, there was already price hike on 12.9 due to miniLED display and some people werent too happy about it regardless, so not sure Apple would risk losing sales of iPad Pro's and iPadOS 16 certainly wont be as mature to lure people pay for it extra to get Stage Manager on an iPad with lack of desktop software and lack of proper desktop mouse support in all apps.
I for one was pondering about upgrading from my base 5G 12.9 M1 to 1TB model since they have been on sale on and off for the past months at a good price, but I will wait out for october ipadOS 16 release to see whether its worth it(so far so good, but not sure it can do all I want it to at the moment) and whats the price and features on new M2 12.9 Pro are.
Oh and dont forget that there are rumors about possible 14" iPad or iPad Pro release somewhere in spring, if youre interested in large size talbet, that is.
My 7th gen is approaching three years old, and I've been considering an 11" iPP. I'll definitely be waiting to see what, if anything, they do with them in October.
Having said that, it's never dumb to buy something you need when you need it. There will always be something new "right around the corner". That's the nature of tech.
Having said that, it's never dumb to buy something you need when you need it. There will always be something new "right around the corner". That's the nature of tech.
Like everyone has said already, I do not think it is dumb to jump on it if you feel you need it now. Walmart and maybe a few others may be doing slight discounts to get rid of some inventory before the real price drops happen after the new announcements. Unless something major that hasn't been leaked/rumored yet happens it doesn't seem like the next iPad Pro will be much different, the only thing I am curious about for the next gen since you want the 11" is if the mini LED will go on the 11", I haven't seen a rumor stating that it could happen though
All the good advice has already been given, so I'll offer my perspective.
$153 is a pretty good discount given the current economic climate and ongoing supply chain issues.
One thing to consider, even when weighing the possibility of improved technical capabilities of the next generation, is that there may be a price increase with the new model. IF (speculation, not a certainty) there were to be a $100 price increase for the new model, you're looking at a $253 savings with this sale over that new model.
A price increase may not happen, but it certainly seems plausible given inflation. If Apple has a goal to keep the MSRP the same for the new model, then I would expect minimal improvements over the current model. That would make the new model not much more appealing than the current one.
It depends upon your needs and finances. It would be dumb for me to buy an iPad Pro at any time as I have no need for what in my opinion is a very poor value proposition. Some disagree.
Exactly this, if you need it now, buy it now. I don't think the M2 iPads will be a massive improvement. Heck, the current M1 iPads are already overpowered given the constraints set by the OS.
I just bought one and figured the next Gen won’t likely be a huge leap forward as software is the major limitation today, not hardware. And worst case, if for so,e reason the next generation is a big enough improvement, I can sell it and by a new one losing a couple hundred… but see that as the cost of using it today until then.
You know the old saying about buying now or waiting - 'buy when you need it.' Plus if you can get a discount that's a good thing. I have a 2021 11" Pro and I haven't heard there will be any improvements that will make the new iPad Pro something really 'better.' Maybe with a big 'IF' APPLE added mini-LED, but I was just doing a side-by-side comparison of HDR with my new MBP 14" and I can't say it was a huge difference, the iPad 11" is still quite a beautiful panel. As for the M1 vs M2...? The M1 does everything without a hitch, and waiting for iPad OS to catchup with it. No 'dumb' if you need it now.
Kind of curious, what storage capacity iPad Pro do you have? I was also thinking about getting the magic keyboard also just wondering if you had the keyboard also and if you like it or not.
That's really a personal choice, but I wouldn't say it's "dumb" if you've taken a little time to try to be a smart shopper.
Be careful to confirm it's the current generation with the M1, though. If you don't need the M1 and care about saving money, I see refurbished models on Apple's site with those specs for $759 US (first generation) and $859 (second generation), though those come and go daily.
Be careful to confirm it's the current generation with the M1, though. If you don't need the M1 and care about saving money, I see refurbished models on Apple's site with those specs for $759 US (first generation) and $859 (second generation), though those come and go daily.
Refurbished iPad Deals - Apple
Save up to 15% on a refurbished iPad at Apple Online Store with free delivery. All models are Apple-certified with a 1-year warranty.
www.apple.com
1st and 2nd gen with the A12X and A12Z right? How are those holding up? Reason I’m asking if I get the M1 I should get support for a long time and it shouldn’t slow down as fast?That's really a personal choice, but I wouldn't say it's "dumb" if you've taken a little time to try to be a smart shopper.
Be careful to confirm it's the current generation with the M1, though. If you don't need the M1 and care about saving money, I see refurbished models on Apple's site with those specs for $759 US (first generation) and $859 (second generation), though those come and go daily.
