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Despite the iPad Pro M4 being powerful enough and only a year old, Apple did another update — a silent drop by the tailend of 2025 brought us the iPad Pro with M5! And it's, again, at the forefront of Apple devices with the new chip, as the M5 only arrived in a new MacBook Pro, the refreshed Vision Pro, and these iPads. Either Apple is super-confident in its tablets, or it wants to push the idea that we should be!
But when you sit down to look at the entire lineup, you realise it's not an easy choice to make. iPad Pros, Airs, a mini, and then another iPad below that. All of them seem to be able to do the same thing, yet are so different at a glance. How does one make sense of them?
The question becomes more complicated when you consider that even 2022 or 2023 models still hold out quite well. iPads are among the best tablets out there, thanks to hardware headroom that allows them to tick for years on end. Video editors, music production apps, drawing tools, and great games are all in the mix — Android is catching up, thanks to Samsung's efforts with the Galaxy Tab S line, but M-class chips are pretty hard to beat.
So, if you look at the marketing materials, features, the specs, or what each iPad can run in terms of software — it may be a bit confusing. All of them seem like they can do the same stuff, some are just... fancier? Why buy an iPad Pro if the base iPad runs the same software? That's why we compiled this list of "best iPads to buy", which kind of sifts through the line and comes up with each notable product — together with the reasons on why you should be looking at that one.
All current iPad models compared:
iPad Pro 2025
iPad Air 2025
iPad mini 2024
iPad 11th Gen 2025
Prices: from $1,000 for 11-inch from $1,300 for 13-inch
Prices: from $600 for 11-inch from $800 for 13-inch
iPad Air M3 (2025) — best balance between price, performance, and features
iPad Pro M4 (2024) — most power headroom, access to 12.9-inch size, best features
iPad A16 (2025)— base iPad, still a pretty good tablet for a reasonable price
iPad mini A17 (2024) — not a good price/value ratio, but your only choice if you are looking for a small iPad
iPad Pro M5 (2025)
8.4
Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M5, 2025)
The Good
Jaw-dropping performance
Excellent battery life
Superb Tandem OLED display
Design is still head-turning
The Bad
Not exactly affordable, and accessories don't come cheap
An overkill for most users
Audio quality used to be better a few generations ago
The iPad Pro proudly continues the tradition of having Apple's newest desktop-class chip inside. Plus, since the 2024 redesign, these are super-thin — 5.3 mm for the 11-inch model, 5.1 mm for the 13-inch model — and fit a new metal Magic Keyboard that makes them look so much like a MacBook, you'd have to look twice.
By all accounts, these tablets are the most powerful ones you can buy right now. And the argument cthat iPadOS barely uses all that power is now a bit weaker. iPadOS 26 introduced true multi-window management, a reworked Files app with Preview, and actual background work — you can now minimse Final Cut and it will not stop rendering!
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The M5 also facilitates higher-quality gaming on the iPad, as it supports ray tracing, mesh shading, and dynamic caching. And Apple is making a push to demonstrate that by signing deals for true console games to come to the system — like Kojima's Death Stranding, Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed, Konami's Silent Hill series. Not spinoffs of those games — the actual games, ported to work on your iPad.
Both the big 13" and smaller 11" iPad Pros have the new Tandem OLED technology. Utilizing two layers of OLED, Apple manages to get super-deep contrast with excellent peak brightness (1,600 nits peak), great dynamics and colors.
Additional premium features include the Thunderbot USB C port on the bottom and quad speaker setup for full stereo. These tablets are specced to the brim.
They are quite costly, starting at $999 for the 256 GB iPad Pro M5 11". You can take those storage options up to 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB. The latter two tiers can also come with a nano-etched screen for anti-glare effect, which is another $100 upgrade. If you want the Apple Pencil or Magic Keyboard — those are also pricey separate purchases, but they are oh so good and responsive and usable.
Our recommendation: if you are one who needs to have the latest-and-greatest in mobile tech, it would be hard to dissuade you from the new iPad Pro M5. We like the 11-inch form factor, as it's more compact, easier to prop up anywhere, and use any time throughout the day. The 13-incher offers a ton of screen real estate, but due to its size — you will be using it more as a stationary machine or laptop. As we understand it, though — there's a good number of people that prefer the bigger screen, we just thought it pertinent to mention that it's not super portable.
iPad Air M3 (2025)
6.7
Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M3, 2025)
The Good
Apple M3 power in a tablet as small as 11"
Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro are excellent accessories
Well-calibrated, laminated screen
The stereo speakers sound quite good
The Bad
Battery charging is on the slow side
The aforementioned accessories are quite expensive
60 Hz screen
The iPad Air got a surprise silent update — the M3 chip now hums inside the new Airs from 2025. It's unknown why Apple felt the need to update it, the M2 was already a very solid chip and provided everything you need for a more-than-base iPad experience.
Unfortunately, it doesn't have a high refresh rate screen — while pretty and sharp, the iPad Air M3's display is still a 60 Hz LCD panel. Also, the USB C port on the bottom is limited to USB 3 speeds — pretty fast, but not Thunderbolt fast (10 Gbps vs 40 Gbps).
