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My argument for not upgrading to 2018 iPad Pro - can you convince me otherwise?

B

bscheffel

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 17, 2008
370
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I currently have a 2017 2nd gen. 12.9" iPad Pro (256GB, cellular) and I REALLY REALLY want to upgrade to the new 2018 iPad but haven't found a way to convince myself.

For me the bottom line is that for my ($1299-$500 min. sell for current) $799 purchase I am getting an iPad that is an inch shorter, a hair lighter, and with a faster processor. The faster processor is a non-factor - iPad never lacks for speed so really I can't justify $800 for an inch shorter iPad.

-The screen is basically the same (same resolution, same pro-motion, same 600 nits brightness).
-Face ID offers no more functionality than Touch ID
-USB-C over Lightning offer no new functionality (I already have the lightning USB dongle, and the lightning HDMI adapter)
-Any decrease in thickness is offset by the fact that smart folio cover now covers the back and is the same thickness overall as current iPad + smart cover
-I have the Apple Pencil and never use it so that's not a factor for me

I thought that I could spring for the 1TB model as a way to get 2GB more RAM but for $600 it's not worth it even with the added storage (that I don't really need).

I like many others are really waiting for a filesystem, revamped home screen, and pointer support to unleash the power of this machine. For now Jump desktop remote to my MacBook + bluetooth keyboard + Citrix mouse is working quite well when I need a "real computer" to do something.

Am I missing anything that would justify the purchase? ? ?
 
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I have the exact same configuration 12.9 2nd gen. as you and am debating whether or not to upgrade myself. My wife will get my current iPad if I upgrade so I can "rationalize" it a bit but I'm not sure. Hooking the iPad up to my 27" monitor with a USB-C cable would be nice if more apps supported it instead of just mirroring. If we could do more with peripherals on the USB-C port (like read and write files to an external drive) I'd upgrade in a heartbeat...but we can't yet. So I am still on the fence as well.
 
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Here's a reason:
If you don't upgrade to the latest iPad Pro you will be the subject of scorn and ridicule among your friends and family. They'll see you as a pathetic washed-up, never-was who must make-do with last year's ancient technology. Not to mention, the 2017 iPad Pro is thick as a brick and weighs just as much. The screen is a muddy,washed out pixelated mess compared to these 3rd gen iPad Pros. It's seriously a no-brainer. What are you waiting for?

Serious though, you've got a great device, hang tight, enjoy it, save the money. The fact that you are using Jump Desktop + the Citrix X1 mouse means that you are getting far more use out of your current device than the majority.
 
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Congrats on being a "newbie" with a 10 year old account. Wow.

I think it's worth it if you want to move up from a 10.5" like I did, and while the smaller size and lighter weight are what pushed me towards a larger model this time, I wouldn't advise you to upgrade this year. The next version will be pretty insane. At this rate it will bench higher than nearly every Mac, probably have more RAM than it does now, start at 128GB with the second tier being 512GB, be approaching the graphics performance of a PS4 Pro, and has a 50/50 shot at 3X retina display and OLED/mLED. That is, unless Apple finally hits a wall with their chips. The problem is you're probably going to want to buy this one after iOS 13 comes out, but I'd imagine your device will probably get most of the new features aside from external drives due to USB-C power delivery.
 
I have an iPad Air 2, and I can't justify the cost to the 11" Pro. I would love Apple Pencil support, but thats an additional cost as well. Being that you already have a recent Pro, I really don't see any need to upgrade.
 
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I think we should only update when the battery is already in a serious situation (degradation is advanced) and the device is seriously outdated. This never happens in less than 3-4 years. I pretend to keep my IPP 10.5 (256 GB wifi+cell) at least until 2021 or 2022. If the economic situation of my country improves by then and Apple lower the prices, of course.

Also if the improvements are worth paying more. The only one that matters to me is a better battery, and from the looks of it I think this will never change.

For the average user all the benefits of these new Oct 2018 iPADs are not worth selling your old stuff and paying 32% more for them. If you have at least the IPP 10.5 then keep yours for no less than 3-4 years.

