Which iPad Model Should You Get? Late 2024 Update

Thanks to class-leading hardware and optimized software, nan Apple iPad statement has agelong been nan go-to tablet recommendation for astir people.

If you're considering buying a caller iPad, nan prime mightiness look straightforward. The 11" and 13" iPad Pro and iPad Air models disagree chiefly successful size, nan 10th-gen iPad is nan astir budget-friendly option, and nan new iPad Mini offers akin features to nan iPad Air but successful a much compact form. However, pinch a assortment of upgrade options and accessory compatibility crossed models, choosing nan correct iPad is much nuanced than it initially appears.

Before diving into each model, let's screen nan basics. The summary array beneath provides a wide snapshot of really nan existent iPad lineup varies successful price, display, processing power, accessory support, and retention options.

Is nan basal iPad capable for you?

If you're looking for a awesome tablet for watching videos and browsing nan web, nan basal and astir affordable iPad will screen your needs well. The guidelines iPad has nan aforesaid show solution (2360 x 1640) and maximum brightness (500 nits) arsenic nan 11" iPad Air. Additionally, it features nan aforesaid ultra-wide 12MP beforehand camera recovered connected different models.

If you want a tablet that tin double arsenic a basal laptop, nan iPad has an advantage complete nan Air: it supports nan Magic Keyboard Folio, which includes usability keys and a trackpad. Although nan kickstand creation requires much table space, it allows you to detach nan keyboard erstwhile needed.

For nan price, nan guidelines iPad offers awesome features but it's not nan champion prime for everyone. The show lacks an anti-reflective coating, making it little perfect for outdoor use. If you usage your iPad for drawing, you'll admit nan afloat laminated show and broader colour gamut disposable connected different models, too.

Most notably, nan A14 SoC and 4GB of RAM ray successful comparison to nan Apple M2 and 8GB offered by nan iPad Air. That besides makes it nan only existent exemplary that can't tally Apple Intelligence, which utilizes on-device processing.

Although nan iPad includes a USB-C connector, it only supports nan 1st-gen Pencil. If you already ain nan 1st-gen Pencil, you'll request a $9 adapter to link it. Alternatively, it supports nan much affordable USB-C Pencil, which forgoes unit sensitivity but attaches magnetically to nan iPad's bezel.

The iPad starts astatine $299 pinch nan 64GB Wi-Fi model. If that's not capable storage, an further $150 upgrades it to 256GB – but this is only $100 little than nan 128GB iPad Air. Color options see silver, blue, pink, and yellow, offering immoderate vibrant choices moreover without a case.

The iPad Mini: smaller, but is it slower?

The iPad Mini has been updated successful 2024 pinch nan A17 Pro chip. It doesn't lucifer up to nan astir costly models, but you'll struggle to find thing faster successful specified a mini package and astatine this price.

The Mini is among nan largest tablets that astir adults tin comfortably clasp successful 1 hand, measuring 7.7" x 5.3" (19.5 x 13.4 cm). If you request a tablet you tin usage while standing, nan Mini whitethorn beryllium ideal. It's nan only iPad pinch nan beforehand camera positioned connected nan shorter edge, making it amended suited for one-handed use.

With a 2266 x 1488 resolution, nan 8.3" show has nan highest pixel density of each iPads.

It only supports Bluetooth keyboards, but it does support nan wireless Pencil Pro, which adds features for illustration rotation, squeeze, haptic feedback and Find My compatibility. Even pinch nan USB-C version, nan Mini supports nan mouse-like Pencil hover feature.

The Mini is disposable successful ray blue, purple, "starlight," and "space gray." It starts astatine $499 for nan 128GB Wi-Fi model. For an further $100, you tin upgrade to 256GB, and upgrading from 256GB to 512GB costs different $200.

The Mini comes successful ray bluish and purple successful summation to "starlight" and "space grey." The Mini starts astatine $499 pinch 128GB of retention and Wi-Fi. For $100, you tin summation retention to 256GB, and going from 256GB to 512GB will costs you $200.

When is nan iPad Air nan champion value?

Powered by Apple's M2 processor and 8GB of RAM, nan iPad Air excels successful gaming, multitasking, 3D modeling, and moreover video editing, isolated from for HDR content. The Air is compatible pinch nan space-efficient Magic Keyboard arsenic good arsenic nan Pencil Pro.

The 11" iPad Air starts astatine $549 pinch 128GB of storage, and for an further $200, you tin upgrade to nan 13" model. The larger type offers higher maximum brightness (600 nits), enhanced bass, and a 4:3 facet ratio, which reduces scrolling erstwhile held horizontally.

A comparable upgrade to nan iPad Pro would costs $300. The Air's colour options see starlight, abstraction gray, and subtle shades of bluish and purple.

Like nan Mini, nan Air allows upgrades to 256GB and 512GB of storage. For an further $200, you tin grow from 512GB to 1TB – a much affordable action than nan $400 costs connected nan iPad Pro. If you're looking for an iPad pinch a 13" show and ample 1TB storage, nan Air tin prevention you a batch of money.

Do you request nan iPad Pro?

The iPad Pro is designed for professionals who request apical performance. Graphic artists will admit nan soft acquisition of drafting connected a 120Hz display. For interior designers needing to showcase real-time layouts clients, what their adjacent room aliases agency will look like, nan built-in LiDAR is simply a must-have.

Video editors who activity connected nan spell whitethorn find nan Pro to beryllium nan instrumentality of their dreams. With 1 OLED sheet connected apical of another, it provides 1600 nits of highest brightness (1000 nits for nan full screen), while still being capable to show existent achromatic astatine nan pixel level.

It's besides a awesome backup camera, pinch ProRes signaling (the 256GB versions tin only sprout ProRes astatine 1080p, though), audio zoom and stereo recording.

The Apple M4 spot outperforms nan M2 successful nan Air, pinch a USB-C larboard that supports USB4/Thunderbolt speeds. Only nan 1TB and 2TB versions characteristic a afloat enabled M4 pinch 4 capacity cores, six ratio cores, and 16GB of RAM, perfect for dense multitasking. Other versions of nan Pro person 1 abnormal capacity halfway and 8GB of RAM, but they still execute person to nan afloat enabled M4 than to nan M2.

The iPad Pro is compatible pinch nan Pencil Pro, and nan Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, which includes usability keys and haptic feedback connected nan trackpad. The instrumentality besides boasts 4 speakers and a TrueDepth beforehand camera pinch Animoji and Memoji support.

The 11" iPad Pro Wi-Fi exemplary starts astatine $999 pinch 256GB of storage. The larger 13" iPad Pro is an other $300 (that's a cool and hefty $1,299). Increasing retention to 512GB will beryllium $200. Going from that to 1TB will beryllium $400, conscionable for illustration upgrading from 1TB to 2TB.

An absorbing optional upgrade is nan anti-reflective nano texture show for $100, but it's exclusive to 1TB and 2TB models. The iPad Pro only comes successful achromatic and silver.

Should you get a Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad?

Adding sub-6GHz 5G to your basal iPad, iPad Mini aliases iPad Air will make it $150 much expensive. Adding nan nonstop aforesaid capacity to your iPad Pro will make it $200 much expensive. Sure, you tin move your smartphone into a hotspot, but doing truthful will drain nan artillery of some devices.

The much costly nan iPad, nan much applicable it whitethorn beryllium to put successful cellular connectivity. For a Pro exemplary pinch 1TB aliases much of storage, nan other $200 is apt a worthwhile expense.