When you think of a tablet, odds are you think of an Apple iPad. Ever since they first came out all the way back in 2010, the iPad has completely changed the tech world, introducing another device that sits somewhere between phones and laptops. And even 14 years later, the best iPads are still the greatest way to experience everything from comics to Netflix shows. Plus, with the Apple Pencil, it's become an indispensible tool for artists, too.
TL;DR – These are the best Apple iPad models to buy
- Apple iPad Air (Overall)
- Apple iPad Mini (Best for Reading and Portability)
- Apple iPad (9th generation) (Best Budget)
- Apple iPad (10th generation) (Best for Video Calls)
- Apple iPad Pro (Best Premium iPad)
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 (Best iPad Alternative)
The best iPads are constantly changing, too. While I am currently reviewing the latest iPad Air that was announced back in May 2024, Apple has revealed iPadOS 18, which finally includes an official calculator app 14 years after the original iPad launched. Either way, we might get to see how the new version of iPadOS will make iPad games even better, so there's that at least.
1. Apple iPad Air (5th Gen)
Best Overall
Armed with the powerful Apple M1 chip, our best overall pick is the iPad Air (fifth generation) because it’s the ideal tablet for casual and professional use, alike. It’s firmly in the mid-range in the iPad family, while it’s designed to give users something for everybody — from watching videos, listening to music, drawing with the Apple Pencil (sold separately, though there are some Apple Pencil alternatives, too), and getting some work done with the Apple Smart Keyboard Folio or Apple Magic Keyboard with trackpad attachments (both sold separately too).
The iPad Air — which starts at $599 — features an impressive 10.9-inch Liquid Retina (LCD) display for high quality picture quality, a long battery life of up to 10 hours per charge, and a brilliant camera system with 12-megapixel rear and 12-megapixel ultrawide front-facing shooters. It can even capture video in a glorious 4K resolution.
2. Apple iPad Mini (6th Gen)
Best for Reading and Portability
If you want an iPad for reading e-books, comic books, magazines, or web articles, then the iPad Mini (sixth generation) is the one to pick. With the Apple App Store, the mini-tablet can download a wide range of reading apps, such as Apple Books, Amazon Kindle, comiXology, Libby, Scribd, and more. Its 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display and compact design make it a handheld option, which makes reading with one hand a joy — especially at just over half a pound in weight.
It’s also a zippy little iPad for other online activities, like watching YouTube or TikTok, while it’s compact enough to carry in a jacket pocket or in a purse. Meanwhile, the iPad Mini — which starts at $499 — is compatible with the Apple Pencil (second generation) for taking notes and sketching.
3. Apple iPad (9th Gen)
Best Budget iPad
Looking for the overall best budget tablet available? Although it was released in 2021, iPad (ninth generation) is our budget pick — thanks to its very solid performance, crisp and clear 10.2-inch Retina (backlit) display, and low starting price of $329. In fact, you can find it for much cheaper because it’s always on sale at Amazon (sometimes it’s as low as $250 during Prime Day or Black Friday).
This iPad is currently running the latest version of iPadOS 16, which optimizes performance and speed — even though its processor is a few years old. While it doesn’t have the same bells and whistles as the iPad Air, iPad Mini, or iPad Pro like a fast processor, thinner bezels, or a more modern design, it’s a budget iPad that gets the same access to the same iPadOS and Apple App Store.
If you’re only planning on using it for consuming media, catching up on the news, playing iOS games, or reading e-books, the iPad (ninth generation) will just get the job done at an affordable price. It also makes for a great iPad for kids since it’s so inexpensive. Just wrap a durable iPad case around it to avoid damage.
4. Apple iPad (10th Gen)
Best for Video Calls
For video calls, the redesigned iPad (tenth generation) is the best pick because of its 12-megapixel front-facing camera that has been repositioned from the previous model. Instead of appearing at the top center in portrait mode, the camera is now located at the top center in landscape mode. This positioning is more natural for video calls, especially when docked with a keyboard attachment. It also has “Center Stage,” a new iPadOS feature that automatically puts you in the center of the frame during video calls — even if you’re moving around.
Aside from a repositioned front-facing camera, the iPad has an upgrade design that fits in with more modern models, like the iPad Mini and iPad Air. It has a faster A14 Bionic processor, while a slightly larger 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display — compared to the previous model’s A13 Bionic and 10.2-inch Retina display, respectively.
Additionally, the tenth generation has a heftier price tag starting at $449, which is $120 than the ninth generation’s base model.
