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Title: The best iPad for 2025: How to pick the best Apple tablet for you

Date: Wed, 07 May 2025 09:01:26 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/best-...

WeΓÇÖve long considered AppleΓÇÖs iPads to be the best tablets on the market,
but determining exactly which model you should buy isnΓÇÖt always
straightforward. Do you just want a big screen for streaming and web
browsing? Do you want to use it like a pseudo-laptop? Do you care about Apple
Intelligence at all? If youΓÇÖre not sure, allow us to help. WeΓÇÖve tested
every iPad available today and broken down which ones should best fit your
needs below.

Table of contents

The best iPads for 2025

How we test the best iPads

iPad FAQs

Recent updates

The best iPads for 2025

How we test the best iPads The top edge of the iPad mini. Photo by Nathan
Ingraham / Engadget

Much like we do for our guide to the best tablets overall, we spend several
days with each iPad to see how they feel and perform with different tasks:
watching videos, web browsing, playing both casual and graphically intense
games, editing 4K photos and video, running multiple apps side-by-side,
making FaceTime calls and the like. To better measure performance
specifically, we use benchmarking tests like Geekbench 6, 3DMark and GFXBench
Metal, plus we measure how long it takes for each tablet to boot up and open
various apps. We also check how well each tablet holds up long-term, whether
itΓÇÖs with a review unit provided by Apple or an iPad model thatΓÇÖs owned
by a member of the Engadget staff.

To help compare the color performance and brightness of the displays, we play
the same videos on different iPads, side-by-side, at equal brightness levels.
We use each tablet in direct sunlight outdoors to see how well they hold up
to glare, and we play a handful of the same musical tracks to evaluate
speaker performance. For battery life, we keep track of how long each tablet
generally lasts before it needs a recharge, but we also play a 1080p movie on
a loop at roughly 70 percent brightness with power-sapping background
processes off. We also test each device with an Apple Pencil and note how
responsive the stylus feels. Finally, we carefully pore over spec sheets and
software updates to keep track of which features are available on certain
iPads but not others.

iPad FAQs The iPad (A16) on top of an 13-inch iPad Air. Jeff Dunn for
Engadget How long do iPads typically last?

If history is any indication, expect Apple to update your iPad to the latest
version of iPadOS for at least five years, if not longer. The iPadOS 18
update, for example, is available on iPad Pro models dating back to 2018 and
other iPads dating back to 2019. How long your iPadΓÇÖs hardware will last
depends on which model you buy and how well you maintain it. (If youΓÇÖre
particularly clumsy, consider an iPad case.) A more powerful iPad Pro will
feel fast for a longer time than an entry-level iPad, but each model should
remain at least serviceable until Apple stops updating it, at minimum.

WhatΓÇÖs the difference between the iPad and the iPad Air?

Compared to the 11th-gen iPad, the iPad Air runs on a stronger M3 chip
(instead of the A16 Bionic) and has 2GB more RAM (8GB total). Both come with
128GB of storage by default. The Air is also available in two sizes, 11 and
13 inches, whereas the 11th-gen iPad doesn't offer the larger screen option.
The M-series SoC gives the Air better long-term performance, plus access to
certain iPadOS features such as Apple Intelligence and Stage Manager. Its
display supports a wider P3 color gamut, has an antireflective coating and is
fully laminated. The latter means thereΓÇÖs no ΓÇ£air gapΓÇ¥ between the
display and the glass covering it, so it feels more like youΓÇÖre directly
touching whatΓÇÖs on screen instead of interacting with an image below the
glass. The Air also works with the newer Pencil Pro stylus and more
comfortable Magic Keyboards, and its USB-C port supports faster data transfer
speeds. It technically supports faster Wi-Fi 6E, too, while the lower-cost
iPad uses Wi-Fi 6.

Starting at $349, the 11th-gen iPad is $250 less expensive than the iPad Air.
It has a similarly elegant design with flat edges, thin bezels, USB-C port,
and a Touch ID reader. Battery life is rated at the same 10 hours, and both
devices have their front-facing camera on their long edge, which is a more
natural position for video calls. The cheaper iPad works with the first-gen
and USB-C Apple Pencils ΓÇô which are more convoluted to charge ΓÇô and a
unique keyboard accessory called the Magic Keyboard Folio.

How do I take a screenshot on an iPad?

As we note in our screenshot how-to guide, you can take a screenshot on your
iPad by pressing the top button and either volume button at the same time. If
you have an older iPad with a Home button, simultaneously press the top
button and the Home button instead.

Recent updates

April 2025: WeΓÇÖve lightly edited this guide to ensure all details and links
are still correct. WeΓÇÖre also keeping an eye on how the Trump
administrationΓÇÖs tariff policy affects the pricing and stock of the iPad
lineup (and every other tech category). All of our picks are still available
at normal prices today, but weΓÇÖll update this guide if that changes.

March 2025: We've reviewed the iPad (A16) and named it our new budget pick,
removing the discontinued 10th-gen iPad in the process.

March 2025: The recently-launched iPad Air M3 has replaced its predecessor as
our top overall recommendation. WeΓÇÖve also made a note regarding the new
iPad (A16), which we plan to test in the near future and expect to become our
new budget pick. WeΓÇÖve made a handful of edits elsewhere in the guide to
reflect AppleΓÇÖs latest hardware.

January 2025: WeΓÇÖve lightly edited this guide for clarity. Our
recommendations remain the same.

October 2024: We've updated our guide to include the new iPad mini 7.

June 2024: WeΓÇÖve touched up this guide to reflect some of the new iPadOS
features Apple announced at WWDC, though our picks remain the same.

Nathan Ingraham contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/best-...
tablet-for-you-150054066.html?src=rss

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