2013 IPAD BUYERS GUIDE: HOW TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, OR 128GB IPAD AIR OR RETINA IPAD MINI FOR YOU!
Apple offers four different storage sized options for the new iPad Air and Retina iPad mini, ranging from a paltry 16GB to an enormous 128GB - literally 8 times the capacity! Every step up in capacity, however, comes with a matching $100 step up in price. That might seem like a pretty straightforward bit of math, but it really isn't! Figuring out how much storage you really need, and how much you can afford is really important. It's the difference between a great experience and a lot of frustration. So, here's the deal!
iPad price per gigabyte breakdowns
iPad price points, like all of Apple's iOS device price points, are based on storage size. While it may seem like the price per gigabyte gets cheaper once you start going up, that's not always the case. You can see the U.S. prices above.
At first glance it might look like the 128GB iPad Air and 128GB Retina iPad mini offer eight times (8x) the storage of the 16GB models for less than twice the price - $499 vs. $799 for the iPad Air, $399 vs. $699 for the Retina iPad mini. Typically, however, the 16GB model has the lowest margins for Apple, and as you step up in storage, they step up in profitability. Think of it this way, going from 16GB to 32GB costs you $100. Go look at the cost of a 16GB SD card and you'll see how much more you're paying for that bump. Now, the $300 premium for an additional 112GB of i storage is more interesting, but is it $300 more interesting? (Hey, that's why Apple has over $100 billion in the bank!) Here's how the cost per gigabyte breaks down for both the iPad Air and Retina iPad mini, Wi-Fi versions.
- 16GB: $31.19/$24.94
- 32GB: $18.72/$15.59
- 64GB: $10.92/$9.36
- 128GB: $6.24/$5.46
So, while the higher-end iPads make Apple the most money, they also cost you the least per gigabyte of storage. But how much do you really need, and where do you need it?
Who should get 16GB?
If you don't use a lot of apps, if you don't want to have a lot of movies and TV shows, or a huge amount of music, if you don't intend to shoot and keep very much 8mp photos or 1080p video on your iPad, you'll probably be okay with 16GB.
Some people like to keep their iPads light and do all their gaming and media on their traditional computers, and some people just don't do a lot with their iPads period. If that's you, you can save yourself some cash and get a 16GB iPad Air or Retina iPad mini.
Not recommended.
Who should get 32GB?
If the iPad is your primary computing device, if you play games on it and watch movies and TV shows on it, if you have a decent-sized music collection you want to keep with you, and if you shoot an average amount of photos and videos, 32GB is your sweet spot.
Some people like to have one device that, while it doesn't do everything all the time, it's capable enough to do most things most of the time. If you do a fair but not overwhelming amount of stuff on your iPad Air or Retina iPad mini, you're better off going for 32GB.
Who should get 64GB?
If you're a power user who wants to keep as much as possible for as long as possible, if you have a large amount of apps and games, TV shows and movies, and a huge music collection you simply have to have with you all the time, or you shoot photos and video almost non stop and don't want to have to bother transferring it all the time 64GB is a reasonable option.
Some people really do want their iPad to do everything, all of the time, and never (or rarely) have to worry about running out of space. For most people, 64GB will do that, and more.
Who should get 128GB?
Who're we kidding? If you want 128GB, you already know it. You're an audiophile who wants to keep absolutely everything, you're a video collector who wants to travel with enough entertainment to last around the world and back, you're a gamer who wants every single game all in one place - you're an alpha geek. And for you, 128GB is already on order.
For the person who wants everything - and by everything I mean everything - only 128GB will do.
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