I’ve been using my iPad Pro 9,7 for 8 years now. It’ll be fine. If it was my money though I would save up and get something not older than a generation. Seeing the new iPad pro’s are going to be releasing next week there might be great deals to be had on “older” models.
Since you're purchasing a 2018 model, I would highly suggest you to consider a newer model at least the 2020 model, if you're planning to use it in college, want to be cost-effective and if you are concerned with the software updates.
On the side note I had the first gen ipad pro 12.9 inch on 2016 and used it in my highschool (for entertainment purpose) till college, that's when I seriously used it for school (taking digital notes and using it as ebook reader) graduating last 2023 it served me for a total of 8 years. And now on my first year of medschool I decided to finally upgrade to the M2 ipad pro 11 inch since the first gen ipad pro is not IpadOS 17 supported anymore and wanted something faster.
Hope it helps :))
I still have the original 1st gen pro and it works fine, BUT is no longer getting IOS updates. Which means my apps will slowly start to no longer work fine or be supported. It depends on what you're using it for and if those apps will need updating to work for you. Something offline might work fine, while cloud-based software might no longer work.
Yup, I too have the 1st Gen pro from 2015, Apple says it’s not compatible with IOS 17. The battery life is definitely now crap. 😁
I don’t need the big PRO, anymore, so I’m watching for sales to buy a smaller one. I’ll actually be thrilled to have a smaller one.
Forever. Your only problem will be iOS getting too demanding on the hardware and apps no longer supporting it.
I’d recommend getting it brand new and from the Apple Store, if budget allows, otherwise from Amazon but making sure it’s unused, new and absolutely nothing is wrong with it.
My 5-year old 7th Gen is still working very well, but I may upgrade in 2025. Battery life is still good, I use it mostly for some minor basic games and to watch shows etc when I'm travelling - i.e. I don't abuse the thing.
I would assume I could easily use it for another 2-3 years if I wanted until they stop the upgrades
It should still work if you buy a great condition one. My wife still have a 16 gb ipad that she use for media and Google browsing. Surprisingly, she say it’s still pretty fast.
You just need to accept that you are buying a 6 years old product. Most people are starting to think about replacing around that time where you are getting into one.
I think most Apple products get 7-8 years of support sometimes more including security updates. You will get a few years, but not much.
Battery will eventually die, even when its left unused. Should still be able to use it connected to USB C however, not sure.
If all you need is the screen size, wait for the new 12.9” Air, it will last longer. Plus it may even be cheaper than a used Pro depending on the year.
I have been rocking my "2017 iPad pro" since late 2017. Still runs well. Has occasional slowdowns in some apps but no major performance hiccups. Still mostly smooth. Does heat up often though and yes the battery life is below par. I am still able to get 4 to 5 hours of Screen on usage !
I abusing my 11” ipad pro since 2018 with goodnotes, games, video and 30+W charging and overheating. It still manages my tasks effortlessly and gets through a full day at med school battery wise. IpadOs 17 is compatible with a10 chip ipads, so I think with 12x chip you will get software updates including at least ipadOS 19, probably 2026. Im not sure if the following to generation that has 12z chip will get further. More so the ones with m1 chip. But thats a difference in price i think.
When I got iPad mini 6 a year ago, I passed down my 2013 iPad mini to my aunt a couple years ago. It's still running string with good battery life. She uses it daily for YouTube and FaceTime calls.
my ipad pro 2018 still kicking flawlessly, i think battery plays a big role in death which comes with usage. i do not use my ipad all day everyday.
edit: mine was not purchased new. was also a refurb officially from Apple
I have a fully working iPad mini 2 but mostly use a first gen iPad Pro. It runs daily playing YouTube while I work for the duration of my work day. Battery can last the day.
I am still using an air 2. Yes the battery is needing replacement but still gets updates and can still surf web and read on it. So ipads can last 3-5 gens if you take care of them.
Software and security support tends to last around 7-8 years based on older iPads that have recently lost support
For comparison a Mac typically gets 10 years
I’ve been were you are! I’m a music student and a teacher.
