Captain Kinopio wrote:Is anyone here a heavy iPad user. I’ve had my iPad Air 2 for 7 or so years now and I love it. It’s the second iPad I’ve owned and I find them to be such great devices I use it for everything. It’s basically my main dossing about device. Even more so than my phone. I don’t really do anything fancy it’s just for browsing, watching tv/films and any admin I need to do online.
I feel like I’m hankering for a bit of an upgrade but I’m not sure how worthwhile it is. I don't think I really stretch my current ones abilities I’m just wondering if it’s starting to be a bit sluggish and I would benefit from a nice upgrade by several gens.
What do people reckon, is it even worth considering spending several hundred pounds for a bit of a luxury unnecessary upgrade or should I still stick with what I have given it does everything I need. Also have any other tablets really overtaken the iPad? I generally prefer the Google ecosystem.
The thing to remember is unlike phones, all iPads are 90% the same device so which one you buy is largely down to how many bells and whistles you want. Your current iPad runs the same processor as the iPhone 6 did and that came out a decade ago* Any iPad you buy now is going to be a heck of an upgrade in efficiency. Your choices are:
- iPad 9. Still does the business and available from £300 refurb. Basically the same chassis as your existing model.
- iPad 10. Updated design and a few different colours if that’s your thing. The biggest difference is the addition of USB-C charging albeit USB 2.0 transfer speeds. Normally about £500.
- iPad Air M1. Has a desktop-class processor capable of running a few high end apps, notably some newer games like Death Stranding and Resi 4. Has a laminated display to reduce reflections, better colours and USB 3.0 transfer speeds. Kinda the sweet spot but pricey at £650.
- iPad Pro M2. Over the Air you’re getting a wide angle camera, a 90hz screen and a processor improvement you’ll never notice. Capable of a desktop mode and driving several external displays. Expensive at £800.
If you just want a bump over your old one the iPad 9 is probably the best computer you can buy under £400. The iPad 10 does look nicer though and USB-C charging is really convenient but is that worth an extra £200? I don’t think so. Honestly if your budget stretches to £500 then the £650 for the latest Air isn’t really that much more and you’re getting a lot more for your money. Don’t bother with the Pro line at all.
*Whilst Apple tech does keep for beyond a decade and still maintain compatibility with iCloud you do risk missing out on security updates. To solve your Chrome problem just use the YouTube app or Safari.