Those features aside — the iPad Air M3 has two speakers in landscape setereo and also has had its webcam move to the top landscape bezel. It supports the old Magic Keyboard accessory (no function row, sorry), and the new Apple Pencil Pro. Also, it comes in a bigger size!
6.7
Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M3, 2025)
The Good
Apple M3 power in a tablet as small as 11"
Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro are excellent accessories
Well-calibrated, laminated screen
The stereo speakers sound quite good
The Bad
Battery charging is on the slow side
The aforementioned accessories are quite expensive
60 Hz screen
The 13-inch iPad Air is here to satisfy your craving for a large-screened tablet without that iPad Pro price on it. They start at $799 for 128 GB, and the 11-incher is $599 for 128 GB. Of course, accessories are extra as nothing else is in the box.
What's cool about the M3 chip is that it has hardware-accelerated ray tracing, so the iPad Air is now that much closer to the Pro. Tell me again, why did we need a Pro?
Our recommendation: for $600, you get the Apple iPad Air M2 (2024) with 128 GB of storage. That's not too bad, however, right now, retailers still have old stock of the iPad Pro M2 (2022). These also come with 128 GB of storage at the base tier, but also have 120 Hz screens, quad speakers, and Thunderbolt ports. While supplies last, the old iPad Pros will be hands down the better deal. In a few months, however, the iPad Air M2 will be your only choice in that particular mid-price class. The only thing that's unique about the iPad Air (2024) is the Apple Pencil Pro support.
Thunderbolt port for extremely fast transfer speeds
Good, well-balanced battery life
New Magic Keyboard and selfie camera bring it closer to laptop experience
The Bad
Expensive on its own, exorbitant when you add accessories
Speakers sound good, but suffered a slight downgrade
Apple M4 is awesome, but doesn't get to stretch its legs too much
8.5
Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4, 2024)
The Good
Thin, light, and pretty
New tandem OLED is awesome
Apple M4 is the king in any mobile device
Thunderbolt port for extremely fast transfer speeds
Good, well-balanced battery life
New Magic Keyboard and selfie camera bring it closer to laptop experience
The Bad
Expensive on its own, exorbitant when you add accessories
Speakers sound good, but suffered a slight downgrade
Apple M4 is awesome, but doesn't get to stretch its legs too much
The iPad Pro line from 2024 is still rather fresh and new, and arguably didn't need an upgrade to begin with. The M4 chip inside them is still a powerhouse with tons of headroom, they come with Tandem OLED screens, support the Apple Pencil gen 2, the new Magic Keyboard, and the new iPadOS 26 with the multi-window mode. They still have a Thunderbolt port, quad speakers, and 120 Hz screens.
What we are saying is — there will definitely be iPad Pros M4 at clearance prices soon. Maybe it's a great time to grab one of those instead of the brand-new models. You will barely lose out on anything.
Our recommendation: as we mentioned above, if you can find one of those old Pros instead of a new iPad Air — it's definitely a better deal. Even the base 256 GB storage tier will serve most people nicely, plus you get ultra-fast Thunderbolt speeds with the USB C port here. Yep, they work with external drives.
Decent performance improvements despite the binned chip
Double the storage in the base variant (128 vs 64GB)
Friendly and familiar design language
The Bad
Dim, non-laminated 60Hz LCD display
No Apple Intelligence support
No physical SIM support in the cellular version
Slow charging
The 11th gen iPad is now the cheapest Apple tablet you can buy directly from Apple. It has been updated to have the A16 chip from the iPhone 14 Pro, but there's a caveat. It has one less CPU and one less GPU core — that's 5 CPU and 4 GPU cores... for some reason.
It supports the base version Apple Pencil USB-C and even the Apple Pencil Gen 1 and the base level Magic Keyboard Folio, not to be confused with the fancier Magic Keyboard models for the iPad Air and iPad Pro.
These iPads have a USB C port on the bottom, but it's limited to USB 2 speeds. Their 60 Hz screens are not laminated and you can clearly see the panel is at a distance from the glass, with a "sunken in" effect. But they do have dual speakers in landscape stereo, and the selfie cam on the landscape top bezel. Furthermore, they don't support Apple Intelligence, in case that means anything to you.
They are not "premium" and don't support advanced workflow features like Stage Manager. But, as a tablet, basic Internet or multimedia machine, or for drawing — they work quite well. For $350, they are quite good, actually.
Our recommendation: For $349, this model comes with 128 GB of base storage, which is pretty OK in 2025. If you feel like you need more, it'll be $449 for the 256 GB model. We wouldn't suggest spending $449 on a base level iPad, though. The next step is iPad Air M3 11" for $599, but that again sets you back to 128 GB. Still, we'd recommend going for that one, and plan to do some storage housekeeping on the regular, if money is tight.
The iPad mini was updated in late 2024 with an A17 Pro chip so it would support Apple Intelligence. Interesting move by Apple — are there many people out there looking for a mini iPad?
