It ’s been 14 age since Apple direct its first iPad out to shelves and it ’s good to say the lozenge market place was never quite the same . We ’ve gathered the four near iPads in 2025 in this ready to hand guide .
The iPad range is still widely pop , and there ’s just reason . We ’ve reviewed a vast variety of Apple and Android tab and the iPad continues to be a in high spirits performing artist , with the iPad Air 5 currently topping our list of thebest tablets .
However , it can be sturdy to decide which example is correct for you between the iPad , iPad Mini , iPad Air and iPad Pro . The just news show is that we ’ve reviewed all of Apple ’s current offer and range them based on their strengths and who should grease one’s palms them .
In this templet , you ’ll find the best chinchy iPad , the best small iPad , the best iPad for students , the best high - end iPad and , of course of action , the best overall iPad . If you ’re searching for an iPad to fit your budget and lifestyle expect no further .
Each iPad has its own feature and compatible accessories , such as the Apple Pencil and the Apple Keyboard . However , there ’s also plenty of crosswalk between the four range – the biggest , of course , being Apple’siPadOSsoftware . This means that they all have access to the same well - stock up App Store and dally nice with Apple ’s other equipment , include theiPhoneandMacseries ’ .
It ’s the differences , however , that specify these four iPad crinkle apart . When we review a tablet , we visit every aspect of the twist , from the design and display to the television camera and stamp battery life-time . We also do benchmarking trial run to measure the functioning of each iPad and share graphs compare the results with central competition , making it easy to see how different tablet appraise up .
If you ’re face for the best iPad , scroll down to happen our top picks along with data link to our full , in - astuteness reviews . If you ’re not set on Apple , we ’d also recommend reading through our guides to thebest tablets , best Android tabletsandbest tablet for kidsbefore making your decision .
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How we test all the iPads we review
Every tab in this tilt has been by rights tested and used for an extended period of prison term by one of our product experts . We will never recommend a tablet to you that we have n’t in person used and put through a located serial publication of tests .
These tests can include colourimeter checks to estimate screen accuracy and cleverness levels , various benchmarks to evaluate performance , and battery drains to judge endurance .
Our reviewer will also always judge operation for everyday use . This will see them use it as their primary pad to conduct typical tasks like gaming , web browse and video calling .
If the gadget is targeted at a specific market such as digital creative person , they ’ll also view areas such as digital stylus financial backing and whether it can effectively run relevant software .
Apple iPad Air (2024)
Pros
Cons
Apple iPad Pro M4 2024
Apple iPad (10th gen)
iPad Mini 6
Trusted Score
After using all the current and previous iPad models , theiPad Air 2024is the best pick for most people . It ’s not the top do model , does n’t have the amazingOLEDdisplay of the two Pro models and is n’t as low-priced as the base iPad . Yet , Apple balances everything well with this model . It ’s tight enough , now come in two sizes ( 11 and 13 - inch ) and far lighter on the wallet than the Pro .
It ’ll also gain fromApple tidings , something the root word iPad will always miss as it does n’t have an M chip inside .
All the iPads in this list break away just about the same version of iPadOS , which is currently version 17 until 18 get after in 2024 . There are some very small differences between the software on the biggest and small slates and some diagrammatically intensive games might not flow on older iPads , but really you do n’t need to worry about some apps or features being sole to a specific iPad .
What make the iPad Air 2024 the best iPad is that it ticks all the boxes we want and ditch feature film that are far more niche . Inside the tablet , you ’ll find theM2 fleck , an Apple - designed SoC ( system of rules on chipping ) that ’s the same Si that powered the former - gen iPad Pro and various Macs . We can say with confidence this is the fast crisp you ’ll regain on any lozenge , at this Leontyne Price and is only beaten in our tests by the M4 in the IPad Pro assembly line .
Apple ’s tablet app ecosystem is strong too , mean there is a smattering of apps that take vantage of the tablet ’s nifty power . Final Cut , for model , makes 4 K telecasting editing on a tablet a delight and Procreate remains an excellent choice for drawing on the go .
The iPad Air 2024 comes in either 11 - in or 13 - inch size . These are both good - sized screens – and it ’s nifty take a choice without get to pay Pro prices .
The blind quality is good . Both haveIPSLCDs that are sharp enough to avoid any visible pixels unless you get really secretive and we found the colour procreation and cleverness levels were splendid .
mop up this out on a bright day and you ’ll be able-bodied to make the basics out . One noteworthy feature missing here isProMotion , Apple ’s term for a display that alters its refresh rate depending on what you ’re doing . In the most basic of terms , this allows a screen to look smooth and we recall it does make a visible difference . We can translate Apple leaving the feature film off this tablet , as it still deems it a Pro addition .
For this 2024 poser , Apple move the FaceTime camera into a far more suited landscape painting position and increased the amount of storage options . The bombardment life matches other iPads on this list at around 10 60 minutes , it charge via USB - C and will be supported via flock of software system updates over the next few year . It ’s also useable in a range of tasteful vividness and there ’s a wide accouterment ecosystem , including the Apple Pencil Pro andMagic Keyboard .
