Buying an iPad is easier when Apple only makes one type of tablet. But now you have many solutions. Fortunately, with our recommendations, you can quickly buy the iPad you want.
iPad stands for Apple’s tablet computer. These are powered by iPadOS. This iPadOS is an improved version of iOS available in Apple iPhones. With an iPad, you can run both standard iOS apps and universal apps created for iPhone.
Apple has been releasing various types of iPads since 2010. This includes small iPads in the “mini” range, higher-end “Pro” models, and the premium “Air” range.
Depending on the model you want to buy, you can see the capabilities of your iPad, including first-class accessories like sanp-on kekeyboard and Apple pencil stylus. iPad’s status as a premium tablet has many third party accessories. Like cases, flash storage, charging docks, and even game controllers.
Before choosing the right iPad for you, you need to understand what you need it for. The more you spend, the more work you can do. You can do basic tasks with a cheap iPad, like checking social media, sending emails, and playing games.
Higher-end “Pro” categories have very powerful hardware, which supports multitasking and running professional and creative software.
These models have color-accurate, higher-quality displays for drawing, photo editing, and video production. When connecting to high speed external devices, the need for USB-C and Thunderbolt content arises.
Now let’s see about types of iPads that are used in many fields.
Best iPad Overall: iPad Air (5th Gen)
Pros:
•Powered by the Apple M1 desktop-class system-on-chip
•Center stage, Touch ID in the power button,and modern design
•Excellent accessory support including, Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil 2
•USB-C connector
•Most iPad Pro features for much less money
Cons:
•Upper limit of 256GB internal storage
•More expensive than an entry-level iPad
The iPad Air sits in the middle of the iPad range. It starts from 599$ for wifi options and 729$ for cellular options. The screen size here is 10.9 inches. This is portability and usefulness.
The iPad Air uses the same Apple M1 desktop chip as the Macbook Air and iMac. This chip has 8 core GPU features for silky smooth gaming and graphic-intensive workflow, ideal for drawing, video editing or 3D modeling. And it features 16 core Neural Engine for machine learning workflow, providing a boost in performance in optimized apps.
iPad Air now features a center stage. It uses an ultrawide 12MP front-facing camera to intelligently follow you around the room.
This makes it ideal for video calling, conferencing and streaming. This tablet also has the same thin bezels, Touch Id power button, and modern features introduced in the previous iPad Air refresh.
And you can use the latest and best accessories with iPad Air. The second generation Apple Pencil and Apple’s flagship Magic Keyboard with its integrated trackpad and USB-C pass through charging. This is a few hundred dollars less and is as versatile as the Pro range in terms of accessories.
A single 12MP camera can be seen on the back. It improves the image with a single processor on the M1 chip to enable Smart HDR and cleaner stills and videos. This is a considerable step up from a basic iPad model. But if you want to take an important photo or video shooting with a tablet, you have to consider the iPad Pro 11 inch.
The iPad Air is ideal if you want a fast, up-to-date tablet with excellent accessory support. It provides a much more modern iPad experience than the base model. And it will last longer in terms of software support and raw performance.
Best Budget Option: iPad (9th Gen)
Pros:
•Perfect for basic tablet tasks like social media or email
•Get the iPad experience at a cheaper price point
•Some support for older Apple accessories
Cons:
•Outdated design compared with other models
•Upper limit of 256MB internal storage
•Older chip means support will end before more expensive, newer iPads
•Doesn’t work with Apple’s latest first-party accessories
This entry-level iPad is the cheapest Apple tablet. It is only $329 for the wifi model and only $459 for cellular options. With a 10.2 inch Retina display and an A13 Bionic chip at the helm, the no-frills iPad is perfect for work and play on a budget. This slightly older Bionic Chip was first introduced to iPhone 11 in 2019.
This lags the fastest hardware in iPad Pro and iPad Air. But it still provides enough power to handle common tasks. It is perfect for schoolwork, web browsing, casual gaming, streaming video, and many other things people use their tablets for.
This iPad uses a physical home button and thicker bezels than the Air and Pro line in Apple’s older design. It uses an 8MP camera on the back unit and boosts a 12MP ultrawide version as the front facing camera.
This wide front facing camera enables Apple’s Center Stage features. It allows the iPad to follow you around the room during a FaceTime call. There is nothing to say about the battery life being passable. It does wireless web or video playback for 10 hours.
With this iPad, you can use the first generation Apple pencil, the iPad keyboard or a wireless bluetooth keyboard according to your preference. It does not support USB-C. So you have to do with lighting peripherals and charging. If you want more things than money and are willing to settle with an older model, this iPad is perfect.
Best for Drawing: iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th Gen) with Apple Pencil 2
Pros:
•Massive 12.9-inch Liquid Retina X DR display
•120Hz ProMotion, P3 Wide Color, and up to 1600 nits peak brightness
•Support for the latest Apple Pencil 2 (and Magic Keyboard)
•Powerful desktop-class M1 chip
•USB-C and USB 4/Thunderbolt support
•5G support on cellular model
Cons:
•Apple’s most expensive iPad
•Large size makes it unwieldy for casual tablet tasks
If you get an iPad for drawing, it’s like getting the biggest canvas you can. That’s exactly what the iPad Pro 12.9-inch gives you. It has a massive Liquid Retina XDR pro-level display. Also, this is the first apple tablet to use mini-LED technology.
