So many iPads, so little time. I tested them all for you. (Rick Broida/Yahoo)
For many people, it's not a question of which tablet to buy, but which iPad. Apple's screen machines come in four flavors: Air, Mini, Pro and, er, "iPad." (That's the least expensive model; Apple charges more if you want a surname.) And I get it: These slates are varying degrees of excellent, thanks to the friendly, robust iPad operating system and unmatched assortment of apps and accessories. I'm not sure there are better tablets for entertaining yourself and creating content, full stop. But back to the bigger question: Which is the best iPad for you?
Spoiler alert: I think there's one model that will satisfy nearly every tablet shopper. Others have their merits, but they're a little more niche. If you want a great all-purpose screen that's suitable for everything from games and movies to web browsing and video calls, Apple has you covered — and it'll cost less than you might expect.
Want to expand your tablet search beyond Apple? Check out our list of the best tablets you can buy for all kinds of users and situations.
Update, Sept. 5, 2025: We checked all product prices and availability and updated the listing for the iPad Mini to reflect the latest model. Our No. 1 pick for best iPad remains the same. We've added further recommendations for students and power users.
There's a little prestidigitation at work in the new-for-2025 iPad, starting with nomenclature: Although it's the 11th generation of this model, Apple is no longer referring to it as such. Instead, it's the "iPad (A16)," the parenthetical referring to the A16 processor that's the brains behind the operation.
Similarly, no more calling this the "iPad 10.9" in reference to its screen size. It still has a 10.9-inch screen, mind you — the same Liquid Retina beauty as before — but Apple is now rounding up and referring to it as an 11-inch.
Indeed, to look at this year's iPad is to see last year's; they're physically identical, including the four color choices — blue, pink, silver and yellow — and they're able to use the impressive Apple Pencil stylus (sold separately, of course).
The two notable changes are internal: The A16 chip (which Apple says delivers "a big jump in performance") and the 128GB of storage in the base model. That's double the amount in the 10th-gen iPad, yet Apple kept the starting price at $349. That's an unexpected and pleasant surprise given the 40% price jump in the recent new entry-level iPhone, the 16e.
So. The new iPad is faster and has twice the storage for the same price. This is a good time to mention that I'm on record calling the previous iPad the top pick for most tablet buyers. It's a ridiculously capable device, more or less on par with an iPhone but with a much larger screen.
Needless to say, that opinion is unchanged. I never found the last model to be slow in any way — quite the opposite — so the processor bump doesn't excite me much. The extra gigabytes, however, represent a big win. That's a lot more space for games, movies, recorded videos and the like.
Of course, you still have the option of adding cellular to the mix, though it adds a hefty $149 to the price of whatever model you choose. (The Wi-Fi-only iPad is $449 with 256GB, $649 with 512GB.) There's also the monthly cost of cellular service, but that's to be expected. Very few competing tablets offer this capability at all.
There's one fairly surprising thing missing from the iPad (A16), and that's Apple Intelligence. This integrated suite of AI tools can summarize e-mails, improve your writing, generate custom images and more; it also includes an upgraded Siri.
That makes this the only current Apple device with a screen to lack the company's next-gen smarts. That said, some would argue Apple Intelligence — in its current, not-fully-realized form, anyway — is nice to have, but hardly essential.
I'm in that camp. If you agree, then I can easily, wholeheartedly recommend this iPad. It's beautiful to look at, affordably priced and arguably more versatile than any competing tablet.
(Pro tip: That's true of the previous-generation iPad as well, so keep an eye out for clearance pricing on that model — while remembering that its 64GB of storage may leave you strapped for space sooner than you expect.)
Screen size: 8.3 inches | Storage: Starting at 64GB | Rated battery life: 10 hours | Connectivity: Wi-Fi (cellular 4G/5G optional) | Warranty: 1 year
You'd think that a smaller iPad with an 8-inch screen would cost less than one with a 10.9-inch screen. You'd be wrong. It's hard to understand Apple's thinking about the iPad Mini's pricing, which is significantly higher than the larger model's.
That said, this is such a splendid little tablet that you might be willing to overlook the disparity. The main appeals: portability and comfort. The Mini slips more easily into your favorite bag and feels more comfortable to hold for long periods, like when reading a book. It weighs just over 10 ounces, while the iPad 10.9 tips the scales at just over a pound.
The Mini boasts a glorious Liquid Retina screen, great front and rear cameras, a fast processor and support for first- and second-gen Apple Pencils (in case you want to jot notes or create art on the go).
It does, however, come with only 64GB of storage in the base model, and jumping to 256GB will cost you extra.
