As we said above, the best iPad features right now are distributed across models, making it hard to single out a go-to “perfect” iPad right now. Price, performance, front camera quality, accessory support and display quality vary across models. Most people tend to buy iPads for family or personal use, and you’ll need to decide how much you want to spend. There are also frequent sales of iPads that can change the equation too. The iPad as a product line is great overall. Models tend to have long lives, and all models on sale now are solid at running apps and games and even multitasking. The good news is all current models are good at doing a lot of things via iPadOS.
The one area that the basic iPad is left out of is Apple Intelligence, Apple’s suite of AI tools spread across iPadOS. These features can sometimes be helpful (message summaries, a new Siri interface, writing tools, transcription services, photo editing tools and more), so it may make sense to consider upgrading to a newer iPad for them. Even so, for basic family iPad use, you may not need them.
All the current iPads, with the exception of the iPad Mini, have landscape-oriented front-facing cameras now which are much better for video chats with a keyboard attached, or standing a case up on a table.
Also, keep in mind Apple’s iPad release schedule, which is less predictable than iPhones. The entry-level and Air iPads got updates in the spring, and the iPad Pro got its update this fall. The iPad Mini, meanwhile, could get an update as soon as early next year.
iPad, iPad Air, iPad Pro, and iPad Mini: what’s the difference?
Think of the iPad line as a gradual set of increases in features and price, from the entry 11th-gen iPad all the way to the iPad Pro. The Mini sits on its own, sort of a smaller (but newer) twin of the 11th-gen model.
The 11th-gen model is the most affordable. It has an A16 processor onboard, but this iPad also costs less overall. The Air adds an M3 processor and more storage options, plus support for the Pencil Pro stylus. The Pro is lighter and thinner than the Air, has an even newer and faster M4 chip, a higher-quality, faster-refresh-rate OLED display that’s a first for the iPad family, and both Face ID and rear lidar camera sensors.
The Air and Pro feel like two versions of the same product, one nicer than the other. Both have 11 and 13-inch screen sizes, and support for Apple’s Magic Keyboard cases. The 11th-gen basic iPad is a little different, with a different Apple keyboard folio case option.
The new Mini also supports the Pencil Pro, but only has an A15 chip instead of an M-series like the Air/Pro line.
All currently sold iPads can use Apple Intelligence, Apple’s very embryonic AI revamp for iPadOS, except for the iPad 11th-gen.
What is an M1/M2/M3/M4/M5 chip and do I need it?
Short answer: you don’t need an M-series chip in your iPad, but having one does give some benefits. Apple’s M-series chips began emerging back in the fall of 2020, delivering major gains in battery life and performance for Macs. On iPads, M1 series chips and later often deliver boosts in graphics and processing power, but to a more gradual degree than the leap on Macs felt. Older iPads used variants of iPhone-based chips, but M-series processors technically push iPads into Mac performance territory.
I say “technically” because iPads are still limited by iPadOS, although M1 to M5 chips add a few particular multitasking perks to iPad models. Right now, only iPad Air and Pro models have M-series processors inside.
Current iPad Air and Pro models have M-series processors (M3 and M5), while the 11th-gen iPad and iPad Mini have processors based more on what iPhone chips have. That will affect what software runs on them in the future, to some degree: Apple Intelligence, Apple’s upcoming generative AI suite of services, works with the Air, Pro, and new Mini. Stage Manager’s external monitor support needs M-series chips, which means only the Air and Pro can take advantage: they offer a little more multiscreen multitasking by running an extra four apps on another screen. These extras won’t matter for everyday casual iPad use, but they could be downsides if you’re planning to power-use your iPad like a full computer.
However, iPadOS 26 has a revamped set of windowed multitasking layouts that work across all the iPad models, even the entry iPad without a M-series chip. That’s more important to me than Apple Intelligence.
At this point, though, if you’re considering an M-series chip on your next iPad and are shopping older models, I’d go with M2 and higher.
Is the Apple Pencil worth it?
Apple’s Pencil stylus is an excellent tool for making art and handwriting on the iPad, and it’s absolutely worth it for anyone with an interest in art on a tablet. It’s not something I use very often, but Apple’s tech for the Pencil is great, and the latest Pencil Pro adds even more useful extras like a rotational brush and squeeze controls with haptic feedback. You need a new iPad Pro, Air or Mini from 2024 onwards to use a Pencil Pro, but older Pencil 2 and USB-C Pencils (or the original Pencil) work well, albeit with reduced feature sets, on older iPad models.
Apple’s stylus lineup is more confusing than ever, but what you need to know is that the 11th-gen iPad only works with the more basic, feature-limited Pencil 1 and USB Pencil accessories. The newer iPad Air, Pro and Mini models from 2024 work the the new Pencil Pro stylus that not only has double-tap, side magnetic charging and hover-over-the-screen preview features, but adds haptic feedback, squeeze gestures, and a gyro to recognize rotational brush moves. Anyone who’s deeply into art will likely want a newer iPad model for these reasons alone.
Read more: Best iPad Deals Right Now
What’s the ideal iPad screen size?
iPads range in size from 8 inches (the Mini) all the way to 12.9 inches (the larger iPad Pro and Air). The Mini feels like a fancy Kindle, while the larger iPad models feel almost like the top lids of laptops.
Fans of Minis appreciate them as e-readers and almost phone-like travel devices, but they’re not so great for deeper laptop-like work. The 12.9-inch iPads have a different aspect ratio that favors side-by-side app multitasking and working on large documents, but they can feel heavy with a keyboard case attached. Our favorites are the 11-inch (or 10.9-inch) models (iPad 11th-gen, 11-inch iPad Air, 11-inch iPad Pro), which split the difference between compact and keyboard case-friendly. Apple was correct about this size from the beginning, and it’s the size I almost always prefer.
Whichever model or screen size you choose, all the current iPads support the latest version of iPadOS (a version of iOS specifically for iPads). iPadOS 18 includes a clever new feature called Math Notes that allows handwritten math equations, something that could be great for kids. That feature works on all existing iPad models, even those without M1 chips.
No matter what iPad you buy, there are ways of connecting keyboard cases, Bluetooth and otherwise, although your options will vary. That’s good news for anyone who wants to do more than stream videos and music, browse websites and play Apple Arcade games. Plus, all the current iPad models support mouse and trackpad use for a more MacBook-like experience. The Apple Magic Keyboard is compatible with the iPad Pro and iPad Air, but the Pro works with an improved model that has a larger clickable trackpad and extra function keys. The 11th-gen iPad has a different Magic Keyboard Folio case instead, which is less lap-friendly but has a more flexibly angled design.
Are all iPad cameras the same?
iPad cameras don’t differ much, but there are fewer distinctions. Recent iPads all have 12MP front cameras that can also auto-track head movement during video chats (called Center Stage), but the Pro models also have Face ID-enabled TrueDepth cameras that use infrared to scan your face and are capable of some 3D-scanning tricks and AR extras. All the rear cameras are 12MP across models and can record 4K video, but the Pro adds ProRes video recording support. iPads are generally equipped with really good cameras for tablets, but they’re not as good as iPhones.
