iPad Pro purchase: iPadOS obsolescence and SIM slot

Greg Earle wrote:

Thanks for the reply. Not sure why you said “any iPad that can run iPadOS will also run and be upgradeable to iPadOS 27”. According to this MacRumors post, support for several older iPads were dropped in iPadOS 27.

I’m not quite sure what you mean by “if you rely upon accurate location services for mapping”. If you mean when using Google Maps or Apple Maps, presumably I would do that on my travel iPhone SE?

The SIM issue is discouraging. In November 2023 I went to the Cook Islands in the Pacific. Internet access in the less populated islands is sketchy and when I arrived I went to the Vodafone Store. We tried to enable an eSIM on my (US model) iPhone 14 Pro Max and they couldn’t get it to work. Popped a physical SIM into my (unlocked) iPhone SE 3rd gen. instead, and it worked like a champ. So I feel like I can’t depend on eSIM-only devices to work when traveling to remote places. But the “4 year old devices lose support quickly” argument is compelling.

I really wish Apple hadn’t removed nanoSIM tray support … 😞

iPadOS27

The MacRumours post is inaccurate. Apple, in their WWDC26 Keynote Address, clearly stated that all iPad's that are capable of running iPadOS 26 can also be updated to iPadOS 27 when it is released later this year.

If you are interested, the Keynote can be easily found and viewed from YouTube, AppleTV and other sources. Just search for WWDC26 Keynote using your preferred browser.

Accurate Location Services - WiFi+Cellular vs WiFi Only

To reiterate, only WiFi+Cellular models of iPad have GNSS/GPS capabilities - this being a function of the iPad Cellular chipset.  WiFi Only models of iPad have no GPS capabilities with which iPad Location Services can derive location. This fundamental difference may significantly impact your ability to use mapping or other Apps that require accurate/precise location data - in particular if real-time positioning (e.g., a moving map) is required.

WiFi Only iPad models can only “infer” their location from a database lookup of neighbouring WiFi networks for which the geographic location is known, or the geographic location of your public IP address. For static applications in urban locations, where the location of IP public IP addresses and WiFi networks are known, an “inferred” location can be relatively accurate. However, in rural locations, or when using a Cellular/Satellite/VPN connection, location accuracy of an inferred location [if it works at all] may be very inaccurate.

When using Satellite internet systems, such as Starlink, the public IP Address of the internet gateway through which your internet traffic is routed may be in a completely different country/region to your actual location. Where your iPad is using this location to infer its location, you will observe an incorrect derived location.

Cellular Service

While recent models of iPad lack a physical SIM slot, eSIM can offer some significant advantages over those of physical DataSIM.

eSIM equipped models of iPad offer opportunity to provision Cellular service directly from iPad settings - this being particular useful when travelling or if short-term service is required. You are not limited to provisioning a long-term contract with a service provider, but can also set-up a short-term of prepaid data plan directly from iPad settings. The iPad will display a list of available network operators from which you can choose a prepaid plan.

By example, selecting Mobile Data from iPad settings:

Select Find a New Plan...:

Selecting a Cellular Provider from the list will offer a number of available Cellular plans - limited by time period or data volume. Provisioning short-term Cellular Service directly from the iPad is simple - and entirely bypasses the need to find a local retail store from which to purchase a local SIM card suitable for iPad.

Conclusion

Many Users choose a WiFi+Cellular model iPad for its flexibility, even if the need for Cellular connectivity is fleeting. These models also benefit from additional functionality brought about by having access to precise Location Services, using GNSS/GPS, that are entirely independent of having any network connection - whether Cellular or WiFi.

Obsolescence? Apple announced that any iPad that can run iPadOS 26 will also run and be upgradeable to iPadOS 27.

Arguably, it is perhaps not necessarily a good idea to purchase any device that is four years old.

A four year old device is already well along its potential support lifetime. Apple generally provides update support for five years - sometimes as long as seven years. While accepting that a physical DataSIM may be preferred by some - adding flexibility - physical SIMs are definitely reaching the end of the line around the world.

As this is your "travel" iPad, consider that only the WiFi+Cellular models incorporate GNSS/GPS capabilities - this feature being absent in WiFi Only models. As such, if you rely upon accurate location services for mapping, you may still wish to consider a WiFi+Cellular model. This does not preclude using a hotspot connection for internet access, but preserves accurate location services. An iPhone or Cellular Router (MiFi) does not share it GPS-derived location via the hotspot connection.

Greg Earle wrote:

Thanks for the reply. Not sure why you said “any iPad that can run iPadOS will also run and be upgradeable to iPadOS 27”.

They didn't. They said, "Apple announced that any iPad that can run iPadOS 26 will also run and be upgradeable to iPadOS 27."

