Is the iPad Mini 2 Still Worth Buying?

Is the iPad Mini 2 Still Worth Buying? is a post by Craig Lloyd from Gotta Be Mobile.

The iPad mini 2 is a last-generation tablet, but is it still worth buying in today’s market?

The iPad mini 3 is Apple’s latest slate that consumers can buy, but it barely received an upgrade when it was introduced late last year, only arriving with a Touch ID fingerprint sensor and a new gold color option. It was perhaps Apple’s most lackluster new product ever.

Of course, any upgrade is a good upgrade, but the iPad mini 2 costs $100 less, perhaps making it the better buy and providing a better value to shoppers.

Furthermore, Apple has just recently discontinued the original iPad mini and is no longer available for sale by Apple. It was the company’s least-expensive tablet at just $249, making it the ultimate budget buy for frugal consumers, but now buyers are led to the iPad mini 2, which sells for $299, which is still really cheap for an iPad.

Another thing to be aware of if you’re in the market for a new iPad is that the iPad mini 4 will most likely release later this fall, and we’re actually closer to the release of that than we are to when the iPad mini 3 released last year. So with this new tablet right around the corner, you might be asking yourself if the iPad mini 2 is worth buying at this point in the upgrade cycle, or if you should just wait for a new iPad mini to release.

The iPad Mini 2 Is a Great Deal

Even though the iPad mini 2 is getting a bit old and the iPad mini 4 will release later this year, that doesn’t mean that the iPad mini 2 isn’t a great deal. In fact, it’s a great deal. For $299, you get a tablet that still performs well with its A7 processor.

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The iPad mini 2 was a huge upgrade over the original iPad mini, and the residual effects from that huge upgrade are still hitting us today. Apple future-proofed the hell out the iPad mini 2, and I think even when the iPad mini 4 comes out, the iPad mini 2 will still be a great tablet to buy.

Of course, when the iPad mini 4 does release, Apple will most likely discontinue the iPad mini 2 and make the iPad mini 3 the new lower-cost option, possibly lowering the price to $299 for the iPad mini 3 at that point. It’s unlikely the iPad mini 2 will stick around, but if it does, the price will likely drop to $249, just like the original iPad mini did.

However, if the iPad mini 2 does get discontinued, it shouldn’t be a huge deal, since the iPad mini 2 and the iPad mini 3 are practically the same tablet. It’ll be like the iPad mini 2 never left the building, but rather received a slight facelift thanks to Touch ID and a gold color option.

Should You Wait for the iPad Mini 4?

Of course, one big factor in the whole iPad mini 4 vs. iPad mini 3 (or iPad mini 2) fight is price. When the iPad mini 4 comes out, the iPad mini 2 will still be a great tablet whether Apple discontinues it or not. However, if you’re wanting to get the iPad mini 4, you’ll have to shell out a bit more cash.

The iPad mini 4 will undoubtedly be a big upgrade over the iPad mini 2 and the iPad mini 3, arriving with a faster processor, more memory, and better graphics performance for games, but it will also cost more. It’s likely that the iPad mini 4 will start at $399, just like past iPad mini models, with the iPad mini 3 dropping in price to $299 as the lower-cost unit.

So while the iPad mini 4 will be a great tablet to buy when it releases, the iPad mini 3 could be the better purchase based on the price, especially if you’re a frugal shopper and want to get the best bang for your buck. Its performance will still be admirable and it will come with the same Retina display as always.

In the end, if you have the money to spring for the iPad mini 4, there’s no reason not to get it. However, if you’re looking for a budget pick, you can either wait for the iPad mini 3 to drop in price or buy the iPad mini 2 right now and get the same performance as you would with the iPad mini 3, with the only thing missing being the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, which you may or may not take advantage of all that often.

Is the iPad Mini 2 Still Worth Buying? is a post by Craig Lloyd from Gotta Be Mobile.

Is the iPad Mini 2 Still Worth Buying?