What’s the best iPad? The answer to that question is trickier than it used to be. With the introduction of the iPad (2022), it’s cheaper than the iPad Air 5 while offering about 95% of the same features, so surely that’s a tempting proposition for most?
However, while the two devices are closely tied, the iPad Air 5 remains our top choice for the best iPad. It has a few key advantages over the standard iPad and it’s often discounted which makes the price more palatable. Still, if you’re on a tight budget or looking for the best iPad for students, it’s a more complex decision to make.
That’s why we’ve looked at so many iPads to fully understand what the best iPads are, breaking them down and ranking them accordingly. We’ve used all the iPad models out there so we know what we’re looking for in a good tablet. They should all be extra useful once iPadOS 17 is released soon.
Once you’ve picked one out, if you’ve owned an iPad before, don’t forget to transfer data from your old iPad to your new one. Suitably for both newcomers and old hands, it’s always a good time to check out the best iPad apps for new owners for some inspiration. Artists may wish to add on one of the best iPad pens too.
The best iPad on the market today
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The iPad Air 5 isn’t as huge of a change as the iPad Air 4 was over the third generation, but it still has everything anyone could want from an iPad.
It looks as stylish and fresh as the iPad Pro with its flat sides and a nearly edge-to-edge screen. That screen is a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with 2360 x 1640 resolution so it looks pretty sharp, even if it lacks ProMotion support. For artists, there’s Apple Pencil 2 compatibility which is great given it’s the best stylus for the iPad you can buy. It’s equipped with USB-C so you can connect it to hubs, hard drives, and displays. You can pick the right color for you too with the option of space gray, starlight, pink, purple, and blue.
The iPad Air 5 is also now powered by Apple’s M1 chip, the very same M1 that powers many iPad Pros and Macs. The M1 chip makes moving through iPadOS seamless, giving the iPad Air 5 enough juice to handle anything you throw at it, whether it’s a marathon gaming session, a bunch of intense image editing, or anything else. The Wi-Fi Cellular version also has a 5G upgrade so if you have access to a 5G network, it’s faster to browse online too.
The tablet works with most accessories that work with the 11-inch iPad Pro. It’s slightly thicker so bear that in mind with some hardshell cases, but otherwise, key accessories like the Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard work well here.
It’s not all plain sailing for the iPad Air 5 though. With the increase in starting price, it was hoped that Apple would have also boosted the base-level storage. However, the iPad Air 5 still starts with just 64GB, so you’re likely to need to go for the 256GB model for comfort and some spare space.
The iPad Air 5 strikes an outstanding balance of price, power, and portability, complete with Pencil and Smart Keyboard support. So why the iPad Air 5 over the iPad (2022)? Well, it mostly comes down to price. You can find some of the best iPad deals on the iPad Air 5, especially around sales seasons.
Although the $449 starting price has put the entire iPad lineup in a precarious position, the iPad (2022) is excellent value if you’re looking to upgrade from an older device or try out the iPad world for the first time.
Finally, Apple has redesigned the base iPad so you can say goodbye to bezels and hello rounded corners. It’a slo said goodbye to the Home button with a USB-C port instead of the Lightning port. It’s all great to see but it’s what’s under the hood that’s perhaps most important.
Powering the entire iPad (2022) is the A14 Bionic, an upgrade of the A13 Bionic found in the 9th-gen iPad. Apple states this brings a 20% increase in CPU and a 10% improvement in graphics compared to the iPad (2021). There’s no doubt the M1 chip that you find in higher-end iPads is more powerful, but for 90% of users, the A14 will pack enough punch to get through everything you can throw at it.
There’s also an upgrade for the rear camera with it now sporting a 12MP lens compared to the 7MP camera seen on the back of the iPad (2021). Apple Pencil (1st-generation) support is useful for drawing, sketching, painting or taking notes.
However, there are issues for the iPad (2022). For instance, the Apple Pencil only has a Lightning connection so a dongle would be best here. If you already have an Apple Pencil, the dongle will cost you about $9 and is another accessory you’ll need to remember to carry with you. Also, the non-laminated display isn’t ideal. The familiar hollow sound when you tap on the display may be a fairly minor inconvenience but it still exists. Also, Apple has removed the headphone jack so wireless headphones are essential.
Overall, the iPad (2022) is a welcome change from the stagnant design of the iPad for the past decade, but that change comes with growing pains for both old and new users alike. A new price point that makes it sit awkwardly in the middle of two other iPads and some confusing design choices by Apple does sour the otherwise triumphant reimagining of the iPad.
It may be showing its age a little but Apple has kept the 2021 base iPad around and it’s a good option for anyone keen to spend the least amount of money. It’s far from the most powerful of Apple’s tablets but the iPad (2021) is the perfect tablet for many people. Powered by the A13 Bionic, it’s competent for most tasks. If you’re a casual tablet user or your computing needs are just relatively light, primarily web browsing, email, working with documents, and some casual gaming, the 10.2-inch iPad is an excellent choice for something portable.
The iPad (2021) also sees a huge upgrade for the front-facing camera compared to earlier models. It can now take full 1080p video so it’s perfect for FaceTime and video calls.The microphone may not have received an upgrade but it’s pretty good for your standard video call or FaceTime with some family or friends. The whole experience is made even better by the inclusion of Center Stage. When on a FaceTime call, your camera will automatically stay focused on you, even if you happen to move around. If you move to one side of the frame, it will “pan” over to you and do its best to keep you in the center of the frame, no matter how much you move. It will even zoom out to capture multiple people in the frame, making video calling much better. Center Stage is a great feature that you’ll soon wonder how you lived without.
