Is the iPad Air 2 still worth it?

Is the iPad Air 2 still worth it?

Hello, everyone! This is my very first post on MacForums and to post this was one of the reasons why I signed up. Recently, I have noticed that my iPad 2, all the way back from 2011, running 7.0.2 (I don't want to upgrade to 8.3 because it seems to slow with every update), has been struggling with frame rates in Asphalt8 and has been having trouble keeping up with my daily tasks. So I've been thinking to upgrade for several months now, but I am hesitant as the iPad Air 2 is almost eight months old. Thus, I decided to post this for advice on purchasing it.

Mainly, I will be purchasing a new iPad for the performance upgrades it will bring to the table. I will primarily be using the processing power for school work (productivity/word processing), digital artwork, watching movies, and, frequently, playing games. I don't play many graphics-intense games on my current iPad, but if I purchase a new one I will be looking to play some of the latest and greatest titles like Vain & Glory.

The Air 2 looks to be a great tablet, but I have many thoughts against buying it as well. First and foremost, it is quite old. Its successor is due in four months. The iPad that will be released in October 2015 will come with iOS 9 (which I view as a massive upgrade in terms of productivity) out of the box and will hopefully feature the A9X chip. Second, I am not sure if the Air 2 is that much of an upgrade over my current iPad 2. I mean, it has almost four times the RAM and four times as many pixels, but is it a worthy upgrade? Is the 2048 x 1536 Retina display that much better? Next, software updates. iOS 9 is about to come out, and if I wait four months I can get an iPad that is much faster and also features a better OS out of the box. I have found that over the years, with software updates, my iPad has gotten MUCH slower than it was when I first purchased it back in the good ol' days. Will the Air 2 as well? Every device is going to get slower over time, but will it last me long enough for me to enjoy it? And will Apple support software for it for long? Lastly, but definitely not leastly, there are many alternatives. I have been looking at Android rivals like the Nexus 9 and the Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet. I know that iOS is more tablet-optimized and that jumping platforms can be a hassle, but I think it might be fun to explore a new software for once. Being the tech-savvy I am, I relish new platforms and gadgets. And I love the idea of home-screen widgets and the "back" button and not having to have all of my apps on the screen. Then again, the OS definitely isn't as stable as iOS and not as many apps take advantage of that bigger screen. I have also been looking into laptops as an alternative, primarily 2-in-1s/convertibles and ultrabooks as I really appreciate the portability. A laptop is so much more productive than a tablet, yet a tablet is definitely more fun and more portable. I already have a few computers at home that I use for school work and such (being a teenager), but to have a new, more powerful laptop would be quite nice.

To the verdict. I am in the middle of an intersection of fences. I can buy the iPad Air 2. I can wait until October. I can go with an Android alternative. I can purchase a laptop instead. They all seem to be decent options, but I know there is only one best decision. Recommendations and/or advice, please? I would prefer responses from people who either own an iPad Air 2, are tech-savvies or have been a long-time Apple customer.

Firebane said:

I can buy the iPad Air 2. I can wait until October. I can go with an Android alternative. I can purchase a laptop instead.

Click to expand...

Do yourself a favor…and narrow things down.

- First decide on a tablet or laptop.
- If a tablet is the choice…then decide on an iPad or Android.

If you decide iPad…and you have your concerns about the iPad Air 2…then simply wait until the next iPad release.

- Nick

After a week of using my wife's iPad Air 2, I had to get one for myself because I just couldn't go back to using the iPad 4. I just couldn't do it. I was planning to wait for the next gen, but there's really nothing lacking about the Air 2. Sure, the next one will technically be superior, but it wasn't worth it for me to wait for it. Only you can decide if you can hold out till the next model is released. For what it's worth, iOS 9 was just announced and it is supposed to be much better tuned than iOS 8 is. There should be performance improvements for anyone who upgrades to it.

