The Best iPad Models to Buy in 2025

We've sorted through all the various generations of iPads, iPad Pros, iPad Minis, and iPad Airs to pick the best iPads for most people.

Mar 24, 2025 - 23:22

Apple’s iPad is pretty much the default tablet to recommend. It set the bar for what the best tablets ought to be, and many devices have tried to follow in its footsteps to varying degrees of success. Now, Apple has grown the iPad lineup to quite an extensive range with big and small, super-charged and surprisingly modest devices all making up the Apple lineup. With so many devices to choose from, and often multiple generations of the same model to weigh against one another, it can be hard to suss out the right one. Plus, Apple just released the new iPad (A16) and new M3 iPad Air models, bringing additional choice options and price drops to older generations of the tablets.

TL;DR – These Are the Best Apple iPad Models:

We’ve tested a handful of Apple’s tablets over the years and have a sense of what sets each apart. You can get advanced displays and powerful M-series chipsets in Apple’s latest iPad Pro models. For portability, Apple has packed quite a lot into its iPad Mini, enough to make it practically a larger iPhone at a price that’s surprisingly lower than its phone counterparts. And when your needs are simple, like for an e-reader replacement, Apple’s base iPads still provide impressive performance and heaps of value.

Of course, Apple’s not the only tablet maker on the market, and if you’re not locked into Apple’s ecosystem, you may want to look at some alternatives which may be able to give you some quality upgrades for a better price. Alternatively, if you're dead-set on an iPad, you should look into some great iPad accessories, like a keyboard, to make the most of it.

Additional contributions by Mark Knapp and Danielle Abraham

1. Apple iPad (10th Gen)

Best Overall iPad

Apple does a great job making its base-level iPad an exceptional option for most users, and that’s what makes the 10th Gen iPad such an ideal pick for just about anyone shopping for an iPad. For one, its price is much more approachable than most other iPad options, like the Pro models that can soar past $1,000 for lots of bells and whistles.

The 10th Gen iPad may not have the most advanced display, but you’re still getting a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display. With a 2360x1640 resolution across that panel, the visuals are plenty sharp. It may not get the 120Hz refresh rate of higher-tier models, but higher refresh rates are something you really won’t know you’re missing until you see it. You can also use the 1st generation Apple Pencil with this iPad model, so you’ve still got options for creative outlets.

The 10th Gen model got a refreshed design from the prior version, shaving off a bit of thickness and a few grams of weight, and updates to the bezels make for a more modern look with even borders all around the display. Perhaps a bigger shift is the front-facing camera placement, which goes to the top in landscape (as opposed to portrait) orientation. Combined with Center Stage, the camera effectively tracks you during calls, so you can wander around while being properly framed in video calls and recordings.

Under the hood, the 10th Gen iPad comes packing an A14 Bionic chip with 4GB of memory. It’s a small but still important upgrade over the 9th Gen model for those who want more performance and longevity out of their hardware. The tablet also charges over USB-C rather than the dated Lightning connector. With USB-C gaining dominance for devices, this provides a bit more future-proofing for the tablet.

We finally got an update to this iPad, and it's available now: The 11th-generation iPad offers an A16 processor and double the starting storage of previous iPad models.

2. Apple iPad (9th Gen)

Best Budget iPad

Looking for the overall best budget tablet available? Although it was released in 2021, iPad (9th Generation) is our budget pick thanks to its very solid performance, crisp and clear 10.2-inch Retina (backlit) display, and low starting price under $300. In fact, you can find it for much cheaper because it’s often on sale at Amazon (sometimes it’s as low as $250 during Prime Day or Black Friday).

This iPad is currently running the latest version of iPadOS to optimize performance and speed, even though its processor is a few years old. While it doesn’t have the same bells and whistles as the iPad Air, iPad Mini, or iPad Pro like a faster processor, thinner bezels, or a more modern design, it’s still an iPad that gets the same access to the same apps as any other Apple tablet. Some of the more intensive ones just won't work as well.

If you’re only planning on using it for consuming media, catching up on the news, playing basic iOS games, or reading e-books, the 9th Gen iPad will get the job done at an affordable price. It also makes for a great iPad for kids since it’s so inexpensive. Just wrap a durable iPad case around it to avoid damage.

3. Apple iPad Pro (2024, M4)

Best Premium iPad

The iPad Pro has always been a beautiful piece of tech, but Apple took the tried-and-true design and thinned it down, making it the thinnest iPad ever, beating even the iPad Air. Even though the chassis got some thickness cut off from it, Apple stuffed it with the Apple M4 chip, making it more powerful than the most recent MacBook Air. This makes an already great iPad for creative professionals even better.