Currently I don't have the money and no expectations of selling my used devices and accessories for fair prices. No one is going to buy them, meaning I can't simply invest in a new iPAD without recovering from my losses. I bought my IPP 10.5 in June 2017 and received two months later if I am not mistaken (after shipping overseas).
 
I have a 10.5 an 1st gen 12.9 and I purchased a new 12.9 256gb... after using the iPad - I find myself having second thoughts about keeping the device.
 
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There's really nothing in this update except for new sexier form factor.
 
macduke said:
Congrats on being a "newbie" with a 10 year old account. Wow.

I think it's worth it if you want to move up from a 10.5" like I did, and while the smaller size and lighter weight are what pushed me towards a larger model this time, I wouldn't advise you to upgrade this year. The next version will be pretty insane. At this rate it will bench higher than nearly every Mac, probably have more RAM than it does now, start at 128GB with the second tier being 512GB, be approaching the graphics performance of a PS4 Pro, and has a 50/50 shot at 3X retina display and OLED/mLED. That is, unless Apple finally hits a wall with their chips. The problem is you're probably going to want to buy this one after iOS 13 comes out, but I'd imagine your device will probably get most of the new features aside from external drives due to USB-C power delivery.
Click to expand...

Hum.. you bring up a good point - if iOS 13 supports external drives it's likely my lightning--USB dongle won't supply enough power for the drive. I currently use a cheapie lightning/SD card device to read from SD card to my iPad using it's specialized iUSB program. Functionality is limited but it works. My best prediction on the memory is that all models next year will have 6GB RAM.
 
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bscheffel said:
I currently have a 2017 2nd gen. 12.9" iPad Pro (256GB, cellular) and I REALLY REALLY want to upgrade to the new 2018 iPad but haven't found a way to convince myself.

For me the bottom line is that for my ($1299-$500 min. sell for current) $799 purchase I am getting an iPad that is an inch shorter, a hair lighter, and with a faster processor. The faster processor is a non-factor - iPad never lacks for speed so really I can't justify $800 for an inch shorter iPad.

-The screen is basically the same (same resolution, same pro-motion, same 600 nits brightness).
-Face ID offers no more functionality than Touch ID
-USB-C over Lightning offer no new functionality (I already have the lightning USB dongle, and the lightning HDMI adapter)
-Any decrease in thickness is offset by the fact that smart folio cover now covers the back and is the same thickness overall as current iPad + smart cover
-I have the Apple Pencil and never use it so that's not a factor for me

I thought that I could spring for the 1TB model as a way to get 2GB more RAM but for $600 it's not worth it even with the added storage (that I don't really need).

I like many others are really waiting for a filesystem, revamped home screen, and pointer support to unleash the power of this machine. For now Jump desktop remote to my MacBook + bluetooth keyboard + Citrix mouse is working quite well when I need a "real computer" to do something.

Am I missing anything that would justify the purchase? ? ?
Click to expand...
Can’t convince you because I pretty much have the same arguments for not upgrading my 10.5 inch iPad Pro.
 
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bscheffel said:
Hum.. you bring up a good point - if iOS 13 supports external drives it's likely my lightning--USB dongle won't supply enough power for the drive. I currently use a cheapie lightning/SD card device to read from SD card to my iPad using it's specialized iUSB program. Functionality is limited but it works. My best prediction on the memory is that all models next year will have 6GB RAM.
Click to expand...
Yeah, and that's still a big if on whether they will support drives.

I tried connecting a 2.5" external mechanical USB 3.0 drive using a USB-C to USB adapter and the drive didn't power on. However, my Samsung T5 SSD (native USB-C) did power on with the indicator light blinking and I had a popup in iOS that it wasn't supported. Not sure if they could output more power if needed, but it seems like it could at least work with flash drives and smaller SSDs, in theory, since they use less power. But it's still up to Apple to implement it. If you're still on the fence, and this feature is important to you, maybe it would be good to wait until WWDC.
 
You're going to have a hard time justifying it unless you use it many hours every day for productivity reasons, and the form factor, speed, USB port, and better pencil will pay small dividends every day that add up over time.