(Bold mine)

Unless you're getting a massive discount on a old device I'd say buy the newest you can afford with more memory than you think you need. eSims are coming and will eventually be the only option.

Having said that, it depends where you live. I've just bought an iPad Air M4 and I'm struggling to find an eSim for it. I only want data when I take it on holiday. I don't want to have to buy a new eSim every few months, so I want an eSim with decent data that I can just top up with data when I go travelling and then leave it empty when I'm not. I've just about given up trying to find one of those in the UK and I'm beginning to think that I wasted £150 getting the mobile version of the iPad

Servant of Cats wrote:

I believe that Apple may have announced that any iPhone that can run iOS 26 will also run and be upgradable to iOS 27. (That, in and of itself, is surprising. The 11-series phones and the second-generation iPhone SE already had received six major updates. iOS 27 will make seven – more than any other models have ever• received.)

It's also possible that if Apple said something like "every iOS 26 device will get iOS 27",

Apple meant it in a narrow sense – since they prefer to call the iPad operating system "iPadOS", but

• Others took it in a broad sense – since app vendors commonly refer to both iPhones and iPads as iOS devices

Given Apple's early iPad compatibility documentation - and while iOS compatibility was explicit - your supposition is likely an accurate assessment.

As is, Greg Earle (the OP) would be wise to consider lack of iPadOS 27 support for some iPadOS 26-capable models of when making a choice of device. Notwithstanding other advice, this may tip the balance for device selection.

Observation: Your link to the OS27 preview pages appears, at least at the time of writing, to only be available on Apple's US-website. No doubt this resource will roll-out to other regions over the coming days.

LotusPilot wrote:

Obsolescence? Apple announced that any iPad that can run iPadOS 26 will also run and be upgradeable to iPadOS 27.

I didn't attend WWDC, or watch any of Apple's videos, so the following is based solely on comparing the official compatibility lists that Apple provides on their site.

I believe that Apple may have announced that any iPhone that can run iOS 26 will also run and be upgradable to iOS 27. (That, in and of itself, is surprising. The 11-series phones and the second-generation iPhone SE already had received six major updates. iOS 27 will make seven – more than any other models have ever received.)

It's also possible that if Apple said something like "every iOS 26 device will get iOS 27",

• Apple meant it in a narrow sense – since they prefer to call the iPad operating system "iPadOS", but
• Others took it in a broad sense – since app vendors commonly refer to both iPhones and iPads as iOS devices

In any event, something like this has happened before. All iPhones that are compatible with iOS 17 can update to iOS 18, or in most cases, beyond. With iPads, there are a few iPads for which iPadOS 17 is "the end of the line" – and it is easy to overlook them precisely because there is no iPhone for which iOS 17 is "the end of the line".

Yeah, I get 30GB/month in UK and Europe for £9/month on my iPhone so I might as well just tether. I should have done more research before I bought it. Ah well -- never too old to learn.

Presumably you came to ASC seeking answers. I and other senior contributors here will do our level best to provide you with accurate information - and will attempt to direct you to reliable information sources (in this case, Apple's own announcements).

Google Gemini - and other AI-based engines - can only create responses based upon information that it scrapes from other sources, some of which will be flawed, based upon speculation, or are downright incorrect.

Apple, who have developed 'OS27, are perhaps the more reliable source of definitive information.

Only you can determine suitability of an iPad model for your specific needs. Contributors here can only offer you advice based upon our extensive experience and knowledge of the OS platform and associated hardware.

Greg Earle wrote:

Well, this is confusing.

Google AI claims:

"The following iPads are no longer supported and will not receive the iPadOS 27 update: [1, 2, 3]

iPad Air•  (3rd generation)

iPad•  (8th generation)

iPad mini•  (5th generation)

iPad Pro 11-inch•  (1st generation)

iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) [1, 2, 3• ]

If you own one of these models, it will remain on iPadOS 26. [1, 2]"

Comparing these two Apple lists, it does indeed seem that those iPads are compatible with iPadOS 26, but not with iPadOS 27. (The iPadOS 27 list is new, from the OS - iPadOS 27 - Apple preview page.)

iPad models compatible with iPadOS 26 - Apple Support

Hi stedman1

This is indeed interesting. I confess that I have not trawled for updated documentation in recent hours - having been engaged elsewhere.

If Apple's announcements and early published documentation differ, this will no doubt be clarified over the coming days. This wouldn't be the first time that early documentation releases differ from initial public announcements. 🙁

Apple has posted compatibility lists for both iPad OS 26, and 27 as below, and the information appears to disagree with statements at WWDC.

Based on WWDC information, it is somewhat confusing, isn’t it? It seems they have dropped the oldest model in each of the iPad models.