Will we see an iPad Mini refresh in 2025, including more storage and perhaps even a lower price? Last year I wouldn't have thought so, but these days my crystal ball has trouble tuning in Apple. Anything is possible!
Screen size: 10.9 inches | Storage: Starting at 128GB | Rated battery life: 10 hours | Connectivity: Wi-Fi (cellular 4G/5G optional) | Warranty: 1 year
There's a little prestidigitation at work in the new-for-2025 iPad, starting with nomenclature: Although it's the 11th generation of this model, Apple is no longer referring to it as such. Instead, it's the "iPad (A16)," the parenthetical referring to the A16 processor that's the brains behind the operation.
Similarly, no more calling this the "iPad 10.9" in reference to its screen size. It still has a 10.9-inch screen, mind you — the same Liquid Retina beauty as before — but Apple is now rounding up and referring to it as an 11-inch.
Indeed, to look at this year's iPad is to see last year's; they're physically identical, including the four color choices — blue, pink, silver and yellow — and they're able to use the impressive Apple Pencil stylus (sold separately, of course).
The two notable changes are internal: The A16 chip (which Apple says delivers "a big jump in performance") and the 128GB of storage in the base model. That's double the amount in the 10th-gen iPad, yet Apple kept the starting price at $349. That's an unexpected and pleasant surprise given the 40% price jump in the recent new entry-level iPhone, the 16e.
So. The new iPad is faster and has twice the storage for the same price. This is a good time to mention that I'm on record calling the previous iPad the top pick for most tablet buyers. It's a ridiculously capable device, more or less on par with an iPhone, but with a much larger screen.
Needless to say, that opinion is unchanged. I never found the last model to be slow in any way — quite the opposite — so the processor bump doesn't excite me much. The extra gigabytes, however, represent a big win. That's a lot more space for games, movies, recorded videos and the like.
Of course, you still have the option of adding cellular to the mix, though it adds a hefty $149 to the price of whatever model you choose. (The Wi-Fi-only iPad is $449 with 256GB, $649 with 512GB.) There's also the monthly cost of cellular service, but that's to be expected. Very few competing tablets offer this capability at all.
There's one fairly surprising thing missing from the iPad (A16), and that's Apple Intelligence. This integrated suite of AI tools can summarize emails, improve your writing, generate custom images and more; it also includes an upgraded Siri.
That makes this the only current Apple device with a screen to lacks the company's next-gen smarts. That said, some would argue Apple Intelligence — in its current, not-fully-realized form, anyway — is nice to have, but hardly essential.
I'm in that camp. If you agree, then I can easily, wholeheartedly recommend this iPad. It's beautiful to look at, affordably priced and arguably more versatile than any competing tablet.
Screen size: 8.3 inches | Storage: Starting at 128GB | Rated battery life: 10 hours | Connectivity: Wi-Fi (cellular 4G/5G optional) | Warranty: 1 year
You'd think that a smaller iPad with an 8-inch screen would cost less than one with a 10.9-inch screen (namely, the iPad (A16)). You'd be wrong. It's hard to understand Apple's reasoning toward the iPad Mini's pricing, which is significantly higher than the larger model's.
That said, this is such a splendid little tablet that you might be willing to overlook the disparity. The main appeals: portability and comfort. The Mini slips more easily into your favorite bag and feels more comfortable to hold for long periods, like when reading a book. It weighs just over 10 ounces, while the iPad 10.9 tips the scales at just over a pound.
The Mini boasts a glorious Liquid Retina screen, great front and rear cameras, a fast processor and support for both the Apple Pencil (USB) and Apple Pencil Pro (in case you want to jot notes or create art on the go). The base model now includes 128GB of storage, double that of its predecessor, but thankfully that didn't come with a price increase.
Similarly, the new A17 Pro processor is supported by twice as much RAM as before (8GB). Other improvements include newer wireless protocols (Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E), a faster USB-C port (Gen 2) and support for Apple Intelligence.
All these amenities could make the Mini a stealth pick for students, who can leverage Apple Intelligence for writing assistance, the Pencil for note-taking and the fast processor for heavy-lift class assignments. (That said, we still like the iPad Air best for students; see below.)
Personally, the iPad Mini is what I reach for when I travel, as it affords me access to all the e-book apps I use, plus lets me watch movies and TV shows on a larger screen — all while consuming precious little space in my carry-on. While I wish Apple offered it at a more size-appropriate price, I can't deny my love for this tiny tablet.
