Which would you buy from Apple? 64gb refurbished Air 2 at $419... or 32gb brand new 9.7 Pro at $599?

[Hal~9000]

If you had to chose between the following, which one would you go with?

• $419 for refurbished 64gb iPad Air 2
• $599 for new 32gb iPad Pro 9.7 inch

I might be looking to use an iPad + keyboard as my 'laptop' (I only have basic computing needs) and I'm curious to see what the majority on the forum would choose and why.

Thank for your replies

 

[BenTrovato]

If money is not an issue, the pro. If you need storage and want to save money, the Air 2. I always like adding the price of accessories, like cases and keyboards to the total price to see what you are actually going to spend and then compare.

 

[d5aqoëp]

Saving 180$ is a big deal. For casual use, Pro 9.7" provides no significant benefit.

Air 2 is still a great tablet which is relevant even today and for the next 2 years till the time Apple makes 2 GB RAM products obsolete. So iPad Pro 9.7" will also be obsolete at the same time.

You will also get double the storage with Air 2. So few extra seasons of Game of Thrones will definitely help.

 

[Hal~9000]

Ugh, just realized I posted this in the wrong forum *facepalm*

Mods, please move to iPad section.

Edit: Thank you

 

[mixel]

Depends what you mean by "basic computing needs." If that means what I'd read it as, the Air is what I'd go with. It has everything covered.

But if there's any chance whatsoever that you might want to use the Apple Pencil in future then obviously the Pro instead.

 

[FSMBP]

Depends what you mean by "basic computing needs." If that means what I'd read it as, the Air is what I'd go with. It has everything covered.

But if there's any chance whatsoever that you might want to use the Apple Pencil in future then obviously the Pro instead.

Yeah, but then it would really be $419 vs. $698.

 

[1129708]

The Air 2, no question. It's fast, it's capable, and you'll thank yourself for going for the extra space. Unless you really want the pencil for some reason, the choice is easy.

 

[richpjr]

Go big or go home - the Pro!

In all seriousness, money is money so that is always a consideration. But you will be getting a more future proof device.

 

[Hal~9000]

Depends what you mean by "basic computing needs." If that means what I'd read it as, the Air is what I'd go with. It has everything covered.

But if there's any chance whatsoever that you might want to use the Apple Pencil in future then obviously the Pro instead.

I'm not an artist (can't draw at all) so don't plan on ever getting the pencil.

The iPad + keyboard case as my 'laptop' would mainly be used for basic stuff like web browsing, video watching, a few basic word documents, and some light MFi controller gaming (Oceanhorn / FF7 / etc).

 

[sracer]

First, never pay full price for an iPad anymore. The new pricing model allows for regular discounts. I'm not a fan of buying refurbs unless there is a dramatic discount. 16% is not enough for me to consider it.

My vote is to hold off for a sale on either the Air 2 or 9.7 Pro.

 

[mixel]

Yeah, but then it would really be $419 vs. $698.

And it'd be worth that extra it if he anticipated wanting Pencil later.

But he has no pencil interest at all so yeah, the Air makes much more sense.

 

[bufffilm]

If you had to chose between the following, which one would you go with?

• $419 for refurbished 64gb iPad Air 2
• $599 for new 32gb iPad Pro 9.7 inch

I might be looking to use an iPad + keyboard as my 'laptop' (I only have basic computing needs) and I'm curious to see what the majority on the forum would choose and why.

Thank for your replies

Tough choice here...32gb would be absolute minimum for me (my ipad2 is 32gb) and only have about 5gb free with no movies loaded on it.

So do the pro's nicer screen and 4 speakers trump the 64gb storage on the air2?

For my usage...I have to go w/Air2 64gb.

 

[bevsb2]

Buy the device that is best for you. I once had a salesman tell me to buy the best I could afford as in 6 months I wouldn't miss the money and I'd be happy to have the better item. A "pitch" I have used more than once since then. Key word is afford. I have 32 GB on my Pro and that's more than I need but YMMV.

 

[DougFNJ]

I always have to have the latest and greatest lol.

I am not an artist, but find the Apple Pencil replaced pen and paper handily for note taking on all my business meetings. I don't just think about what I need now, but how I may use something in the future. If you do not see the pro accessories in your future in any way, then the Air 2 should suit you fine. You'll have the extra storage, and extra cash in your pocket.

 

[FrozenDarkness]

i went through this choice actually.

i got a 64gb LTE ipad Air 2 for $519. The LTE is what did it in for me, what a great deal.

 

[Geekbabe]

If you had to chose between the following, which one would you go with?

• $419 for refurbished 64gb iPad Air 2
• $599 for new 32gb iPad Pro 9.7 inch

I might be looking to use an iPad + keyboard as my 'laptop' (I only have basic computing needs) and I'm curious to see what the majority on the forum would choose and why.

Thank for your replies

After carefully considering my needs I upgraded from a 32gb Air to a 64GB Air 2. I have a 1 yr old Retina MacBook for my heavy lifting. I have no need of the pencil & my expensive wireless keyboards is sitting in a shelf in it's box as I prefer the virtual keyboard. The Air 2 feels like a substantial upgrade, it is also easy to find reasonably priced cases and accessories for the Air 2. Everybody's needs are different though.

 

[Channan]

I'm not an artist (can't draw at all) so don't plan on ever getting the pencil.

The iPad + keyboard case as my 'laptop' would mainly be used for basic stuff like web browsing, video watching, a few basic word documents, and some light MFi controller gaming (Oceanhorn / FF7 / etc).

In that case, I'd say definitely go for the iPad Air 2 and save some cash plus get extra storage. I'm sure the screen is really nice on the new Pro, but I feel like it's not something you'd miss if you've never used it. The processor is faster, but at this point, even double the speed isn't something you really notice in anything but benchmark tests.

Both having 2GB of RAM will ensure the iPad Air 2 lasts pretty much as long as the iPad Pro.

 

[kaydot]

Personally, I pulled the trigger on the iPad Air2 64gb refurb. My needs are fairly lightweight - Videos, lots of streaming, social, reading, and casual games. I needed the extra space for my games, and 32gb just wasn't going to cut it. My current iPad 3 is full.

I also did math on cost of ownership per year, making some pretty big assumptions - that both iPads would have an active life of 5 years (or 3 years if you're the refurb). I know that's a HUGE assumption, but somehow, I've made my iPad 3 last 4 years. I'm hoping for the same or better out of the Air2.

Basically, the 128gb 9.7pro was $150/year (five years), and the Air2 was $140/year (three years). So... on an annual cost, I would say the 9.7 is in the same ballpark and quite possibly the better deal given it is newer tech.

What I think turned the tables for me, though, is that I also think think that the 9.7pro is over priced right now. I'm hoping we'll see a return to lower prices over the next couple refreshes. Having a lower cost up-front with the Refurb right now sets me up for a quicker upgrade when future models conceivably offer a better storage/price/features deal.