The Best iPad in 2024: from mini to Pro and every Apple tablet in between

The iPad Air 5 demonstrating split screen mode.
(Image credit: Luke Filipowicz / iMore)

The best iPad for you will largely depend on your specific needs, given there are so many great options out there. A few years ago, that answer may have been a little more simple with a handful of central devices but, from the smallest iPad mini 6 to the largest and most powerful iPad Pro 12.9-inch, there's a huge range now. Though this can be a little confusing, it makes it much easier if you have a specific budget or want certain features. 

Ever since the launch of iPadOS 17, Apple's iPad line has been even better with a new lock screen, customization, and a way to access and change brand-new widgets. The same iPad you might have bought a year ago has got better all of a sudden.

With a whole new batch of iPad Pros and iPad Airs expected to launch in the next few months, now is the perfect time to look around for your next upgrade when they drop. We're expecting a new event to go live alongside it which will show them all off for the first time. 

When you've figured out the perfect iPad for you, make sure to transfer data from your old iPad to your new one if you have one. As well as this, it may be worth looking into the best iPad apps for new owners to get the most out of all that power. That all said, here are the best iPads you can get right now and why they may be the perfect choice for you. 

The best iPad for most people

An iPad Air 5 showing lyrics from the Apple Music app (Image credit: Luke Filipowicz / iMore)
The best iPad for most people

Reasons to buy

+
M1 chip for impressive performance
+
iPad Pro-like design
+
Apple Pencil 2 support
+
Magic Keyboard support

Reasons to avoid

-
Higher entry price
-
Still starts at 64GB

The iPad Air 5 isn't as huge of a change as the iPad Air 4 was over the third generation, but it still has everything anyone could want from an iPad. 

It looks as stylish and fresh as the iPad Pro with its flat sides and a nearly edge-to-edge screen. That screen is a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with 2360 x 1640 resolution, so it looks pretty sharp, even if it lacks ProMotion support. For artists, there's Apple Pencil 2 compatibility, which is great given it's the best stylus for the iPad you can buy. It's equipped with USB-C, so you can connect it to hubs, hard drives, and displays. You can pick the right color for you, too, with the option of space gray, starlight, pink, purple, and blue.

The iPad Air 5 is also now powered by Apple's M1 chip, the very same M1 that powers older iPad Pros and Macs. The M1 chip makes moving through iPadOS seamless, giving the iPad Air 5 enough juice to handle anything you throw at it, whether it's a marathon gaming session, a bunch of intense image editing, or anything else. The Wi-Fi Cellular version also has a 5G upgrade, so if you have access to a 5G network, it's faster to browse online, too.

The tablet works with most accessories that work with the 11-inch iPad Pro. It's slightly thicker, so bear that in mind with some hardshell cases, but otherwise, key accessories like the Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard work well here.

It's not all plain sailing for the iPad Air 5, though. With the increase in starting price, we hoped Apple would increase the base storage option. However, the iPad Air 5 still starts with just 64GB, so you're likely to need to go for the 256GB model for comfort and some extra space.

The iPad Air 5 strikes an outstanding balance of price, power, and portability, complete with Pencil and Smart Keyboard support.

The best value iPad

(Image credit: Luke Filipowicz / iMore)
A great value

Reasons to buy

+
10.9-inch display
+
Updated to meet Apple's current iPad design
+
The rear camera is actually useable
+
The front-facing camera is in a better location
+
Cheaper than the iPad Air with many similarities

Reasons to avoid

-
Non-laminated display
-
Ridiculous dongle to charge Apple Pencil
-
Significant price increase over the iPad (2021)

Although the $449 starting price has put the entire iPad lineup in a precarious position, the iPad (10th generation) is excellent value if you're looking to upgrade from an older device or try out the iPad world for the first time.

Finally, Apple has redesigned the base iPad so you can say goodbye to bezels and hello to rounded corners. It's also said goodbye to the Home button with a USB-C port instead of the Lightning port. It's all great to see but it's what's under the hood that's perhaps most important.

Powering the entire iPad (10th generation) is the A14 Bionic, an upgrade of the A13 Bionic found in the 9th-gen iPad. Apple states this brings a 20% increase in CPU and a 10% improvement in graphics compared to the iPad (9th generation). There's no doubt the M1 chip that you find in higher-end iPads is more powerful, but for 90% of users, the A14 will pack enough punch to get through everything you can throw at it.

There's also an upgrade for the rear camera, now sporting a 12MP lens compared to the 7MP camera on the back of the iPad (2021). Apple Pencil (1st-generation) support is useful for drawing, sketching, painting, or taking notes.

