Apple’s iPad is just about the default pill to advocate. It set the bar for what the very best tablets must be, and lots of gadgets have tried to comply with in its footsteps to various levels of success. Now, Apple has grown the iPad lineup to fairly an intensive vary with massive and small, super-charged and surprisingly modest gadgets all making up the Apple lineup. With so many gadgets to select from, and infrequently a number of generations of the identical mannequin to weigh in opposition to each other, it may be laborious to suss out the correct one. Plus, Apple simply launched the brand new iPad (A16) and new M3 iPad Air fashions, bringing further alternative choices and worth drops to older generations of the tablets.
TL;DR – These Are the Best Apple iPad Models:
We’ve examined a handful of Apple’s tablets through the years and have a way of what units every aside. You can get superior shows and highly effective M-series chipsets in Apple’s newest iPad Pro fashions. For portability, Apple has packed quite a bit into its iPad Mini, sufficient to make it virtually a bigger iPhone at a worth that’s surprisingly decrease than its telephone counterparts. And when your wants are easy, like for an e-reader alternative, Apple’s base iPads nonetheless present spectacular efficiency and heaps of worth.
Of course, Apple’s not the one pill maker in the marketplace, and in the event you’re not locked into Apple’s ecosystem, it’s possible you’ll wish to take a look at some alternate options which might be able to provide you with some high quality upgrades for a greater worth. Alternatively, in the event you’re dead-set on an iPad, you must look into some nice iPad equipment, like a keyboard, to take advantage of it.
Additional contributions by Mark Knapp and Danielle Abraham
1. Apple iPad (tenth Gen)
Best Overall iPad
Apple iPad (tenth Gen)
A repositioned 12-megapixel front-facing digital camera, upgraded design, a sooner A14 Bionic processor, and a ten.9-inch Liquid Retina show make this iPad a standout.
Screen measurement
10.9-inch, 2360 x 1640 Liquid Retina show
Processor
Apple A14 Bionic chip 6-core CPU + 4-core GPU
Cameras
12MP (rear), 12MP (entrance)
Better show than ninth gen
Still utilizing the A14 Bionic, relatively than the M1
Apple does a fantastic job making its base-level iPad an distinctive possibility for many customers, and that’s what makes the tenth Gen iPad such a really perfect decide for nearly anybody looking for an iPad. For one, its worth is far more approachable than most different iPad choices, just like the Pro fashions that may soar previous $1,000 for many bells and whistles.
The tenth Gen iPad might not have probably the most superior show, however you’re nonetheless getting a ten.9-inch Liquid Retina show. With a 2360×1640 decision throughout that panel, the visuals are a lot sharp. It might not get the 120Hz refresh fee of higher-tier fashions, however greater refresh charges are one thing you actually received’t know you’re lacking till you see it. You also can use the first technology Apple Pencil with this iPad mannequin, so that you’ve nonetheless bought choices for inventive retailers.
The tenth Gen mannequin bought a refreshed design from the prior model, shaving off a little bit of thickness and some grams of weight, and updates to the bezels make for a extra fashionable look with even borders throughout the show. Perhaps a much bigger shift is the front-facing digital camera placement, which works to the highest in panorama (versus portrait) orientation. Combined with Center Stage, the digital camera successfully tracks you throughout calls, so you may wander round whereas being correctly framed in video calls and recordings.
Under the hood, the tenth Gen iPad comes packing an A14 Bionic chip with 4GB of reminiscence. It’s a small however nonetheless necessary improve over the ninth Gen mannequin for many who need extra efficiency and longevity out of their {hardware}. The pill additionally expenses over USB-C relatively than the dated Lightning connector. With USB-C gaining dominance for gadgets, this supplies a bit extra future-proofing for the pill.
We lastly bought an replace to this iPad, and it is available now: The Eleventh-generation iPad gives an A16 processor and double the beginning storage of earlier iPad fashions.
2. Apple iPad (ninth Gen)
Best Budget iPad
Apple iPad (ninth Gen)
0
Spend much less with this funds pill that also delivers a stable efficiency and a crisp 10.2-inch Retina show.
