iPad Pro Longtime base model iPad user: moved from iPad 8th gen 32gb to iPad Pro 11 128gb

[sadoering]

At the risk of sounding like I’m trying to justify a purchase decision, I thought it might be useful to share some thoughts on my move yesterday to a new iPad Pro 11 - I’m returning an iPad 8th gen just bought from apple on launch day last week. I didn’t get a special price or anything - I’m sure sales will come along as well as upgraded models later... but this always happens no matter how long you wait. I’m planning to use this model for quite some time - so waiting for a potential “sale price” sometime in the future didn’t make sense to me - especially since I’m in a relatively short return window with the 8th gen iPad - any future sale price would be lost somewhat by selling the 8th gen and taking a hit there.

I’ve always been a base model iPad user over the years - but what I have noticed looking back is that I “upgraded” to the next base model pretty regularly. Also I don‘t consider myself a power user - but lately I have been doing more and more on the iPad vs any other device. I am using an older phone (7 plus) and an older MacBook (2015 model) - but since jumping off the upgrade train on those devices I really haven’t felt the need to change as long as they work for my uses. The iPad is really the device that I enjoy using the most, but I was always using the base model with various limitations that I learned to live with. (Memory, screen, sound, speed etc)

I considered waiting for the iPad Air 4 as well... but after considering the cost of the 256gb model ($750) I decided to go with the iPad Pro 128gb instead - here are my thoughts on this move:

• Pro motion screen - I didn’t realize all the ways this affects the iPad experience! Everything “feels” better to me. Only available on the pro models from what I understand.
• 128gb - this is a sweet spot for me right now. 32gb was way too small! And 64gb feels a bit cramped to me - useable, but cramped. 256gb would likely go partially unused by me to a certain extent - Im not creating massive 4K video files or anything.
• Apple pencil 2 - I had to buy this regardless of choosing the new Air or current Pro. Not interested in the magic keyboards etc.
• 6gb ram vs (possibly?) 4gb in the new air. Not sure what difference this will make for me though? Not really an issue either way.
• A12z vs new A14 - this remains to be seen... I don’t think it will be an issue...? This was the only area that is unknown and gave me some pause.
• Face ID vs Touch ID - now that I have Face ID for the first time - I can see how helpful this is. Love it!
• Quad speakers vs two - kind of a luxury, but wow what a difference coming from the base iPads.
• Cameras - not a major issue for me either way. Pro camera much better than the base model though!
• Lidar scanner - unknown benefit for me...? Not really an issue either way at this point.
• Bending issue? Mine was perfectly straight out of the box - put immediately (and very carefully!) in an Otterbox defender - shouldn’t ever be an issue for me as I dont carry it in a backpack or anything.
• New iPad Pro models coming later? 2020 (unknown?) or for sure in 2021. I guess this always happens eventually no matter what...

This pro model is such a jump above the base iPads I’ve been using - I think I’m learning why people gravitate towards these models even if they aren’t creative professionals - the whole experience is enhanced in so many ways... and for my use case I don’t feel limited by any aspect of the device. The key for me will be to stay with this iPad for a longer time than before - I think with keeping it in a good case along with maintaining AppleCare I should be good to go.

Just thought I’d share my experience/thoughts - curious if anyone else is similar in terms of using older phones/laptops but now choosing a nicer iPad experience.

 

[AutomaticApple]

At the risk of sounding like I’m trying to justify a purchase decision, I thought it might be useful to share some thoughts on my move yesterday to a new iPad Pro 11 - I’m returning an iPad 8th gen just bought from apple on launch day last week. I didn’t get a special price or anything - I’m sure sales will come along as well as upgraded models later... but this always happens no matter how long you wait. I’m planning to use this model for quite some time - so waiting for a potential “sale price” sometime in the future didn’t make sense to me - especially since I’m in a relatively short return window with the 8th gen iPad - any future sale price would be lost somewhat by selling the 8th gen and taking a hit there.

