Thinking about an iPad...

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jbltecnicspro

[H]F Junkie
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Aug 18, 2006
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Howdy y'all,

I'm thinking about getting an iPad. While I'm clued in on what's what with iPhone models, I'm a little shaky on the iPads. Basically, I need something that's bigger than an iPhone Plus that watches Youtube, plus whatever streaming services I have (Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, Netflix). What would be my least expensive entry into getting this? I won't be surfing the net (other than Youtube), and other than video streaming, the only thing I'll realistically use it for is keeping a calendar and that's probably it.

I noticed that the cheapest iPad (sans case) is $329. Surely I can go a couple of generations back and get a decent used one that can get me all of the above?

Any insight on this would be very helpful. Thanks guys.
 
You probably can get something older. But there big caution is that Apple didn't release certain iPad models for generations, meaning the previous gen ones are outdated by quite a bit in comparison to others.
Some "bombs" as an example are the iPad Mini 4, current gen 5. There was nearly a 5 year gap between the two models. There was also an even larger gap between the iPad Air 2 and 3 (the iPad Air line was essentially discontinued until they decided to bring the moniker back).

The current gen "regular" iPad (gen 7) is really a 3 year old device as it is. It features an A10 chip, which is why it's cheap in comparison with the iPad Air which has a much more modern A12. Current gen processors in phones are A13.

If you can find a 6th "iPad" (2018) on fire sale or used you might be able to grab one of those for cheap, which also is using an A10 chip. It has a slightly smaller display and doesn't have the ability to use expandable storage. You can read all the differences here: https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/ipad-7-vs-ipad-6-3937399
I'd also keep checking Slickdeals. There had some insane deals even recently. 6th gen iPads at around $160 and 7th gens for $240. You can check to see what's on sale now and what is "expired" over there: https://slickdeals.net/newsearch.php?src=SearchBarV2&q=ipad&searcharea=deals&searchin=first
 
One of the questions you should ask yourself is: What size do you want? For me the iPad mini was just right for consuming content while laying in bed. Holding up an iPad2(I know they have gotten smaller and lighter) was just too much. For me the mini is the right size of portability and size.

You can keep an eye out on the Apple site for refurbished items. They come with the same accessories, the same 1 year Apple warranty and I think you can even put AppleCare on them if you want. Looks like the best deal currently is the iPad(6th gen) 32GB for $249.

https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished
 
dont go older than a 6th gen. they are starting to faze out the older stuff and are dropping support left and right. get a refurb like mentioned above^
 
FWIW - I have the mini 4 128gb cellular. Still feels pretty snappy for the most part. There are times where I do feel some slowdown, but for Youtube, Streaming, Plex, web browsing and touchscreen display/navigation for my truck, I really don't currently see a need to upgrade.
 
Thanks guys. iPad 6 it will probably be. I appreciate the explanation in the gaps between the generations. I didn't know it was so drastic (as opposed to the iPhones).
 
jbltecnicspro said:
Thanks guys. iPad 6 it will probably be. I appreciate the explanation in the gaps between the generations. I didn't know it was so drastic (as opposed to the iPhones).
Click to expand...

I did some more looking and Best Buy has 7th Gen iPad 32GB for $279 right now. So for $30 more than the refurb price, you can get the latest gen.
 
I wouldn't get used. You say you won't be doing web browsing but once you get one, you probably will. They are so convenient.
 
I'd get an open box at either Best Buy or if you're lucky and have a Microcenter around you.
 
Hello guys,

I take this opportunity to ask you what would be the the best Android tablet(in terms of performances in comparison with an iPad Pro)
 
Vyrelys said:
Hello guys,

I take this opportunity to ask you what would be the the best Android tablet(in terms of performances in comparison with an iPad Pro)
Click to expand...

In terms of sheer performance? Maybe the Galaxy Tab S6, but the CPU in the iPad Pro still tends to outperform the Snapdragon 855.

And to correct what ng4ever said: the iPad Pro rocks full stop... you don't need to jailbreak it.
 
There hasn't been an Android tablet that comes even close in terms of performance. Apple with their in-house designed A series of processors have more or less doubled the performance of their Android counterparts in phones.
The A"X" series of processors are even more performance oriented with expanded GPU and CPU capabilities just for iPad Pro.

So I say this to say there isn't a replacement on the Android side for an iPad Pro, at least not anywhere close in terms of speed. There isn't a single Android tablet that I know of that is capable of editing 4k video buttery smooth. I realize that's one metric, but video editing is incredible intensive on basically every part of the system.
On the other hand though, most people don't need this level of power. The iPad Pro is in fact faster than most consumer grade laptops (things without gamer or pro level discrete GPUs), which is one of the reasons why it costs what it costs. If you don't need a tablet to perform these kinds of tasks, simply get a different tablet and save your money.
 
UnknownSouljer said:
There hasn't been an Android tablet that comes even close in terms of performance. Apple with their in-house designed A series of processors have more or less doubled the performance of their Android counterparts in phones.
The A"X" series of processors are even more performance oriented with expanded GPU and CPU capabilities.

There isn't a replacement on the Android side for an iPad Pro. There isn't a single Android tablet that I know of that is capable of editing 4k video buttery smooth. I realize that's one metric, but video editing is incredible intensive on basically every part of the system.
On the other hand though, most people don't need this level of power. The iPad Pro is in fact faster than most consumer grade laptops (things without gamer or pro level discrete GPUs), which is one of the reasons why it costs what it costs. If you don't need a tablet to perform these kinds of tasks, simply get a different tablet and save your money.
Click to expand...
hence the "Pro".
 
pendragon1 said:
hence the "Pro".
Click to expand...
Right. But for better or worse the designation “Pro” in the consumer space has just become "faster", "better", or sometimes "more durable" in some way. Explaining the difference in this case I think is very relevant. In this case “Pro” actually has pro capabilities. But that isn’t always true when saying “pro” and that may not be clear considering that the iPad line in general has an excessively high amount of options.

I think most people that are looking for a "higher end" content consumption device: iPad Air 3 or iPad Mini 5 is the way to go. But there isn't really even a counterpart for either on the Android side. Now there is just the Tab S6 and the Tab A and that's about it.
 
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I've been using my iPad Pro 11" + Magic keyboard as a laptop replacement for about six months and am pleasantly surprised at how well it's worked for me. That being said, I wouldn't recommend it if content consumption was your primary purpose. It's great but seriously overqualified for content-only use. I bought my mom the new Mini 5. She loves it for streaming Netflix/Amazon Prime and web browsing/email.

I tried the Samsung S6. It's a decent tablet, but really can't compete with the higher end iPads. For content consumption, the S2 is still a capable Android tablet with a great screen and microSD storage.

Samsung Tab S2 9.7"
 
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