The Best Ipad For 2025: How To Pick The Best Apple Tablet For You

Screen size: 11 inches aliases 13 inches | Display resolution: 2360 x 1640 (11-inch), 2732 x 2048 (13-inch) | Storage: Up to 1TB | RAM: 8GB | Weight: 1.01 pounds (11-inch), 1.36 pounds (13-inch) | Battery life: Up to 10 hours | Front camera: 12MP | Rear camera: 12MP

Read our afloat Apple iPad Air M3 review

The precocious refreshed iPad Air remains nan Apple tablet we’d urge to astir people. Yes, it costs much than nan entry-level iPad, and yes, there’s still a gulf betwixt it and nan higher-end iPad Pro. But nary iPad strikes a amended equilibrium betwixt price, capacity and features. It’s Apple’s “just right” tablet — precocious capable to beryllium a pleasance each time but not eye-wateringly expensive.

The newest iPad Air, launched successful March 2025, earned a people of 89 successful our review. It starts astatine $599 for an 11-inch exemplary aliases $799 for a version pinch a 13-inch display. Outside of a higher brightness standing connected nan 13-inch exemplary (600 nits versus 500 nits), nan 2 are virtually identical, truthful which 1 is champion simply depends connected what surface size you prefer. Most will astir apt outpouring for nan 11-inch type fixed that it’s cheaper and overmuch easier to hold. But nan added surface existent property connected nan 13-inch type is awesome if you typically usage your iPad pinch a keyboard case, aliases conscionable want much room for watching movies, playing games aliases multitasking for work.

Both models are overmuch pricier than nan guidelines iPad, but nan Air’s upgrades mostly warrant nan premium. It now runs connected Apple’s M3 system-on-a-chip (SoC), which is nan aforesaid silicon recovered successful last-gen MacBooks and iMacs. It’s overkill for web browsing, video streaming and different basal tasks, but it intends capacity should rarely, if ever, beryllium an issue.

It should besides make nan Air a small much futureproof, arsenic a number of iPadOS features are only accessible pinch M-series chips aliases newer A-series silicon. All of nan Apple Intelligence AI tools, for instance, aren’t available connected nan newest entry-level iPad, nor are nan ports of demanding video games for illustration Death Stranding and Resident Evil 4. The Stage Manager multitasking mode is besides restricted to much powerful iPads today — though that's changing pinch nan upcoming iPadOS 26 update, which will bring a much robust windowing strategy successful general. (The guidelines iPad still won't person afloat external display support, however, and it whitethorn not tally Stage Manager arsenic good connected nan whole.) The M3 Air besides has a patient 8GB of RAM and 128GB of guidelines storage; nan modular iPad besides starts pinch 128GB now but still has a spot little representation astatine 6GB.

The iPad Air’s 60Hz LCD show isn’t arsenic vibrant aliases soft successful mobility arsenic nan 120Hz OLED sheet connected nan latest iPad Pro, and it’s starting to show its property successful 2025 erstwhile immoderate smartphones connection a higher refresh complaint for hundreds of dollars less. Still, it’s bright, crisp and comparatively accurate. It’s besides a measurement up from nan entry-level iPad, arsenic it’s afloat laminated, which intends there’s nary visible spread betwixt nan show and nan beforehand glass. That whitethorn not sound for illustration much, but it’s 1 of those things that’s difficult to disregard erstwhile you’ve seen nan difference. The Air’s sheet besides has an antireflective coating to further minimize glare, positive it supports a wider P3 colour gamut.

The iPad Air has had virtually nan aforesaid square-edged creation for 4 generations now, but it remains sturdy, elegant and reasonably comfortable. It still offers a coagulated 10-ish hours of artillery life, a USB-C larboard and a Touch ID fingerprint scanner built into its powerfulness fastener (but nary Face ID, annoyingly). Apple moved nan front-facing camera to nan tablet’s agelong separator pinch nan previous-gen model, and that remains a overmuch much earthy position for FaceTime calls successful scenery mode.

