Owners typicallykeep them for a long time.
In fact, the majority keep them for three years or more.
So why do people keep using them for so long?
Both of these iPads are still in daily use.Lifewire / Charlie Sorrel
As we shall see, there are two main reasons.
For these use cases, an iPad purchased several years ago is still perfectly capable of meeting our needs.
Keep On Truckin'
The main reason is that iPads just keep on going.
An iPad 2, also still in use.Lifewire / Charlie Sorrel
Then, Applesupports them with software updatesfor many years after the sale.
Anecdotally, it seems likeApple only drops supportfor new operating systems when it would adversely impact performance.
The iOS9 update in 2015, for example, rendered my first-gen iPad mini impossibly slow and useless.
The new M4 iPad Pro actually has one fewer camera than the previous model.Apple
Apple doesn’t do that kind of thing anymore.
Plus, people generally don’t like change just for the sake of change.
New devices are expensive, and migrating to them is a pain.
“Personally, I’ve held onto my original iPad Air for nearly 5 years before upgrading.
While the software was a bit outdated, it remained fast and responsive thanks to the robust build quality.
For most people, that’s not going to be worth the pain of upgrading.
These are related in that if something causes a change, it typically causes perceived or real inconvenience.
If the iPad had a more easily replaceable battery, it might be the perfect computer for most people.
