Is it worth buying brand new ipad 2 at a big discount?

Hi all, I'm new here and I do apologise if this has come up earlier but I couldn't seem to find an answer to my question.

Basically I am from Malta, Europe and the ipad 2 here is 500 euro (16g wifi) .. A mate of mine is in New York on holiday and can get me the same ipad from best buy at 450 dollars which at the current exchange rate, brings the price down to 335 euro - a total saving of 165 euro for a brand new ipad 2.

Now obviously i know that in a matter of weeks, we will be seeing the new ipad 3 with all its tech and beauty but would the money saving be enough to sway towards getting an ipad 2?

Or is the 165 euros worth the extra cash in getting the ipad 3 (and waiting a month or two until it reaches Malta's shores as we do not have a dedicated apple store here)

Many thanks for any replies I receive in advance

Lee2307

1. Who knows what the iPad 3 will bring. The speculation machine is in full swing but, as the name implies, it's only conjecture at this point.
2. There's nothing inherently wrong with the iPad 2 if it meets your needs.
3. Who's to say that an iPad 3 will be out soon? Again, the speculation machine is working its magic. It's likely a refresh is coming but nothing is guaranteed in life (where did that iPod Touch 5th gen go?).

So, I suppose my suggestion would be to buy it now if it meets your needs. You won't be able to get the iPad 3 at that price for quite some time (given what you've told us) so go for it if you like it.

lee2307 said:

Now obviously i know that in a matter of weeks, we will be seeing the new ipad 3 with all its tech and beauty but would the money saving be enough to sway towards getting an ipad 2?

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We have no solid info to know what the iPad 3's features will be...or what the iPad 3's price will be...so it's pretty difficult to say.

Wait until next week (Apple's expected announcement March 7th) when we hopefully will have more definite iPad 3 info.

- Nick

Thanks for your quick replies lads - I have no problem at all with waiting, 1 week is nothing and in any other situation when its related to tech, I would always be patient, but my mate will be back from New York on Thursday.. As I had said, in Malta, we dont even have an Apple store so we won't see an ipad 3 (IF it even gets released in the coming weeks) for a couple of months at least and at the full 500 euro price with a definite waiting list. Just pondering my options and going to see a few more replies and decide whether the 165 euro saving is substantial enough for me to make the plunge cheers!

Here's the thing with asking "should I wait." We cant answer them.

The moment there were rumors about the iPad 2, all these questions flooded in. I mean, within weeks of the iPad 1 being released, people were asking "should I wait."

No one will ever win the "I have the latest" race because the next version is around the corner anyway.

If you want an iPad, buy an iPad. If you want to wait until the next, wait. There will be another version after the iPad 3 as well, are you going to wait until the 4?

lee2307 said:

Thanks for your quick replies lads - I have no problem at all with waiting, 1 week is nothing and in any other situation when its related to tech, I would always be patient, but my mate will be back from New York on Thursday.. As I had said, in Malta, we dont even have an Apple store so we won't see an ipad 3 (IF it even gets released in the coming weeks) for a couple of months at least and at the full 500 euro price with a definite waiting list. Just pondering my options and going to see a few more replies and decide whether the 165 euro saving is substantial enough for me to make the plunge cheers!

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The iPad 2 is a pretty decent unit...and at the savings you mentioned...I would go for it. Why?...I'm guessing that iPad 2 prices probably won't be reduced by 165 euro after the iPad 3 is announced...so I say go for it!

I would add two "watchouts":

1. Make sure an iPad 2 purchased in the US doesn't have any compatibility problems in Malta.
2. Make sure your friend won't get stuck paying any high import duties, taxes, or VAT, etc. when entering Malta customs. Otherwise this could push the final price close to what you would have paid for a "Malta" iPad 2.
- Nick

pigoo3 said:

1. Make sure an iPad 2 purchased in the US doesn't have any compatibility problems in Malta.
2. Make sure your friend won't get stuck paying any high import duties, taxes, or VAT, etc. when entering Malta customs. Otherwise this could push the final price close to what you would have paid for a "Malta" iPad 2.
- Nick

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Both very valid points. Make sure that you don't have any geographic specific requirements (even things as simple as outlets for charging). Second, watch the import taxes. I'm not familiar with Maltese customs so you'll want to check up on that first.

vansmith said:

Both very valid points. Make sure that you don't have any geographic specific requirements (even things as simple as outlets for charging).

