I’ve chafed at their prices for years, but can say my iPad Air has been worth every penny and probably gives the most useful Apple bang for the buck. I find some aspects of iOS frustrating, but the cohesive whole of it lets you forget about flashiness and just USE it. Boring...in the way that Apple is known and loved for.
On a side note, I’ve wondered if the deglamorization of the cellphone/other came about in large part due to the fact that we end up hiding the things in ugly PLASTIC. I bought an Otterbox Defender for my iPad. Not only does it completely hide the device but it has a shell/stand for another layer of protection and WEIGHT.
I have dropped the thing, watched it fall off freight rollers, etc. and face-planted on metal grates and have yet to crack the screen or hurt the device. Impressive case and impressive product that I’ve field tested unwittingly.
Yes, pains me to conceal a sleek polished lightweight device in a thick cheap (but effective!) plastic case.
Just sayin’ - here on my iPad Air - our iPads have been thrown from the top of stairs and landed on wooden floors.... we case em in the soft convex rubber cases for kids. Indestructible under all kinds of conditions and not as boxed in as otterboxes.
I love my IPAD air two, but it will probably be the last apple device I own. Bought it two years ago, having some charging issues, it charges but not until doing a full reboot. Went through apple support, no help, go to Apple store, they can't fix IPAD's, they only work on software, but they will sell me the same piece for 350.00. Can't stand anything that is unrepairable.