I still remember the day I bought my iPad 9. It wasn’t the newest, flashiest model, but it was perfect for me. The familiar Home button, the trusty Lightning port – it felt like a comfortable old friend. Now, after Apple’s recent announcements, my trusty iPad 9 is officially discontinued, marking the end of an era for Apple and for me.
It’s not really a surprise, is it? Technology moves so fast. The new iPads, with their sleek designs and USB-C ports, are undeniably impressive. But there’s a certain charm to the older models, a sense of simplicity and familiarity that I’m going to miss.
The iPad 9 felt like the culmination of a classic design. That Home button, a staple since the very first iPhone, felt reassuringly solid under my thumb. And the Lightning connector, despite its limitations, always just worked. I never had to worry about finding the ‘right’ side up like I do with USB-C.
It’s funny how attached we get to these little details. Maybe it’s nostalgia, maybe it’s just the comfort of familiarity. Whatever it is, I can’t help but feel a pang of sadness seeing the iPad 9 disappear from Apple’s lineup.
But, time marches on. The new iPads are objectively better in almost every way. The A13 chip in my iPad 9 was no slouch, but the newer models are on a whole other level. And as much as I liked the Home button, the gesture-based controls on the newer iPads are just more intuitive and fluid.
So, while I bid farewell to the iPad 9 and the era it represents, I’m also excited to see what the future holds for the iPad. Apple has always been about pushing boundaries, and I have no doubt that the new generation of iPads will continue to amaze us. Still, I’ll always have a soft spot for that last iPad with a Home button and Lightning port – a reminder of a simpler time in the ever-evolving world of technology.
It’s more than just a device being discontinued, it’s a small piece of technological history fading away. And for those of us who remember the days of the Home button and the Lightning port, it’s a bittersweet goodbye to an old friend.