Apple Winding Down iPad 2 Production After Three-Year Run

Apple is winding down production of the iPad 2 as customer interest in the legacy device dwindles, according to a report from AppleInsider. First introduced in early 2011, the iPad 2 has remained in Apple's product lineup as a lower-price option even as newer iPad models have been discontinued.

According to people familiar with Apple's plans, the company has made the decision to ramp down iPad 2 production given that customers are resoundingly shifting purchases towards its more modern and capable iPads, namely the iPad mini and iPad Air.

Apple continues to sell 16 GB iPad 2 models priced at $399 for Wi-Fi only and $529 for Wi-Fi + Cellular for the time being, coming in $100 lower than corresponding iPad Air models. There is no word yet, however, on just when Apple plans to stop selling the iPad 2 as its stocks wind down.

ipad_2_bw_ios_7
The iPad 2 remained popular even up until the launch of the iPad Air, with educational institutions and other specialized markets preferring the device for a combination of its lower price and its compatibility with numerous accessories through the legacy 30-pin dock connector. But with the introduction of the dramatically thinner iPad Air and Retina display-equipped iPad mini late last year, sales of the iPad 2 dropped dramatically and the company has apparently decided that continued production is not worthwhile.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

Apple Creator Studio

Apple Introduces New 'Creator Studio' Bundle of Apps for $129 Per Year

Tuesday January 13, 2026 6:11 am PST by
Apple today introduced a new Apple Creator Studio bundle that offers access to six creative apps, as well as exclusive AI features and content, as part of a single subscription. In the U.S., pricing is set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year. Here are the six apps included with an Apple Creator Studio subscription:Final Cut Pro on the Mac and iPad Logic Pro on the Mac and iPad Pixelmator...
Verizon New

Verizon is Down: iPhones Show 'SOS' Mode Due to Network Outage [Resolved]

Wednesday January 14, 2026 10:18 am PST by
Verizon is experiencing a major outage across the U.S. today, with hundreds of thousands of customers reporting issues with the network on the website Downdetector. There are also complaints across Reddit and other social media platforms. iPhone users and others with Verizon service are generally unable to make phone calls, send text messages, or use data over 5G or LTE due to the outage....
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

New Leak Reveals iPhone 18 Pro Display Sizes, Under-Screen Face ID, and More

Wednesday January 14, 2026 7:09 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around eight months away, a leaker has shared some alleged details about the devices. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo this week, the account Digital Chat Station said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will have the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Consistent with previous...
iOS 26

Here's What's New in iOS 26.3 So Far

Monday January 12, 2026 1:15 pm PST by
Apple today seeded the second beta of iOS 26.3, nearly a month after the first beta. So far, the update includes a couple of new features for iPhones. iOS 15.3 through iOS 18.3 were all released in late January over the years, so it is thereby likely that iOS 26.3 will be released towards the end of this month as well. The update is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer. Below,...
airpods pro 3 design

Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 3 Firmware Update

Tuesday January 13, 2026 11:29 am PST by
Apple today released a firmware update for the AirPods Pro 3. The latest firmware has a version number of 8B34, up from the previous version 8B30. Apple has a support document for AirPods firmware updates, and it indicates that the 8B34 update contains unspecified "bug fixes and other improvements." No other AirPods models received firmware updates today. How to install AirPods Pro...

Top Rated Comments

Richardgm Avatar
156 months ago
Mine still runs like a champ. Well, I neglected to put iOS 7 on it, so that may be a contributing factor.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jsameds Avatar
156 months ago
At last.

Selling the iPad 2 for only $100 less than the Air was a rip off. They should have at least offered the 4th gen or at worst the 3rd gen for that price. Can't wait to see the back of the iPad 2, in a metaphorical sense - it's not an invitation to reply to me with a picture of the back of an iPad 2 haha :p
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zorinlynx Avatar
156 months ago
I figured they were done manufacturing, and were selling old stock at this point. We ordered 30 iPad 2s for the purpose of doing classroom surveys, and they all came with iOS 6 installed, so they were likely produced mid-last year, at the latest.

I laughed to myself as I used Configurator to bump them all en-masse up to 7.0.4, thinking about all the people who accidentally upgraded and whined about losing iOS 6. Bwa ha ha ha.

iPad 2s are great for this purpose; they're less expensive, sufficiently fast to do the job and less attractive a theft target than iPad Airs or Minis would be.

EDIT: I should add that if you have to configure a bunch of iPads and haven't played with Configurator, to do so. It's one of the coolest apps I didn't know existed! We bought an ergotron cart with built-in USB hubs that lets you plug up to 32 iPads into one Mac. They all show up in Configurator, and you can mass-wipe, install profiles and restrictions, and mass-restore a backup to all of them to make them identical. Really neat stuff, with absolutely NO similar software available for Android, which is why we went with iOS for this purpose.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
musika Avatar
156 months ago
Who are you kidding?

Nobody. I had mine up until this year, and before iOS 7 it ran as well as the day I bought it. It was a truly great device. The iPad 3 messed that up because it was underpowered, and the iPad 4 was getting rather heavy. The Air is great, or so I hear, besides lack of RAM.

The iPad 2 was great. It's best days are behind it now, but it was a great device in my opinion.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aspasia Avatar
156 months ago
Mine still runs like a champ. Well, I neglected to put iOS 7 on it, so that may be a contributing factor.

LOL, mine was getting doggy until I installed iOS 7. Since then, it's been all smooth sailing.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
musika Avatar
156 months ago
It's been a great run. Such a good device.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)