Which iPad Should You Buy? Choose the Best Model

About our trusted experts

Jesse Hollington is a tech journalist with over 10 years of experience writing about technology, with an especially strong expertise in all things iPad and Apple. Jesse previously served as Editor-in-Chief for iLounge, authored books on the iPod and iTunes, and has published product reviews, editorials, and how-to articles on Forbes, Yahoo, The Independent, and iDropNews.

Accessories and compatibility

If you’re upgrading from an older iPad, or even if you just want to have a lot of options for accessorizing your new tablet, you’ll also want to pay attention to what accessories are available and which models they’re compatible with. This is true not just in terms of Apple’s current iPad family, but also from older models too, since that can expand your options if a current model works with older accessories.

Apple pencil

Although the Apple Pencil was once the exclusive domain of the iPad Pro, it’s now supported by all of Apple’s iPad models, including the iPad mini. 

However, there are actually two different models of Apple Pencil. The first-generation Apple Pencil charges over a Lightning connection and doesn’t really dock anywhere on the iPad, so you’ll have to get a case that supports it. It can be plugged directly into the iPad Lightning connector to recharge, which is a bit awkward, or the included adapter will let you charge it from a normal Lightning cable.

On the other hand, Apple’s 2021 and 2020 iPad Pros use a second-generation Apple Pencil that charges wirelessly from a magnetic docking point on the side of the iPad. It also supports a double-tap gesture to let you easily switch between drawing tools.

Cameras

Most people don’t take a lot of pictures using their iPad, so you may not care so much about the quality of the rear cameras, especially if you already have a good iPhone or other smartphone. While the newest iPad Pro has gotten a much better camera than the previous Pro models, all of the lower-end iPads are still saddled with 8-megapixel shooters that are barely worth using.

The front camera, however, differ even more, with the 10.2-inch iPad actually only coming in at a surprisingly low resolution of 1.2 megapixels and 720p HD, while the iPad Air and iPad mini step this up to a more respectable 7-megapixel camera that supports 1080p HD video as well.

Not surprisingly, the iPad Pro blows all of these out of the water, however, thanks to its new rear camera system, which features 12MP wide and 10MP ultra wide cameras. On the other hand, although the front camera is still only 7 megapixels, it’s the same True Depth camera used on most of Apple’s Face ID capable iPhones, which means it supports advanced features like Animoji and Memoji and Portrait Mode selfies.

The iPad Pro also features a new LiDAR Scanner, but keep in mind that right now this isn’t used in any way for photography. Instead, it supports augmented reality applications that let you do things like making accurate measurements of rooms and objects and placing virtual objects in a real-world environment.

Displays

The iPad Pro can be connected directly to a USB-C display, thanks to its native USB-C port, and even provides native 4K and HDR10 video output on a supported external display.

All iPad models can be connected to an HDMI display using an appropriate Lightning or USB-C adapter. The iPad Pro can also do 4K output over HDMI using a supported adapter, while the other models are limited to 1080p HD output. 

External storage

As of iPadOS 13, all of Apple’s iPads support connecting external storage devices, but keep in mind that these are only recognized as places to store files; they can’t be used to load apps, or even to store data from within most apps. For instance, pictures in Apple’s Photos app can’t be stored on an external drive, nor can videos or music in the built-in TV and Music apps.

Still, an external storage device can be a great way to transfer files, and you can still listen to music and watch videos from an external drive through the Files app or other apps that directly support external storage.

How we tested

Our expert reviewers and testers put iPads through a comprehensive set of tests. First and foremost, we evaluate them on design, focusing specifically on weight, thickness, and overall portability. Other important factors we look at are screen size and resolution, specifically video, images, and text.

For iPads, we also pay a great deal of attention to productivity; testing if the tablets can act as a substitute for a laptop in terms of word processing, image editing, and games. This is particularly true of the Pro line, and the iPads that are compatible with productivity and drawing-focused accessories like the Smart Pencil and Apple Keyboard.

Finally, we consider the price tag, evaluating the value proposition based on the competition to make our ultimate recommendation. Most of the iPads we reviewed were provided by the manufacturer, however that does not impact our objective evaluation.

Ipad air 2 vs ipad mini 4 which one is better? — quora

Ipad vs ipad air vs ipad mini: battery life

iPads have a great reputation for solid battery life, and so the iPad, iPad Air and iPad mini all last a pretty long amount of time. But just like with their excellent screens, one iPad stands out.