5. Apple iPad Pro (2024, M4)
Best Premium iPad
The iPad Pro has always been a beautiful piece of tech, but Apple took the tried-and-true design and thinned it down, making it the thinnest iPad ever, beating even the iPad Air. But even though the chassis got some thickness cut off from it, Apple stuffed it with the Apple M4 chip, making it more powerful than the most recent MacBook Air. This makes an already-great iPad for creative professionals and makes it even better.
The 7th-generation iPad Pro also introduces a new OLED display, another first for an iPad, and it is absolutely gorgeous. It has quickly become my favorite device to watch any kind of content on, whether that's The Acolyte on Disney+ or, well, the Star Wars: High Republic comics that show is based on. Colors are bright, and contrast nicely with darker elements of any scene, adding vibrancy to pretty much anything displayed on the tablet.
The M4 makes sure the beautiful display is put to good use, too. With the 8-core GPU, the iPad Pro makes easy work of any game run natively on the device, and I could see this becoming the de-facto gaming tablet (at least if you're not counting the best handheld gaming PCs). The processor also makes it excel at the creative workloads the tablet is designed for. With the new Apple Pencil Pro, which you will have to pay extra for, the powerful hardware and gorgeous display combine to make this an excellent choice for artists and photo editors that need a touch screen to get their job done.
If you want this to become your default little workstation, though, you're going to have to fork over a ton of cash to make it happen. For the official model, the Magic Keyboard costs nearly $300 on its own, and the Apple Pencil is going to add an extra $129, too. There are Apple Pencil alternatives, and you can pair it with basically any keyboard, but it's something to be aware of going in.
Read the full review: Apple iPad Pro (7th-Generation)
6. Samsung Galaxy Tab S9
Best iPad Alternative
Looking for an iPad alternative altogether? The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 is an excellent Android tablet that’s powerful, sharp, and speedy, with a starting price of $800. The tablet features a large 11-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a high 120Hz refresh rate, a small bezel design, and a battery life that lasts up to 15 hours per charge.
Meanwhile, access to the Google Play Store and Samsung Galaxy Store for apps makes the tablet ideal for consuming media like watching videos, listening to music, playing games, and reading web articles. It also has standout productivity features, like Samsung DeX — which turns the tablet into a desktop experience when plugged into a monitor via HDMI. The mobile device even comes with the Samsung S-Pen for taking notes and sketching.
Want something bigger? The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9+ offers a larger 12.4-inch display, while the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra features a gigantic 14.6-inch display. The Android tablets have a starting price of $1,000 and $1,200, respectively.
Upcoming iPad Models
If you're on the edge of your seat waiting for a brand-new Apple tablet to salivate over, you're in luck. At Apple's May 7 event, the tech giant launched two new tablets: The iPad Air and iPad Pro. The rest of Apple's iPads were unaffected, but it did lead to a pretty massive price cut for the 10th-generation iPad, down to $329. As for when we're going to see the 11th-gen model, it's anyone's guess, but the 10th-gen model's been out for a while, so we should see it relatively soon.
Then, at WWDC 2024, Apple unveiled iPadOS 18, which will bring some new quality-of-life improvements, including a floating island in official apps that'll let you more easily navigate without fussing with menus that were made for phones. Plus, Apple unveiled the official calculator app (finally), which you can download right now. This calculator app is more than just a calculator, too: It features a 'Math Notes' feature, which is going to be a godsend for anyone that needs to solve complex math problems for physics or calculus.
At the show, Apple also doubled down on its commitment to bring more games to iPad, with Assassin's Creed Shadows now confirmed for Apple tablets.
Which Apple iPad is Right For Me?
Ever since it was introduced in 2010, the iPad originally served to fill in a digital gap. For some people, that in-between mobile device that’s more portable than a laptop, but more powerful than a smartphone, while for others, it can actually serve as a laptop replacement altogether.
If you’re looking to buy your first iPad, or you’re looking to upgrade from an older model, then we put this useful buyer’s guide on what to look for in an iPad in 2023, below:
Tablet Sizes Explained
Currently, there are six iPad models with five different screen sizes for various uses. The smallest in the family is the iPad Mini with a 8.3-inch Liquid Retina (LCD) display, which is ideal for reading e-books, magazines, comic books, web articles, and more. It’s also very portable, super lightweight at just 10 ounces (or 293 grams), and best for one-handed casual use.