I’ve always been a base model iPad user over the years - but what I have noticed looking back is that I “upgraded” to the next base model pretty regularly. Also I don‘t consider myself a power user - but lately I have been doing more and more on the iPad vs any other device. I am using an older phone (7 plus) and an older MacBook (2015 model) - but since jumping off the upgrade train on those devices I really haven’t felt the need to change as long as they work for my uses. The iPad is really the device that I enjoy using the most, but I was always using the base model with various limitations that I learned to live with. (Memory, screen, sound, speed etc)

I considered waiting for the iPad Air 4 as well... but after considering the cost of the 256gb model ($750) I decided to go with the iPad Pro 128gb instead - here are my thoughts on this move:

• Pro motion screen - I didn’t realize all the ways this affects the iPad experience! Everything “feels” better to me. Only available on the pro models from what I understand.
• 128gb - this is a sweet spot for me right now. 32gb was way too small! And 64gb feels a bit cramped to me - useable, but cramped. 256gb would likely go partially unused by me to a certain extent - Im not creating massive 4K video files or anything.
• Apple pencil 2 - I had to buy this regardless of choosing the new Air or current Pro. Not interested in the magic keyboards etc.
• 6gb ram vs (possibly?) 4gb in the new air. Not sure what difference this will make for me though? Not really an issue either way.
• A12z vs new A14 - this remains to be seen... I don’t think it will be an issue...? This was the only area that is unknown and gave me some pause.
• Face ID vs Touch ID - now that I have Face ID for the first time - I can see how helpful this is. Love it!
• Quad speakers vs two - kind of a luxury, but wow what a difference coming from the base iPads.
• Cameras - not a major issue for me either way. Pro camera much better than the base model though!
• Lidar scanner - unknown benefit for me...? Not really an issue either way at this point.
• Bending issue? Mine was perfectly straight out of the box - put immediately (and very carefully!) in an Otterbox defender - shouldn’t ever be an issue for me as I dont carry it in a backpack or anything.
• New iPad Pro models coming later? 2020 (unknown?) or for sure in 2021. I guess this always happens eventually no matter what...

This pro model is such a jump above the base iPads I’ve been using - I think I’m learning why people gravitate towards these models even if they aren’t creative professionals - the whole experience is enhanced in so many ways... and for my use case I don’t feel limited by any aspect of the device. The key for me will be to stay with this iPad for a longer time than before - I think with keeping it in a good case along with maintaining AppleCare I should be good to go.

Just thought I’d share my experience/thoughts - curious if anyone else is similar in terms of using older phones/laptops but now choosing a nicer iPad experience.

I’m glad to hear that the iPad Pro model is working out better for you! I really enjoy mine.

 

[rui no onna]

I’ve always been a base model iPad user over the years - but what I have noticed looking back is that I “upgraded” to the next base model pretty regularly.

I'm curious, why did you upgrade your base iPads every year? We've got 5th, 6th and 7th gen in the household but that's because they're used by different people to replace older iPads. To be honest, there doesn't seem to be enough difference between them to warrant annual upgrades.

Just thought I’d share my experience/thoughts - curious if anyone else is similar in terms of using older phones/laptops but now choosing a nicer iPad experience.

I've actually been prioritizing iPad upgrades for a while now. Ever since the iPad Pro 9.7, the firmware has matured enough and website compatibility has improved that I can do majority of my personal computing on the iPad (in the office, I use a work supplied Windows desktop). If prices hadn't shot up so drastically for the top configs, I would probably still be upgrading (aka getting a new toy ) every year.

 

[sadoering]

Regarding upgrading regularly - I guess some of the time it was to give an iPad to one of our kids - sometimes just because... not a great reason, I know! - but I was usually able to sell a previous model without losing too much in the process most of the time. I wouldn't say I upgraded every year though - but often enough without any real benefit besides slight improvements - so the move to the pro now seems like a massive jump - which is pretty fun!

My goal now is to keep using the pro for quite a while (at least until it is no longer supported - should be quite a few years down the line I would think) and also to adapt my computer needs to use the iPad as my primary device rather than just for media streaming/music/books etc. I have no plans to put any money into a MacBook or phone any time soon - so I decided to just prioritize the iPad purchase and look at the cost divided over the next 5+ years instead.