Screen size: 11 or 13 inches | Storage: Starting at 128GB | Rated battery life: 10 hours | Connectivity: Wi-Fi (cellular 4G/5G optional) | Warranty: 1 year
Like the iPad (A16), the iPad Air is now also known by its processor-based suffix. The M3 is, unsurprisingly, faster than its M2 predecessor, though it's harder to quantify any real-world advantages; the older model was already plenty fast. Indeed, this is arguably the most iterative iPad update in Apple history; other than the chip, there's nothing new here.
That said, we still consider this a top pick for students, and here's why: It's great for note-taking, as it supports the Apple Pencil 2, and it's more affordable than the Pro and weighs just a few grams more. Plus, it delivers more horsepower than the base-model iPad, which could prove helpful for things like coding and design work. It definitely nets you strong multitasking support (courtesy of Stage Manager), something you can't get from the A16 chip.
You also get Apple Intelligence features, which I've found to be of mixed value overall but could certainly help with student-oriented endeavors (writing, editing, etc.). And it's available in both 11- and 13-inch sizes, the latter a nice option as a potential laptop replacement.
Screen size: 11 or 13 inches | Storage: Starting at 256GB | Rated battery life: 10 hours | Connectivity: Wi-Fi (cellular 4G/5G optional) | Warranty: 1 year
Apple's flagship tablet, available in 11- and 13-inch sizes, is overkill for most users, but it's the one you want if you're doing mission-critical work.
For example, it can do LiDAR (light detection and ranging) scanning, a sophisticated method of measurement that can help create 3D models. It has an OLED screen that should reproduce colors with the greatest possible accuracy (and vibrancy) — though if I'm being honest I found it all but indistinguishable from other iPads' LCDs, at least for everyday tasks.
The iPad Pro (M4) also has the fastest processor of any iPad, which won't mean much for run-of-the-mill apps (Kindle, Calendar, etc.) but could prove very valuable if you're editing video or working with massive documents. And don't forget multitasking: If you frequently hop back and forth between multiple pro-level apps, you want all the processing power you can get.
Note that this model is rumored to be getting an upgrade in fall of 2025, so you might want to hold off before taking the plunge on such a pricey model.
I've owned and used iPads since the first model dropped back in 2010, so it's safe to say I know my way around Apple's tablets. I'd argue that the company just about perfected the devices a few generations ago, so there wasn't a ton of testing required here. It's like evaluating a chocolate chip cookie with and without a sprinkle of sea salt; they're both great, just more a matter of personal preference.
More to the point, every iPad model is fast; the higher-end models might shave a few milliseconds here and there, but that's about it. You're very unlikely to notice a performance difference when playing games, browsing web pages, watching videos and the like. So we feel there's no point in benchmark-testing performance. Similarly, I found all the iPad screens to be razor-sharp and dazzlingly colorful; only art professionals are likely to prefer (or even notice) the iPad Pro's OLED.
Ultimately, my tests came down to usability, and even then, there was little differentiation: The iPad (A16), iPad Air (M3) and iPad Pro 11 are all roughly the same size and weight. Only the Mini offers a usability advantage by being smaller and lighter.
A properly equipped iPad can get pretty close, but it's a good idea to "take inventory" first — meaning determine what you need it to do and whether it can do it. For example, your company might use specific software tools that have no app equivalent or simply don't work in mobile web browsers.
Your best bets are the iPad Air and iPad Pro with Apple's Magic Keyboard, which will get you closest to the laptop "feel." Both are capable of running Stage Manager, a tool that allows for desktop-like multitasking. (The forthcoming iPadOS 26 release will add even more features for wanna-be laptop users.)
You can even pair a Bluetooth mouse to fully round out the laptop experience.
Maybe! Just because an iPad is a generation behind doesn't mean it's not a powerful, useful device. And you'll usually save money as well. Just make sure you're not getting half the storage, which kills a lot of the value.
As much as you can afford. Unfortunately, because iPads don't have memory card slots, you can't add more storage if you run out of space. Whether that will happen depends on how you use the device. Thankfully, if you buy any current-model iPad, the starting storage is a rather capacious 128GB. That's more than enough for browsing the web, checking email, playing a few games and toggling between your favorite streaming video apps. If you're using the iPad for more creative endeavors — image creation, video editing and so forth — you'll be safer with 256GB or more.
All modern iPads are compatible with at least one Apple Pencil, and the line has thankfully consolidated down to two: the Apple Pencil (USB-C) and Apple Pencil Pro. (If you have a first-gen Pencil, that will work with the iPad A16, too.)
If your budget won't accommodate an iPad or you're an Android user who wants something with a similar interface, check out our list of the best tablets you can buy. There's something for everyone.