Looking to buy ipads for the kids for Xmas (even though i vowed not to buy another apple product after my iphone 7 screen break issue) , so took a look in the Apple store up cribbs causeway. Basic 32gb model £349.
Walked the 100 yards to John Lewis to pricecheck , and lo and behold its £309 with a 3 year guarantee.
Checked currys online and they are £299, but 12 month warranty
So a tenner for additional 2 years warranty. No brainer.
So as per title, why would you buy direct from Apple ?

Think of the Apple store as a big showroom/advertising platform.

40 quid for the apple on the spot replacement sounds like a bargain.

Why would you buy iPad for a kid anyway? Same functions a as a cheap android tab or less or equal to and expensive android tab.

Apple wins on two points. Swanky marketing **** and if you are apple for work as well as their connectivity across devices and ecosystem without having to set it up yourself is excellent. None of these really apply to kids tablets.

I like apple os , it just works. Its simple to use, they have been using minis for quite a while (hand me downs).
I switched to Samsung for a phone, but its not as intuitive (IMO).

Thought EU consumer warranty had to be a minimum of 2years, the 12 months can include additional stuff like onsite warranty, or shop supported warranty.

Not rocket science to shop around. Hotukdeals is a good start if you’re ever gonna part with a decent amount of cash. Apple’s refurbs are often value for money. I’ve had two things from the refurb site and both have been completely indistinguishable from new stuff.

https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/refurbished

P.S. Currys’ ebay store has £299 + 10% off with code PROSPER10.

Why would you buy iPad for a kid anyway? Same functions a as a cheap android tab or less or equal to and expensive android tab

Why do you feel the need to comment like this? Just comes across as bitter. I think some people on here forget that not everyone is poor and need to save money by buying cheap stuff.

There are many good reasons. We bought a kids an iPad (1st gen) back when the Amazon Fire for Kids was brand new. Bought two of those, tried to like them (kid-friendly case, replacement policy if dropped, etc) but sent them back after a day of frustration and got an iPad.

iPads are supported for a loong time, especially compared to cheap Android tablets. Family Sharing means we purchase a game once and it is available on all of our phones/tablets. As we’re an Apple household, all the nice things like credential sharing, centralised screen time/lockdown, shared iCloud, etc are all great.

The Cardiff Apple store price matched JL on an IPad and set it up for free (for the mother in law)

I bought an ipad about 3 years ago from the Apple Store. I checked in JL and saw a similar price difference, so went in to the Apple store 100yds away and asked them why I should pay the difference. They reduced the price to match JL.

Having been the user of a few Apple products over the years I can honestly say that the support/service you get (if you have an issue) is worth the premium, but only time will tell if that works for you. I am very nervous spending that much money on a ‘gadget’ so like to have the potential ‘best’ support available.

iPads for kids here too… I love the control and visibility I have over their accounts…I can control what apps go on there, screen time, parental controls etc. share content…its just like one ecosystem where the device is just a way to access it. As stand alone devices I’m not sure there are any benefits to Apple over other equivalent (and often equivalently priced) alternatives, but the ecosystem when you’ve got several devices especially across the family, seems particularly slick with Apple. Could be the case that Android might have caught up…don’t know but for our family to switch over to Android it would be a significant investment and alot of faff for probably zero benefit.

But yes, no need to buy direct from Apple. I got ours from Argos. There are no downsides for not buying from Apple…you can still purchase extended warranty from Apple should you wish to. I also got my iPhone X from Argos, it developed a problem and I was reluctant to get Apple involved as I’d dropped the phone a few months before so thought they’d not touch it with a barge pole, but I booked a tech appointment via the website, they sent a box through for me to return it to them and a few days later it was returned fixed for zero charge no questions asked – they couldn’t give a toss I’d not bought it direct from them or that it was damaged. Couldn’t have been easier.

Can’t do without my iPad especially on work trips like now. My only issue is 32 gbs is soon eaten up. Got my beady eye on the pro now…I’d get it from JL too as the 3 year warranty is excellent.

Going off topic but two bundled apps on an iPad blow my mind. Garage Band & iMovies. My kids love em and they’re amazing apps in their own right let alone ‘free’. I don’t understand why a calculator isn’t bundled tho.

I’m a avid Android phone user (Note 10+) but I also have a IPad Pro 11 inch. It’s absolutely superb, my google photos sync from my phone to iPad so I can edit them on a larger screen, Spotify on both devices. I went for a 256gb pro and there is loads of space.
Got mine from Scan computers in Bolton, slightly cheaper than Apple online.
Previously owned a IPad Air 2 which finally munched its battery in June, so replaced it with a pro.

Android tablets are more affordable, but prefer that Apple will update its devices for 5 years.

Try Krcs

We’ve got iPads and iPhones of various ages. They last for ages and the support is good for old products. Everything just works and the family controls etc are great.

We bought the Amazon Fire kid edition for little A for Xmas and it’s being returned today. Absolute Garbage…a waste of components. Sticking to supervised use of the family iPad Pro.

I don’t understand why a calculator isn’t bundled tho.

Something odd there, because it 100% is.

^^^

i thought that but turns out the native calculator app is available for iphone and the watch, but not the ipad. lots of third party alternatives.

Thanks! We wax lyrical about the seamless blending of the apple environment then you reach to do a quick calc as you would on your iPhone and look, it ain’t there. Seems odd

Of course there are a gazillion calculator apps…

iPads for kids here too… I love the control and visibility I have over their accounts…

Google Families [linky] is very good – and the app is available for both Android and iOS.

Why do you feel the need to comment like this? Just comes across as bitter. I think some people on here forget that not everyone is poor and need to save money by buying cheap stuff

Nothing to do with poor, more to do with not spending extra on something and not getting the benefit. Spend the same and get a higher spec tablet. Familiarity from different UI comes quickly. Apple good for total integration with your laptop etc or for showing off. Kids don’t need total integration to their work laptop.

i thought that but turns out the native calculator app is available for iphone and the watch, but not the ipad. lots of third party alternatives.

Thanks! We wax lyrical about the seamless blending of the apple environment then you reach to do a quick calc as you would on your iPhone and look, it ain’t there. Seems odd

Of course there are a gazillion calculator apps…

Well that made me look like an idiot! How weird!

Of course there are a gazillion calculator apps…

Plus Siri can do arithmetic quicker than Carol Vorderman !!

Thanks! We wax lyrical about the seamless blending of the apple environment then you reach to do a quick calc as you would on your iPhone and look, it ain’t there. Seems odd

Or you could not bother with any apps or Siri if that is too much of an effort and just type your sum directly into the search bar.

Don’t worry….there are many ways to skin a cat.

Siri – how on earth such a successful business can continue to peddle that shit is beyond me. I rate most Apple products (I have a phone, Macbook and wireless buds) but how on earth they haven’t improved that yet is beyond me.

Look on 4Gadgets for reconditioned ipads.