 

[satchmo]

At the risk of sounding like I’m trying to justify a purchase decision, I thought it might be useful to share some thoughts on my move yesterday to a new iPad Pro 11 - I’m returning an iPad 8th gen just bought from apple on launch day last week. I didn’t get a special price or anything - I’m sure sales will come along as well as upgraded models later... but this always happens no matter how long you wait. I’m planning to use this model for quite some time - so waiting for a potential “sale price” sometime in the future didn’t make sense to me - especially since I’m in a relatively short return window with the 8th gen iPad - any future sale price would be lost somewhat by selling the 8th gen and taking a hit there.

I’ve always been a base model iPad user over the years - but what I have noticed looking back is that I “upgraded” to the next base model pretty regularly. Also I don‘t consider myself a power user - but lately I have been doing more and more on the iPad vs any other device. I am using an older phone (7 plus) and an older MacBook (2015 model) - but since jumping off the upgrade train on those devices I really haven’t felt the need to change as long as they work for my uses. The iPad is really the device that I enjoy using the most, but I was always using the base model with various limitations that I learned to live with. (Memory, screen, sound, speed etc)

I considered waiting for the iPad Air 4 as well... but after considering the cost of the 256gb model ($750) I decided to go with the iPad Pro 128gb instead - here are my thoughts on this move:

• Pro motion screen - I didn’t realize all the ways this affects the iPad experience! Everything “feels” better to me. Only available on the pro models from what I understand.
• 128gb - this is a sweet spot for me right now. 32gb was way too small! And 64gb feels a bit cramped to me - useable, but cramped. 256gb would likely go partially unused by me to a certain extent - Im not creating massive 4K video files or anything.
• Apple pencil 2 - I had to buy this regardless of choosing the new Air or current Pro. Not interested in the magic keyboards etc.
• 6gb ram vs (possibly?) 4gb in the new air. Not sure what difference this will make for me though? Not really an issue either way.
• A12z vs new A14 - this remains to be seen... I don’t think it will be an issue...? This was the only area that is unknown and gave me some pause.
• Face ID vs Touch ID - now that I have Face ID for the first time - I can see how helpful this is. Love it!
• Quad speakers vs two - kind of a luxury, but wow what a difference coming from the base iPads.
• Cameras - not a major issue for me either way. Pro camera much better than the base model though!
• Lidar scanner - unknown benefit for me...? Not really an issue either way at this point.
• Bending issue? Mine was perfectly straight out of the box - put immediately (and very carefully!) in an Otterbox defender - shouldn’t ever be an issue for me as I dont carry it in a backpack or anything.
• New iPad Pro models coming later? 2020 (unknown?) or for sure in 2021. I guess this always happens eventually no matter what...

This pro model is such a jump above the base iPads I’ve been using - I think I’m learning why people gravitate towards these models even if they aren’t creative professionals - the whole experience is enhanced in so many ways... and for my use case I don’t feel limited by any aspect of the device. The key for me will be to stay with this iPad for a longer time than before - I think with keeping it in a good case along with maintaining AppleCare I should be good to go.

Just thought I’d share my experience/thoughts - curious if anyone else is similar in terms of using older phones/laptops but now choosing a nicer iPad experience.

I have a similar iPad buying pattern. I've always found the entry-level iPads to be more than enough for consuming media and light email/productivity apps.

I want to try my hand with some video editing and treat the iPad as my main mobile device (like you, I have an old MacBook Pro, but find it extremely slow compared to iOS).
So, I sold my 6th Gen iPad looking to go all-in on an iPad Pro. Then the iPad 8th Gen and iPad Air happened.

So my question now is whether it's overkill to go 11" Pro and paying double the cost of an 8th gen.
Or do I take it even further and go with a 12.9" iPad Pro (given the 10.2" and 11" is so close in size).
It's interesting to hear your take on Promotion. I've never had it on my iPads, so it's interesting to hear how much of a difference you found in it.

 

[sadoering]

I guess the impact of Promotion for me is largely the smoothness of everything you do on the screen. Does it really matter in the end? Perhaps not... but the experience of interacting with every aspect of the software feels enhanced to me and just simply more satisfying. Beyond this - the Apple Pencil 2 shows absolutely no lag - the writing and sketching process feels more immediate and natural. This was especially obvious coming from the non laminated 8th gen screen - the screen gap and slight lag time with the pencil was distracting to some extent. Still useable, but not great in comparison to the pro.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I went from an iPad, to an Air, to a 10.5 Pro, back to an Air 3, missed pro so much I had to return it to Apple and get an iPad Pro 11.