The iPad mini has some quirks — like a very noticeable "jello" effect when scrolling the screen. It's obviously going to remain this way, too, as Apple's response to complaints was basically "Well, that's what LCD screens do". But, if you can get past that, it's a perfectly good tablet for reading, surfing, and maybe even binging YouTube.
It is not the most basic iPad you can buy. It’s powered by the Apple A17 pro chip, which is quite overkill and has plenty of overhead for the coming years. We assume the iPad mini will be getting a lot more iPadOS updates. However, don't even hope for Stage Manager or a desktop environment on an external monitor. The iPad mini can still connect to a big display, but you just get screen mirroring, not the work environment that the iPad Pros and iPad Airs get.
The mini is not the cheapest iPad you can buy, but it is the cheapest iPad with Apple Intelligence, so take that for what you will. It's a very specific product for a very specific customer. If you want that Kindle form factor, but require it to be more powerful and be capable of more — that's an iPad mini. If you want a cheap iPad, look at the new A16 model. If you want a more capable iPad, look at an iPad Air M3 or iPad Pro M4. In no case is the mini a solution to a budget problem — it's here for those that want a small tablet.
Our recommendation: Starting at $499 for the 128 GB Wi-Fi only model, this tablet is not meant for those looking for a bang-for-buck deal. If you want a good iPad experience for a bargain — go back to the base iPad A16. The mini is meant for a specific type of customer that wants that small device — maybe fans that are looking for a backup iPad for situations where the Pro is just too big.
What's the difference between an iPad and an iPad Air?
The iPad Air branding has shifted meaning throughout the years. The original iPad Airs were named after their incredibly thin bodies, and back in 2014, they were the de-facto flagships of the Apple iPad line.
Nowadays, the Apple iPad Air is the connecting link between your base level iPads and the high-end Pro tablets. The Air moniker basically denotes nothing, as their size, thickness, and weight is near identical to its siblings'.
The current iPad Air M3 is a fantastic buy — they are powered by the Apple M3 which allows them access to Stage Manager and Center Stage, they support the second generation Apple Pencil, and an upgraded Magic Keyboard with a function key row. It's not metal, like for the Pros, but it feels great and works great.
What should you consider before picking the perfect iPad for you?
Size: even if money is no issue, the large iPad Pro 13" is not for everybody. It's large and hefty, and weighs as much as a laptop when attached to Apple's smart keyboard. On the other end of the spectrum — the iPad mini is extremely portable but will often feel far too small for most users. The good news is that the rest of the iPads come in a more-or-less-standard size — yes, the iPad 11th gen has an 10.9-inch screen and the base iPad Pro has an 11-inch screen, but due to different bezel thicknesses, these tablets are of similar size.
Purpose: think about what you will be using the iPad for. Binging Apple TV+ or gaming will be better on the standard sizes, whereas reading ebooks and browsing the daily news will feel great on the small iPad mini. Video, photo, or even audio editing will feel best on the large iPad Pro 13", especially paired with a precise Apple Pencil, but if you want to do these things on the go — the iPad Pro 11" will give you the balance between power and portability.
Storage: iPads come in different storage capacities, with options ranging from 128 GB to 1 TB. Generally, we find 128 GB to be quite enough for the typical heavy user, but if your work involves large video and audio files, you will want to make the jump to at least 256 GB.
Display: The iPad Pro models have a high resolution, high refresh rate display and ProMotion technology for smooth scrolling. The 13-inch model is the only iPad to have the mini LED screen, so if you want the absolute best iPad display, that's the one to look at.
Processor: If you want to make use of the Stage Manager multitasking and have a desktop environment on an external monitor, you need a higher-end iPad with an Apple M processor. The only exception here are iPad Pro 2020 models, which have the A12Z.
Price: The basic iPad has an MSRP of $349, but often drops to $299. It's good money for a pretty good tablet. But if you want pro features on a budget — the iPad Air M3 is your best bet. Obviously, the iPad Pro line is more of a "money is no issue" solution.
Operating system: Apple is known to keep updating its mobile devices for about 5 years post release. So, if you are shopping second-hand or new-old-stock, make sure you check what year the model was released in. If it has about two years of expected support left — it's still an OK buy. Anything less than that is a questionable investment.
Battery life: All iPads aim for about 10 hours of screen-on time with mixed usage. Even the Apple iPad mini can last quite a bit on a single charge, so we'd say battery life isn't a huge concern when picking an iPad.
Connectivity: Typically, base iPad models come with Wi-Fi only. That's Wi-Fi 6 on iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad A16. If you see yourself using the tablet on the go a lot, and hotspotting your phone sounds like an inconvenience, then look for the cellular models. Though, they add $100+ to the price tag, so we have to ask again — is a hotspot from your phone that much of a headache?
Preslav, a member of the PhoneArena team since 2014, is a mobile technology enthusiast with a penchant for integrating tech into his hobbies and work. Whether it's writing articles on an iPad Pro, recording band rehearsals with multiple phones, or exploring the potential of mobile gaming through services like GeForce Now and Steam Link, Preslav's approach is hands-on and innovative. His balanced perspective allows him to appreciate both Android and iOS ecosystems, focusing on performance, camera quality, and user experience over brand loyalty.
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