For something bigger, both baseline iPad models, ninth and tenth generations, feature a 10.2-inch Retina (backlit) and a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina displays, respectively. Meanwhile, the iPad Air features a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display too, but it’s more powerful with the Apple M1 chip than both standard models — which feature the A13 and A14 Bionic chips, respectively.
In fact, under 11 inches in size is considered the “sweet spot” for iPad models because it's large enough to consume media, but compact enough for portability. These models are best for most people who want to watch videos, play games, and browse the web, while taking on lite-productivity tasks.
The largest iPad you can pick up is the iPad Pro, which comes in two models: The smaller 11-inch Liquid Retina display and the granddaddy 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR (miniLED Extreme Dynamic Range) display. Both Pro models feature the same Apple M2 processor, but the larger one has the sharper display for better and more colorful picture quality. The iPad Pro is best for creatives and professionals, who might want a laptop replacement.
Storage Capacity Differences
When it comes to on-board storage space, most iPad models start at 64GB and go all the way up to a whopping 2TB with the iPad Pro. For most people 64GB is plenty of space for apps, games, video downloads, and more.
However, if you plan on taking a lot of high-resolution photos and videos, then you might want to consider getting a higher capacity iPad. For creatives and professionals, it’s best to pick up a model with at least 1TB of storage — especially for photographers or video editors. Additionally, if you want more than 2TB of storage, then you have to connect an external hard drive to the iPad via its USB-C port.
Peripherals to Consider
Speaking of which, all iPad models (except the ninth generation iPad, which still uses the old fashioned Lightning port) have a USB-C at the bottom for charging and peripherals, including external hard drives. However, it’s best to connect solid-state hard drives since they don’t require much power from the iPad itself to operate. Since iPadOS has the Files app built-in, you can easily access files from within the iPad or an external hard drive.
Meanwhile, Bluetooth is still the best way to connect other peripherals — like the Apple Pencil, Apple Smart Keyboard Folio, Apple Magic Keyboard, Apple AirPods, even an Xbox or PS5 gaming controller, and more — to the iPad wirelessly. Just make sure the peripheral you’d like to connect is compatible with the iPad.
For example: The ninth and tenth generations of the iPad are only compatible with the first generation Apple Pencil, while all other iPad models are compatible with the second generation Apple Pencil. But, you’ll need a $9-USB-C-to-Apple Pencil Adapter to charge and pair with the tenth generation iPad since it uses USB-C instead of a Lightning port.
Connectivity
There are two versions for each iPad model: Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + cellular. The first version can only connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, so it’s best to use at home, at the office, or just about anywhere with a steady Wi-Fi connection like a coffee shop or airport.
The second can connect to Wi-Fi, but it can also connect via 4G LTE mobile data like an Apple iPhone. This means you’ll have to get a mobile data plan from a cellular carrier like T-Mobile or AT&T, if you want to connect to the internet without a Wi-Fi connection. These models also have GPS, so they’re ideal to use as an entertainment display in a car.
Of course, Wi-Fi + cellular versions are more expensive than Wi-Fi-only iPad models because there are more antennas and sensors inside.
Price Comparison
As for price, the iPad starts at $329 for the ninth generation model. In fact, you can pick up this model for as low as $250 during big shopping events like Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday. This model is the more-bang-for-the-buck pick, if you want an iPad for just consuming media and lite-mobile gaming.
At the high end, a maxed out iPad Pro can go for upwards of $2,399. This is an iPad Pro with all the bells and whistles, such as a 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, 2TB of storage space, and Wi-Fi + cellular connectivity. If you want the best of the best, this iPad Pro is for you.
Overall, the iPad is one of the best and most useful Apple devices. It’s made for all sorts of people who are looking for ways to consume media and get some work done on-the-go without a cumbersome laptop. For most people, the iPad Air is the best choice — thanks to its clean design, fast processor, lightweight build, and sleek display. However, the second runner-up is the iPad (ninth generation). It’s the budget pick that doesn’t skimp on speed and picture clarity at an affordable price.
Which iPad is Best for Kids and Teens in 2024?
Our top pick right now for kids and younger family members is the iPad Air (5th Generation), as found in our top iPads for kids list.
Rudie Obias is a tech freelance writer and editor who is also interested in cinema, pop culture, music, the NBA, and science fiction. His work can be found at Fandom, TV Guide, Metacritic, Yahoo!, Mashable, Mental Floss, and of course, IGN. Follow him @RudieObias on Twitter & IG.