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Yeah...the things I was thinking about were:

1. Charging adapter issues.
2. Voltage issues.
3. If a 3G unit was purchased...then cell signal/supplier issues.

- Nick

In regards to the Taxation laws - If my mate opens the box and takes the ipad out and has it as if its his - he shouldnt be made to pay the tax should he? It could simply be his own ipad travelling from one country to the other.

Also the power outlets are different yes, but I could simply buy an american to english (malta uses england based power outlets) adapter to get around this (plus i already own an array of apple products and have the ipod usb to plug adapter)

Lastly - I do understand the whole "once ipad 3 is out ipad 4 is round the corner and not to wait" idea - i've been through it many a time with this company, most recently with my macbook pro late 2011 purchase.

Was just wondering if the amount of money i'd be saving would be substantial enough to make me not regret the purchase once the 3 comes out.

Many thanks for all your very quick and great replies! you've all be great help! and thanks to anyone else who comment after this post

Cheers!

Lee

lee2307 said:

In regards to the Taxation laws - If my mate opens the box and takes the ipad out and has it as if its his - he shouldnt be made to pay the tax should he? It could simply be his own ipad travelling from one country to the other.

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That's deceptive so we won't be answering that one.

lee2307 said:

Was just wondering if the amount of money i'd be saving would be substantial enough to make me not regret the purchase once the 3 comes out.

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As I said, without knowing what the iPad 3 will bring, it's hard to tell (plus, I'm also not you so I can't tell you how you'll respond).

lee2307 said:

Was just wondering if the amount of money i'd be saving would be substantial enough to make me not regret the purchase once the 3 comes out.

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If this detail is still part of the decision...then as mentioned before...we cannot predict the future...since we do not know exactly what improvements Apple has in store for the iPad 3...or what the prices of the various iPad 3 models will be.

This is like asking do I know where the stock price of a particular company will be in 2 weeks, 2 month, or 2 years. If I knew that the stock price was going to increase...then I would invest all the money I had today in that stock! But I don't know where the stock price will be in the future (that's called "risk")...and that's why I wouldn't invest every penny I have in that company today.

- Nick

lee2307 said:

In regards to the Taxation laws - If my mate opens the box and takes the ipad out and has it as if its his - he shouldnt be made to pay the tax should he? It could simply be his own ipad travelling from one country to the other.

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How much time is he willing to spend in a Maltese jail if he's caught? How big would the fine be (in addition to the iPad being comfiscated of course)? How much of a fine would YOU be subject to?

If you really think the Maltese custom people are so stupid that they wouldn't detect that ... I'm sure nobody else has ever tried such a thing ... (rolls eyes)

Long story short: besides being illegal, it's just not worth the risk. You're already saving a hefty amount off the Maltese price ... don't get greedy!

Also the power outlets are different yes, but I could simply buy an american to english (malta uses england based power outlets) adapter to get around this (plus i already own an array of apple products and have the ipod usb to plug adapter)

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A simple plug adapter should be all that's required.

Was just wondering if the amount of money i'd be saving would be substantial enough to make me not regret the purchase once the 3 comes out.

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Impossible to say since we don't know what the iPad 3 will include, but from a pure price perspective I would say the savings will be worth it in the short term.

Just get one, you know you want to

All I can say is that I really enjoy my iPad2. However if I could afford an iPad every year I probably would.

I say go with the deal. I'm currently living Qatar and when iPads first come out they are 4000 riyals for like the first 6 months and then the price drops soon after that. It is almost a years since it came out and I just brought my first iPad. The iPad 2 is super fast and sleek. I think the iPad 2 will be able to handled whatever update they have in the future.

And we do not know how different the iPad 3 will be from iPad 2.


Better to save money.

Well I hope you waited because Apple has dropped the price on the iPad 2 to $399 U.S., with the release of the new iPad today. Not sure how that factors in, but I always say a new anything from Apple is better than any other source at the same price.

kentsb said:

Not sure how that factors in, but I always say a new anything from Apple is better than any other source at the same price.

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That's not always the case (the 20th anniversary Mac might be an exception here given it's much higher than needed price).