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iPad Is the iPad Air 2 worth the upgrade?

T

tpcollins

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 17, 2012
171
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Years ago I bought my wife the original iPad with what I think was the A4 operating system. The new iPad Pro looks just too dang big. She uses it for Facebook, emails, and online searches and shopping.

The new iPad Air 2 is running A9 so for the same size iPad, what would the improvements/advantages would she see?

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Update - now I'm not sure if the Air 2 has a the A9 or not. I was just looking at them on Best Buy and the specs say A8, but the salesman there last week said 9. But since they're $100 off online, maybe it is an A8.
 
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It runs an A8x tri-core processor. If memory serves, it is specific and exclusive to the Air2 only.
TBH am not sure the difference between A8 and A8X but my air2 is super fast at all processing in comparison to any other ipad/iphone i have used (excuding the pro for obvious reasons)
 
mdridwan47 said:
At this point you better off wait for the Air 3.
Click to expand...
I'm in pretty much the same pinch... I promised my dad before Apple's latest event that I'd pass him my original Air, to replace the original iPad I had given him a couple of years back, and I would get myself a new iPad.

I went to see the iPad Pro, and it really is too darn big for my use (traveling). iPad Mini 4 is nice but I do a lot of reading on my iPads so I do prefer the 9,7" screen. If there were some word on when an Air 3 could come out, it would make my options a lot clearer.

Being a geek sometimes really sucks... :confused:
 
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CocoaNut said:
I'm in pretty much the same pinch... I promised my dad before Apple's latest event that I'd pass him my original Air, to replace the original iPad I had given him a couple of years back, and I would get myself a new iPad.

I went to see the iPad Pro, and it really is too darn big for my use (traveling). iPad Mini 4 is nice but I do a lot of reading on my iPads so I do prefer the 9,7" screen. If there were some word on when an Air 3 could come out, it would make my options a lot clearer.

Being a geek sometimes really sucks... :confused:
Click to expand...
Air 3 will be next fall, if there is an Air 3 at all. Apple updates iOS devices with iOS software releases and Apple has made it clear that WWDC will introduce new software for release in the fall.

tpcollins said:
Years ago I bought my wife the original iPad with what I think was the A4 operating system. The new iPad Pro looks just too dang big. She uses it for Facebook, emails, and online searches and shopping.

The new iPad Air 2 is running A9 so for the same size iPad, what would the improvements/advantages would she see?

******************************************

Update - now I'm not sure if the Air 2 has a the A9 or not. I was just looking at them on Best Buy and the specs say A8, but the salesman there last week said 9. But since they're $100 off online, maybe it is an A8.
Click to expand...

OP - Your getting chipset and operating system mixed up. Yes the original iPad had an A4 chip - not A4 operating system. The iPad Air 2 has an A8x Chip that runs iOS 9, which is the latest operating system.
 
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Go for it! An upgrade from the original 1st generation iPad to the Air 2 is huge.
 
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I went from Mini 2 to Air 2.

Essentially mini2 is the same specs as iPad Air, I think Air may be 100mhz faster which is moot.

For me, it was worth it. 2GB and proc increases,

and a full gamut screen, I know mini4 made a big leap in screen tech this year and it was beautiful when I test drove one, but I like returning to the 9.7"

Especially a year into the iOS phablet thing,
 
iPad Air 2 is the best Apple product since the leap iPhone 4 made from other products at the time.

It is well tested by now and with a good price. I have long stopped buying the products when they come out. As you can see with iPad pro, it also have errors. They will probably fix it a little with minor changes.

Now is the best time to get it.
 
After waiting forever, i finally got a used iPad air 2 after trading in a Mini 4 128gb LTE model i got form work using some points we earn for stuff to a buddy of mines for his 64gb Silver/White Air2+ $$$$$ and also sold my Air 1. OMG! What an improvement. Everything is so fast. OS is nice and smooth. I love it! Will probably pick an air 3 and hand this one down when i upgrade. At this point, you got to have that 2gb for anything ios9+. Makes a world of a difference. With so many good deals out there on used and new ones, i would also advise to pick one up. Probably wont see an air3 until next fall. The Air2 hardware is still that good.


