{"id":665,"date":"2025-07-01T01:52:17","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T21:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.actutech.app\/the-best-ipad-to-buy\/"},"modified":"2025-07-01T01:52:17","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T21:52:17","slug":"the-best-ipad-to-buy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.actutech.app\/en\/the-best-ipad-to-buy\/","title":{"rendered":"The best iPad to buy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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There are no bad iPads. That\u2019s the best news about Apple\u2019s tablet lineup: 15 years after Steve Jobs first debuted the device, the iPad is the best tablet on the market, and it\u2019s not particularly close. Apple\u2019s App Store is enormous and filled with great apps, Apple\u2019s performance and battery life are consistently excellent, and the iPad is still the company\u2019s most versatile device. That\u2019s one easy answer to your question: yes, if you want a tablet you should buy an iPad. Even last year\u2019s iPad, or heck, last-last year\u2019s iPad is still a solid device. Buying an older but better device \u2014 last year\u2019s Pro instead of this year\u2019s Air, for instance \u2014 is a tried and true iPad formula.<\/p>\n

But which of all those good iPads should you buy? That\u2019s never been more complicated. Apple sells six different iPads \u2014\u00a0the Pro in two sizes, the Air in two sizes, the Mini, and the regular ol\u2019 iPad \u2014\u00a0all of which come with different specs and accessory options. It\u2019s all too much.<\/p>\n

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  1. The best iPad value<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. The best long-term iPad<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. The best iPad, period<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. The best iPad Mini<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. An aside on specs and extras<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. What\u2019s coming next<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    I\u2019ve tested every iPad currently on the market and have been an iPad user and reviewer since the very first model. (I\u2019m pretty sure I got a job in 2010 because I had a brand-new iPad with me at the interview, but that\u2019s another story.) After using all these tablets and accessories, I think I can help you make the choice.<\/p>\n

    The simplest way to pick an iPad is by process of elimination. First, there\u2019s your budget: you can spend $350 on an iPad, you can spend $2,728 on an iPad, or you can spend just about anything in between. You should also decide whether you need an Apple Pencil and which one has the features you need, because not every iPad supports every model. The same goes for the keyboard attachments. Between price and accessories, your choice might be instantly obvious.<\/p>\n

    More broadly, though, your iPad-buying journey starts with two crucial questions. The first is: what kind of iPad user are you? There are roughly two types. The first and most common iPad user mostly uses it like a larger iPhone: it\u2019s a bigger screen on which to send emails, do the crossword, watch Netflix, and other fairly casual activities. The second type of iPad user, on the other hand, uses it like a touchscreen Mac: it\u2019s for video editing, 3D modeling, creating presentations, crushing spreadsheets, and generally Doing Work of all sorts. You\u2019ll also email and Netflix, of course, but you want your iPad to be a primary computing device.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    I think most people fall into the first category. (Honestly, I also think a lot of people who believe they fall into the second category\u2026 mostly don\u2019t.)<\/p>\n

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    The second question is more complicated to answer, and it\u2019s what makes the iPad-buying process so tricky right now: how long do you expect to keep your iPad? If you\u2019re looking for a device for the kids to beat up or something that will be your travel companion until you inevitably leave it somewhere, you\u2019re going to end up with a very different device than if you\u2019re shopping for your main computer for the next decade. In general, if you take care of your iPad, I think you can reasonably expect it to last at least five years \u2014 so that\u2019s the timeline I have in mind as we go through this guide.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    I used to say that almost everyone should just get the base iPad. Now, I think there are two options worth seriously considering. No matter which one you choose, all the models on this list will receive Apple\u2019s recently announced iPadOS 26 update<\/a> this fall.<\/p>\n

    The best iPad value<\/h2>\n
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    Apple iPad (11th generation)<\/h3>\n
    Apple\u2019s 11th-gen iPad is the successor to the previous 10-gen model. It has a new A16 chip and few other changes \u2014 and is the only Apple tablet to not support Apple Intelligence.<\/div>\n
    \"An<\/figure>\n
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    Score: 6<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Pros<\/th>\nCons<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
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    • The cheapest iPad by far<\/li>\n
    • Comes in lots of fun colors<\/li>\n
    • Plenty capable for casual use<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
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