iPad Air Upgrading from iPad Pro 9.7” (first model)

[parajba]

My ageing iPad Pro, I think from 2016?, is starting to show its age.

My version: 128GB.

Use case: all at home, Netflix (70%), safari (25%), music and photo browsing (5%). Of this, 99% with headphones. I have iCloud with 2TB for the family and a very nice 0.5GB mesh system at home and in the garden. I don’t play games. I don’t need the pencil.

I am thinking to get a new iPad Air 64GB due to the price.

My reservations:

1) will two speakers instead of 4 really make a big difference, particularly in my case?
2) is 64GB enough for me? I have 2TB with family sharing, not sure what the 64GB limitations are.
3) promotion: I don’t need it

Heck, for what I do perhaps I can continue with my current iPad…but every now an then I like to refresh my gadgets and I could pass my old iPad to my kids.

It runs the latest iOS.

 

[Basic75]

2) How much of your 128GB are you using now?

 

[parajba]

2) How much of your 128GB are you using now?

39GB.

How does it decide what gets stored locally vs online?

Photos on the iPad occupies 5.71GB.
I checked my (brand new iPhone 14 Pro Max 512GB) and photos is 2.52GB.

I am confused.

I have lots of photos, and I like the ability to access them from all my Apple devices (I also have a Mac book pro).

 

[FeliApple]

Your situation is maybe a carbon copy of mine. I upgraded last year from a 9.7-inch iPad Pro on iOS 12 (also a 128GB model) to an iPad Air 5. I got the 64GB model because I’m not a heavy storage user, I just use it for content consumption. I have like 45GB free. That’s very individual and your mileage may vary, only you can determine storage requirements.

I can answer the rest of your questions though:

1) Speakers. I mentioned a massive similarity in our situations, this is one factor: you use it for content consumption, and you use headphones 99% of the time… like me. The speakers on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro are a LOT better than those on the Air 5. Fuller, louder sound from the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. No competition. I reckon this is the only factor in which the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is clearly superior to the Air 5: the Air line has reached feature parity since, it has the P3 colour gamut, True Tone, and all of the other features which were “Pro-only” back when you compared it to the other iPad available: the base 5th-gen.

3) Promotion: I compared it directly to an Air 5 and I didn’t even notice much of a difference, but again, people report widely different opinions here.

I see it as a very similar case to mine for the reasons I’ve outlined, and I can tell you that I’m very happy with both the 9.7-inch iPad Pro (which I still use) and the Air 5. You don’t use the speakers, so the only main advantage the 9.7-inch iPad Pro has over the Air 5 isn’t important to you. For all of these reasons, I think the Air 5 would be a great fit.

 

[darngooddesign]

How does it decide what gets stored locally vs online?

You tell it what to do.

Music can be downloaded if you want it local.

Photos can be stored locally if you want.

You’ve had a 128GB iPad for years and if your storage use is as low like you say then 64GB will be fine.

 

[rui no onna]

You’ve had a 128GB iPad for years and if your storage use is as low like you say then 64GB will be fine.

Honestly, at 39GB used now, I feel like future updates may be iffy with iPadOS getting more bloated.

On the 32GB iPads, more than half the time now, I need to delete apps and data before I can install OTA firmware updates. I have less than 10GB of user apps+data on those. Around 15-18GB is System+Other.

Suggestion, why not get the refurb M1 iPad Pro 128GB instead? I think those are $639. Ample storage and you also get quad speakers.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Your usage is low enough that I don’t see a problem with 64GB. And if you use headphones “99%” of the time, two speakers vs. four isn’t going to matter.

 

[parajba]

Thanks All for the kind replies.
I have been reading with interest.

In the UK, a new Air 64GB costs £669. A refurbished Pro from 2021 with M1 and 128GB costs £639. It has a new battery, new external case and official Apple warranty. I purchased my MacBook Pro via the Apple UK refurbished store in the past and found the product like new.

Seems to me that the current sweet spot is actually a refurbished Pro with the M1 and 128GB?

Better screen (ProMotion), better capacity, FaceID, better speakers, slightly cheaper.

Looking forward to further opinions.

PS: will the refurbished iPad have an immaculate screen without scratches too?

 

[Digitalguy]

Thanks All for the kind replies.
I have been reading with interest.

In the UK, a new Air 64GB costs £669. A refurbished Pro from 2021 with M1 and 128GB costs £639. It has a new battery, new external case and official Apple warranty. I purchased my MacBook Pro via the Apple UK refurbished store in the past and found the product like new.

Seems to me that the current sweet spot is actually a refurbished Pro with the M1 and 128GB?