Also... was amazed when i checked coconut battery on my friends mac to see that the device battery was still at 87.xx% capacity after being used for almost year. Apple sure uses some good cells.
 
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I tried the iPad Pro, just too big and not enough apps really support the larger screen. Not to mention that Apple just seems to have made everything larger, but did little to utilize the screen either. I currently have an iPad Mini 2, but decided to go for an iPad Air 2. I was able to get an iPad Air 2 for $459 on Amazon for a 64GB. Even if the Air 3 comes out it likely won't be till late 2016 because Apple is going to push those iPad Pro's for awhile. Besides that you won't find them at huge sell prices like this Christmas season (I saved $140). So, I'd say heck with waiting... go for it!
 
I was at Best Buy this morning after I saw online yesterday the iPad Air 2 silver was on sale for $100 off. She's been pissin' and moaning that her original iPad is slow (probably because she keeps about 30+ sessions open at the same time) and it wants to jump around at times so I bought the Air 2 this morning. I had to get her something for Christmas so this kills two birds with one stone.

A happy wife is a happy life.
 
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I think you made the right choice. The Apple iPad Air 2 is a huge improvement over the original iPad. The A8X processor is a beast, it has 2GB of RAM, supports split view in iOS 9, and is lighter and thinner. And with all the retailer deals right now, it's the perfect time to buy it. Even a year old, CNET said it was actually a better buy now than a year ago and the iPad they recommend above the others.
 
Problem with the mini 4 for me was the font was way too small in safari and could not be adjusted. Eye fatigue was terrible. I personally can't go any smaller than the Air 2 as my portable and my Pro is my main tablet.
 
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MistrSynistr said:
I'd almost guarantee your wife would enjoy the Mini 4 over the Air 2.
Click to expand...

I think he made the right choice. His wife has hung onto the 1st generation model for this long, so she must like the 9.7 display size.
 
I agree with this. The Air 2 is a solid tablet. It blows any android competition away and its 1 year old so that is saying a lot. I wouldn't sell mine and I also have a new Pro. It's gonna be too long till Air 3 comes out. Grab one now while you can get a discount and enjoy.

bnmcj1 said:
iPad Air 2 is the best Apple product since the leap iPhone 4 made from other products at the time.

It is well tested by now and with a good price. I have long stopped buying the products when they come out. As you can see with iPad pro, it also have errors. They will probably fix it a little with minor changes.

Now is the best time to get it.
Click to expand...
 
No question about it: the iPad Air 2 is amazing and the tipping point in weight and thinness. You can use it without fatique.
 
For as much hate as iPad 3 got for being trumped by iPad 4 too soon (and underpowered as heck) as an obvious cash grab, iPad 4 being lukewarm as a holdover for the air, and air being limited with 1gb of ram and the non laminated screen right up against the glass, and as much praise as air 2 gets on this picky forum, I would say that speaks volumes about the product.

I vouch for it too:)

And I had the same debate with myself two months ago with the staples deal if it was smart buying "one year old" hardware. I still don't regret it at all.

And as stated before, it's been tested well. 9.7" is the de facto iPad size, from market share to being Steve's tech baby.

.. And that's not to say mini or pro don't have their merits. I had a mini2 for two years. But pro is buggy for being pro in my experience/slightly unoptimized/ lots of apps not natively rendered like Netflix and HBO-- lame!
 
Mystro said:
Problem with the mini 4 for me was the font was way too small in safari and could not be adjusted. Eye fatigue was terrible. I personally can't go any smaller than the Air 2 as my portable and my Pro is my main tablet.
Click to expand...

I currently have the iPad Mini 2 and screen fonts is the reason I tried the IPP, but its too big and (the large screen is just not utilized by enough apps at this point) besides I have a Macbook Pro 13.3 The standard size 9.7 inch screen just seems to be the optimium size for the way most apps render. The IPA2 I ordered for Amazon is due to arrive tomorrow for Saturday delivery. So for me when I need to work I'll just my MacBook Pro and for content consumption and portability I'll go with the Air 2. Plus the $459 deal certainly makes me feel better than spending $1000 for Pro. LOL
 
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