Over the years, one iPad it became an increasingly messy affair. With multiple models and overlapping features and accessories, there’s no better way to recommend an iPad for one type of user. Still, Apple has a general idea of how it sees its iPad lineup and who each model is intended for.
As for Apple’s four different messages iPad The products are mainly divided into: the main iPad For “everyday stuff”. iPad mini for “small but mighty on the road”, iPad Air For “Mac-class power without Mac-class weight” and iPad Pro For “Money is no object”.
Below is a quick tour of how Apple promotes each device, plus some perspective on what Apple really means (or doesn’t say) when it promotes its lineup.
iPad
“Cute. Drawable. Magical.”
Indeed, Apple is promoting the trend 11th generation iPad For the casual user who wants a colorful and fun device, there’s nothing “for the things you do every day”, which is… not saying much.
Translation? Couch streaming, FaceTime with Grandma, Homework on Pages and maybe sometimes Apple Pencil doodle. Oh, and some might say it currently lacks Apple Intelligence support, which is a plus.
On its website, Apple describes the all-screen, no-Home button design, as well as the Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard Folio compatibility. While this can make it a bit difficult to tell the models apart, these are certainly welcome features for those who choose to do so.
My two cents: Despite the lack of Apple Intelligence support, it’s still a gold-locks, cost-benefit option. The real pitfall, though, is storage. At $449, 128GB is finally standard, but depending on how you use it, it can go quickly. If possible, stick to 256GB or keep your cloud budget handy.
Technical characteristics: 11-inch Liquid Retina display with sRGB color and True Tone, A16 chip, 4K 12MP wide rear camera, landscape 12MP Ultra Wide front camera, Apple Pencil 1st generation and USB-C support, Magic Keyboard Folio support.
iPad Air
“Wow.”
Starting at $749, Apple is launching iPad Air iPad for a little more serious and less serious users. As we move up the iPad ladder, it’s the first option to offer two screen sizes and support for Apple Intelligence (which iPad mini also does. We’ll get to that.)
Apple leans more on words like “powerhouse” in its messaging. iPad Proyou can do some heavy work that you can’t do on the 11th generation iPad. Its color scheme also helps drive home the fact that while they’re still casual, colorful iPads, they’re certainly not funky, tacky iPads.
If you’re aiming for portability, here’s something to consider: at £1.36, 13-inch iPad Air it’s actually heavier than the same size at 1.28 lbs iPad Pro. In terms of performance, the iPad Air’s M4 chip is slightly different from 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.
Still, since the M3 iPad Air can already handle many Final Cut and Lightroom-type tasks, the same will certainly be the case with the M4 iPad Air, meaning you can save $450 over the entry-level Pro.
My two cents: If you need Mac-level grunt but can’t justify the Thin Possible money (we’ll get there), this is a great place. Just remember: Magic keyboard and Pen Pro they are still extra.
Technical characteristics: 11″ or 13″ Liquid Retina display, P3 wide color, True Tone and anti-reflective coating, M4 chip with Apple Intelligence support, 4K 12MP wide rear camera, landscape 12MP Ultra Wide Center Stage front camera, Apple Pencil Pro and USB-C support, Magic keyboard For iPad Air support.
iPad Pro
“Fine possible.”
Starting at $1,199, it’s serious, grim, and expensive iPad Pro It’s the closest thing to a tablet alternative for Mac that Apple has ever released. In its communication, Apple really emphasizes how slim this iPad is, and it should be. At 5.1mm thick, it’s bananas how slim the iPad Pro is for what it needs to pack.
Apple also really has words like “fast” and “advanced” on its product page, as well as connectivity features such as the ability to drive external displays up to 6K and reach data transfer speeds of 40Gb/s.
But here’s the thing. If you’re not salivating over things like knowing that the iPad Pro’s M5 chip offers enough headroom for multi-layered 8K ProRes, I’m sure the iPad Air might be more than enough for what you need (for now).
My two cents: If you are ever asking yourself, “Do I need it? iPad Pro?” probably not.
Technical characteristics: 11″ or 13″ Ultra Retina XDR display with ProMotion, P3 wide color, True Tone, anti-reflective coating, nanotextured display glass option on 1TB and 2TB models, M5 chip with Apple Intelligence support, 4K 12MP Wide rear camera with ProRes support, Landscape Stent front camera 12MP Apple Pencil Pro and USB-C support, Magic keyboard For iPad Pro support.
iPad mini
“One-handedly awesome.”
Apple’s own copy is basically one long humble brag about how this thing fits in a coat pocket, but still runs the same apps as its more powerful siblings.
Doctors love it for laps, pilots strap it to their yokes, and passengers love to sing with one hand. While most reviews attest to the versatility of this device, some still warn against making it a niche purchase.
My two cents: although sometimes iPad mini While it seems to be promoted and interpreted as Apple’s answer to Samsung’s productivity-focused phones like the Galaxy Note, the truth is that it may be more of a consumer than a productivity device. You can doodle on PDFs and take nice handwritten notes during class, but there’s a reason you don’t see Apple promoting the iPad mini with an open spreadsheet on it.
Technical characteristics: P3 wide-color 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, True Tone and anti-reflective 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, big final disclaimer
There are people who do wonders and can run entire companies from their iPad minis, and there are people who buy an iPad Pro and return it, unable to do anything with it. More than any other Apple product, your mileage may vary a lot.
This guide should examine how Apple has marketed each of the iPads and offer some commentary on how expectations stack up against reality. If your experience is different, let’s talk about it in the comments. For readers who are still in doubt, any information would help.
It’s worth checking out on Amazon
FTC: We use automatic affiliate links that generate income. More.