The 10.2-inch iPad may lack the power of something like the iPad Air 5 or even the iPad mini 6 but it’s hard to beat at this price when looking for a quality tablet on a budget.
The iPad mini 6 is the most significant update to the iPad mini line since the introduction of the first-generation model. Pretty much everything about it has been improved and the entire team at iMore is impressed with its portability and power blend. It has a larger display than before, a huge processor boost, and much more.
The tablet also has Apple Pencil 2 support so the iPad mini 6 is a fantastic drawing tablet. It’s simple to take notes or sketch something out, while you can always merely control the tablet with the stylus. Alongside that, its 8.3-inch screen is a beautiful and larger display than an iPhone, making it excellent for watching videos or playing Apple Arcade titles on the goal.
With upgrades to the camera, storage options, and the updated design, it’s impossible to pass up on the iPad mini 6 if you’re a fan of small tablets.
If you need a seriously powerful tablet, you need the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2022). Comparatively little has changed from the previous year’s entry but it’s a fantastic powerhouse.
When announcing this year’s iPad Pro, Apple quickly threw out just how much better the M2 is over the previous M1 chip. Apple claims its 8-core CPU is up to 15% faster, and the graphics performance should be about 35% quicker. To top that all off, Apple states that the 16-core Neural Engine can process 15.8 trillion operations per second, which is about 40% more than the M1. That’s all great, but what does it mean for you? Not much in reality.
You see, the M1 iPad Pro wasn’t suffering from performance issues to start with. Of course, the M2 iPad Pro is super smooth, but many people won’t see a noticeable difference between the M1 and M2 chips. Still, if you want all the power in the world, editing some 4K videos is a breeze while transferring large files to an external device appears instant most of the time. Also, producing music in GarageBand with plenty of tracks is effortless.
The iPad Pro’s large screen is still just as excellent as it was before if you want to use a tablet instead of a laptop. It offers a perfect canvas for visual artists, with plenty of room for drawing, digital painting, and more. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2021) came with a fancy mini LED display which Apple calls Liquid Retina XDR. It continues to be perfect here. HDR content looks great while there’s the ability to reach a peak brightness of 16,000 nits, delivering that high contrast experience HDR needs. The larger screen gives plenty of space to use apps side-by-side, which is excellent for all kinds of work. The new built-in magnetic induction area that charges and stores the second-gen Apple Pencil is also a perfect addition.
Thanks to the iPad Pro (2022) keeping the USB-C port that’s still Thunderbolt 3 / USB 4, it’s simple to hook up Thunderbolt accessories like displays, docks, hubs, and hard drives. That makes it a productivity powerhouse if you want it to be, without the need for a special Lightning-to-whatever cable just to hook up an SSD, camera, or anything else with a USB-C cable.
Mighty and capable of supporting some powerful apps, the iPad Pro means serious business. While such apps may not be as full-featured as their desktop counterparts, apps like Lightroom and Affinity Photo make photo editing a breeze while providing much of the flexibility and power of desktop apps.
This powerful tablet is excellent for professionals, artists, and anyone looking for a powerful tablet or laptop alternative. Add on some of the best accessories for the iPad Pro to get the most from it.
The 11-inch iPad Pro is a powerful tablet with professional aspirations, but in a smaller form than the 12.9-inch model. It has the same powerful M2 chip that the 12.9-inch model offers so it has almost the same capabilities. The only core exception is its lack of Liquid Retina XDR display.
Also, it might not sound like much of a difference on appear, but working with almost two inches less in screen real estate does make a difference. It means it’s not quite as good for working with apps side-by-side as the larger model, but on the other hand, it’s lighter and more portable.
It’s also still great for a wide variety of tasks. The 11-inch iPad Pro is the tablet to get if you want something smaller than the largest tablet that Apple makes while still wanting or needing its power.
How to choose the best iPad for you
For most people, the iPad Air 5 is the perfect iPad for their needs. It’s more potent than the basic iPad but not nearly as expensive as the Pro range. It has Apple’s M1 chip to provide fantastic performance, and you can always go for 5G speeds if you opt for the Wi-Fi/Cellular model. There are a few sacrifices to be made here but you’ll gain good performance without needing to spend the most possible on an iPad.
Some people will be fine with the 64GB model, but it makes sense to choose the 256GB version for peace of mind and longevity.
The iPad Air 5 doesn’t get bigger than 10.9 inches so it’s not as good as the 12.9-inch iPad Pro when it comes to multitasking and using two apps side-by-side. If that’s important to you, you know what to do. The rumor is a new 14.1-inch M2 iPad size Apple has been working on has been canceled, so 12.9 is as big as you’re going to get. At least for now.
Still, again, the iPad Air 5 will suit most people for most tasks. Whether you’re drawing with your Apple pencil or using the Smart Keyboard to type up a massive report, it does the job well. It even supports the second-generation Apple Pencil unlike the iPad Air 4 so it’s easier to charge.
If you need something smaller but with Apple Pencil 2 support, opt for the iPad mini 6. It’s remarkably powerful for the size although too small for multitasking. It’s easy to toss into a bag between classes or commutes though. While there are plenty of rumors regarding the iPad mini 7, without confirmation, you’re still onto a good thing buying the iPad mini 6 now.