Writing with the pencil on the Pro 11 is night and day better than the Air 3. I read books for hours on the weekend on this thing (with an iCarez matte screen protector) - absolutely love it. It is my most used apple device. I write work notes, thoughts, sermon notes, even daily logs on this thing. When I want, I'll prop it up and use it with a keyboard/mouse. The battery life on this thing is insane - I only have to charge it every 3 days or so (to keep it >50%).

I'm really happy with my iPad Pro. The pro is worth the $ if you can take it.

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. It was an enjoyable read.

 

[nicho]

So my question now is whether it's overkill to go 11" Pro and paying double the cost of an 8th gen.

I bought an iPad 6 on the basis of it being upgradeable more than twice as often and it perhaps keeping pace with the pros.

Then the iPad 7 came out without much in the way of a meaningful upgrade, and the Pros went to 6GB of RAM.

I've since abandoned that idea. I'll probably keep my 2020 12.9" iPad Pro for much longer than a basic iPad would last me, and it'll still have features that a base model bought half-way through its life wouldn't.

 

[macdogpro]

I want to try my hand with some video editing and treat the iPad as my main mobile device

For this reason alone, the Pro lineup is the only one for you to go.

The iPad Pro 2020 is currently my main computer for creative works such as heavy video editing, illustrating and photo editing.
The 6gb RAM and 8 cores GPU is there to make a lot of differences compared to the non Pro lineup, even the A14 on the Air 4.

First time I bought it, I can’t tell what’s the fuss about Promotion. Until I look into my old iPad 3 screen and my old 2009 MacBook Pro, it is day and night.
My girlfriend also said the promotion gives much better response when drawing compared to her iPad 7.

 

[kazmac]

For this reason alone, the Pro lineup is the only one for you to go.

The iPad Pro 2020 is currently my main computer for creative works such as heavy video editing, illustrating and photo editing.
The 6gb RAM and 8 cores GPU is there to make a lot of differences compared to the non Pro lineup, even the A14 on the Air 4.

First time I bought it, I can’t tell what’s the fuss about Promotion. Until I look into my old iPad 3 screen and my old 2009 MacBook Pro, it is day and night.
My girlfriend also said the promotion gives much better response when drawing compared to her iPad 7.

Yes, the latency with the Apple Pencil is lower (and better) on the iPP. That said, I do not mind using the base iPads to draw on. The regular iPad does everything I do just fine, but I’ve been toying with learning Affinity and LumaFusion for a while now.

Not sure what upgrade path I will take once the Air 4 comes out. Plunge, wait for sales, or just skip until the next Pro is on sale?

OP, glad you like your iPP, think you made a good choice in value etc.

 

[1rottenapple]

At the risk of sounding like I’m trying to justify a purchase decision, I thought it might be useful to share some thoughts on my move yesterday to a new iPad Pro 11 - I’m returning an iPad 8th gen just bought from apple on launch day last week. I didn’t get a special price or anything - I’m sure sales will come along as well as upgraded models later... but this always happens no matter how long you wait. I’m planning to use this model for quite some time - so waiting for a potential “sale price” sometime in the future didn’t make sense to me - especially since I’m in a relatively short return window with the 8th gen iPad - any future sale price would be lost somewhat by selling the 8th gen and taking a hit there.

I’ve always been a base model iPad user over the years - but what I have noticed looking back is that I “upgraded” to the next base model pretty regularly. Also I don‘t consider myself a power user - but lately I have been doing more and more on the iPad vs any other device. I am using an older phone (7 plus) and an older MacBook (2015 model) - but since jumping off the upgrade train on those devices I really haven’t felt the need to change as long as they work for my uses. The iPad is really the device that I enjoy using the most, but I was always using the base model with various limitations that I learned to live with. (Memory, screen, sound, speed etc)

I considered waiting for the iPad Air 4 as well... but after considering the cost of the 256gb model ($750) I decided to go with the iPad Pro 128gb instead - here are my thoughts on this move:

