iPad

There are no bad iPads. That’s the best news about Apple’s tablet lineup: 15 years after Steve Jobs first debuted the device, the iPad is the best tablet on the market, and it’s not particularly close. Apple’s App Store is enormous and filled with great apps, Apple’s performance and battery life are consistently excellent, and the iPad is still the company’s most versatile device. That’s one easy answer to your question: yes, if you want a tablet you should buy an iPad. Even last year’s iPad, or heck, last-last year’s iPad is still a solid device. Buying an older but better device — last year’s Pro instead of this year’s Air, for instance — is a tried and true iPad formula.

But which of all those good iPads should you buy? That’s never been more complicated. Apple sells six different iPads — the Pro in two sizes, the Air in two sizes, the Mini, and the regular ol’ iPad — all of which come with different specs and accessory options. It’s all too much.

I’ve tested every iPad currently on the market and have been an iPad user and reviewer since the very first model. (I’m pretty sure I got a job in 2010 because I had a brand-new iPad with me at the interview, but that’s another story.) After using all these tablets and accessories, I think I can help you make the choice.

The simplest way to pick an iPad is by process of elimination. First, there’s your budget: you can spend $350 on an iPad, you can spend $2,728 on an iPad, or you can spend just about anything in between. You should also decide whether you need an Apple Pencil and which one has the features you need, because not every iPad supports every model. The same goes for the keyboard attachments. Between price and accessories, your choice might be instantly obvious.

More broadly, though, your iPad-buying journey starts with two crucial questions. The first is: what kind of iPad user are you? There are roughly two types. The first and most common iPad user mostly uses it like a larger iPhone: it’s a bigger screen on which to send emails, do the crossword, watch Netflix, and other fairly casual activities. The second type of iPad user, on the other hand, uses it like a touchscreen Mac: it’s for video editing, 3D modeling, creating presentations, crushing spreadsheets, and generally Doing Work of all sorts. You’ll also email and Netflix, of course, but you want your iPad to be a primary computing device.

I think most people fall into the first category. (Honestly, I also think a lot of people who believe they fall into the second category… mostly don’t.)

What to consider when buying an iPad:

How we test iPads

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iPads are incredibly versatile gadgets, so we test them in as many real-world ways as possible. We use them for video chats, we play high-end games and casual ones, we edit complex video, we fall asleep on the couch watching Netflix. We pay close attention to performance, battery life, durability, and compatibility with important apps and accessories. We’ve reviewed every iPad on the market, along with their most important competitors, and track software updates closely as they change the devices’ appeal.

Price

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Yes, this is obvious, but it’s good to know how much you want to spend before shopping — otherwise, you risk succumbing to Apple’s incredible ability to always get you spending just a little more. You can get a new iPad for as little as $350, or you can spend well over $1,000 for a top model. Knowing how much you want to pay will guide you to the right models. It might even guide you to older models; sometimes the last-gen iPad, at a steep discount, can be the one to buy.

Size

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The most common iPad size these days has a roughly 11-inch screen. This is probably the right size for most people: 11 inches is ideal for a wide variety of things and is flexible for both holding in your hands and using with a keyboard. If you primarily plan to use your iPad for reading, you might want to go with something smaller; if you intend to replace a laptop with an iPad, you might want a bigger model. Be warned, though: a 13-inch iPad is a truly humongous thing.

Accessories

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Apple’s accessory compatibility is somewhat fragmented across its iPad lineup. It has several different Pencil stylus models, a number of different keyboard attachments, and a wide variety of case options. While some iPad models share accessories with others, not all of them do, so if you want to use a specific accessory with your iPad, it’s important to make sure both are compatible before you buy them.

The second question is more complicated to answer, and it’s what makes the iPad-buying process so tricky right now: how long do you expect to keep your iPad? If you’re looking for a device for the kids to beat up or something that will be your travel companion until you inevitably leave it somewhere, you’re going to end up with a very different device than if you’re shopping for your main computer for the next decade. In general, if you take care of your iPad, I think you can reasonably expect it to last at least five years — so that’s the timeline I have in mind as we go through this guide.

I used to say that almost everyone should just get the base iPad. Now, I think there are two options worth seriously considering.