Most users will find that the iPad Air 2024 , or many of the other tablets on this list , will run perfectly for all the tasks they need to do . However , if you are a true office substance abuser and need your gimmick to output some serious brawniness then theiPad Pro M4 , in either its refreshed 11 - inch or 13 - inch sizes , is the one to go for .
You might not have hear about the Apple M4 chip shot before , and that ’s because the iPad Pro is the first Apple product to skylark the new MacBook Pro - class atomic number 14 . It ’s good to say that with the M4 , the iPad Pro has processing power in spades , to the extent that we even feel it was a bit wasted since there are n’t even any apps or games available that could give it any difficulty whatsoever .
We ’d hoped that this processor could be leveraged more in daytime - to - day use in the forthcoming iPadOS 18 , but beyond plunk for Apple Intelligence like other M - power iPads , it does n’t seem to be the case .
Still , there ’s more to this iPad than just the chip shot of line . In fact , the iPad Pro 13 is the slight Apple product ever , measuring in at 5.1 mm thick , and the 11 - inch framework is n’t far behind at 5.3 millimeter either . That makes the iPad Pro a much easier lozenge to apply in day-after-day use , even with orotund screens .
Those CRT screen have been treat to an OLED upgrade , but it ’s not just any OLED , instead using Apple ’s proprietary dual - stacked OLED dubbed Tandem OLED that render all the steady benefits of OLED ( vibrant colouration , mystifying dark blacks ) while also offering impressive luminosity that makes them well-off to use out of doors . That ’s especially dead on target if you opt for the matte finish on the 13 - column inch model , though it ’s an additional purchase only available on the higher - content variants .
Despite all these upgrades , the battery should still deliver around ten hr of use , although you wo n’t get a charger in the boxful in most regions this sentence around .
Apple ’s baffling decision to increase the price of the iPad in its 10th genesis made the tablet tricky to recommend at launching . However , a recent drop down to $ 329/£329 has pulled theiPad 10back to an affordable price , making it our go - to budget iPad once again .
The iPad has take conception queues from the pricieriPad Air , including 2-dimensional edge , slimmer bezels and the absence of a home release . The tablet is also 10 g light and battery charger via USB - C , think of it can divvy up its courser with more devices .
While the 10.9 - inch Liquid Retina Display lacks the P3 colour gamut and anti - glare finishing found on high - end iPads , it still has a high closure than that of the iPad 9 , making it an wanton upgrade liken to its predecessor , while bring on a sharp , colorful prototype .
There ’s a 12 - megapixel rear camera for snarl photos and scanning document , along with a 12 - megapixel radical - wide-eyed front camera that now sits on the foresighted edge for holding video calls in landscape painting orientation .
The A14 Bionic potato chip delivers strong functioning , include a detectable improvement in gaming performance and video export times compare to previous generation . The RAM is up from 3 GB to 4 GB too , though the storage remains lacking with 64 GB being the base constellation .
The 10 - time of day assault and battery life is in line with most iPads , while Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard Folio compatibility make the iPad 10 a very versatile twist .
TheiPad Mini 6won’t be everyone . It ’s expensive , miss the Magic Keyboard support of the Air and Pro and suffers from slenderly inferior battery sprightliness . However , if you ’re after a small iPad for watching videos , reading or note - taking then this is still an option we ’re happy to recommend ,
Most of the features here are stripped from the iPad Air series . It mirrors that slate ’s design , color choices and screen technical school . However the performance is n’t quite as high - end , so it hit lower in benchmark trial . In real - earth enjoyment though , it ’s still very rakish in all fashion .
The smaller 8.3 - inch presentation get this a different proposition from the iPad Air . It ’s less of a laptop replacement and more of a companion ; a media - centric equipment that fit in smaller travelling bag .
pair off it with the Apple Pencil ( 2nd gen ) and you ’ve got a wondrous mini notebook computer and sketchpad . The smaller presentation also makes it great for gambling , especially if you pair up a Bluetooth controller .
We found that the battery life is a niggling little than the iPad Air , but at least there ’s a USB - ascorbic acid embrasure on the bottom for agile charging than the iPad 9 .
FAQs
No , no iPad can natively run Mac apps – even if you have an M1 iPad and the app is build for an M1 Mac . rather , all apps for an iPad must come from the App Store .
The original Apple Pencil has a glossy ending and explosive charge by plug directly into an iPad ’s Lightning port . In this list , the only model to support this Pencil is the iPad 9 . The Apple Pencil 2nd Gen charges wirelessly and has a matte last . Any iPad with a USB - cytosine port will support this Pencil . The new Apple Pencil Pro , with support for gyration and squeeze gestures , will only work with the late iPad Air 6 and iPad Pro M4 due to the relocation of the attractive feature within the iPad chassis .
Test Data
Full Specs