The 7th Generation iPad Pro also introduces a new OLED display, another first for an iPad, and it is absolutely gorgeous. When we reviewed this 7th Gen iPad Pro, Jacqueline Thomas noted how it quickly became her favorite device to watch or read anything on. Colors are bright and contrast nicely with darker elements of any scene, adding vibrancy to pretty much anything displayed on the tablet.

The M4 makes sure the beautiful display is put to good use, too. With the 8-core GPU, the iPad Pro makes easy work of any game run natively on the device, and we could see this becoming the de-facto gaming tablet (at least if you're not counting the best handheld gaming PCs). The processor also makes it excel at the creative workloads the tablet is designed for. With the new Apple Pencil Pro, which you will have to pay extra for, the powerful hardware and gorgeous display combine to make this an excellent choice for artists and photo editors that need a touch screen to get their job done.

If you want this to become your default workstation, though, you're going to have to fork over a ton of cash to make it happen. For the official model, the Magic Keyboard costs nearly $300 on its own, and the Apple Pencil is going to add an extra $129, too. There are Apple Pencil alternatives, and you can pair it with basically any keyboard, but it's something to be aware of going in.

Read the review: Apple iPad Pro (7th Generation)

4. Apple iPad Mini (7th Gen)

Best for Reading and Portability

When the best iPhones are just a little too small and the other 10-inch or larger iPads are more screen real estate than needed, the iPad Mini is the perfect in-between option for reading. With a stunning 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display and 10.4oz heft, this iPad’s compact design makes for a great option that’s easy to tuck away in a bag or even a jacket pocket on the go.

Readers will gravitate towards this tiny tablet since it can be comfortably held with one hand, and the Apple App Store is chock full of reading apps, such as Apple Books, Amazon Kindle, comiXology, Libby, Scribd, and more. It’s one of IGN’s favorite reading tablets for a reason. Compatibility with the Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C) even make the iPad Mini a viable option for notetaking or sketching too.

Like most iPads, the Mini’s high-quality build leaves many of the best Android tablets at a similar price in the dust. For under $500, the sturdy recycled aluminum body looks great and holds up well against wear and tear. Its design remains pretty much unchanged from previous generations, so it’s one of the few iPads that still offers Touch ID.

Under the hood, the 7th Generation Mini model got a major boost in performance. Although the Mini’s A17 Pro processor, the same silicon found in the iPhone 15 Pro, can’t compete with the M4 and M3 chips found in the Air and Pro models, it is still plenty zippy for the compact device. Stuff like watching YouTube or scrolling TikTok will be breezy. Gaming is even viable, and the Mini is compatible with some of the best phone controllers for added convenience.

5. OnePlus Pad 2

Best iPad Alternative

Samsung isn’t the only brand making great Android tablets. The OnePlus Pad 2 launched with quite a smash. It may not get much mainstream attention, but it absolutely deserves it. It started at $549 but has since seen discounts to $449, and that’s a solid deal for a tablet doing as much as this.

The OnePlus Pad 2 is basically the iPad Pro of the Android tablet market. It features a 12.1-inch display that’s quite something. It’s an IPS panel, but it offers 10-bit color depth, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and a 900-nit peak brightness. It also runs at a buttery 144Hz refresh rate, making it all the smoother while gaming, scrolling web pages, or inking up your artwork with the optional stylus. The tablet supports the OnePlus Stylo 2, which is pressure-sensitive, has haptic feedback, and can charge over a magnetic connection to the tablet. The display is also surrounded by not two, not four, but six speakers for impressive spatial audio.

Inside, the OnePlus Pad 2 is powered by the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip that powered many of 2024’s flagship Android smartphones, and that gives it plenty of juice to run the latest apps and games. With a default of 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage, it’s also got plenty of room for big games and multiple apps running at the same time.

In our testing of the OnePlus Pad 2, we also found that it had incredible battery life. It has a 9,510mAh battery tucked away inside, and that proved up to the task of providing about 12 hours of heavy use – plenty for long flights. When it comes to charge, it supports 80W charging – faster than a lot of laptops – to juice back up completely in a little over an hour.

OnePlus doesn’t plan on leaving this tablet behind any time soon either. It launched with Android 14, and the company promised three years of OS updates and four years of security updates.

Read the full review: OnePlus Pad 2

Upcoming iPad Models

If you're on the edge of your seat waiting for a brand-new Apple tablet, you're in luck. An 11th-Gen iPad with an A16 processor and new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air models running on an M3 chip just came out. We also recently got an update to the iPad Mini, as the compact tablet now features an A17 Pro processor.

Which Apple iPad Is Right for Me?

