Summary
Before spending extra money, assume the base iPad or even the iPad mini will do the trick.
You may need to upgrade to the iPad Air or Pro for specific apps or accessories, or if you need a 13-inch display for better multitasking.
Otherwise, some upgrades are pure luxuries for the average person.
Apple is a master at the upsell. It's infamous for its "price ladder" strategy -- that is, tempting people to spend a little more than they need to because the next step up is only $50, $100, or $200 away, but with substantial enhancements. The iPhone 16e is a recent example -- while it's a decent phone, the regular iPhone 16 includes features like an ultra-wide camera, Dynamic Island multitasking, and MagSafe wireless charging. If you're not cash-strapped, it's an obvious choice.
That strategy is very much in place with iPads too, but the good news is that, in most situations, you're not missing much by choosing the latest entry-level model. There's no need to splurge on an iPad Pro , certainly if you're not actually using one for professional reasons.
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With few exceptions, iPad processors are vastly more powerful than the apps and features available for them. Even the A16 chip in the 11th-generation base iPad should blast through most 3D games, never mind iPadOS itself, or simpler 2D apps like Bluesky, Pages, or Netflix. Most iPad apps are just scaled-up iPhone releases, only taking advantage of the extra screen space to display more content and expand their interfaces.
The main reason to step up is if there are specific, professionally-oriented apps you need to run.
The base iPad does lack Apple Intelligence features and can't extend your home screen to an external monitor via Stage Manager. Those things require an iPad with a faster M-series processor, namely an Air or a Pro. But many people can live without those perks, especially since Apple Intelligence is still half-baked. Key components like contextual awareness for Siri have been delayed until later in 2025 -- all you're getting today are things like Writing Tools and quick access to ChatGPT.
In terms of processor power, the main reason to step up is if there are specific, professionally-oriented apps you need to run, like Final Cut for video editing, or Procreate for illustration. Some may not automatically demand an M-series chip, but even if they don't, they'll use all the horsepower they can get to speed up tasks like building layers or rendering output.
It could be worth getting an M3-powered iPad Air just for the sake of futureproofing, but don't expect to be blown away by the performance gap if all you're doing is running Safari and Mail.
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Most non-performance upgrades are luxuries
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There are secondary benefits to more expensive iPads, such as accessory support and storage options, but those are rarely an issue. The 11th-generation iPad, for example, doesn't support the Apple Pencil Pro or fully-featured Magic Keyboards. In reality, neither of those are a big deal for most users. There are plenty of third-party keyboard cases, and iPads work perfectly fine without a stylus if you don't need extreme precision for tasks like illustration and video editing. If you're not drawing professionally, the USB-C Apple Pencil may do just fine.
As storage goes, I've found that 256GB is more than enough for casual use, and some people will be able to get away with 128GB. There are 1TB and 2TB tiers on the iPad Air and Pro, but those are overkill unless you're working with large video or modeling files, or want most (or all) of your entertainment saved locally.
There's a better argument to be made for stepping up to a 13-inch screen size, but only if you have serious multitasking needs.
There's a better argument to be made for stepping up to a 13-inch screen size -- again, an option limited to the Air and Pro -- but only if you have serious multitasking needs, like keeping Chrome readable while you work on a research paper in Google Docs. 11-inch iPads are still reasonable for casual multitasking while also being cheaper and more portable. They're a lot easier to pack and unpack, and fit far better on an Economy-class seat tray.
Choosing an iPad Pro does get you a 120Hz OLED display, as well as support for USB 4 and Thunderbolt 4 accessories. I've found that the 60Hz LCDs on cheaper iPads are still beautiful, though, so 120Hz OLED doesn't have much functional value unless you need maximum fidelity. Likewise, you're probably not going to take advantage of faster port speeds unless you're connecting a state-of-the-art drive to transfer gigabytes worth of data.
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Final thoughts
How to decide before you click that buy button
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Once you're ready to put down some cash, start with the 11th-generation iPad (or even the 7th-generation iPad mini ) as a baseline. Before upgrading to anything pricier, ask yourself these questions:
Do I want to use my iPad for 3D gaming, processor-intensive work apps, or as a laptop replacement? If yes, you should probably look at an iPad Air, and possibly a Pro if those work apps involve tasks like video editing.
Will I be doing a lot of multitasking in which readability and/or full app controls are crucial? That calls for a 13-inch Air, but not necessarily a 13-inch Pro.
Will I be doing professional-quality illustrations, or at least learning to do them? You'll want to upgrade to an Air or Pro for the sake of Apple Pencil Pro compatibility.
How much storage do I need, really? Don't choose any more than 256GB unless you already know you'll be testing that limit.
Do I have USB 4 or Thunderbolt 4 peripherals I want to use? You'll need a Pro, unless you're prepared to connect USB 4 accessories at slower speeds. Thunderbolt-exclusive accessories won't work at all on other iPads.
Chances are that if you're only interested in casual entertainment, or lighter work tasks like answering email, Apple's cheapest iPads will do the trick. As I mentioned, you might want to buy an Air simply for futureproofing, but don't feel pressured. I own a 2020 iPad Pro and still find my wife's 10th-generation iPad very slick.
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