Five Signs It's Time to Upgrade Your iPad

Apple tends to release a new model of its iPad portable tablet device every twelve months. These new models don’t just have new features; they also tend to be faster and sleeker in design. An iPad is an expensive commitment, so it’s natural to question whether an upgrade is really necessary. However, if you’re experiencing a few key signs that every iPad user will eventually come to know, you should realize that it’s time to trade up for a newer and better version.

If your applications start running slower than you’re comfortable with, it’s time to upgrade to a new iPad. The designers and companies that make and release applications for the iPad tend to program them with the latest and greatest hardware in mind. If an application is released at the same time as a new model iPad, for example, it will be designed to run perfectly on that new version. However, these companies also regularly release updates to their software that could cause the application that has always run perfectly to slow down as your iPad ages. This is especially true of applications that store large amounts of data, like eBook reading applications.

If you can’t upgrade to the newest version of iOS, it’s time to buy a new iPad. Just because Apple has released a new version of the iPad’s operating system doesn’t mean your model will be able to run it. For example, iOS version 6 isn’t compatible with the original model iPad. Not being able to update your operating system could result in a loss of the over 200 new features that these software updates typically bring.

If you need a camera, it’s time to upgrade your iPad. The original model iPad, released in 2010, did not feature a camera. All iPad models released afterwards do have the ability to capture both photos and videos. If your iPad is getting older and you want to buy a camera anyway, why not kill two birds with one stone. Take the money you would have spent on a new camera and put it towards the cost of the upgrade.

Service will eventually get very expensive. As Apple hardware devices like the iPad get older, it becomes harder to have them serviced. There will likely come a time where the cost of getting your iPad serviced is half or more of the cost of a new model. When that time eventually comes, the money would be better spent upgrading to a new iPad that will run problem free for the next few years.

If you’re out of hard drive space, consider upgrading to a new iPad. If you bought one of the smaller-sized iPad models and need more space, don’t make the same mistake twice. Learn from your lesson and buy the biggest size you can afford. Apple iPad models are commonly available in 16 gigabyte, 32 gigabyte and 64 gigabyte models. Future models will likely have even more storage space beyond the current limit of 64 gigabytes.