Hi all,

I have a received a $600 Apple gift card for my birthday to purchase a new iPad and I really cannot decide whether to get the regular iPad, or opt out for the iPad Air.

My main usage is quite basic: web browsing and Youtube/Netflix binging. I am not a gamer and do not use apps such as Procreate. Based on that, I assume that as is recommended for most users, the regular iPad should suffice for my use. I am however willing to pay extra for a better screen resolution, while shows on Netflix will look better, which is a big plus. On the other hand, the iPad Air looks sleeker and the screen might be slightly better with the liquid retina display, even though it will not be a huge jump over the regular iPad (compared to the Pro version).

Does it makes sense to get the iPad Air for my usage? I believe 64gb of storage should be just fine for me, as I am not planning to download any games. After reading and watching reviews online about the new iPad Air, I get the sense that it is simply an "upsale" model to get people to buy the iPad Pro, as Apple knows that 64gb of storage will not be enough for most users in addition to the similar shared specs with the iPad Pro. Will it possibly make sense to get the current iPad at the moment and use the remaining gift card balance for an upgrade for a newer iPad in a 3-4 year time, once the current iPad becomes sluggish? Should I just add $200 and get an iPad Pro?

I realize that this is a subjective matter, but will be glad to receive some feedback.

I got a 9th gen yesterday used it for less than30 mins and sent it back, would rather poke myself in the eye with a stick each day than use that for 3-4 years lol

You may not be as picky though. How much is a refurb 2020 11" pro where you are?
I would add $200 myself and get a M1 11" pro, easy get 4 years out of it.

Considering it’s a gift card and not cash which can be invested, I’d just get the nicer iPad now. At the rate inflation is going, whatever is left on the gift card might barely make a dent on a future iPad purchase.

Don’t be to easy with the thought that 64gb will be enough. It gets used up quicker than you think.

i have an iPad Gen 6 and an 11" iPad Pro M1
the Pro feels awful in my hands as it literally is cutting edge and i believe the Air is similarly formed.
Never had issues with my regular iPads in these regards, but i believe the 9th Gen is supposed to be the last and is getting the same shape in it's next revision too.

I'm also not a Jobs fanboy, but he was right that iPads shouldn't get larger.
Of course bigger = better, but the standard iPad has not just the better form, but also the better size to actually be held in your hands, everything bigger is compromising comfort in my opinion

i got the Pro when we got a Corona Bonus and in my calculations, it made it cost like 20 € for me as the battery of my 6th Gen was starting to show it's age and one of the recent updates has made it significantly slower.

if it wasn't for that bonus, i'd have gotten the 9th Gen with no regrets.

Based on your usage OP , the iPad Air 5 would be more than good enough for you. 64GB is honestly fine, i've got like 15 HD movies on my Ipad Air 4 with the same storage, and it hardly makes a dent in the storage. Remember the Air 5 has exactly the same performance as the Pro 11 (Both have exact same spec M1 Chip with 8 GB RAM).

Since you have store credit already, maybe shoot for the more expensive device but honestly the base iPad can do all the tasks you listed already.

Can you even keep the balance on the gift card for 3-4 years? Maybe it’s different where you are from but here in Belgium the card is usually only valid for 1 to maximum 2 years. In this case your plan to update in 3-4 years with the card wouldn’t work

As for the choice
- iPad 9 is great and will meet your needs but with $ 600 I agree with most others here and go for the Air 5 instead, which will stay updated for a long time with its M1 chip
- iPad Pro 11” is off course nicer but that device is nearing the end of a cycle most likely so i would go for that only if you can wait 3 months, and you run the risk of it becoming 100 USD more expensive when that refresh happens

Personally I would go for the Air 5. If you really like it, you may want to buy some accessories in the future like a magic keyboard or a pencil in which case you limit yourself a lot more with the iPad 9

Isengardtom said:

Can you even keep the balance on the gift card for 3-4 years? Maybe it’s different where you are from but here in Belgium the card is usually only valid for 1 to maximum 2 years. In this case your plan to update in 3-4 years with the card wouldn’t work

Side comment. If you add the gift card balance to your Apple account there should be no expiration date.

I recently had the same buying dilemma and ended up going for a 64GB Air 5. For me, the laminated display, M1 processor and jump from 3 GB to 8 GB of RAM were too much to resist.

fermer said:

...After reading and watching reviews online about the new iPad Air, I get the sense that it is simply an "upsale" model to get people to buy the iPad Pro, as Apple knows that 64gb of storage will not be enough for most users in addition to the similar shared specs with the iPad Pro. Will it possibly make sense to get the current iPad at the moment and use the remaining gift card balance for an upgrade for a newer iPad in a 3-4 year time, once the current iPad becomes sluggish? Should I just add $200 and get an iPad Pro?

Apple is an expert at encouraging people to buy slightly more expensive items. 🤣

I personally think you should get either the new 256GB Air, the refurbished 128GB Pro, or even the refurbished 256GB Air. You can also take advantage of education discount on new items. For something you will be using every day, I would not skimp now because you might upgrade in four years because that's four years of using something that you know wasn't what you wanted.

I live with 64gb on my mini, which is exclusively a device for reading and watching stuff when on the move, and it's fine. I can easily download enough movies to last a trip onto 64gb. If you think you'd be alright with that amount too, go with the Air. They're really good and easily worth the premium over the base level tbh.

I also got an Apple gift card for my birthday and am trying to decide what to do with it. I kind of want to get something cool since I can combine it with the credit I still have in my account I've been using since the beginning of the year.

AFAIK, if you add your gift card to your Apple account that balance gets used for whatever services you're subscribed to. That is what I've been doing with the credit I already had and don't want to just use the new gift card for another year of Apple Music and iCloud storage. I don't think there's a way to just use your credit/debit card to pay for your subscriptions and keep the balance in your Apple account.

I have the iPad Air 5th generation, 64 gb of storage, and I love it. I got it with the Magic Keyboard and the Pencil which really elevate the whole experience. Especially with the Keyboard, it really is like having a laptop when you want it to be, and then you just pop it out to be a tablet. With $600, I would recommend just going for the new Air. I believe you’ll be able to take advantage of the all the new features since it has the M1 (at least for iPadOS 16) and from what I know about the standard iPad, the iPad Air will overall provide a better experience. I personally think 64 gb of storage is fine for the average person unless you are downloading a ton of games or saving lots of media onto the actual device (as opposed to having it on the cloud).

Let me know if you have any questions!

Currently using a 8th gen with the smart keyboard and it's more than enough for my uses (which are probably similar to yours). While I like the look of the new Air, I don't think it's worth nearly double the asking price of the current 9th gen given that they both run all of the same applications well.

Internally the Air and up have the M1 and more ram, but I don't find myself wishing I had the extra power. The new features reserved (and previewed in OS 16) for the higher end models still feel half-baked.

It's a gift - so I think whatever you decide to get will make you and the gift giver happy

Both iPads have the same screen resolution and max brightness

For me the iPad 9 works just fine I like the new iPad Air but not ready to spend lots of money on new accessories I came from a iPad 6 so buying the 9 allowed me reuse the same accessories and save some money over all I’m happy with my iPad 9

You have a $600 gift card, it’s not even your own money, why not get the best one you can for the $600? The air seems like a no brainer for this. Plus with the M1 chip and nearly triple the ram, it’s much more future proof if you intend to keep it long term