Better screen (ProMotion), better capacity, FaceID, better speakers, slightly cheaper.

Looking forward to further opinions.

PS: will the refurbished iPad have an immaculate screen without scratches too?

The refurbished M1 pro is a much better device than the base M1 air, not even close. And yes, the screen will be new too.

 

[Stoianski]

I bought a refurbished M1 Pro 128GB from Apple Germany 2 weeks ago for €750. New battery and screen.

Now 128 GB is not available anymore (in Germany). So I would hurry and buy soon, because the cheapest option is the first to be gone. There was a big batch of refurbished iPads across the world from Apple 2-3 weeks ago. Use the chance.

 

[parajba]

I bought a refurbished M1 Pro 128GB from Apple Germany 2 weeks ago for €750. New battery and screen.

Now 128 GB is not available anymore (in Germany). So I would hurry and buy soon, because the cheapest option is the first to be gone. There was a big batch of refurbished iPads across the world from Apple 2-3 weeks ago. Use the chance.

Done, just purchased it, £639 for an M1 pro 128GB is an ok price. should arrive tomorrow. I think my Pro 9.7 from 2016 has served me very well, but it is now undeniably slow and ready to be handed to wife and kids lol

I now need a case. Can I use the same Folio created for the M2 (4th) version? They seem literally identical, to the mm and to the gram.

 

[Stoianski]

Done, just purchased it, £639 for an M1 pro 128GB is an ok price. should arrive tomorrow. I think my Pro 9.7 from 2016 has served me very well, but it is now undeniably slow and ready to be handed to wife and kids lol

I now need a case. Can I use the same Folio created for the M2 (4th) version? They seem literally identical, to the mm and to the gram.

I use my tablets without case/folio or with something very simple to keep them light. I have not searched for case for the M1 yet. I have S7 (this went to my wife) and S7/FE from Samsung. What is the lightest option for M1 Pro?

M1 and M2 are identical, so probably yes.

 

[parajba]

Went to the Apple Store (lucky enough to have it 10’ by bicycle) and bought a blue marine Folio, they confirmed that the M1 and M2 are identical in terms of form factor.
Look forward to my delivery tomorrow

 

[FeliApple]

Went to the Apple Store (lucky enough to have it 10’ by bicycle) and bought a blue marine Folio, they confirmed that the M1 and M2 are identical in terms of form factor.
Look forward to my delivery tomorrow

Let us know your thoughts when you get it if you want!

 

[parajba]

Oh, it is so nice.

I assumed that it would just be a faster version of mine. How wrong was I.

The bigger screen, the absence of the Touch ID and the smaller frame make for a very different and better viewing experience. It does feel like an uninterrupted slab of glass.

Indeed, it is also very fast, as fast as my iPhone Pro Max 14 I would say (single core the iPhone is slightly faster, multi core the iPad is slightly faster, graphically the iPad is better).

Screen is also much better than my old iPad.

A surely worthy upgrade!

 

[Yebubbleman]

My ageing iPad Pro, I think from 2016?, is starting to show its age.

My version: 128GB.

Use case: all at home, Netflix (70%), safari (25%), music and photo browsing (5%). Of this, 99% with headphones. I have iCloud with 2TB for the family and a very nice 0.5GB mesh system at home and in the garden. I don’t play games. I don’t need the pencil.

I am thinking to get a new iPad Air 64GB due to the price.

My reservations:

1) will two speakers instead of 4 really make a big difference, particularly in my case?
2) is 64GB enough for me? I have 2TB with family sharing, not sure what the 64GB limitations are.
3) promotion: I don’t need it

Heck, for what I do perhaps I can continue with my current iPad…but every now an then I like to refresh my gadgets and I could pass my old iPad to my kids.

It runs the latest iOS.

iCloud Storage and iPad Storage are used completely differently and often for different things. So, having 2TB of iCloud data as part of a family plan, doesn't suddenly reduce the amount of stuff you need the iPad's storage for. That said, a 256GB iPad Air will definitely be cheaper than a 256GB iPad Pro. That'd be what I'd do. You probably won't notice that big of a difference with the speakers (if any at all). But if you're particularly worried, as an alternative to the iPad Air, you can look at the 2nd or 3rd generation 11-inch iPad Pro on Apple's "Apple Certified Refurbished iPad" section of their online store and probably find a decent deal on a 128GB or 256GB version of that model. I own the Fourth Generation iPad Air (which has virtually the same speakers as the current generation); the speakers are just fine! The one thing you'll want to grab regardless is a USB-C to headphone jack adapter for your headphone use. But otherwise, that'd be what I'd do as far as upgrading goes.