Which iPad is right for you? Here’s what Apple has to say

Over the years, buying an iPad has become a confusing task. With so many models and overlapping features and accessories, there is no longer a clear way to recommend one iPad to one type of user. However, Apple has a general idea of ​​how it sees the iPad lineup and who each model is intended for.

Apple’s messaging when it comes to its four different iPad products is basically divided into: the base iPad for “everyday stuff,” the iPad mini for “small-but-powerful-on-the-go,” the iPad Air for “Mac-class power without the Mac-class weight,” and the iPad Pro for “budget-savvy professionals.”

Below is a quick tour of how Apple develops each device, and a little of my opinion on what Apple really means (or doesn’t mean) when it promotes its system.

The iPad

“Lovely. Lovely. Magical.”

At the same time, Apple is promoting the current 11th generation iPad as a no-brainer for the average user who wants a colorful and fun device “for the things you do every day, “which… isn’t saying much.

Translation? Couch streaming, FaceTime with grandma, homework on pages, and the occasional Apple Pencil doodle. Oh, and there’s no Apple Intelligence support, which some might say is a plus yet.

On its web page, Apple highlights its on-screen-no-Home button design, as well as its compatibility with the Apple Pencil and the Magic Keyboard Folio. Although this can make it difficult to distinguish the models, these are acceptable features for those who choose this one.

My two cents: despite the lack of Apple Intelligence support, this is still a goldilocks, cost-benefit option. The real pitfall is maintenance, however. At $349, 128 GB is finally standard, but depending on how you use it, this may go away immediately. Spring for 256 GB if you can, or keep your cloud budget close.

Technical details: 11” Liquid Retina display with sRGB and True Tone color, A16 chip, 4K 12MP wide rear camera, 12MP Ultra Wide landscape front camera, Apple Pencil 1st gen and USB-C support, Magic Keyboard Folio support.

iPad Air

“Wow.”

Starting at $599, Apple is marketing the iPad Air as the most serious and the iPad for the most serious users. As we move up the iPad ladder, this is the first option to offer two screen sizes and Apple Intelligence support (which the iPad mini does too. We’ll get to that.)

Apple relies heavily on words like “powerhouse” in its messaging, which should convey that, despite the fact that it’s not an iPad Pro, you can expect to do heavy work that you can’t do on the 11th generation iPad. Its colors also help bring home the fact that while they’re still regular, colorful iPads, they’re certainly not a fun, flashy, no-frills iPad.

If you’re aiming for portability, however, here’s something to consider: at 1.36 pounds, the 13-inch iPad Air is actually heavier than the same-sized 1.28-pound iPad Pro. Functionally, the iPad Air’s M4 chip is slightly different than the iPad Pro’s M4 chip, as it has an 8-core CPU and a 9-core GPU, while the M4 chip in the iPad Pro has a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU.

However, since the M3 iPad Air already handles most Final Cut and Lightroom-type tasks, so will the M4 iPad Air, meaning you can save $400 over the entry-level Pro.

My two cents: if you need Mac-level grunt but can’t justify the “Thinpossible” fee (we’ll get there), this is the sweet spot. Just remember: Magic Keyboard and Pencil Pro are added.

Technical details: 11” or 13” Liquid Retina display with P3 wide color, True Tone, and antireflective coating, M4 chip with Apple Intelligence support, 4K 12MP wide rear camera, landscape front camera 12MP Ultra Wide Center Stage, Apple Pencil Pro and USB-C support, Magic Keyboard for iPad Air support.

iPad Pro

“It’s possible.”

Starting at $999, the serious, sad, and expensive iPad Pro is the closest thing to a tablet than a Mac that Apple has ever released. In its communication, Apple really highlights how thin the iPad is, and rightly so. With a slim 5.1mm body, it’s bananas what the iPad Pro looks like in what it has to pack.

Apple also goes all in on terms like “fast” and “advanced” on the product page, as well as touting connections like it can drive up to 6K external drives and up to 40Gb/s data transfer speeds.

But here’s the thing. If you’re not drooling over things like knowing the iPad Pro’s M4 chip offers a little headroom for 8K ProRes multi-layer, I bet the iPad Air probably already has what you might need (for now).

My two cents: If you’re still wondering, “Do I need an iPad Pro?” you probably don’t.

Technical details: 11″ or 13″ Ultra Retina XDR Display with ProMotion, P3 wide color, True Tone, antireflective coating, nano-texture display glass option on 1TB and 2TB models, M4 chip supported by Apple Intelligence, 4K 12MP wide rear camera supporting ProRes, Procession landscape camera for Apple-PenciC and and Apple-PenciC Center for Apple 12MP on the front. support, Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro support.

iPad mini

“It’s pretty good with one hand.”

Apple’s copy is basically a long-winded brag about how this thing fits in a coat pocket but still runs the same apps as its beefier counterparts.

Doctors like to swing around, pilots strap it to their yokes, and passengers enjoy reading one-handed. Although many reviews confirm the compatibility of the device in various ways, others warn against it still being a niche purchase.

My two cents: although sometimes the iPad mini seems to be promoted and characterized as Apple’s answer to Samsung’s production-oriented phones such as the Galaxy Note, the truth is that this can be used more than a production device per se. You can write on PDFs and make nice handwritten notes during class, but there’s a reason you’ve never seen Apple upgrade the iPad mini with a spreadsheet on it.

Technical details: 8.3″ Liquid Retina display with wide P3 color, True Tone and antireflective coating, A17 Pro chip with Apple Intelligence support, 4K 12MP wide rear camera, 12MP Center Stage front camera, Apple Pencil Pro and USB-C support, Bluetooth keyboard support.

Big, big, last big disclaimer

There are people who do wonders and can manage entire companies using their iPad minis, and there are people who bought an iPad Pro and returned it, saying there was nothing they could do with it. As with any other Apple product, your mileage may vary a lot.

This guide should examine how Apple markets each of its iPads and provide commentary on how one perceives expectations versus the reality of it all. If your experience was different, let’s talk about it in the comments. For readers who are still in doubt, any little information would help.

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