Screen measurement
10.2-inch Retina
Cameras
8-megapixel rear, 12-megapixel front-facing
The jack-of-all-trades iPad
Can lag behind different tablets
Looking for the general finest funds pill accessible? Although it was launched in 2021, iPad (ninth Generation) is our funds decide because of its very stable efficiency, crisp and clear 10.2-inch Retina (backlit) show, and low beginning worth beneath $300. In reality, you’ll find it for less expensive as a result of it’s typically on sale at Amazon (typically it’s as little as $250 throughout Prime Day or Black Friday).
This iPad is presently working the newest model of iPadOS to optimize efficiency and velocity, despite the fact that its processor is a number of years outdated. While it doesn’t have the identical bells and whistles because the iPad Air, iPad Mini, or iPad Pro like a sooner processor, thinner bezels, or a extra fashionable design, it’s nonetheless an iPad that will get the identical entry to the identical apps as another Apple pill. Some of the extra intensive ones simply will not work as nicely.
If you’re solely planning on utilizing it for consuming media, catching up on the information, taking part in fundamental iOS video games, or studying e-books, the ninth Gen iPad will get the job completed at an inexpensive worth. It additionally makes for a fantastic iPad for youths because it’s so cheap. Just wrap a sturdy iPad case round it to keep away from harm.
3. Apple iPad Pro (2024, M4)
Best Premium iPad
Apple iPad Pro (2024 M4)
0
The new iPad Pro is full of an Apple M4 processor and an OLED show, which mix to create probably the most premium Apple pill but.
Screen measurement
11-inch, 12.9-inch
Storage
256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
Cameras
12MP huge digital camera (rear), Landscape 12MP ultra-wide digital camera (entrance)
Awesome for artists and video editors
An truly respectable digital camera
You’ll want to purchase lots of equipment to make it a real workstation
The iPad Pro has at all times been a fantastic piece of tech, however Apple took the tried-and-true design and thinned it down, making it the thinnest iPad ever, beating even the iPad Air. Even although the chassis bought some thickness minimize off from it, Apple stuffed it with the Apple M4 chip, making it extra highly effective than the latest MacBook Air. This makes an already nice iPad for inventive professionals even higher.
The seventh Generation iPad Pro additionally introduces a brand new OLED show, one other first for an iPad, and it’s completely attractive. When we reviewed this seventh Gen iPad Pro, Jacqueline Thomas famous the way it shortly grew to become her favourite machine to observe or learn something on. Colors are brilliant and distinction properly with darker components of any scene, including vibrancy to just about something displayed on the pill.
The M4 makes certain the attractive show is put to good use, too. With the 8-core GPU, the iPad Pro makes simple work of any recreation run natively on the machine, and we might see this changing into the de-facto gaming pill (at the very least in the event you’re not counting the very best handheld gaming PCs). The processor additionally makes it excel on the inventive workloads the pill is designed for. With the brand new Apple Pencil Pro, which you will need to pay additional for, the highly effective {hardware} and lovely show mix to make this a superb alternative for artists and photograph editors that want a contact display to get their job completed.
If you need this to change into your default workstation, although, you are going to need to fork over a ton of money to make it occur. For the official mannequin, the Magic Keyboard prices practically $300 by itself, and the Apple Pencil goes so as to add an additional $129, too. There are Apple Pencil alternate options, and you’ll pair it with principally any keyboard, but it surely’s one thing to pay attention to stepping into.
Read the assessment: Apple iPad Pro (seventh Generation)
4. Apple iPad Mini (seventh Gen)
Best for Reading and Portability
Apple iPad Mini (seventh Gen)
3
Compact iPad weighing simply over half a pound and providing an 8.3-inch show, making it a stable handheld possibility.
Screen measurement
8.3-inch Liquid Retina
Storage
128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Cameras
12-megapixel rear, 12-megapixel front-facing
No main design adjustments with new mannequin
When the finest iPhones are just a bit too small and the opposite 10-inch or bigger iPads are extra display actual property than wanted, the iPad Mini is the proper in-between possibility for studying. With a shocking 8.3-inch Liquid Retina show and 10.4oz heft, this iPad’s compact design makes for a fantastic possibility that’s simple to tuck away in a bag or perhaps a jacket pocket on the go.
Readers will gravitate in the direction of this tiny pill since it may be comfortably held with one hand, and the Apple App Store is chock filled with studying apps, reminiscent of Apple Books, Amazon Kindle, comiXology, Libby, Scribd, and extra. It’s considered one of IGN’s favourite studying tablets for a motive. Compatibility with the Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C) even make the iPad Mini a viable possibility for notetaking or sketching too.