Ever since it was introduced in 2010, the iPad originally served to fill in a digital gap. For some people, it's meant to be that in-between mobile device that’s more portable than a laptop but more powerful than a smartphone, while for others, it can actually serve as a wholesale laptop replacement.

If you’re looking to buy your first iPad, or you’re looking to upgrade from an older model, then we put this useful buyer’s guide on what to look for in an iPad in 2025, below:

Tablet Sizes

Currently, there are six iPad models with five different screen sizes for various uses. The smallest in the family is the iPad Mini with a 8.3-inch Liquid Retina (LCD) display, which is ideal for reading e-books, magazines, comic books, articles, and more. It’s also very portable and super lightweight at just 10oz (or 293g), and best for one-handed casual use.

For something bigger, both baseline iPad models, 9th and 10th generations, feature a 10.2-inch Retina (backlit) and a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina displays. The 11th Gen model features an 11-inch screen. Meanwhile, the M3 iPad Air features a 11-inch or 13-inch Liquid Retina display too, but it’s more powerful with that M-processor than the standard models, which feature the A13, A14, A16, A17 Pro Bionic chips, respectively.

In fact, 11 inches in size is considered the “sweet spot” for iPad models because it's large enough to consume media, but compact enough for portability. These models are best for most people who want to watch videos, play games, and browse the web, while taking on productivity tasks.

The largest iPad you can pick up is the iPad Pro, which comes in two models: the smaller 11-inch Liquid Retina display and the granddaddy 13-inch Ultra Retina XDR OLED display. Both Pro models feature the same Apple M4 processor, so the iPad Pro is best for creatives and professionals who might want a laptop replacement.

Storage Capacity Differences

When it comes to on-board storage space, most iPad models start at 64GB and go all the way up to a whopping 2TB with the iPad Pro. For most people 64GB is plenty of space for apps, games, video downloads, and more.

However, if you plan on taking a lot of high-resolution photos and videos, then you might want to consider getting a higher capacity iPad. For creatives and professionals, it’s best to pick up a model with at least 1TB of storage – especially for photographers or video editors. Additionally, if you want more than 2TB of storage, then you have to connect an external hard drive to the iPad via its USB-C port.

Peripherals to Consider

Speaking of which, all iPad models (except the 9th Generation iPad, which still uses the old fashioned Lightning port) have a USB-C port for charging and peripherals, including external hard drives. However, it’s best to connect solid-state hard drives since they don’t require much power from the iPad itself to operate. Since iPadOS has the Files app built-in, you can easily access files from within the iPad or an external hard drive.

Bluetooth is still the best way to connect the many of the best iPad accessories — like the Apple Pencil, Apple Smart Keyboard Folio, Apple Magic Keyboard, Apple AirPods, even an Xbox or PS5 gaming controller, and more — to the iPad wirelessly. Just make sure the peripheral you’d like to connect is compatible with the iPad. One of IGN's experts reviewed the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC, giving the headphones high praise and an 8/10 rating. These earbuds work seamlessy with iPads and cost less than the AirPods Pro 2 while delivering similar performance in several catagories.

Connectivity

There are two versions for each iPad model: Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + cellular. The first version can only connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, so it’s best to use at home, at the office, or just about anywhere with a steady Wi-Fi connection like a coffee shop or airport.

The second can connect to Wi-Fi and cellular networks via 4G LTE mobile data like an Apple iPhone. This means you’ll have to get a mobile data plan from a cellular carrier like T-Mobile or AT&T if you want to connect to the internet without a Wi-Fi connection. These models also have GPS, so they’re ideal to use as an entertainment display in a car.

Of course, Wi-Fi + cellular versions are more expensive than Wi-Fi-only iPad models because there are more antennas and sensors inside.

Price Comparison

The iPad starts at $269 for the 10th Generation model. In fact, you can pick up this model for even cheaper during big shopping events like Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday. At the high end, a maxed out iPad Pro can go for upwards of $2,000. This is an iPad Pro with all the bells and whistles, such as a 13-inch Ultra Retina XDR display, 2TB of storage space, and Wi-Fi + cellular connectivity. If you want the best of the best, this iPad Pro is for you.

Which iPad Is Best for Kids and Teens in 2025?

Our top pick right now for kids and younger family members is the iPad Air M2, as found in our top iPads for kids list. If you're heading off to school, we've also included a comprehensive guide to the best iPads for students.

Rudie Obias is a tech freelance writer and editor who is also interested in cinema, pop culture, music, the NBA, and science fiction. His work can be found at Fandom, TV Guide, Metacritic, Yahoo!, Mashable, Mental Floss, and of course, IGN. Follow him @RudieObias on Twitter & IG.