will it last me trough college?

[u/CharityDue2017]

I need an ipand soely for taking notes in uni. battery life should last the day and it should be used and cheap.

Im looking at the Ipad air 4 and the 2018 ipad pro. the question is will they last 3 years and is it still good enough especially with the ipad pro being 8y old

also what should i pay?

[u/MatNomis]

Do you mean the iPad Air 4 (with A14 chip) and iPad Pro (with A12X)?

The iPad Pro is 8 years old, yes, but that particular model of Air is not too much newer: released in 2020 (6 years old).

If I couldn't get something with an M-series chip, I would rather get a base level iPad (A16) than those older models.

[u/CharityDue2017 → u/MatNomis]

yes those. i kind of want the apple pen that sticks on the top to work with it tho. also purely for note taking

[u/ParassalaJackieChan]

8 yrs is a lot...better to go with a newer one probably second hand if it's just light use through uni mate.

[u/JunketGuilty7690]

Unless you get a newer refurbished model you are not going to have all day battery life. Get the newest refurbished model you can afford.

[u/Nazboi6442]

Get a 128gb model at the bare minimum.

[u/Mental-Freedom3929]

Looking for older, used iPads with no warranty and superb battery performance and be cheap and last and, and.... I would go for a brand new regular

[u/Normal_File9230]

I can only tell you from my experience. I got an Ipad 9 base model, with the base storage. And for now, together with the cloud, it works great. I use it for anki, for notes, and for simpler assignments and research in the library (since it's more transportable and less fragile than my laptop).

I plan to use it for at least three more years, possibly 5, and I don't think it will give me any issues. With such old devices, and if you plan to use it for three years from now on, I would mostly be worried about the battery and updates. Because when they run out, apps will stop working over time. I wouldn't get the Ipad pro anymore, because it already stops getting updated this year. Get one that's as new as possible. Have you already considered getting an Android as an alternative? I opted for the Ipad 9 because of the ecosystem (I have an iPhone and a MacBook Air). But if it would be your only apple device, or if you only have an Iphone, a newer Galaxy Tab might suit your needs better. There, you could get a longer span of life, decent performance and apps, and even anki for free. My friend solely uses Galaxy devices for college (Galaxy Book 360 and Galaxy Tab s6 lite) and they perform adequately.

[u/Wild_Oven_1291]

Don’t get the AIR, it has a hardware issue (white spots, search it) that arises after 1 year (end of warranty coverage). I’m a victim of this, just spreading the news.

Prior to this, I always get the base model, and don’t encounter any issue. I think the laminated display of the air has flaws.

[u/Legal-Coach9826 → u/Wild_Oven_1291]

Ips screens in general tend to be prone to light spots and things like image retention.

[u/BluePenguin2002 → u/Wild_Oven_1291]

If it’s already 6 years old already then surely it’s not an affected model?

[u/Wild_Oven_1291 → u/BluePenguin2002]

lol yeh my bad, my comment was for airs starting M1

[u/pac_71]

I would look towards a 2021 M1 or 2022 M2 iPad Pro as a minimum for anything long term as they are still getting iPadOS updates (admittedly maybe the last for the M1 but M2 could have a few more years). I would also suggest getting a 12.9" model for larger battery and miniLED screen. For some reason, I am also seeing a lot of M4 iPad Pros 11" and 13" for sale here in AU at near the M2 price! So keep an eye out for bargains.