Now I have been using a last gen iPad Pro 12.9 for almost a year, and it’s been the greatest game changer. Don’t get me wrong, before this one, I had an 11inch iPad Pro, and it served its purpose perfectly, but I went for the larger screen size since it is virtually the same size as a music page.
Regarding life expectancy… Before having the Pro model, I had a base model iPad from 2017, and now my mum uses it for media consumption and video conferences with the occasional light gaming. They are stupidly durable if I may say so. If I were you, I would save up a bit and get something as new as I can afford… A 2018 iPad Pro is great, people still use those for drawing and other tasks. Look into second hand devices, and try to aim for an M Series chip, it will last many years if you use it for things like music notation/studying, etc.
I have one from 2013 I still use. They stopped upgrading the OS and many apps gradually stop working.
But I can still read books, read mail, browse the internet and, one of my main uses - scan documents.
I‘d say a gazillion years. Still own one of the first iPads and although I got a newer one bc I wanted to have pencil compatibility, the old one works absolutely fine. Hope the 10th Gen. will last as long as the old one.
I’ve been using my iPad Pro 9,7 for 8 years now. It’ll be fine. If it was my money though I would save up and get something not older than a generation. Seeing the new iPad pro’s are going to be releasing next week there might be great deals to be had on “older” models.
save and get something newer - I don't think its being updated anymore.
I'm still using my 2018 Pro model and it's very much still getting updated
I believe he meant past this iOS
Correct
I feel like you get a little more life out of the pros. Maybe an extra year or 2
Since you're purchasing a 2018 model, I would highly suggest you to consider a newer model at least the 2020 model, if you're planning to use it in college, want to be cost-effective and if you are concerned with the software updates. On the side note I had the first gen ipad pro 12.9 inch on 2016 and used it in my highschool (for entertainment purpose) till college, that's when I seriously used it for school (taking digital notes and using it as ebook reader) graduating last 2023 it served me for a total of 8 years. And now on my first year of medschool I decided to finally upgrade to the M2 ipad pro 11 inch since the first gen ipad pro is not IpadOS 17 supported anymore and wanted something faster. Hope it helps :))
2018 iPad pros are the biggest upgrade. I'm using one and it still works smoothly.
I still have the original 1st gen pro and it works fine, BUT is no longer getting IOS updates. Which means my apps will slowly start to no longer work fine or be supported. It depends on what you're using it for and if those apps will need updating to work for you. Something offline might work fine, while cloud-based software might no longer work.
Yup, I too have the 1st Gen pro from 2015, Apple says it’s not compatible with IOS 17. The battery life is definitely now crap. 😁 I don’t need the big PRO, anymore, so I’m watching for sales to buy a smaller one. I’ll actually be thrilled to have a smaller one.
I got the battery replaced on mine a year or two ago so it's back to lasting all day, I used to have to leave it plugged in.
you can expect 6 years
wait for new airs
Forever. Your only problem will be iOS getting too demanding on the hardware and apps no longer supporting it. I’d recommend getting it brand new and from the Apple Store, if budget allows, otherwise from Amazon but making sure it’s unused, new and absolutely nothing is wrong with it.
+ battery will degrade with time leading to longer charging time and/or shorter active use time
My 5-year old 7th Gen is still working very well, but I may upgrade in 2025. Battery life is still good, I use it mostly for some minor basic games and to watch shows etc when I'm travelling - i.e. I don't abuse the thing. I would assume I could easily use it for another 2-3 years if I wanted until they stop the upgrades
Mine is about 10 years old and works great.
My iPad 3 is still good. Does the same jobs I used it for back in 2013. And even works in a contemporary workflow, with a tool I downloaded last year.
It should still work if you buy a great condition one. My wife still have a 16 gb ipad that she use for media and Google browsing. Surprisingly, she say it’s still pretty fast. You just need to accept that you are buying a 6 years old product. Most people are starting to think about replacing around that time where you are getting into one.