$299

The Good

• The cheapest iPad by far
• Comes in lots of fun colors
• Plenty capable for casual use

The Bad

• The worst screen in the lineup
• Much older chip
• No Pencil Pro support

Screen: 11-inch, 2360 x 1640 resolution / Processor: Apple A16 / Storage: 128GB to 512GB Port: USB-C / Cellular: 5G (optional) / Speakers: stereo / Compatible accessories: Apple Magic Keyboard Folio, Apple Pencil (USB-C)

Apple’s base model is still a really good tablet and a pretty good deal: you could buy the $349 tablet and the (wildly overpriced but still very nice) $250 Magic Keyboard Folio for the price of the iPad Air. Now that it comes with at least 128GB of storage, I have few complaints with this device.

The 11-inch screen is the right size for most iPad things, the camera is good and is located in the right place, it supports the Apple Pencil — though not the newer Pencil Pro — and even its A16 chip is plenty for most casual iPad uses. All the other iPads have slightly nicer screens, particularly the antireflective coating that helps mitigate glare, but that’s almost certainly not worth the additional price for most buyers.

Here’s my reservation: the base model iPad is further behind the Air than ever before, and I worry about how that’ll play out over the next few years. If you decide to start using your iPad for more creative tasks, then you might regret not getting the Air’s M3 chip. If, by some miracle, Apple Intelligence becomes awesome in the next few years, you won’t be able to use it.

If you only wanted an iPad to last a couple years, for everyday iPad tasks, I’d tell you to buy this one without a second’s hesitation. But there’s a chance this one will feel old and outdated long before the Air does.

Read our full iPad (11th-gen) review.

$499

The Good

• M3 chip is fast and new
• Excellent accessory support
• Better display than the base model

The Bad

• Has Touch ID, not Face ID
• Much more expensive than the base model
• AI is not an upgrade so far

Screen: 11-inch, 2360 x 1640 resolution; 13-inch, 2732 x 2048 resolution / Processor: Apple M3 / Storage: 128GB to 1TB / Ports: USB-C / Cellular: 5G (optional) / Speakers: stereo / Compatible accessories: Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Air, Apple Pencil Pro, Pencil USB-C

The iPad Air is supposed to be the perfect middle ground of the iPad lineup, and this year’s model gets pretty close. The new M3 chip is only a tiny upgrade over the M2 — I don’t even notice it in day-to-day use — but I’ll never complain about having newer chips. The biggest upgrade to the Air this year is actually the new Magic Keyboard, which adds a row of function keys and makes the setup a much more credible laptop replacement. (The new keyboard also works with the M2 Air, and if you can find that device on sale somewhere, it’s still a great tablet.)

The base iPad to iPad Air upgrade is straightforward enough. You get better accessories, a somewhat better screen, and a noticeably better processor for $250. (You also get the option of a 13-inch device for another $200, but I think an 11-inch iPad is the right size for most people — the 13-inch models start to feel more like laptops than tablets.) If you’re playing Netflix and browsing the web, that $250 won’t get you much, but as soon as you start noodling around in Final Cut or even GarageBand, you’ll notice the difference. There’s a lot of room to grow into the Air, whereas the base iPad may hit its ceiling much sooner.

The other thing the Air offers that the base iPad doesn’t is Apple Intelligence. Right now, this is not a problem: there is exactly nothing in Apple Intelligence worth spending $250 on. But if you’re an AI believer, you should know that the base iPad won’t get whatever’s coming.

Read our full iPad Air M3 review.

$1099

The Good

• Outrageously powerful
• Gorgeous screen and design
• Full accessory support

The Bad

• Outrageously expensive
• Like, MacBook Pro-level expensive

Screen: 11-inch, 2420 x 1668 resolution 120Hz OLED; 13-inch, 2752 x 2064 resolution 120Hz OLED; nano-texture glass optional / Processor: Apple M4 / Storage: 256GB–2TB / Ports: USB-C / Cellular: 5G (optional) / Speakers: four / Compatible accessories: Apple Magic Keyboard, Apple Pencil Pro, Pencil USB-C

If you’re not worried about price tags, this is easy: the latest iPad Pro is my favorite tablet of all time. The Tandem OLED screen is bright and crisp, the tablet is barely thicker than its USB-C port, it’s light, it’s thin, and it’s about as well made as you could expect a tablet to be. The M4 chip is plenty fast even for high-end games and ultra-complex creativity apps. It supports the new, lighter, better Magic Keyboard case and the Pencil Pro. I have plenty of qualms about how powerful an operating system iPadOS is, and the limits it places on just how powerfully you can use an iPad, but the M4 Pro is everything you’d want in a tablet.

