Best iPad 2023 and their prices

Which iPad should you purchase? It’s a far more difficult decision than it used to be, with six official iPad models available from Apple and several older varieties still available from third-party shops – and that’s before we get into color options, storage options, a cellular connection, and extra accessories.

Here is the best iPad to buy:

iPad Air (2022) – Overall best

The current iPad Air is without a doubt the greatest iPad for most people, and it’s not only because of its sleek design, which has a full-screen display with curved corners.

The iPad Air has the same Apple M1 chip as not only the iPad Pro line, but also desktops such as the 24in iMac and Mac Mini, providing significant gains in both the CPU and GPU departments, making it ideal for content creators, students, and gamers who require laptop-level power on the go.

It’s far more powerful than any other non-Pro iPad, and it blows away the Android competitors.

There’s also the brilliant and crisp 10.9 display to consider, and while it lacks the Pro range’s 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate technology, it can utilize the Magic Keyboard and second-generation Apple Pencil, which no other non-Pro iPad can.

This time around, there’s also a 5G connection and a 12Mp Center Stage front-facing camera, which were two of the most notable exclusions from the 2020 model, making it simple to recommend to most regular users.

2. iPad mini (2021) – Smallest iPad

The sixth-generation iPad mini abandons the previous form factor in favor of something closer to the iPad Air and iPad Pro lineups, featuring an angular design, dual speakers, Center Stage technology, and significantly thinner bezels than previously.

The iPad mini’s 60Hz display has been increased to 8.3in without increasing the tablet’s physical size, allowing for additional display real estate without compromising its portability. It also has the greatest pixel density of any iPad right now, although it’s a little too tiny for genuine split-screen multitasking.

It uses the same A15 Bionic chip as the iPhone 13 series, making it more powerful than the iPad Air at a comparable price.

Best Budget iPad 10.2in (2021)

The 9th-generation iPad has been surpassed by the new (and considerably more costly) 10th-generation iPad, but there’s still very little to complain about – so much so that Apple opted to keep it on the market as the real entry-level tablet. If you have a seventh- or eighth-generation iPad, there may not be much to lure you, but if you’re coming from an earlier device or want to dip your toe into the iPad experience, there’s a lot to adore here.

The 10.2 screen includes TrueTone technology, which automatically adjusts the color balance based on your surroundings, as well as increased color accuracy. There are also software enhancements with iPadOS, an upgrade to the A13 Bionic (the same as in the iPhone 11), and most crucially, the base capacity has been improved from a useless 32GB to 64GB, with a 256GB option available for those who want a bit more storage.

Best hardware: iPad Pro 12.9in (2022).

Apple’s 12.9-inch iPad Pro is undeniably the most powerful and sophisticated tablet on the market right now, but it’s also the most costly – notably in the UK, where it costs £250 more than the previous-generation iPad.

Having said that, the money will get you an iPad with Apple’s newest M2 CPU, which has enough of power to handle everything you throw at it, including demanding graphics design and video editing software. The caveat is that the M2 is just too powerful for any iPad app right now, and although this ensures outstanding performance, it can be a bit overkill for most iPad operations. More programs built to take advantage of the M2 power are required, but they are extremely sluggish.

2022 iPad 10.9in – The uncomfortable middle child

The 10th-generation iPad is a challenge. If you just look at the tablet, it’s a wonderful upgrade: it has the same modern style as past iPads, it has more power thanks to the same A14 Bionic as the iPhone 12, and the new color selections are the most colorful we’ve seen. It’s a good-looking, competent tablet that’s difficult to fault.

The problem is that it is substantially more expensive than the entry-level iPad from 2021, which starts at $449/£499. It’s no longer the perfect entry-level tablet – that’s still the iPad 10.2in from 2021 – and it moves it closer to the iPad Air and iPad mini. The Air, in particular, provides a significant increase with support for the better second-generation Apple Pencil and Apple’s M1 processor, yet it isn’t that much more expensive in the broad scheme of things.

There’s also the reality that, while it looks nicer, it doesn’t actually accomplish anything that the older, less expensive iPad can’t.