Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. HOMEPAGE

There's one huge reason you should buy the new iPad Pro instead of the cheaper iPad Air 2

If you're looking to buy an iPad and your budget allows it, you should shell out the extra $200 and get the more expensive $600 new iPad Pro instead of the $400 iPad Air 2. 

Advertisement

I understand that people don't like to spend money on iPad upgrades. Back in November, we reported that more people use the iPad 2 (not the Air 2) than any other iPad because people felt little need to upgrade. So, forking over an extra $200 for the new iPad Pro might seem like a waste of money.

ipad pro new
Apple

Yet, you're much better off upgrading to an iPad Pro for one big reason.

The new iPad Pro will last a lot longer

While the iPad Air 2 is plenty fast for now and possibly the next few years, it won't stay that way for as long as the new iPad Pro.

The new iPad Pro will run apps faster and better — for a longer period of time — than the iPad Air 2. That's because the A9X chip in the iPad Pro is much more powerful than the A8X chip in the iPad Air 2.

Advertisement

In fact, there's a pretty significant gap in performance between Apple's A8 generation of chips and the A9. Ars Technica ran the A9X and the A8X through benchmark tests designed to test the performance of both chips, and they show the iPad Pro's chip is nearly twice as powerful. 

Apple reporter John Gruber also attested to this, saying the performance of the A9X chip in the original iPad Pro rivaled his "one-year old maxed-out MacBook Pro." 

Tech site AnandTech also ran the A9 chip through benchmark tests, and found that it utterly out-performed every other mobile chip at the time. It just goes to show how powerful the A9 generation of chips really is.

New iPad Pro
Apple

So, as a theoretical example, the iPad Air 2 could last five years before slowing down to the point that you need to upgrade and spend another $400. Meanwhile, the new iPad Pro would last you closer to eight years. So, in an eight-year period, you'd spend $600 if you go for the new iPad Pro instead of $800 for two iPads.

Advertisement

Again, totally theoretical, but you wouldn't need to upgrade as quickly if you go with the iPad Pro.

This is not to say that you must upgrade iPads at all. If your iPad still does what you want it to do perfectly well, then keep using it! But if you have an old iPad, like the iPad 2, and it takes you longer to load Netflix than actually watching a Netflix show, then you should spend the extra money and get an iPad that'll last you years and years.

Apple iPad
Advertisement
Close icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.

Jump to

  1. Main content
  2. Search
  3. Account