Unlike nan entry-level iPad, nan Air useful pinch nan Pencil Pro, Apple’s astir featured stylus. (Though it’s not compatible pinch nan older second-gen Pencil — yes, the stylus situation is messy.) It doesn’t activity pinch nan company’s champion aluminum keyboard case, but it supports a new Magic Keyboard pinch immoderate of that model’s upgrades, including a much freely trackpad and a dedicated usability row. This type is still mostly made of plastic, and its deficiency of backlit keys is difficult to excuse erstwhile nan older Magic Keyboard — which is thankfully still available — didn’t person that issue, but it remains highly comfortable for typing. All of these accessories adhd a bully spot to nan Air’s bottommost line, but for integer artists aliases predominant typers, they’re there.

The M3 iPad Air is simply a straightforward spec bump, truthful there’s nary existent request to upgrade if you’re coming from the M2 aliases M1 models. In fact, if you tin still find a refurbished type of the M2 Air astatine a little price, that'll beryllium a amended worth connected nan whole. But if your iPad is slowing down, you’re buying your first Apple tablet aliases you want a 13-inch iPad without totally torching your savings account, nan Air should beryllium nan first exemplary you consider.

Screen size: 11 inches | Display resolution: 2360 x 1640 | Storage: Up to 512GB | RAM: 6GB | Weight: 1.05 pounds | Battery life: Up to 10 hours | Front camera: 12MP | Rear camera: 12MP

Read our afloat Apple iPad (A16) review

The entry-level iPad (A16) isn’t arsenic bully arsenic nan iPad Air, but nan 2 stock nan aforesaid creation language, and nan cheaper exemplary is still perfectly competent astatine nan halfway iPad Things. For $349, that makes it a compelling bargain for those who want a modern iPad for arsenic small rate arsenic possible.

The guidelines iPad looks virtually identical to nan iPad Air from afar. It’s only marginally thicker and heavier, while its 11-inch sheet is conscionable arsenic crisp and bright. Battery life comes successful astatine nan aforesaid 10-ish hours, and there’s still a USB-C larboard and Touch ID sensor. The cameras are astir nan same, too, pinch nan selfie cam located on its agelong edge. Most importantly, it gets you astir each nan aforesaid conveniences of iPadOS for $250 less.

This exemplary runs connected a somewhat cut-down type of nan A16 Bionic spot recovered successful 2022’s iPhone 14 Pro and 2023’s iPhone 15, positive 6GB of RAM. This combo won’t clasp up arsenic good arsenic higher-end iPads years down nan road, and it can’t tally Apple Intelligence aliases widen to an outer display via Stage Manager. Plus, nan M3 Air is already noticeably faster for exporting 4K videos aliases playing nan astir taxing iPad games. 

But nan A16 is much than speedy capable for nan tasks astir group really do pinch an iPad, beryllium it watching Netflix, sending emails, playing casual Apple Arcade games aliases moreover editing photos successful Lightroom. If anything, galore group will prefer to not person their tablet push AI connected them. And pinch nan iPadOS 26 update later this year, this iPad will person entree to galore of nan aforesaid Mac-style productivity and multitasking features arsenic its pricier siblings. Beyond that, it starts pinch nan aforesaid patient 128GB of retention arsenic nan Air.

The iPad (A16) does person a worse show than nan Air, pinch nary lamination, nary support for nan wider P3 colour abstraction and nary antireflective coating. Put nan 2 broadside by broadside and nan Air so produces somewhat bolder colors and holds up amended against glare. The deficiency of lamination makes penning pinch nan Apple Pencil consciousness much abstracted connected nan cheaper model, too.

For nan price, though, this surface is still sharp, comfortably sized and devoid of awesome colour accuracy issues. The spread present isn’t astir arsenic melodramatic arsenic nan 1 betwixt nan Air’s and iPad Pro’s displays. Likewise, while nan Air’s dual speakers sound fuller and much rounded, nan guidelines iPad gets large and clear capable to debar superior problems.

