4 reasons why you should probably buy an older iPad ‣ Diverse Daily

There are legitimate reasons to want to buy a new iPad, but let’s be honest here — a major draw is owning the latest and flashiest Apple gear. It’s more exciting to pull out of the box, and for some of you, it’s a status symbol. An iPad may not be as sexy as a new iPhone or Apple Watch, perhaps, but it feels like a piece of the future, especially for those of us who grew up watching Star Trek: The Next Generation and wondered why we didn’t have handheld computers yet.

Practically speaking, you probably don’t need one of the latest models. If you don’t have an unlimited budget, you may actually be setting yourself back by choosing one, and not strictly because of the upfront hit to your bank account. That claim should make a lot more sense in a minute, if it doesn’t already. Consider browsing refurbished devices before you hit the Apple Store.

iPadOS doesn’t have enough high-powered apps

Apple’s self-imposed burden

A person looks down at an iPad with Final Cut's Live Multicam feature.

To give credit where it’s due, Apple has slowly been pulling the chains off of iPadOS. iPadOS 26 was particularly important, since it introduced a Mac-like multitasking interface with support for more flexible window placement. It also added the ability to push long processes into the background, freeing you to use other apps in the meantime.

Thing is, it took 16 years for Apple to give the iPad features that were already available on Mac and Windows computers. Even today, iPadOS is still unreasonably restricted for something that’s supposed to be a potential laptop replacement. The software is heavily sandboxed, which means that a lot of interactions are impossible unless they’re channeled through Apple-sanctioned frameworks. You can’t customize iPadOS the same way you would macOS or Windows, because that would require a level of OS access Apple doesn’t feel comfortable with. The company can be obsessed with security and ecosystem control to a fault.

Because developers often have to turn elsewhere to realize their visions, you won’t find a huge app catalog of titles that really exploit Apple’s hardware.

You can get serious work done on an iPad, and play a few high-caliber games. But because developers often have to turn elsewhere to realize their visions, you won’t find a huge app catalog of titles that really exploit the latest specs. You don’t need an M5 iPad Pro to run Final Cut, Logic, or Photoshop, much less play Stardew Valley or browse the web in Chrome.

Apple’s processors are hyperoptimized

A- and M-series chips are holding their own

Apple has always designed its own iPad processors. In fact, the 2010 iPad was based on Apple’s first-ever in-house chip, the A4. The Air and Pro would eventually go on to adopt the same M-series processors found in Macs.

When you can design a processor for your software and vice versa, the results are optimization on a level most companies can only dream of. Despite the fact that my 2020 iPad Pro is based on the outdated A12Z processor, for example, it’s still keeping up with most apps if they don’t require Apple Intelligence or heavy 3D rendering. My wife’s 2022 entry-level iPad is surprisingly zippy.

M-series chips are almost grotesquely overpowered for the iPad app catalog. Even the M1 can handle just about anything you throw at it, including a lot of graphics-heavy apps like Final Cut. You might still want to upgrade to a newer tablet if your work depends on speed, but for the average person, owning an M4 or M5 iPad is like driving a Porsche to pick up groceries or drop your child off at school.

The savings can be spent on apps and accessories

Focus on what you want to do, not just horsepower

Too often, people focus so much on the core product they’re after that they forget they need add-ons to make it worthwhile. One of my favorite hobbies is riding EUCs, and you’d be surprised at the number of newcomers who budget for a wheel, but not wrist guards or a full-face helmet.

You can do a lot with a naked iPad, but if you’re willing to buy an older model, you may be able to afford accessories that expand its practicality. Simply buying a keyboard case with a trackpad or mouse can make your tablet feel a lot more like a full-fledged computer, owing to extra precision and faster typing. You don’t have to go with Apple’s overpriced Magic Keyboard, either — there are plenty of alternatives from companies like Logitech and ESR.

For many of you, the question is probably whether it’s worth buying a stylus, from Apple or otherwise. I’ve never needed one myself, but you should definitely get one if you’re into illustration, handwritten notes, or photo or video editing. Be careful about compatibility — the Apple Pencil Pro won’t work with every iPad.

Don’t forget about apps and subscription services. Often, paid apps have more functionality than their free counterparts, so it’s worth investing in them to get the most out of your hardware. Read reviews, and veer towards apps with a one-time fee, particularly when it comes to gaming. Most “free-to-play” games are really meant to milk you for microtransactions, whereas you can pay $10 once for Balatro and get hundreds of hours of uninterrupted fun.

Tablets aren’t as vital as you might think they are

With apologies to pilots and nurses

Swipe to undo in Apple Notes for the iPad.

For some work purposes, tablets can be indispensable. One of the first groups to adopt the iPad en masse was pilots — commercial pilots used to lug around huge bags full of maps and charts, but found they were suddenly able to squeeze all that into a single, much lighter package. You’ve probably seen any number of iPads used as point-of-sale or kiosk devices, and nurses will sometimes use iPads to make doing the rounds easier.

About the only people I can unequivocally recommend an iPad to these days are the ones who want a casual couch or travel device.

For other purposes though, an iPad may not be as relevant as it used to be. Smartphones have become larger and more powerful, making them reasonable choices for reading, video, or light work tasks, particularly if you’ve got a foldable model. Laptops, meanwhile, have become lighter while continuing to offer superior performance and control over other form factors. Heck, if your main interest is portable gaming, you’re probably better off buying a Steam Deck, Switch 2, or ROG Ally X. Apple has never treated gaming as a high priority, which is why the App Store is polluted by so many low-effort puzzle and action games.

Before you buy any iPad, it’s important to analyze your use cases. If you don’t have a specific app or task that demands a tablet, you may be better off with another device, especially if it’s multipurpose. Indeed, about the only people I can unequivocally recommend an iPad to these days are the ones who want a casual couch or travel device and have the budget for something with a bigger screen, and they have no incentive to spend on cutting-edge specs.