Used iPad

Used iPad – Second Hand iPad Buying Guide

The iPad is now over a year old and already you can now buy an iPad 2, with rivals unable to make a tablet as cheaply or as well as Apple can.

A year ago we debated exactly what the iPad is for: is it purely for consuming content?  Is it a netbook killer? Is it just for looking nice on the coffee table?

Well as we predicted it’s been all of those. Whether typing on Pages, surfing on the sofa or creating music in GarageBand, people love their iPad’s. Apple has barely been able to match demand with people waiting to buy and there are now over 100,000 iPad specific Apps available in the App Store. With rumours that an iPad 3 is on the way before the end of the year it’s a great time to get a bargain tablet, after all why spend good money on a bad imitation?

Whether a used iPad 1 or used iPad 2 there are two models available: iPad Wi-Fi and iPad Wi-Fi + 3G.

Each of these is available with a 16, 32 or 64GB flash drive for storage. The most affordable will be the 16GB iPad Wi-Fi (from £399 if bought new or around £200 used) with the most expensive obviously being the 64GB iPad Wi-Fi + 3G (£659 if bought new or around £550 used).

iPad 1 or iPad 2?

If your buying new then this is obviously a no brainer, but what about used? Well the 2 biggest changes to the iPad 2 was its Smart Cover and of course gaining Webcams for using Apple’s FaceTime. It’s obviously thinner and has a faster processor. So if you want to make video calls on FaceTime or the newly released Skype for iPad app then obviously go for the iPad 2. However if this isn’t important to you, or you are planning on mostly using it in the home, then you could get yourself more of a bargain with an iPad 1. The iPad 1 still has the same screen and the same brilliant 10 hour battery life. Plus the iPad 1 will still run iOS 5 and bring with it all the benefits of iCloud without any noticeable performance hit.

Wifi or Wifi + 3G?

You’ll typically pay a £100 premium when new for the ability to get online on the move with 3G, plus the cost of 3G data from whichever mobile network you decide to use.

So is the £100 premium for 3G worth it? After our experience of having an iPad 3G for a year: definitely. The biggest joy of a used iPad with 3G is being able to just get online wherever you have signal seamlessly. For us it really makes the device and is a great reason for buying a used iPad in order to avoid the £100 premium when new.

Even if you don’t want to pay for data all the time and only occasionally top up a PAYG micro SIM, its better to have the option than not.

If you are sure you always have Wi-Fi wherever you go then save the cash or spend it on getting more storage. Which brings us on to….

16GB, 32GB or 64GB?

If you think you’ll mostly use your iPad at home as a coffee table browsing device, then we would recommend keeping it cheap and getting the 16GB Wi-Fi model. Whether a used iPad 1 or used iPad 2 you’re getting a great web experience with a massive battery life.

If you’re a big fan of video and your music and are going to be taking your iPad away on long trips then we’d recommend getting as much storage as you can afford. This will enable you to sync as many songs and videos to it as possible whilst your away from your computer.