Ipad vs ipad air vs ipad mini: performance

This round is pretty easy if you look at the processors powering each tablet. The iPad runs on the A10 Fusion processor (a variation of the chip introduced in 2021’s iPhone 7), while the iPad Air and iPad mini rock the A12 Bionic chip with Neural Engine (which first appeared in 2021’s iPhone XS and XR phones).

Ipad vs laptop

Are there things that a laptop still does better? Absolutely, but the line is becoming seriously blurred with recent advances in iPadOS and Apple’s latest iPad models.

Obviously if you have specific needs that require a Windows or macOS computer, like specific applications, an iPad might not be a good choice to replace your laptop, although it can still be a good supplement to a laptop or desktop computer.

For example, if you’re on the go a lot, an iPad can be a great way to take your work with you, and can even allow you to choose a more powerful PC or Mac for your workspace, since you won’t need to worry as much about portability. There are also numerous apps available that will let you remotely connect to your computer from your iPad, so you can still get the Windows or macOS experience when you’re away from your desk.

Keyboards

Any Bluetooth keyboard can be paired with any iPad model, regardless of manufacturer or design, although if you’re looking for a laptop experience you’ll likely want to pick up a keyboard or keyboard case that’s designed to fit your iPad. 

Other usb accessories

In addition to keyboards, mice, external drives, and displays, all iPad models also include limited support for a few other classes of USB devices.

This includes things like hubs and docks, audio interfaces and MIDI devices, SD card readers, bar code scanners, and even USB to Ethernet adapters. For the iPad Pro, these are handled directly over USB-C or a USB-C to USB-A adapter, while other iPad models require a Lightning to USB adapter.

The iPad Pro can even be used as a charging source, letting you juice up your iPhone or any other USB accessory directly from its USB-C port. 

Picking the right size

Apple currently offers the iPad in three basic sizes, although the smaller and larger models are only available in specific tiers.

Apple’s standard iPad size comes in at around 10 inches by 7 inches in terms of physical size, with only the screen sizes varying between the three tiers — the entry-level iPad has a 10.2-inch screen, the iPad Air bumps that up to 10.5 inches, and the iPad Pro goes all the way up to 11.

If you’re looking to go smaller, however, your only option is the 7.9-inch iPad mini, which measures 8 x 5.3 inches in actual size. This is a mid-tier model that’s in the same class as the iPad Air—in fact it has the exact same specs as the larger 10.

On the other end of the spectrum, only Apple’s iPad Pro is available in a larger size, coming in with a 12.9-inch screen and measuring 11 x 8.5 inches. It’s a behemoth, but if you’re looking for the biggest iPad possible, it’s going to cost you a premium, but as a Pro model, it also makes for an ideal laptop replacement.

Ports: usb-c vs lightning

For the most part, Apple has somewhat stubbornly stuck with its own Lighting port standard for most of its devices, which isn’t a huge problem as the popularity of the iPhone means that there is a huge range of accessories available that use this port standard, but it can still get annoying when you just want to plug in southing like a USB storage device.

When Apple released its redesigned 2021 iPad Pro, it sort of acknowledged that the more professional audience of that tablet needed more professional connectivity options, and so it made the switch to USB-C.

Although it’s still possible to connect most USB devices to any iPad with Apple’s USB to Lighting adapters, a native USB-C port just makes it that much easier not only for external storage devices but also things like monitors, keyboards, music interfaces, storage arrays, and more.

Screen quality

All of Apple’s standard iPads feature basically the same resolution and the exact same 264 ppi pixel density, with only very slight differences due to the varying screen sizes—the 11-inch iPad naturally needs more pixels than the 10.2-inch model. Even the 12.

9-inch iPad Pro has a 264 ppi display, simply expanding the resolution from 2,388 x 1,668 on the 11-inch iPad Pro to 2,732 x 2,048 on the 12.9-inch model. In fact, it’s the iPad mini that gets the highest pixel density, since the smaller screen still uses a 2,048 x 1,536 pixel resolution—only slightly less than that of the iPad Air—making for a density of 326 ppi.

However, while there’s no real incentive to step up to a higher-end iPad model for pure resolution, the screens actually differ between each model a fair bit in terms of colour quality. 

At the lower end, you still get a very high quality screen, since it has the same resolution and pixel density as the higher-end models, but if you want more realistic colours you’ll need to step up to at least the iPad Air or iPad mini, which feature Apple’s True Tone display technology for unsurpassed colour accuracy.