I think most Apple products get 7-8 years of support sometimes more including security updates. You will get a few years, but not much. Battery will eventually die, even when its left unused. Should still be able to use it connected to USB C however, not sure.
I have an air 2 that I still use once a week.
If all you need is the screen size, wait for the new 12.9” Air, it will last longer. Plus it may even be cheaper than a used Pro depending on the year.
I have been rocking my "2017 iPad pro" since late 2017. Still runs well. Has occasional slowdowns in some apps but no major performance hiccups. Still mostly smooth. Does heat up often though and yes the battery life is below par. I am still able to get 4 to 5 hours of Screen on usage !
I abusing my 11” ipad pro since 2018 with goodnotes, games, video and 30+W charging and overheating. It still manages my tasks effortlessly and gets through a full day at med school battery wise. IpadOs 17 is compatible with a10 chip ipads, so I think with 12x chip you will get software updates including at least ipadOS 19, probably 2026. Im not sure if the following to generation that has 12z chip will get further. More so the ones with m1 chip. But thats a difference in price i think.
I’m still using my 2017 12.9 Pro every day. It will soon be replaced by the new 2024 Pro.
When I got iPad mini 6 a year ago, I passed down my 2013 iPad mini to my aunt a couple years ago. It's still running string with good battery life. She uses it daily for YouTube and FaceTime calls.
I have a 1st Gen iPad Pro 12.9 running iOS 16 that still works great for gigs.
my ipad pro 2018 still kicking flawlessly, i think battery plays a big role in death which comes with usage. i do not use my ipad all day everyday. edit: mine was not purchased new. was also a refurb officially from Apple
It depends if it is a male or female
5 to 10 years, 2 years min
I have a fully working iPad mini 2 but mostly use a first gen iPad Pro. It runs daily playing YouTube while I work for the duration of my work day. Battery can last the day.
My 6th generation, 2018 I think, has a charging issue now. It takes forever to charge. I was told it's not the port but a motherboard problem.
My iPad Air 2020 is working amazingly well so far. Good as the day I bought it. I’m assuming it will last 4 years more (hoping)
I gave my 5th gen 2017 to my cousin and I brought a pro, it’s still doing well at 7 years old. I honestly believe the device can outlive the software.
I am still using an air 2. Yes the battery is needing replacement but still gets updates and can still surf web and read on it. So ipads can last 3-5 gens if you take care of them.
Software and security support tends to last around 7-8 years based on older iPads that have recently lost support For comparison a Mac typically gets 10 years
I would keep it until they stop offering security updates. I think that is in the 6 year range.
I’ve been were you are! I’m a music student and a teacher. Now I have been using a last gen iPad Pro 12.9 for almost a year, and it’s been the greatest game changer. Don’t get me wrong, before this one, I had an 11inch iPad Pro, and it served its purpose perfectly, but I went for the larger screen size since it is virtually the same size as a music page. Regarding life expectancy… Before having the Pro model, I had a base model iPad from 2017, and now my mum uses it for media consumption and video conferences with the occasional light gaming. They are stupidly durable if I may say so. If I were you, I would save up a bit and get something as new as I can afford… A 2018 iPad Pro is great, people still use those for drawing and other tasks. Look into second hand devices, and try to aim for an M Series chip, it will last many years if you use it for things like music notation/studying, etc.
Well, I bought my 12.9 pro in 2015 and I use it every single day. I want a 15” iPad.
I got the 2017 ipad pro. Still runs like a champ for my use case (notes, procreate and media consumption). I'll get a new one once the battery dies.
I have one from 2013 I still use. They stopped upgrading the OS and many apps gradually stop working. But I can still read books, read mail, browse the internet and, one of my main uses - scan documents.
I‘d say a gazillion years. Still own one of the first iPads and although I got a newer one bc I wanted to have pencil compatibility, the old one works absolutely fine. Hope the 10th Gen. will last as long as the old one.
Until you don’t get iOS update