iPad Will an iPad Air 1 purchased now function well for the next two years?

[wineandcarbs]

If I purchase an iPad Air 1 now, will it last me the next 2 years, in terms of running well?

I've looked at both the Air 1 and Air 2. While I like the design of the Air 2, I checked the vibration issue that some people found problematic and I think it might be a big annoyance to me (I know not everyone finds it an issue and that it's a matter of personal preference). When I tested it out, I found the level of vibrating on the back of the unit and the screen concerning for me (in terms of whether I'd find it annoying). That being said, I of course want whatever I purchase to function well.

Right now I'm using an iPad Mini 1 running iOS 8, but would like a full sized iPad.

Realistically, if I purchase an Air 1 will it function well for the next two years? I don't think my standards are as high as some; for example, I find the Mini 1 to be usable, though I've of course started to notice some lag, particularly when opening up certain apps (takes longer to fully load). But, I also don't want to be naive and end up purchasing something that will be too frustrating to use in a year.

Thanks, folks!

 

[kaielement]

The 2gb of ram is well worth the up grade to the air 2. I had the air 1 and after seeing the air 2 performance I decided to upgrade. I am so glad I did and I hope to keep my iPad for the next couple of years. As for the vibration is is very slight almost not noticeable if at all. It doesn't bother me nor do I notice it.

 

[touchstoned]

The Air 1 is a great piece of kit and will work well for the next two years. Android tablets are still just trying to catch up with the Air 1 in speed. You should be fine.


The Air 2 is the fastest SoC out there so yeah, it will last even longer.

 

[Che Castro]

If you don't mind Safari tabs & app refreshing the iPad Air 1 is fine

Personally I would go for the 2gb ram , I think the air 2 will be like the iPad 2 in longevity

 

[Spectrum Abuser]

The OP said he is currently using an original iPad Mini. IMO the iPad Air 1 will feel like a brand new experience. It'll have a bigger screen as well as having a much higher pixel density; the contrast and color saturation is a lot better on the Air 1 compared to the original Mini. That and the Air 1 has the A7 vs the original Mini with the A5. The difference between those two SoC is practically night and day. Faster browsing, greatly reduced loading times, astronomically better graphics performance ect.

tl;dr, Yes. An iPad Air 1 will function great in two years.

 

[dagamer34]

RAM is what limits the longevity of a modern iOS device since most apps barely use the full power of the CPUs and GPUs in them. Whenever data gets dumped from memory and needs to be re fetched from the network or recreated from scratch, while faster CPUs and networks can make that process faster, nothing being not having to do that extra work in the first place.

So if you intend on using your iPad for several years to come, get an iPad Air 2 and enjoy!

 

[perezr10]

With that 64-bit A7 chip it'll last probably as long as the iPad 2. But I wouldn't expect split screen functionality from it.

 

[placidity44]

I'd personally opt for a refurbished Air 2 with 2GB of ram and the tri-core A8X. You get the thinner design, more power, more longevity for 419 for the 16gb model and 509 for 64. I'd personally save up for the Air 2. I absolutely love mine.

 

[mangomind]

If I purchase an iPad Air 1 now, will it last me the next 2 years, in terms of running well?

I've looked at both the Air 1 and Air 2. While I like the design of the Air 2, I checked the vibration issue that some people found problematic and I think it might be a big annoyance to me (I know not everyone finds it an issue and that it's a matter of personal preference). When I tested it out, I found the level of vibrating on the back of the unit and the screen concerning for me (in terms of whether I'd find it annoying). That being said, I of course want whatever I purchase to function well.

Right now I'm using an iPad Mini 1 running iOS 8, but would like a full sized iPad.

Realistically, if I purchase an Air 1 will it function well for the next two years? I don't think my standards are as high as some; for example, I find the Mini 1 to be usable, though I've of course started to notice some lag, particularly when opening up certain apps (takes longer to fully load). But, I also don't want to be naive and end up purchasing something that will be too frustrating to use in a year.

Thanks, folks!

Ok, I'll voice my opinion. So, you are using an iPad mini 1 with iOS 8. When I upgraded my A5 device from iOS 6 to iOS 7, the device became slow enough to be unusable for me. The fact that you are still using the iPad mini, with iOS 8, means your standards are indeed lower than mine. I currently do use an iPad mini 2 (a shrunken iPad Air) with iOS 8. It is phenomenal for my needs. iOS 9 will run faster than iOS 8 on all devices, so I see it working well into the future. I am sure you would be perfectly fine with an iPad Air.

However, the extra ram and speed in the iPad Air 2 will make apps slightly faster. It's up to you whether you think spending extra money is worth that performance increase. Test both at a store, and consider how often you use your iPad to see if the money would be well spent.

 

[Unami]

yes, an ipad air 1 will probably last at least another 2-3 years before it becomes obsolete.

it's nice to have the 2gb of ram though. i don't mind the vibration issue that much. sure, it's there, but i almost never turn the volume up that high, when i'm holding the ipad in my hands.

 

[srshaw]

If you don't mind Safari tabs & app refreshing the iPad Air 1 is fine

Personally I would go for the 2gb ram , I think the air 2 will be like the iPad 2 in longevity

Are you saying that Safari Tabs in the Air 2 stay in memory and don't keep loading? This drives me mad with my old ipad 3 but just assumed it was an ipad thing.

 

[wineandcarbs]

Thank you, everyone, for your input!