This works by sensing the ambient light where you’re using your iPad and adjusting the colour temperature of the screen accordingly, so your reds and blues will always look right whether you’re viewing your screen outside in bright daylight, inside an office, or in subdued lighting in your family room.

A P3 wide colour gamut on the iPad Air also offers a wider colour range with more realistic colours. Plus, the laminated display on the iPad Air, which means the glass sites closer to the actual display, also makes for a more natural experience when using an Apple Pencil.

Step up from there to the iPad Pro and you get the same colour quality features with Apple’s better quality Liquid Retina display that also offers a higher refresh rate of up to 120Hz thanks to its ProMotion technology, making the scrolling buttery-smooth and a much more responsive feel overall.

Storage capacity

Unlike a computer, the storage in Apple’s iPads is fixed and not really expandable in any way, so you’ll have to pick your optimal capacity when buying your iPad, as you won’t be able to upgrade it later—even though it’s possible now to add external storage devices to iPads, this can’t be used for apps, only for storing documents.

Your choice of storage capacity will also be somewhat dictated by the model of iPad you choose. The entry-level 10.2-inch iPad starts at 32GB and also has a 128GB option available, while the iPad Air doubles that to offer 64GB and 256GB models, and the iPad Pro starts at 128GB but goes all the way up to a whopping 1TB.

So how much storage do you really need? It does largely depend on what you plan to put on your iPad, and how much you’re willing to rely on cloud storage but we generally recommend 128GB as a good baseline. You’re unlikely to ever need more than this unless you plan to store a lot of photos or videos, but we wouldn’t recommend going below this number unless you’re absolutely certain you won’t be loading a lot of apps or storing a lot of photos or videos.

Trackpads and mice

As of iPadOS 13.4, all of Apple’s iPads have native support for external mice and trackpads. These can be connected wirelessly over Bluetooth or directly over a USB-C or Lighting connection (with an adapter), and generally work seamlessly once connected.

Apple’s own wireless Magic Trackpad and the trackpad found on Apple’s Magic Keyboard offer a few more advanced gesture controls, but otherwise any mouse or trackpad should work just as well for basic mouse and pointer support.

Why buy an ipad

The first question to ask yourself is whether you even need a tablet at all. To be clear, these days an iPad is pretty much the only real tablet game in town; most of the competing tablets have been pushed off the market, and the few that are available are only designed for more specific use cases, such as reading books or watching videos.

By comparison, however, the iPad is an incredibly versatile device, no matter which model you opt for. Even the entry-level 10.2-inch iPad can run basically all of the same apps as its more expensive siblings, and with the exception of the most demanding games or graphic apps, you probably won’t even find much of a difference in performance.

Thanks to over 1 million apps on Apple’s App Store, it’s actually hard to find something the iPad can’t do. You can read e-books from just about any digital bookstore, including Amazon Kindle and of course Apple’s own Apple Books, you can watch video from every streaming service that’s available, ranging from Netflix to Curiosity Stream, you can surf the web, look at photos, draw, sketch, journal, write, edit videos, play games, chat with your friends, and even make video calls using Skype, Zoom, Apple FaceTime, or just about any other platform.

Plus, Apple continues to expand the capabilities of the iPad through software updates, so there’s support now for external USB storage devices (although an adapter may be required), and even external keyboard, mouse, and trackpad support. Never before has the iPad been as capable of replacing a laptop as it is today, and it’s only getting better with each update.

Wi-fi or cellular?

When buying any of Apple’s iPads, you’ll have a choice between picking up a version that uses only Wi-Fi, or getting one that can also connect directly to the cellular network.

Although cellular connectivity can be nice to have, the cellular-capable iPads are always more expensive than the Wi-Fi only ones, not only in terms of the purchase price, but also the need to sign up for a service plan from your cellular provider. These days, you can usually get an iPad plan from most carriers that works alongside your iPhone and shares the same data allotment, but you’ll still likely pay at least $5-$10 per month for the privilege.

Conclusion

Apple’s iPads have come a long way in the past ten years, and all of today’s iPad models are extremely versatile and have the ability to do a huge number of different things. 

If you’re looking for a device to handle casual media streaming, reading, surfing, and gaming, there’s almost no doubt that an iPad is the best device to get for these purposes, as it’s far more portable, intuitive, and easy to use than any laptop computer that you’ll find, and has a much larger screen to work with that a smartphone.