Like most iPads, the Mini’s high-quality construct leaves most of the finest Android tablets at an analogous worth within the mud. For beneath $500, the sturdy recycled aluminum physique appears to be like nice and holds up nicely in opposition to put on and tear. Its design stays just about unchanged from earlier generations, so it’s one of many few iPads that also gives Touch ID.
Under the hood, the seventh Generation Mini mannequin bought a significant enhance in efficiency. Although the Mini’s A17 Pro processor, the identical silicon discovered within the iPhone 15 Pro, can’t compete with the M4 and M3 chips discovered within the Air and Pro fashions, it’s nonetheless a lot zippy for the compact machine. Stuff like watching YouTube or scrolling TikTok can be breezy. Gaming is even viable, and the Mini is suitable with among the finest telephone controllers for added comfort.
5. OnePlus Pad 2
Best iPad Alternative
OnePlus Pad 2
0
Get wonderful efficiency, a sublime and easy show, and general nice high quality at a lot tamer worth than an iPad Pro.
Screen measurement
12.1-inch, IPS, 2120 x 3000
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Cameras
13-megapixel rear, 8-megapixel front-facing
Shorter-term OS help than Apple
Samsung isn’t the one model making nice Android tablets. The OnePlus Pad 2 launched with fairly a smash. It might not get a lot mainstream consideration, but it surely completely deserves it. It began at $549 however has since seen reductions to $449, and that’s a stable deal for a pill doing as a lot as this.
The OnePlus Pad 2 is principally the iPad Pro of the Android pill market. It contains a 12.1-inch show that’s fairly one thing. It’s an IPS panel, but it surely gives 10-bit colour depth, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and a 900-nit peak brightness. It additionally runs at a buttery 144Hz refresh fee, making it all of the smoother whereas gaming, scrolling internet pages, or inking up your paintings with the optionally available stylus. The pill helps the OnePlus Stylo 2, which is pressure-sensitive, has haptic suggestions, and might cost over a magnetic connection to the pill. The show can be surrounded by not two, not 4, however six audio system for spectacular spatial audio.
Inside, the OnePlus Pad 2 is powered by the identical Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip that powered lots of 2024’s flagship Android smartphones, and that offers it loads of juice to run the newest apps and video games. With a default of 8GB of reminiscence and 128GB of storage, it’s additionally bought loads of room for large video games and a number of apps working on the identical time.
In our testing of the OnePlus Pad 2, we additionally discovered that it had unimaginable battery life. It has a 9,510mAh battery tucked away inside, and that proved as much as the duty of offering about 12 hours of heavy use – a lot for lengthy flights. When it involves cost, it helps 80W charging – sooner than lots of laptops – to juice again up fully in just a little over an hour.
OnePlus doesn’t plan on leaving this pill behind any time quickly both. It launched with Android 14, and the corporate promised three years of OS updates and 4 years of safety updates.
Read the total assessment: OnePlus Pad 2
Upcoming iPad Models
If you are on the sting of your seat ready for a brand-new Apple pill, you are in luck. An Eleventh-Gen iPad with an A16 processor and new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air fashions working on an M3 chip simply got here out. We additionally just lately bought an replace to the iPad Mini, because the compact pill now options an A17 Pro processor.
Which Apple iPad Is Right for Me?
Ever because it was launched in 2010, the iPad initially served to fill in a digital hole. For some individuals, it is meant to be that in-between cell machine that’s extra moveable than a laptop computer however extra highly effective than a smartphone, whereas for others, it could actually truly function a wholesale laptop computer alternative.
If you’re trying to purchase your first iPad, otherwise you’re trying to improve from an older mannequin, then we put this handy purchaser’s information on what to search for in an iPad in 2025, beneath:
Tablet Sizes
Currently, there are six iPad fashions with 5 completely different display sizes for numerous makes use of. The smallest within the household is the iPad Mini with a 8.3-inch Liquid Retina (LCD) show, which is good for studying e-books, magazines, comedian books, articles, and extra. It’s additionally very moveable and tremendous light-weight at simply 10oz (or 293g), and finest for one-handed informal use.