However, there are issues for the iPad (10th generation). For instance, you need to decide between a USB-C Apple Pencil or the 1st generation with a dongle; there is no 2nd generation support here. Also, the non-laminated display isn't ideal. The familiar hollow sound when you tap on the display may be a fairly minor inconvenience, but it still exists. Also, Apple has removed the headphone jack, so wireless headphones are essential.

Overall, the iPad (2022) is a welcome change from the stagnant design of the iPad for the past decade, but that change comes with growing pains for both old and new users alike. A new price point that makes it sit awkwardly in the middle of two other iPads and some confusing design choices by Apple does sour the otherwise triumphant reimagining of the iPad. 

The best iPad on a budget

Drawing on iPad (2021) (Image credit: Luke Filipowicz / iMore)
A great budget tablet

Reasons to buy

+
Inexpensive
+
1st-gen Apple Pencil support
+
Smart Connector
+
Great performance for the price

Reasons to avoid

-
Dated design
-
Only supports first-generation Apple Pencil

It may be showing its age a little, but Apple has kept the 2021 base iPad around, and it's a good option for anyone keen to spend the least amount of money. It's far from the most powerful of Apple's tablets, but the iPad (9th generation) is the perfect tablet for many people. Powered by the A13 Bionic, it's competent for most tasks. If you're a casual tablet user or your computing needs are just relatively light, primarily web browsing, email, working with documents, and some casual gaming, the 10.2-inch iPad is an excellent choice for something portable.

The iPad (9th generation) also sees a huge upgrade for the front-facing camera compared to earlier models. It can now take full 1080p video, so it's perfect for FaceTime and video calls. The microphone may not have received an upgrade, but it's pretty good for your standard video call or FaceTime with some family or friends. The whole experience is made even better by the inclusion of Center Stage. When on a FaceTime call, your camera will automatically stay focused on you, even if you happen to move around. If you move to one side of the frame, it will "pan" over to you and do its best to keep you in the center of the frame, no matter how much you move. It will even zoom out to capture multiple people in the frame, making video calling much better.

The best small iPad

The iPad Mini 6 resting on top of a keyboard, while displaying the iMore website. (Image credit: iMore)
The best and only small tablet you can get

Reasons to buy

+
A perfect small size
+
Powerful A15 Bionic chip
+
Great for note-taking
+
Upgraded cameras

Reasons to avoid

-
No Smart Connector
-
More expensive than before

The iPad mini 6 is the most significant update to the iPad mini line since the introduction of the first-generation model. Pretty much everything about it has been improved and the entire team at iMore is impressed with its portability and power blend. It has a larger display than before, a huge processor boost, and much more.

The tablet also has Apple Pencil 2 support so the iPad mini 6 is a fantastic drawing tablet. It's simple to take notes or sketch something out, while you can always merely control the tablet with the stylus. Alongside that, its 8.3-inch screen is a beautiful and larger display than an iPhone, making it excellent for watching videos or playing Apple Arcade titles on the goal.

With upgrades to the camera, storage options, and the updated design, it's impossible to pass up on the iPad mini 6 if you're a fan of small tablets.

The best iPad for power users

12.9-inch iPad Pro (Image credit: Luke Filipowicz / iMore)
Powered by the M2 chip

Reasons to buy

+
Liquid Retina XDR display
+
Thunderbolt port
+
Second-gen Pencil Support
+
M2 chip
+
Face ID

Reasons to avoid

-
Expensive
-
Face ID easy to accidentally block
-
Not much change over 2021 model

If you need the most powerful tablet, you want the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2022). Comparatively little has changed from the previous year's entry but it's a fantastic powerhouse.

When announcing this year's iPad Pro, Apple quickly threw out just how much better the M2 is over the previous M1 chip. Apple claims its 8-core CPU is up to 15% faster, and the graphics performance should be about 35% quicker. To top that all off, Apple states that the 16-core Neural Engine can process 15.8 trillion operations per second, which is about 40% more than the M1. That's all great, but what does it mean for you? Not much in reality.

You see, the M1 iPad Pro wasn't suffering from performance issues to start with. Of course, the M2 iPad Pro is super smooth, but many people won't see a noticeable difference between the M1 and M2 chips. Still, if you want all the power in the world, editing some 4K videos is a breeze while transferring large files to an external device appears instant most of the time. Also, producing music in GarageBand with plenty of tracks is effortless.

The iPad Pro's large screen is still just as excellent as it was before if you want to use a tablet instead of a laptop. It offers a perfect canvas for visual artists, with plenty of room for drawing, digital painting, and more. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2021) came with a fancy mini LED display which Apple calls Liquid Retina XDR. It continues to be perfect here. HDR content looks great while there's the ability to reach a peak brightness of 16,000 nits, delivering that high contrast experience HDR needs. The larger screen gives plenty of space to use apps side-by-side, which is excellent for all kinds of work. The new built-in magnetic induction area that charges and stores the second-gen Apple Pencil is also a perfect addition.

