iPad advice

[IndyColtsFan]

So, I'm pretty sure I know what people are going to say, but I wanted to post anyway. I think it's time to upgrade my iPad Air 2, as it is getting a little slow to be my primary tablet. I had preordered the new 2019 iPad Air from Apple, but cancelled it when I remembered that Amazon has a deal with Apple to sell their products and since I have an Amazon Rewards card, I didn't want to pass that 5% reward up.

Anyway, between the time I cancelled my Apple order and prior to placing my preorder with Amazon, I've done a lot of research. Many people are of the opinion that the best deal right now is the 2017 10.5" iPad Pro, and with the memory capacity I want (256 GB), it is the same price as the new Air.

Advantages of the Pro:
-Promotion screen
-4 speakers
-Better rear camera (not important to me)
-Much better GPU
-4 GB of RAM (vs 3 GB for the Air)

Advantages of the Air:
-A12 CPU vs the Pro's A10X CPU
-Newer product

I am a heavy tablet user and typically have it with me all day. Use cases:
-Email
-Heavy web surfing
-Reading (Nat Geo, etc)
-Movies/shows/media
-It is my primary device while traveling
-I could possibly see getting an Apple Pencil to dabble with in the future

On paper, the Pro does look better, but I fear that since it is already 2 years old and does have the older and slower CPU, I'll feel its age sooner and Apple will also stop updates sooner. Of course, on the other hand, I use iPads for 3 to 4 years and I am pretty sure both devices will have support that long.

Opinions? Or should I just bite the bullet and get the best of all worlds by spending $275 more and getting the 11" Pro? I don't think my use case really justifies the 11" Pro at its current price tag but I know there have already been large sales on it so if folks think it is worth it, I could see maybe waiting for another sale in a few months. What annoys me is that for the price of the new Pro, they should throw in a pencil and I'm still a little concerned about a bent tablet being a possibility.

 

[TheStu]

I have the 2nd generation 12.9 Pro that I use for podcast recording and editing, video streaming, some gaming, web browsing... it's basically my laptop. There's barely anything that pushes it to the limit currently and the 10.5" Pro is the same hardware. So I'd say that's probably a safe bet. Remember that the new Pros use the newer, more expensive pencil, so if you're planning on getting one of those as well, add that to your cost differential.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I ordered the 10.5” Pro earlier this evening. I couldn’t justify the 11” and I think the hardware on the 10.5” Pro is generally better than the Air 3, outside of the CPU.

 

[TheStu]

I ordered the 10.5” Pro earlier this evening. I couldn’t justify the 11” and I think the hardware on the 10.5” Pro is generally better than the Air 3, outside of the CPU.

I'd agree on that point. When my Air 2 is finally ready to give up the ghost, I'll likely replace it with a used 10.5" Pro.

 

[Midwayman]

I got a gen 2 12.9 pro a month or two ago an am pretty happy with it. The 10x is pretty much an a11ish, so you're not giving up a ton of CPU. The pros do have nicer screens and audio plus there are a million cases etc out already at good discounts. I'm not sure if the 2019 has the keyboard connector either if that's important. I'd say at a similar price the 2017 pros are still a better deal. I got a 12.9 512gb with cell and a smart keyboard for $600.

FWIW if you do want a smart keyboard (since you got a pro) it tends to fall over a lot if not on a hard surface. The logitech one is better designed, or there are numerous bluetooth keyboard cases. The keyboard does get in the way of just using it like a tablet due to weight though. I did find a kinda cool solution. I got a smart keyboard with mine and then found that UAG makes a case that the front cover pops off and you can replace it with the smart keyboard. So if you know you'll be typing a lot you can pop the keyboard on or leave it in your bag/at home when you want to use it as a tablet. Or course if I had it to do over I'd probably just buy a case without any keyboard concerns and buy a cheap standalone bluetooth keyboard for when I wanted to travel with one.