• Pro motion screen - I didn’t realize all the ways this affects the iPad experience! Everything “feels” better to me. Only available on the pro models from what I understand.
• 128gb - this is a sweet spot for me right now. 32gb was way too small! And 64gb feels a bit cramped to me - useable, but cramped. 256gb would likely go partially unused by me to a certain extent - Im not creating massive 4K video files or anything.
• Apple pencil 2 - I had to buy this regardless of choosing the new Air or current Pro. Not interested in the magic keyboards etc.
• 6gb ram vs (possibly?) 4gb in the new air. Not sure what difference this will make for me though? Not really an issue either way.
• A12z vs new A14 - this remains to be seen... I don’t think it will be an issue...? This was the only area that is unknown and gave me some pause.
• Face ID vs Touch ID - now that I have Face ID for the first time - I can see how helpful this is. Love it!
• Quad speakers vs two - kind of a luxury, but wow what a difference coming from the base iPads.
• Cameras - not a major issue for me either way. Pro camera much better than the base model though!
• Lidar scanner - unknown benefit for me...? Not really an issue either way at this point.
• Bending issue? Mine was perfectly straight out of the box - put immediately (and very carefully!) in an Otterbox defender - shouldn’t ever be an issue for me as I dont carry it in a backpack or anything.
• New iPad Pro models coming later? 2020 (unknown?) or for sure in 2021. I guess this always happens eventually no matter what...

This pro model is such a jump above the base iPads I’ve been using - I think I’m learning why people gravitate towards these models even if they aren’t creative professionals - the whole experience is enhanced in so many ways... and for my use case I don’t feel limited by any aspect of the device. The key for me will be to stay with this iPad for a longer time than before - I think with keeping it in a good case along with maintaining AppleCare I should be good to go.

Just thought I’d share my experience/thoughts - curious if anyone else is similar in terms of using older phones/laptops but now choosing a nicer iPad experience.

i concur. My use case probably will fit with an iPad base (web, YouTube, games) but hey buy a Corolla when you can buy a... ford explorer lol

love the pros pencil, speakers, screen!!!!(laminated display vs non; you can tell the image rest below a micrometer air gap on non-laminated). Also because the screen feels closer writing with the pencil feels a little better. Rest of the pros features mentioned are bleh lidar, camera. Who gives a $$$$. I probably use my iPads camera once every 8 months. But anyway yes base iPad is adequate but I prefer the pro.

 

[sadoering]

Been using the Pro 11 over the last week quite a bit, and as a teacher I have been creating and posting online content for students at home - somewhat of a hybrid model here.

I'm still very much enjoying the additional features of the Pro series - and for me it is worth the extra cost spread over time. The base and air iPad models would also do all of the tasks I need... but the current cost (of current models) to get needed storage (128gb or higher) and a laminated screen start to get within spitting distance of the pro ($749 for the new 256gb Air)

Given that I really only need 128gb of on board storage, these are the features I find most "satisfying" (for lack of a better word) when using the iPad Pro for that $50 difference - mentioned in my original post also to some extent:

• ProMotion - I really find this to be one of the strongest reasons to go with the Pro series from the "user experience" standpoint. Everything is smoother and just "feels" more immediate. Scrolling, pencil use, whatever... just nicer all the time and easy on the eyes. I also think the adaptive nature of ProMotion is interesting - in that it will display video at its native frame rate (when possible) vs showing everything at 60hz. Not sure if I can fully tell the difference when watching a movie (haven't done a side by side comparison), but nice to know it is capable of using several different refresh rates depending on the screen content. This along with the overall smoothness of everything remains one of my biggest reasons for the Pro... especially since every element of the iPad experience is affected in some way by the quality of the display.
• Face ID - I feel like a caveman having to enter in a passcode/fingerprint on my older phone now! Just kidding, of course - but I really like this feature and it makes it feel more seamless to some extent. The animojis are kind of fun I guess... the novelty of that probably wears off pretty quickly. I like the immediate unlock very much, though.
• 6GB Ram - for my use the actual benefit of this is hard to gauge, but it is nice to have. I may discover "why" this is better at some point - especially as I investigate more image/video/music processing possibilities.
• Quad speakers - this alone wouldn't be a driving issue to go up to the pro from the air, but I am pretty impressed with the sound quality and how it maintains a correct stereo image that adjusts to device orientation. I am enjoying listening to music directly on the iPad more often - rather than always going to an external bluetooth speaker. What games I do sometimes play are more immersive to some extent. Again - it just enhances the user experience a bit more.
• Camera/lidar - The nicer camera is just that... nicer! I think the wide angle option is nice to have. Lidar scanner not quite so much of an issue for me, but nice to have perhaps as software options for AR become more compelling. (Not sure that I need to scan our living room to see virtual IKEA furniture any time soon!) I will investigate software options that use the lidar scanner more over time.

