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bgut1

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 24, 2011
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I just received an iPad Air 2 for Father's Day and I'm not sure whether I should keep it or return it and wait for the new model in October/November. I am currently using my trusty iPad 2 which while getting long in the tooth, is more than serviceable. On the positive side, I understand that my wife saved $100 on the 64Gb WiFi model. What would you do? Is it too close to the refresh that you would hold off? Thanks for your help.
 
It's really hard to say what this year's refresh will entail. Of all the revisions, I feel like this year is the most likely that something major might happen, but on the other hand, it's also likely that the major revisions might be constrained to the potential 12" 'Pro' model, in which case, the Air 3 might not see a big change.

The good news is that the Air 2 is a fantastic device - the best iPad ever by a large margin, and it will have a long life ahead of it. It will also feel like a huge upgrade from your current model.
 
Keep it. The iPad 2 isn't just long in the tooth, it's extremely out of date and slower than molasses. The next iPads won't be available until October, and who knows what they'll include. Early reports say the Air 2 is performing very well with iOS 9, so really, why wait? As zhenya said, the Air 3 may not get much in the way of upgrades, given the upcoming Pro model.
 
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Keep it. The Air 3 might get a performance increase and force touch but the Air 2 is already wickedly fast and software hasn't even fully utilized it yet...also tell your wife you're very happy with the Air 2. Happy wife happy life.
 
Keep it. When have you ever been blown away by an incremental Apple hardware update?
 
Keep it. It's sill one of the best performing tablets on the market and it has the specs to keep it going for another 3-4 years.
 
why would you return it? is it missing something that you need? no one knows if there even is air3 and what it would be... or is it just because you want to get the newest device because it is new rather than getting some real benefits from it?
 
I would also keep it, for all of the good reasons above. If it helps, I say that as someone who purchased an Air 2 a couple of weeks ago, knowing that an Air 3 is likely this fall.
 
why would you return it? is it missing something that you need? no one knows if there even is air3 and what it would be... or is it just because you want to get the newest device because it is new rather than getting some real benefits from it?

The reason I would consider returning it is to delay obsolescence. I intend to hold onto the new iPad for 3 to 4 years. So the question is, is it worth it to wait another 4 months to get the newer model which one would hope would last longer and depreciate less. As for the $100 savings, when the new iPad comes out the price will also drop $100 and I will not be in a worse position price wise if I choose not to purchase the new one. So, it appears the only issue is the 4 months. I think since I've gone this long, another 4 months shouldn't be that bad.
 
The reason I would consider returning it is to delay obsolescence. I intend to hold onto the new iPad for 3 to 4 years. So the question is, is it worth it to wait another 4 months to get the newer model which one would hope would last longer and depreciate less. As for the $100 savings, when the new iPad comes out the price will also drop $100 and I will not be in a worse position price wise if I choose not to purchase the new one. So, it appears the only issue is the 4 months. I think since I've gone this long, another 4 months shouldn't be that bad.
Perhaps a Black Friday sale is what you are looking/waiting for? You could probably score the same iPad you have and a $100 gift card around that week. If you have even the slightest doubt about keeping your iPad, then you should return it and wait the 4 months. That way, you'll have no regrets.
 
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Unless there is any part of it that bothers you, keep it.

This Is the right answer. Does the chassis and screen vibrations bother you when using the speakers? Is it too light feeling in hand? Make sure YOU like it rather depending on us to tell you. Play with it for a while and go from there. I do agree that the Air 3 probably won't get enough tangible updates hardware wise to make it worth waiting for. However, if the vibration issue does bother you then you may want to wait.

My three cents.
 
This Is the right answer. Does the chassis and screen vibrations bother you when using the speakers? Is it too light feeling in hand?

I thought I was crazy, but that is one reason I like the Mini a little more. The iPad Air 2 is so thin and light that it feels "off" to me in the hand. It feels so fragile. I like the more compaq and dense Mini.
 
I do not think I have ever used a naked iPad. Logitech makes a nice case that has a built-in rechargeable BT keyboard that activates with a strong magnet that grabs the iPad, which makes it feel kind of like a notebook when you are using the keyboard. Adds a lot of weight, though.
 
Every year on Black Friday I have seen the iPad selling for $100 off. If you use the Best Buy mover's coupon (10%), you can save almost $170.

The biggest question is: what will your wife think. My wife didn't get me a thing for Father's Day (I'm not her father, she will say), so if there's the slightest chance she would be offended, I would keep it.

The only exchange I would do is for either a higher capacity model or one with LTE.
 
I recommend keeping it. Not only because it was a father's day present, but because this far into the life cycle of the Air 2, all of the manufacturing bugs/kinks have been worked out. (I like to wait about 4 months after a product is released before buying one for that reason... it's worked out well for me.)
 
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I would keep it. My old Ipad 2 is still doing the job. But I ´m waiting for Ipad air 3. If I had the air 2 in my hands, probably I would keep it. Anyway even the air 3 will not be the last i ´ll buy. This is an endless process...
 
Return it. You have no need for it right now. We are less then 6 months away from new hardware and software. If they update the Air 2 you can get the Air 2 even cheaper or you can purchase the latest and greatest. Your money will buy more powerful hardware and software in 6 months.

For full disclosure I have an Air 2 I love and use daily. I would not want to part with.
 
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See below
The main deal breakers will probably be Force Touch and better battery life. They will probably put better processors and better cameras, but they probably won't be as big.
If any of these features are appealing to you, then think about it. There is pretty much nothing else that they can do to make this thing killer. The Air 2 is probably going to be the next iPad 2. As in it will serve you well for a long time. Some say that every alternate iPad (Original, 3, Air) is underpowered, and that the Air 3 might be the next.
If I were you, I would feel horrible about returning a Father's Day present. But it's your choice.
 
Keep it. There is nothing the Air 3 (if that's what they end up calling it) will do that the Air 2 can't handle with ease. The Air 2 will support all of the great multitasking features of ios9, and having 2gb of ram, it will be good to go for several years. Look how long it took apple to finally put 2gb of ram in an iPad. You can bet that the next couple of generations will have no more than 2gb of ram which means you will still be current for the most part. It's already bought and paid for, it was purchased as a discount and most importantly, it was a present from a kickass wife! Be happy with it and enjoy it for years to come.
 
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