Refurbished iPad Deals - Apple
Save up to 15% on a refurbished iPad at Apple Online Store with free delivery. All models are Apple-certified with a 1-year warranty.www.apple.com
I haven't had my hands on an iPad Pro since I bought the first-generation 11-inch in 2018, but it still feels highly performant to me; no perceptible slugishness acquired across four years of OS improvements.
You'll get the longevity of a new battery and hardware regardless of what you buy, but yes: the later the model, the longer you should expect it to run the latest version of iPadOS.
This iPad Pro 11” was well thought out by me having had an iPP 10.5” before and knowing how I used it. I use it like a portable MAC mini-mini for work; Magic keyboard (not the expensive iPad type, but the compact separate APPLE keyboard which I can move around lap/table easier), mouse, and Smart Folio (I also have a Lululook stand for home which really makes it into a 'MAC mini'), 512GB version so I don't have to think about bumping to the max in available storage. At home, and for my personal use, I download media content I want to have with me (WiFi is sometimes not available). It will never replace a MacBook for me but does what it does, and maybe the new iPad OS will make it even more useful.
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I agree with what @elmarjazz said. As someone with a 2021 M1 11” it’s incredibly flawless and I expect it to hold up for a good while. The hardware is impeccable.
But also agree with this. If you’re someone who tends to keep it and Stretch it out as much as it can, this is also a good point. You’re so close to September now, might as well get a newer one and it’ll last slightly longer.
I hope not lol.
I just bought one today, Pro 11 512 with the Apple magic keyboard. (the charging port got me over the Logitech)
I did buy it aware that something new may come out in a month, so there’s that….
I went with the 512 over the 1TB because of the $400 price difference but I didn’t realize the ram doubled to 16gb in the 1TB.
RAM is gold ….
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I just bought one today, Pro 11 512 with the Apple magic keyboard. (the charging port got me over the Logitech)
I did buy it aware that something new may come out in a month, so there’s that….
I went with the 512 over the 1TB because of the $400 price difference but I didn’t realize the ram doubled to 16gb in the 1TB.
RAM is gold ….
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Still OK for now. Even the basic A12 is plenty fast. However, the chipsets are 6 years old at this point and RAM is pretty limited.
They're not even getting features like Stage Manager, Display Scaling and Swap in iPadOS 16.
Nope. I am still using an 11” 2018 iPad Pro for heavy video & photo editing, and it works great! I will probably upgrade eventually, but for now I see no reason to. So i think you are more than fine to buy the current 11” iPad Pro.
Wait until after the event on 7 September - pointless to buy anything now when there’s already a slew of new announcements scheduled.
I would not buy an older generation. They will not support new features in iOS 16 so to save a few bucks you will lose out on features. The M1 pros are going to be discounted for a while most likely and even when the new model is released you will still be able to buy the older M1 on sale probably for an even better price.
Buying a Pro model ipad right now is not dumb but it depends what kind of user you are? If you are in the market for a "Pro" device then it tells me either you need the special features for a specific use case like content creation or art/drawing or just like certain features of the Pro like Promotion screen or quad speakers or thunderbolt or all of them. Most people who are willing to buy a Pro device want all the latest features and you might regret your decision to save a few bucks in a couple months when the new one's are released and have that one new feature or design you want and now don't have.
As you stated you could buy a pro on sale now and sell it later losing a couple hundred but then you are adding that onto the cost of a new device if you get the new model and you could have gotten a larger ssd or larger size for that money. If you are looking at deals then it tells me that cost is at least a factor in your decision.
So the best advice would be to wait. If you really need an iPad maybe it would be better to get a base model air on sale and then sell it when it is time for the Pro. That way you won't take as big a hit as the air already got it's update. Either way if you buy now you are going to lose money if you decide to get the newer model and tha5 is money you could have put toward the newer model.
If I were in the market for a Pro iPad and I could wait I would wait. I would want the M2 and any other potential features or design changes and $150 less on an already expensive device wouldn't matter to me. If you keep the device a while the extra cost is a wash and you will have the latest and greatest at least for a year.
No matter what you decide I strongly recommend that you don't buy anything but an M1 or better chip inside.
Good luck whatever you choose!
i would try and check out swappa for a slightly used mint condition one. it may even come with keyboard. i usually buy all my ipads from swappa. saves a ton of money. Or check the apple refurbished store.
Nah. The m1 runs great. Let’s be honest here. What killer new iPad feature has came out that a previous gen hasn’t been able to do? Even the 10.2 functions almost identically to the m1 providing you’re just doing basic functions. If you want one go for it.