I currently have an iPad Air 1, and tend to upgrade every other release. Going from the non-Retina to Retina screens was a 'wow' event and I could never go back in that regard. You will definitely feel a big step up from your older device.

A laptop is a very different proposition from a tablet in my opinion, so they wouldn't be contending for the same purchase decision with me. Like Pigoo suggests - narrow down what you want to do with it and how portable you want to be so you can pick between the two of those.

Would I buy an Air 2 today? Maybe, if I found a good deal, wasn't already running an Air 1 and wasn't hung up on the next release due to happen soon. My Air 1 is still a fantastic bit of kit, but I'll be upgrading in October to an Air 3 if one is released. I use my iPad every day, for both work and pleasure, so it's a piece of kit I am happy to keep close to the latest releases even if not the very latest.

And one last thought - if you are looking for AAA games I believe these tend to come out more for iOS then they do for Android? iOS is a more stable and secure platform, and big developers seem to appreciate those qualities.

dbm said:

A laptop is a very different proposition from a tablet in my opinion, so they wouldn't be contending for the same purchase decision with me. Like Pigoo suggests - narrow down what you want to do with it and how portable you want to be so you can pick between the two of those...And one last thought - if you are looking for AAA games I believe these tend to come out more for iOS then they do for Android? iOS is a more stable and secure platform, and big developers seem to appreciate those qualities.

Click to expand...

I know. I'm heavily leaning to the iOS side for tablets (the OS just seems to be more optimized for that big screen). With a laptop I was looking at some of those tablet/laptop convertibles, mainly the Surface Pro 3 and the Acer Aspire R 13.

Thank you all for these great replies. I am just waiting for more responses so that I have enough to make a good decision.

Has anyone ever used both the iPad 2 and the Air 2?

Firebane said:

I know. I'm heavily leaning to the iOS side for tablets (the OS just seems to be more optimized for that big screen). With a laptop I was looking at some of those tablet/laptop convertibles, mainly the Surface Pro 3 and the Acer Aspire R 13.

Thank you all for these great replies. I am just waiting for more responses so that I have enough to make a good decision.

Has anyone ever used both the iPad 2 and the Air 2?

Click to expand...

Hello Firebane - I bought an iPad 2 in spring of 2011 and replaced it w/ an iPad Air 2 in December 2014 (Wi-Fi only; 32 vs. 64 GB) - the transition was easy - the Air 2 is thinner and much lighter (the iPad 2 felt like a brick after a day's comparison - sold online) - of course, there are many other improved specs (as you already likely know); BUT, I do like the 'fingerprint technology' and am going to enjoy the multitasking features of iOS 9 which the device can handle - don't know if you have any more specific questions, but I have no regrets w/ this hardware upgrade. Dave

I just bought an iPad Air 2. Still running the Restore via iCloud due to really slow Broadband.

However, I am very happy with it so far. Once it finishes the Restore, no doubt it will be even better

I've been super-happy with my iPad Air 2, but yes if I was in the market for one now, in August, I'd be likely to wait six weeks to see what gets announced. It will likely be just another improved iteration with all-around improved specs as the iPad Air 2 was, but unless there's something wildly compelling, my current Air 2 will run iOS 9 as well as anything else (and I'm not a hardcore gamer, particularly on the iPad), so there will likely not be any reason for me to sell and upgrade.

As noted elsewhere, the Retina display made a HUGE difference, and system operations are much faster, but you won't be standing there with your jaw on the floor or anything -- unless you stop to think about how much more battery life, graphics, and computing power they crammed into a space that's even thinner than the iPad 2!

The iPad Air 2 is vastly more powerful than the iPad 2 - when you take GPU, CPU and memory storage operations, it's around 20x faster than the iPad 2. It looks like the iPad Air 2 will have all of the features of iOS 9 enabled (it's the only iPad that will) so pretty future proof.

Having said that, if you've waited this long to upgrade your iPad 2 (my wife sports an iPad 2 as well and is still happy with it) another couple of months won't do any harm,. The next gen is bound to be a bit better.