For one thing greater, each baseline iPad fashions, ninth and tenth generations, function a ten.2-inch Retina (backlit) and a ten.9-inch Liquid Retina shows. The Eleventh Gen mannequin options an 11-inch display. Meanwhile, the M3 iPad Air contains a 11-inch or 13-inch Liquid Retina show too, but it surely’s extra highly effective with that M-processor than the usual fashions, which function the A13, A14, A16, A17 Pro Bionic chips, respectively.
In reality, 11 inches in measurement is taken into account the “candy spot” for iPad fashions as a result of it is giant sufficient to eat media, however compact sufficient for portability. These fashions are finest for most individuals who wish to watch movies, play video games, and browse the online, whereas taking up productiveness duties.
The largest iPad you may decide up is the iPad Pro, which is available in two fashions: the smaller 11-inch Liquid Retina show and the granddaddy 13-inch Ultra Retina XDR OLED show. Both Pro fashions function the identical Apple M4 processor, so the iPad Pro is finest for creatives and professionals who may desire a laptop computer alternative.
Storage Capacity Differences
When it involves on-board cupboard space, most iPad fashions begin at 64GB and go all the best way as much as a whopping 2TB with the iPad Pro. For most individuals 64GB is loads of area for apps, video games, video downloads, and extra.
However, in the event you plan on taking lots of high-resolution pictures and movies, then you definately may wish to take into account getting a better capability iPad. For creatives and professionals, it’s finest to choose up a mannequin with at the very least 1TB of storage – particularly for photographers or video editors. Additionally, if you need greater than 2TB of storage, then you must join an exterior laborious drive to the iPad by way of its USB-C port.
Peripherals to Consider
Speaking of which, all iPad fashions (besides the ninth Generation iPad, which nonetheless makes use of the quaint Lightning port) have a USB-C port for charging and peripherals, together with exterior laborious drives. However, it’s finest to attach solid-state laborious drives since they don’t require a lot energy from the iPad itself to function. Since iPadOS has the Files app built-in, you may simply entry information from inside the iPad or an exterior laborious drive.
Bluetooth remains to be one of the simplest ways to attach the most of the finest iPad equipment — just like the Apple Pencil, Apple Smart Keyboard Folio, Apple Magic Keyboard, Apple AirPods, even an Xbox or PS5 gaming controller, and extra — to the iPad wirelessly. Just be sure the peripheral you’d like to attach is suitable with the iPad. One of IGN’s consultants reviewed the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC, giving the headphones excessive reward and an 8/10 score. These earbuds work seamlessy with iPads and value lower than the AirPods Pro 2 whereas delivering related efficiency in a number of catagories.
Connectivity
There are two variations for every iPad mannequin: Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + mobile. The first model can solely connect with the web by way of Wi-Fi, so it’s finest to make use of at dwelling, on the workplace, or simply about anyplace with a gradual Wi-Fi connection like a espresso store or airport.
The second can connect with Wi-Fi and mobile networks by way of 4G LTE cell information like an Apple iPhone. This means you’ll need to get a cell information plan from a mobile provider like T-Mobile or AT&T if you wish to connect with the web and not using a Wi-Fi connection. These fashions even have GPS, so that they’re splendid to make use of as an leisure show in a automobile.
Of course, Wi-Fi + mobile variations are dearer than Wi-Fi-only iPad fashions as a result of there are extra antennas and sensors inside.
Price Comparison
The iPad begins at $269 for the tenth Generation mannequin. In reality, you may decide up this mannequin for even cheaper throughout massive procuring occasions like Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday. At the excessive finish, a maxed out iPad Pro can go for upwards of $2,000. This is an iPad Pro with all of the bells and whistles, reminiscent of a 13-inch Ultra Retina XDR show, 2TB of cupboard space, and Wi-Fi + mobile connectivity. If you need the very best of the very best, this iPad Pro is for you.
Which iPad Is Best for Kids and Teens in 2025?
Our prime decide proper now for youths and youthful relations is the iPad Air M2, as present in our prime iPads for youths record. If you are heading off to high school, we have additionally included a complete information to the very best iPads for college kids.
Rudie Obias is a tech freelance author and editor who can be enthusiastic about cinema, popular culture, music, the NBA, and science fiction. His work will be discovered at Fandom, TV Guide, Metacritic, Yahoo!, Mashable, Mental Floss, and naturally, IGN. Follow him @RudieObias on Twitter & IG.