There are different downgrades. The iPad (A16) isn't compatible pinch nan Apple Pencil Pro, conscionable nan lesser USB-C Pencil — which lacks pressure sensitivity — and ancient first-gen model. It doesn’t activity pinch nan aforesaid Magic Keyboards; instead, it uses its ain Surface-like accessory called nan Magic Keyboard Folio, which has a usability statement but isn’t arsenic unchangeable connected your lap. It supports Wi-Fi 6 but not Wi-Fi 6E. The USB-C larboard is technically slower for information transfers, too, maxing retired astatine 480 Mbps alternatively of 10 Gbps.

Like we said pinch our apical recommendation, a refurbished M2 iPad Air is worthy considering complete nan iPad (A16) if you tin find 1 astatine a bully price. It’s been discontinued, truthful we can’t make it a general pick, but it remains a amended portion of hardware. But if that’s not an option, nan guidelines iPad is simply a beardown bargain. It’s worse than nan iPad Air, but it’s not $250 worse for those connected a tighter budget, folks upgrading from nan 9th-gen iPad aliases anyone who conscionable doesn’t push their iPad to nan limit astir of nan time.

Screen size: 8.3 inches | Display resolution: 2266 x 1488 | Storage: Up to 512GB | RAM: 8GB | Weight: 0.65 pounds | Battery life: Up to 10 hours | Front camera: 12MP | Rear camera: 12MP

Read our afloat iPad mini 7 review

The iPad mini is precisely what it sounds like: nan mini iPad. Apple updated it successful precocious 2024 pinch a caller spot and support for nan Apple Pencil Pro, and it's still nan shortest and lightest iPad successful nan existent lineup by immoderate distance. As before, it has an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina show that’s easier to usage pinch 1 hand.

We gave nan iPad mini a reappraisal people of 83. Its creation follows intimately aft that of nan iPad Air: squared-off edges, bladed bezels, nary Home button, a Touch ID sensor successful nan powerfulness button, stereo speakers, decent cameras and a USB-C port. Its show is technically sharper, but different gives you nan aforesaid max brightness, lamination, antireflective coating and wide colour gamut. It doesn’t person a “Smart Connector” to hook up Apple-made keyboards, but it does activity pinch nan top-end Apple Pencil Pro and nan little costly USB-C Apple Pencil. The Pencil Pro is simply a measurement up complete nan older second-generation Apple Pencil nan anterior mini used, pinch haptic feedback, a gyroscope and a “squeeze” characteristic for opening up a brushwood palette.

The mini runs connected Apple’s A17 Pro chip, nan aforesaid arsenic nan 1 successful 2023's iPhone 15 Pro series. While this spot isn’t rather arsenic powerful arsenic nan M3 successful nan iPad Air, it’s much than tin capable to grip what astir group will want to do pinch this iPad. Notably, it’s besides powerful capable for Apple Intelligence. That mightiness not beryllium thing that compels group to upgrade correct now (or possibly ever), but nan constituent is that nan caller mini is much futureproof than its predecessor.

The mini starts astatine $499 for a 128GB model. Apple yet saw fresh to double nan guidelines storage, which makes nan cheapest exemplary easier to urge than before. If you specifically want a smaller tablet — whether it’s to easy worldly successful a bag, usage pinch 1 manus aliases dainty for illustration a high-end e-reader — this is nan only 1 Apple sells, and nan champion action successful its size range. 

Screen size: 11 inches aliases 13 inches | Display resolution: 2420 x 1668 (11-inch), 2752 x 2064 (13-inch) | Storage: Up to 2TB | RAM: Up to 16GB | Weight: 0.98 pounds (11-inch), 1.28 pounds (13-inch) | Battery life: Up to 10 hours | Front camera: 12MP | Rear camera: 12MP

Read our afloat Apple iPad Pro (M4) review

The latest iPad Pro is nan astir costly iPad and much tablet than astir group need, afloat stop. But if you person rate to burn, are wished to usage an iPad arsenic your main mobile machine aliases conscionable want nan astir technically awesome iPad possible, this is it.

We gave nan caller iPad Pro a score of 84 successful our review. Like nan iPad Air, it comes successful 11- and 13-inch models: The erstwhile starts astatine $999, while nan second starts astatine $1,299. That’s prohibitively costly for astir people, but for nan money you get a number of premium, if inessential, upgrades complete Apple’s different tablets.

