iPad Buyers Guide: How to Pick the Right iPad

Understanding what second-hand iPad you’re purchasing can be confusing. You know what colour and size you want, but software support is an equally significant factor that you could be completely unaware of. We’ve created a handy guide to help you decide precisely what iPad you should purchase.

Apple has four ranges of iPad with different performance, screen sizes, and storage. The amount you spend on your used iPad will directly correlate to the age of the iPad and performance. Selecting the correct range will mean you can afford a much newer iPad, and money isn’t spent on unnecessary performance.

Something to note is the iPad 4 and older do not support the latest iOS, which could cause some incompatibilities with some apps. However, unless you want it for something like online banking, they are heavily discounted with the lack of iOS support. They’re a great bargain if the iOS version is not essential to you.

If you don’t play games, store photos and videos or other similar tasks, you won’t need anything more than 32GB. If your iPad is more of a portable TV to you, 16GB of storage is plenty as you’re not storing a lot on the device. On the other hand, if you do plan on using the iPad for those tasks, 32GB is a recommended minimum as you’ll have to keep deleting apps or photos and videos on a 16GB model.

We’ve broken each range down into their most important points. Take into consideration what is most important to you then look at the models in each range to find the right iPad. You could look further into each model and each itteration but we recommend finding the right range then spending as much as your budget permits on the newst model in that range you can afford. Differences between models are generally small and are normally performance, battery and screen quality related.

iPad

• The original iPad
• Entry-level performance
• Standard screen size
• Great value for money
• Older models much cheaper if at risk of breaking

iPad Mini

• Much smaller screen
• Highly portable and light
• Entry-level performance
• Great for travelling with and for young children

iPad Air

• Mid-level performance
• Great for light video editing and photo editing
• Better gaming ability
• Standard Screen Size

iPad Pro

• High-level performance
• Designed for professional use
• Range of screen sizes
• Expensive

If you’re still unsure what iPad is right for you, ask our team! We’re available on our live chat or give us a call, and we will happily point you in the right direction.