Doesn't sound like that's the case with you. It's not with me either, which is a bummer, because I would love to upgrade my 9.7" Pro to the new model, maybe even the larger one. But I just don't use it often enough or for tasks important enough to justify dropping over a grand on the upgrade. A big part of the problem is that my current iPad is just not worth all that much in resale. If it were worth $500-600, I'd probably do it. But it's only worth $350-400, minus shipping cost, minus substantial eBay fees. A new 256GB iPad Pro with keyboard case and pencil plus tax would be $1400. That's a lot of scratch.

If iOS were a step or two closer to desktop OS, then I would probably do it, because I could use it for more things.

Full time creatives should be all over this though. For them, it's an amazing device.
 
bscheffel said:
I currently have a 2017 2nd gen. 12.9" iPad Pro (256GB, cellular) and I REALLY REALLY want to upgrade to the new 2018 iPad but haven't found a way to convince myself.

For me the bottom line is that for my ($1299-$500 min. sell for current) $799 purchase I am getting an iPad that is an inch shorter, a hair lighter, and with a faster processor. The faster processor is a non-factor - iPad never lacks for speed so really I can't justify $800 for an inch shorter iPad.

-The screen is basically the same (same resolution, same pro-motion, same 600 nits brightness).
-Face ID offers no more functionality than Touch ID
-USB-C over Lightning offer no new functionality (I already have the lightning USB dongle, and the lightning HDMI adapter)
-Any decrease in thickness is offset by the fact that smart folio cover now covers the back and is the same thickness overall as current iPad + smart cover
-I have the Apple Pencil and never use it so that's not a factor for me

I thought that I could spring for the 1TB model as a way to get 2GB more RAM but for $600 it's not worth it even with the added storage (that I don't really need).

I like many others are really waiting for a filesystem, revamped home screen, and pointer support to unleash the power of this machine. For now Jump desktop remote to my MacBook + bluetooth keyboard + Citrix mouse is working quite well when I need a "real computer" to do something.

Am I missing anything that would justify the purchase? ? ?
Click to expand...

No Reason no convincing needed especially on last years iPad on Cellular which is extra expensive.
Heck I wish I still had my 2016 9.7 Pro this new 11” feels so Delicate and fragile. On top of the I get No new Features so what if websites load .02% faster I can’t tell.
But I new a major update was coming. And a 2GB RAM 2 Core A9X seems lacking I was happy Apple Gave me $250 Trade In Credit. And I had $200 in Giftcards laying around.
So $855 with tax ended up being just $405 my early Black Friday purchase.
 
Sounds like you effectively justified to yourself why you shouldn’t update. So, It doesn’t really matter what anyone says to the contrary. You seem completely happy with your current set up, and are just waiting for an iOS update. So i’d Wait. You made a good decision for you, which in the end, is all that matters.

Me? I not only want an iPad Pro, I am currently coming from a dying iPad mini...so updating makes total sense to me. I am also an artist, so I think even if I had the previous iPad Pro, I could easily justify to myself why I needed the new one. And not because it looked cool(which it does). But just for the new Apple Pencil alone I would probably want to update. Being an artist, you may want to sketch at a moments notice, so to always have the pencil charged & conveniently attached to the iPad is invaluable. The ease of transferring photos & video quicker thru usb-c is a plus too. And as someone who has had every home button fail on every iPad I have ever owned, Face ID is another huge bonus. So right there, I have justified to myself why i should update.
 
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I could justify it for me going from an Air 2, but I wouldn’t be able to if I had 2nd gen 12.9.
 
Why throw money away at a sidegrade? Much better off putting the funds toward something truly useful like the new new MacBook Pro with Vega GPU.
 
I have a first gen 12.9" and it was an easy pass for me. For a 2nd Gen I wouldn't even consider it until it gets more mac/pc like. Unless you have money to burn then why not? Practically though it's a tablet. It's hard justifying $700 after selling your 2nd gen for another iOS tablet. Don't get me wrong I absolutely LOVE the iPad it just needs to be more mac like to justify the upgrade.
 
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