Not only is the display large, but the iPad Pro 12.9-inch has also got a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio only seen on this larger model. This XDR display has a peak brightness of 1600 nts and a full-field brightness of 1000 nts on a limited window. It is perfect for HDR photo and video editing, and for creating artwork like Procreate apps.
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro features a 120Hx “ProMotion” display mode. This means that the screen updates twice as fast for a buttery smooth and ultra-responsive user experience. Generally, this iPad Pro 12.9-inch supports Apple’s latest Apple Pencil 2. It attaches magnetically to the iPad Pro and offers tilt and pressure sensitivity, what Apple terms “imperceptible” lag, excellent palm rejection, and wireless pairing and charging. You can also grab Apple’s Magic keyboard and older folio keyboard cases if you want.
This iPad Pro 12.9-inch is powered by Apple’s desktop-class M1 processor. It chews professional grade apps, edits 4K video, and handles many demanding 3D games available in the App store.
2021 Apple iPad Mini (Wi-Fi 64GB) – Space Gray
Pros:
•Revised portable design for 2021, with an 8.3 inch display and thinner bezels than the previous model
•A15 Bionic is faster than a base iPad in a smaller package
•USB-C connectivity and comcompatibility with the second-generation Apple Pencil
Cons:
•5G connectivity on the cellular model
•10 hours of battery life may disappoint some
•Maximum of 256GB storage (and only 64GB in the base model)
If you’re looking for an iPad to travel with, the iPad mini’s portable form factor is a solid choice. (From $499 for the wifi model) This design was revised with the ninth generation and was released late in 2021 with an 8.3″ liquid Retina display. This new design is far away from the Home button in favor of the thin bezel design of the latest iPad Air and Pro models. There is no Face ID to unlock your device with facial recognition, but the power button on the side doubles up with a fingerprint reader.
The heart of the iPad mini is similar to the A15 Bionic in the iPad 13, albeit slightly down-clocked compared with the chip seen on Apple’s flagship smartphone. There is a brand new camera 2021, 12 MP wide on the rare and 12 MP ultra wide on the front which enables Apple’s intelligent Center Stage subject tracking on FaceTime calls.
First, this iPad mini has a USB-C port plus that supports a second generation Apple Pencil. If you go for a cellular version ($649), it supports 5G connection, which is perfect if you are traveling in a country with 5G coverage. Battery life and storage capacity mirror that of the base iPad, with 10 hours of wireless web or video playback and a paltry 64GB web or video playback and a paltry 64GB capacity on the base model.
iPad (9th Gen)
Pros:
•Cheap and capable tablet for school and play
•Plenty of third-party accessories available like cases
•Works with Apple Pencil 1 and older Smart Keyboard
Cons:
•A13 Bionic is slower than the rest of the iPad line
•No support for latest accessories like Magic Keyboard
•Only 64GB of storage on the base model
This starter iPad is perfect for many children’s work and its wifi model costs $329. Because of this, this is the cheapest iPad that can be repaired or replaced. The A13 Bionic chip is included here, and it packs plenty of punch from 2019. It can easily handle things that children use on the tablet. It includes work processing for school work, watching and listening to streaming video and music, browsing the web, and social media.
It can handle many games in the App store without breaking sweat. It includes 3D titles like Minecraft, online experiences like Roblox, and Apple’s own Swift Playground which introduces table owners of all ages to programming basics. It has a simple 8MP camera on the back and a 12MP camera on the front.
But the base iPad has only 64GB internal memory. It disappears after downloading many apps and games. From 2021, Apple updated this with 256GB and its starting price became $479. The good thing about this base iPad is that accessory support is fairly widespread at this point even though it has been around for a long time. That means you can easily find kids-friendly cases, like the iconic HDE Kids Case with Handle for additional protection.
Best Laptop Replacement: iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd Gen) with Magic keyboard
Pros:
•Powered by the desktop-class M1 processor
•Support for the latest Apple accessories including Magic keyboard and Apple Pencil 2
•Up to 2TB internal storage
•High-quality cameras on the back and front, plus Face ID support
•USB-C with USB 4 and Thunderbolt support
•5G connectivity on cellular models
Cons:
•Expensive compared with iPad and iPad Air
•Overkill for many users
•Still runs iPadOS, so cannot fully replace your laptop
Desktop class performance cannot beat the range of iPad Pro. While the 12.9-inch model is perfect for drawing and videography, this 11-inch model delivers the same great performance in a more compact form factor. And it’s a little cheaper, the WiFi model starts at $799 and the cellular is $999.
At its heart is Apple’s desktop-class M1 system-on-chip. The same silicon is included in computers like Apple MacBook Air and iMac. It allows to run professional applications like video editors, digital audio workstation, and the most demanding 3D application.
As a laptop replacement, this iPad Pro 11-inch gives you everything you need. It can be connected with the latest accessories like Apple Magic keyboard. It has an internal storage of up to 2TB, and external devices can be connected through the USB-C connector (with support for Thunderbolt and USB 4 speeds).
It has a 12MP wide and 10MP ultra-wide camera on the rear, and a high quality 12MP front-facing FaceTime HD camera. It is perfect for amazing selfies, video calls, and live streams. Here you can authorize your device using face unlocking and your likeness like in the latest iPhones. If you go for the cellular version, you will also get 5G support
Do you know what the best AirPod is