Thanks to the iPad Pro (2022) keeping the USB-C port that's still Thunderbolt 3 / USB 4, it's simple to hook up Thunderbolt accessories like displays, docks, hubs, and hard drives. That makes it a productivity powerhouse if you want it to be, without the need for a special Lightning-to-whatever cable just to hook up an SSD, camera, or anything else with a USB-C cable.

Mighty and capable of supporting some powerful apps, the iPad Pro means serious business. While such apps may not be as full-featured as their desktop counterparts, apps like Lightroom and Affinity Photo make photo editing a breeze while providing much of the flexibility and power of desktop apps.

This powerful tablet is excellent for professionals, artists, and anyone looking for a powerful tablet or laptop alternative. Add on some of the best accessories for the iPad Pro to get the most from it.

The best iPad for those who want Pro but smaller

11-inch iPad Pro (Image credit: Luke Filipowicz / iMore)
All pro, but in a smaller size

Reasons to buy

+
Just as powerful as the 12.9-inch model
+
Lighter than the bigger iPad Pro
+
Better for thumb typing
+
Not as expensive as the bigger iPad Pro
+
LiDAR sensor is cool

Reasons to avoid

-
Inferior side-by-side app experience
-
Still fairly expensive
-
No Liquid Retina XDR display

The 11-inch iPad Pro is a powerful tablet with professional aspirations, but in a smaller form than the 12.9-inch model. It has the same powerful M2 chip that the 12.9-inch model offers so it has almost the same capabilities. The only core exception is its lack of Liquid Retina XDR display. 

Also, it might not sound like much of a difference on appear, but working with almost two inches less in screen real estate does make a difference. It means it's not quite as good for working with apps side-by-side as the larger model, but on the other hand, it's lighter and more portable. 

It's also still great for a wide variety of tasks. The 11-inch iPad Pro is the tablet to get if you want something smaller than the largest tablet that Apple makes while still wanting or needing its power.

How to choose the best iPad for you

For most people, the iPad Air 5 is the perfect iPad for their needs. It's more potent than the basic iPad but not nearly as expensive as the Pro range. It has Apple's M1 chip to provide fantastic performance, and you can always go for 5G speeds if you opt for the Wi-Fi/Cellular model. There are a few sacrifices to be made here, but you'll gain good performance without needing to spend more than needed on an iPad. 

Some people will be fine with the 64GB model, but it makes sense to choose the 256GB version for peace of mind and longevity.

The iPad Air 5 doesn't get bigger than 10.9 inches, so it's not as good as the 12.9-inch iPad Pro when it comes to multitasking and using two apps side-by-side. If that's important to you, you know what to do.

That said, the iPad Air 5 will suit most people for most tasks. Whether you're drawing with your Apple Pencil or using the Smart Keyboard to type up a massive report, it does the job well.

If you need something smaller but with Apple Pencil 2 support, opt for the iPad mini 6. It's remarkably powerful for the size, although too small for multitasking. It's easy to toss into a bag between classes or commutes, though. While there are plenty of rumors regarding the iPad mini 7, you're still onto a good thing buying the iPad mini 6 now.

At the end of the day the best iPad is the one that fits into your budget and regardless of the option you pick you're likely to have a fantastic experience with one of Apple's best products.

Q&A

When is the next iPad coming out?

As of right now, a new line of iPads are expected to arrive in the next few months. Reports have varied from the end of March to the middle of April so expect an event around this time to give the specific release date. 

John-Anthony Disotto
How To Editor

John-Anthony Disotto is the How To Editor of iMore, ensuring you can get the most from your Apple products and helping fix things when your technology isn’t behaving itself.

Living in Scotland, where he worked for Apple as a technician focused on iOS and iPhone repairs at the Genius Bar, John-Anthony has used the Apple ecosystem for over a decade and prides himself in his ability to complete his Apple Watch activity rings.

John-Anthony has previously worked in editorial for collectable TCG websites and graduated from The University of Strathclyde where he won the Scottish Student Journalism Award for Website of the Year as Editor-in-Chief of his university paper. He is also an avid film geek, having previously written film reviews and received the Edinburgh International Film Festival Student Critics award in 2019. 

John-Anthony also loves to tinker with other non-Apple technology and enjoys playing around with game emulation and Linux on his Steam Deck.

In his spare time, John-Anthony can be found watching any sport under the sun from football to darts, taking the term “Lego house” far too literally as he runs out of space to display any more plastic bricks, or chilling on the couch with his French Bulldog, Kermit.