We often assume newer is always better when it comes to technology. The marketing, the launch events, and the constant stream of upgrades all reinforce this notion. But is it always true?

For the last week, I decided to challenge this assumption by taking a step back in time. I downgraded from my 2024 iPad Air M2 to an iPad 6th Generation from 2018. This is my assessment of how it feels to take this step backward.

The Apple Pencil squeeze and double-tap features had become part of my workflow on the newer iPad. These gestures enhanced my productivity and allowed me to quickly switch between tools with minimal interruption. On the 6th gen iPad, these controls are absent, requiring manual tool switching.
Perhaps more noticeably, the convenience of magnetically attaching the Apple Pencil to charge can't be overstated. Having to plug the 1st generation Pencil awkwardly into the Lightning port feels precarious.

One of the most immediately noticeable differences is the non-laminated display on the iPad 6th gen. This creates a visible gap between the glass and the screen that makes the Apple Pencil feel less precise.

This fuels a disconnected sensation when writing that wasn't present with the newer model's display.

The inability to connect devices without adapters has been a daily frustration I hadn't fully anticipated. The Lightning port feels increasingly isolated in a world moving full throttle toward USB-C.

An unexpected pain point has been the difference in audio quality and spatial positioning during media consumption. The stereo speakers on the newer iPad provided a much more immersive experience that I didn't fully appreciate until returning to the older model's mono audio setup.

The battery situation is undeniably problematic. Some degradation is expected in a device from 2018, but I find myself constantly aware of battery percentage, especially when using battery-intensive apps like Apple Notes, which remains surprisingly power-hungry even on this older hardware.

The A10 Fusion chip and mere 2GB of RAM show their age when multitasking or running newer applications. App refreshes are frequent, and there's a perceptible delay when switching between apps that I had forgotten existed.

Not everything about the older model feels like a compromise. The flat back design of the 6th gen iPad is refreshingly practical. The iPad sits flush on surfaces without wobbling, and there's something satisfying about this simple design choice that newer models with their protruding camera bumps have abandoned.

Despite the limitations, the iPad 6th gen does fewer things, but what it does, it does reliably. Basic browsing, note-taking, and media consumption remain perfectly adequate. This raises interesting questions about how much of our upgrade cycle is driven by genuine need versus the allure of new features.
The relentless march forward in technology doesn't always mean previous generations become unusable, just that our expectations shift.

This 2018 iPad remains surprisingly capable, and this experience has made me more thoughtful about future upgrades. Perhaps the question isn't always "What new features does the latest model offer?" but rather "Which features of my current device have become essential to my workflow, and which are merely nice to have?".