The astir important of these is nan Pros' “tandem OLED” display. Compared to nan LCD surface connected nan iPad Air, this produces richer colors and deeper, much azygous achromatic tones. Gaming and scrolling web pages look much fluid acknowledgment to its faster 120Hz refresh rate. It tin besides get importantly brighter, reaching up to 1,000 nits successful SDR and up to 1,600 nits pinch HDR highlights.

This is wherever nan “tandem” portion comes in. Essentially, Apple is stacking 2 OLED panels connected apical of 1 different to amended highest brightness, which is often a (relative) weakness of accepted OLED displays. It’s a breakthrough, but each you really request to cognize is that this surface is an absolute delight — 1 of nan champion we’ve seen connected immoderate user device, fto unsocial a tablet. For watching movies aliases editing media, you really can’t do better. This aforesaid show tech is utilized connected some nan 11- and 13-inch iPad Pro, dissimilar erstwhile models, truthful which 1 is champion simply comes down to individual preference.

The creation present is broadly akin to that of nan iPad Air, but somewhat thinner and lighter. The quality isn’t immense connected paper, but nan Pros' slimmed-down frames make them conscionable that small spot easier to hold. This is peculiarly meaningful pinch nan 13-inch model.

The different header upgrade is Apple’s M4 SoC. If nan M3 is overkill for nan immense mostly of casual and pro-level iPad tasks, past nan M4 is mega-kill; it easy chewed done conscionable astir thing we threw astatine it. But it should beryllium moreover much futureproof, and it'll prevention a fewer seconds present and location if your activity involves high-res media editing, dense usage of instrumentality learning and nan like.

Beyond that, nan guidelines iPad Pro has 256GB of storage, which is doubly arsenic overmuch arsenic immoderate different iPad. Like nan M3 Air, it besides supports precocious features for illustration hardware-accelerated ray tracing connected its GPU, which tin assistance lighting successful games, positive a faster neural engine, which tin thief pinch nan AI features Apple has been rolling out.

If you really want to max things out, statement that nan 1TB and 2TB configurations person doubly arsenic overmuch RAM (16GB) and usage a technically much powerful type of nan M4 pinch an other capacity halfway unlocked. Jumping to 1 of those SKUs costs a minimum of $1,599, though — and that’s earlier you adhd accessories. Those looking to usage nan iPad Pro arsenic a (very expensive) media depletion instrumentality don’t request this, but if you activity pinch memory-hungry apps aliases request nan absolute best, conscionable statement it’ll costs you.

The iPad Pro is nan only iPad pinch Face ID, which remains a spot much convenient than reaching for a fingerprint scanner. It’s nan only 1 pinch a Thunderbolt USB-C port, which is technically faster for transferring ample files. It sounds much robust than nan Air, pinch 4 built-in speakers alternatively of two. Its camera strategy isn't that different, but it includes a flash for much easy scanning documents, and it tin grounds video successful Apple's ProRes format. Its beforehand camera is connected nan agelong edge, too. As for accessories, nan Pro unsocial tin usage Apple’s champion Magic Keyboard, which itself is wildly costly but has a much premium aluminum finish, backlit keys and haptic feedback alongside a larger trackpad and a statement of usability keys. It besides supports nan Pencil Pro stylus (but not nan second-gen Pencil).

If astir of these features sound niche to you, well, yeah, that’s nan idea. Unless you're consenting to salary for that terrific OLED screen, nan iPad Air gets adjacent capable for a overmuch much palatable price. And though nan iPad Pro is simply a class-leading tablet, it is yet still an iPad. Certain imaginative professionals person utilized it conscionable good arsenic a laptop replacement, but up to now, iPadOS has made multitasking and different computer-y tasks much convoluted than they are connected a Mac. The iPadOS 26 update appears to spell a agelong measurement towards rectifying powerfulness users' longstanding complaints, but galore of nan features coming location will besides beryllium disposable connected nan cheaper models. Regardless, nan Pro is simply a awesome iPad — fast, slim and luxurious. And expensive.