But oh boy, the price. The Pro starts at $999 for the 11-inch model, and if you want a keyboard, a Pencil, and even a single storage upgrade, you’re quickly looking at a $2,000 purchase. If we’re just talking about a Netflix and email machine, we’re long past the point of diminishing returns. But if you don’t care, and you just want the best thing money can buy? Here it is. You won’t be disappointed.

Read our full iPad Pro review.

$399

The Good

• Ideal for one-handed use
• Works with the Pencil Pro

The Bad

• Missing some accessory support
• Camera’s in the wrong spot

Screen: 8.3-inch, 2266 x 1488 resolution 60Hz Mini LED / Processor: Apple A17 Pro / Storage: up to 2TB / Port: USB-C / Cellular: 5G (optional) / Speakers: quad / Compatible accessories: Apple Pencil Pro, Pencil USB-C, Smart Folio

You’re either an iPad Mini person or you’re not. I very much am: I’ve used a Mini for years as my device for reading in bed, watching movies on airplanes, and playing games on the go. The latest Mini is a bit of a disappointment, with a slightly underpowered processor and an old design that could have used smaller bezels and a relocated camera. But it’s still the iPad Mini, and it’s still good enough for most tablet things. If you want an iPad Mini, this is it.

Read our full iPad Mini review.

An aside on specs and extras

Once you’ve picked an iPad model, you still have a bunch of decisions to make. And many of them are about specs and features that will cost you hundreds of dollars. Here are my recommendations for some of the things you’ll encounter:

• Cellular coverage: You probably don’t need this. Unless you live in a really remote place, Wi-Fi is available in most places. That said, I’ve found that I use cell-equipped iPads far more often when I can just pull them out and know they’re connected — there’s something about busting it out in the park or on the subway that just feels great. Plus, it’s a really useful hotspot for other devices. This isn’t the first place I’d spend my money, though.
• Storage: This is the first place I’d spend my money. All the iPads now come with at least 128GB of storage, which is a big upgrade — 64GB was just never enough. Even now, though, I recommend springing for 256GB if you can afford it; you’d be surprised at how quickly your photos, videos, and Netflix downloads add up.
• Engraving: Don’t do this. It screws up returns and makes selling or giving it away harder. Just don’t do it.
• Apple Pencil: As much as I’d love for this to be an all-purpose accessory, it’s really not. Buy it (either the USB-C or the Pro) if you plan to handwrite or draw a lot. Otherwise, skip it.
• Magic Keyboard: This is the first accessory I’d recommend to most people — many people type a lot on their iPads, and it’s also a handy stand and dock for the tablet. You can find cheaper keyboard docks than Apple’s, but I haven’t found one I like better. It’s expensive no matter which model you buy, though.

My gadget shopping advice is always to buy the best thing you can afford and hold it for as long as possible, and that’s more doable with an iPad than almost any other device category. If you have the extra $100 to spend on storage, do it. If you want to upgrade because you think AI will get more powerful in the next few years, go for it! Just make sure you know which kind of iPad user you really are, and get the best one you’ll actually make use of. Hopefully for a long time to come.

For the first time in a while, the iPad lineup feels fairly up to date. The Air, Mini, and base model have all been updated in the last several months. The Pro is actually the oldest device in the lineup, and Bloomberg has reported that an M5-powered Pro could be coming as soon as this year.

Apple does appear to be updating its devices more often than before, sometimes on an iPhone-style annual schedule. Obviously, your iPad doesn’t need to be upgraded that often, and the year-to-year upgrades tend to be small. So our advice still holds: if you need a new one, now’s a good time. If you don’t, there seems to always be an upgrade just around the corner.

Update, June 9th: Adjusted prices and availability.

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