What to do with a 10 year old iPad Air?

[Irish_Tom]

My 1st gen iPad Air has served me well over the years but it’s starting to show its age.

It’s laggy, stuck on iOS 12, certain apps can no longer be updated but also won’t work without an update.

But it’s only really a software issue. The battery is in surprisingly good health, the screen and case are immaculate. It seems a shame to bin it.

It’s currently being used for Spotify and that’s about it.

Anyone got any good ideas for what I could do with it? I would give it to my four-year-old but it’s so laggy it frustrates her using it.

I’m also looking at a replacement and I think the 9th Gen iPad is probably plenty enough for our needs. I can’t see any major reason to go for a 10th Gen iPad or an Air/Pro.

 

[ChrisD.]

Sell it to Music Magpie.

 

[Feek]

Make it into a clock.

 

[panthro]

I was just thinking about this with my 1st gen Air. My son uses it for some basic games and youtube kids but it's so clunky. I haven't updated it in years.

 

[Feek]

Literally a clock.

This is my launch day iPad 2.

 

[Cromulent]

Use it as a Kindle / eBook reader.

 

[ddoubleep]

10 years is pretty good going. 9th gen is more than enough and should last ages again. The clock idea sounds fun but just get it sold as always a use for someone else.

 

[Gambit]

Sell it, unless you do a far amount of travel and use it as a media hub for watching films/ series downloaded.

 

[Steedie]

I put an old iPad on the wall as you come in to the house, to easily control all the smart stuff. Wasn't worth practically giving it away to a recycling site

 

[Reuben klang]

I put an old iPad on the wall as you come in to the house, to easily control all the smart stuff. Wasn't worth practically giving it away to a recycling site

How does that perform with the updates?

Does it still work with homekit?

Tempted to buy an old ipad just to do that!

 

[Irish_Tom]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

I had a look on Music Magpie, and it doesn’t look like they will buy iPads that old (maybe I’ve missed something but I expect if they do accept it, the offer will be very low). Apple won’t accept it as a trade-in against a new one. They just say it’s ready for recycling.

It is currently being used as a media hub, but iPlayer doesn’t work any more, Spotify and Disney+ work but the UI is really laggy. I doubt it will be long before they stop working too.

The home-hub remote would be interesting but I don’t have any HomeKit stuff. I’ve been thinking about setting up Hue bulbs around the house but never got around to it. My only concern is that the UI is so laggy, would it be painful trying to control stuff with it.

The clock idea is a good one - we don’t have clocks around the house but something like the iPhone Standby Mode with date, time, and weather would be cool. I also thought about using it as a digital picture frame.

 

[Kol]

I sold my iPad mini 2 on here earlier this year as I couldn’t find a use and also didn’t want to bin it. I believe it was to be used as part of a flight sim set up. No where would take it and if I sold on eBay I was concerned someone not in the know might buy it expecting it to do everything a more modern one does.

 

[AyeAyeAhoy!]

You could disassemble it and do some 'knolling', if you're feeling creative?

GRID® iPad (1st generation)

The Grid iPad 1 gen is a disassembled and framed iPad by Grid Studio, it is an ornamental and memorable artwork that would make a great gift for an apple fan.

gridstudio.cc

 

[Deleted member 77746]

I sold my iPad mini 2 on here earlier this year as I couldn’t find a use and also didn’t want to bin it. I believe it was to be used as part of a flight sim set up. No where would take it and if I sold on eBay I was concerned someone not in the know might buy it expecting it to do everything a more modern one does.

Software rendering these types of devices unusable. Not to mention no more support.

Land fill unless someone can come up with a re-use scenario.

 

[KIA]

Fine for watching video on the go since VLC requires a minimum of iOS 9.

 

[CuriousTomCat]

Maybe turn it into an android tablet using iDroid

 

[Hades]

Alarm clock?

Can it be used as a second monitor?

 

[ChrisD.]

You could use it as a Home Assistant tablet, permanently powered and on a wall for home automation.

 

[mattpj]

Doesn’t sound like you should part with it at all, even if you just use it as a fancy Spotify remote in the home.

 

[AyeAyeAhoy!]

Just found a use for my Mrs' old iPad Air - connecting it to a Yamaha keyboard. Allows you to alter the sound of the keyboard, as well as doing Guitar Hero style learning.