At this point, anything your computer can do, your tablet can do too, and that’s especially true with Apple’s iPads. Whether you want to stream, browse the internet, illustrate, or edit videos, you can do it on the iPad’s HDR display. Recent developments in the Pro and Air models also set them up as gaming devices.
But Apple introduces new models at lightning speed. New iPhones and MacBooks arrive every year, the brand’s iPads follow suit. In 2024, Apple introduced the M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air and less than a year later, the iPad Air is already getting an M3 chip upgrade.
So with the quick pace of iPad updates, it makes shopping for a tablet all the more difficult. On March 4, 2025, Apple introduced the iPad Air with M3 chip and iPad 11th generation. While we’ve yet to test these models, our team has hands-on experience with the best iPads, and we've gathered the top contenders for you.
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Which iPad model should I buy?
The right iPad for you depends purely on your needs. Do you want something that has enough storage and speed for streaming? Do you want to use it to read? Do you want to use a tablet as your primary workstation? Your answers should factor into your decision.
To get you started, we believe the best iPad for most people is the new M2 iPad Air (2024). It has exceptional performance but is also in the middle of the range for both price and capability. Since it's in the midrange of iPads, there are also models available that are either more advanced or pared down.
Read on for Mashable's guide to the best iPads for 2025.