For me... are these items worth the extra $50 cost when comparing to the new 256gb Air? (at full retail prices - setting aside the 128 to 256gb difference which others may find more important) For me they are - very much so! Given that I am not coming close to maxing out the processor now, I don't feel constrained by staying with the A12z vs the new A14. Sounds like processor speeds are somewhat comparable at this time?

I know the "next big thing" will inevitably come along - A14x or A14z, microLED etc... but it made sense for me to make this change now and enjoy the device going forward for the long term. I will need to jump off the "upgrade train" so to speak - I think maintaining AppleCare will be helpful in this regard to be covered should anything happen down the road - again that monthly cost is worth it to me for the overall experience.

In a nutshell - I'm really enjoying the Pro since moving from base models only - and always interested to read the experiences of others!

 

[Broadus]

Been using the Pro 11 over the last week quite a bit, and as a teacher I have been creating and posting online content for students at home - somewhat of a hybrid model here.

I'm still very much enjoying the additional features of the Pro series - and for me it is worth the extra cost spread over time. The base and air iPad models would also do all of the tasks I need... but the current cost (of current models) to get needed storage (128gb or higher) and a laminated screen start to get within spitting distance of the pro ($749 for the new 256gb Air)

Given that I really only need 128gb of on board storage, these are the features I find most "satisfying" (for lack of a better word) when using the iPad Pro for that $50 difference - mentioned in my original post also to some extent:

• Promotion - I really find this one of the strongest reasons to go with the Pro series from the "user experience" standpoint. Everything is smoother and just "feels" more immediate. Scrolling, pencil use, whatever... just nicer all the time and easy on the eyes.
• Face ID - I feel like a caveman having to enter in a passcode/fingerprint on my older phone now! Just kidding, of course - but I really like this feature and it makes it feel more seamless to some extent. The animojis are kind of fun I guess... the novelty of that probably wears off pretty quickly. I like the immediate unlock very much, though.
• 6GB Ram - for my use the actual benefit of this is hard to gauge, but it is nice to have. I may discover "why" this is better at some point - especially as I investigate more image/video/music processing possibilities.
• Quad speakers - this alone wouldn't be a driving issue to go up to the pro from the air, but I am pretty impressed with the sound quality and how it maintains a correct stereo image that adjusts to device orientation. I am enjoying listening to music directly on the iPad more often - rather than always going to an external bluetooth speaker. What games I do sometimes play are more immersive to some extent. Again - it just enhances the user experience a bit more.
• Camera/lidar - The nicer camera is just that... nicer! I think the wide angle option is nice to have. Lidar scanner not quite so much of an issue for me, but nice to have perhaps as software options for AR become more compelling. (Not sure that I need to scan our living room to see virtual IKEA furniture any time soon!) I will investigate software options that use the lidar scanner more over time.

For me... are these items worth the extra $50 cost when comparing to the new 256gb Air? (at full retail prices - setting aside the 128 to 256gb difference which others may find more important) For me they are - very much so! Given that I am not coming close to maxing out the processor now, I don't feel constrained by staying with the A12z vs the new A14. Sounds like processor speeds are somewhat comparable at this time?

I know the "next big thing" will inevitably come along - A14x or A14z, microLED etc... but it made sense for me to make this change now and enjoy the device going forward for the long term. I will need to jump off the "upgrade train" so to speak - I think maintaining AppleCare will be helpful in this regard to be covered should anything happen down the road - again that monthly cost is worth it to me for the overall experience.

In a nutshell - I'm really enjoying the Pro since moving from base models only - and always interested to read the experiences of others!

It would have been interesting to read your observations had you moved from a basic iPad to the Air 4.

I’m glad you found what works well for you. Sometimes we forget that the value of these devices is found in what they do for our particular needs.