The Best iPad to Buy (and a Few to Avoid) (2023)

FAQs

Which iPads are not worth buying? ›

The older 2018 iPad Pro, 10.5-inch, 10-inch, and 13-inch iPad Pro tablets are not worth buying (if you can even find them). They're just too old.

A major area of difference between the two ‌iPad‌ models is their camera setups. The ‌iPad Air‌ features a single ƒ/1.8 12MP Wide camera. The ‌iPad Pro‌ has the same ƒ/1.8 12MP Wide camera as the ‌iPad Air‌, but also adds a ƒ/2.4 10MP Ultra Wide camera and a LiDAR scanner.

Pick the 2022 iPad Pro if you want the extra power and better screen over other iPads. It's very fast, the screen display and speakers are excellent for kicking back and watching movies, and it's a great tablet for creatives who need added power for video or photo editing. It gets expensive at the high end.

You should buy the iPad Air 5 (2022) if you're looking to upgrade to the Apple M1 chip, you want a better front camera and FaceTime experience, or you want to upgrade to a 5G iPad. You should get the iPad Air 4 (2020) if the price comes before anything else.

If you don't have a ton of apps or games on your iPad, 64GB will work just fine. If you have a fair number of apps and games, consider 128GB or 256GB. If you plan to do any graphics-heavy design work, get a 512GB or even more capacious model.

The iPad is a high-quality tablet that can be useful regardless of what other hardware you own. It comes alive if you're already in the Apple Ecosystem. If you use an iPhone, wear an Apple Watch, and do most of your work on an iMac or MacBook, you'll find that an iPad is a natural extension of that family of devices.

The main difference between the devices is their chips and amount of memory, so if you plan on using your ‌iPad‌ for more demanding tasks like 3D graphic design, advanced photo editing, and gaming, the ‌iPad Air‌ will be the better choice by far.

The iPad Air has a 10.9-inch screen

On paper, the Air is the better device. It offers more impressive specifications, including a faster processor. On the other hand, the standard iPad is cheaper – by quite a margin – and still delivers an excellent experience.

There's no question that the new iPad Pro is better than its predecessor. It's the same price and comes with a more powerful chip as well as a few additional features. That said, I think it's not as sure a bet as the last iPad Pro was when it came out in early 2021.

What time of year is best to buy an iPad? ›

While the best iPad deals come around during major sales events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Amazon Prime Day, you can still find plenty of great discounts at all times of the year if you know where to look.

iPads generally have a lifespan of about 5 years. Keep your software as up-to-date as possible. Plan to replace your tablet every 3 years. Reference Table 1 below to determine if your iPad is still supported.

An iPad with 64GB storage or less is suitable if you want to browse the internet, check your email, Facetime, or watch series. It's enough storage capacity to download apps and play some games.

Announced in March 2022, the iPad Air is now among the older iPads in Apple's lineup and it is likely midway through its product cycle. Apple does not seem to update the iPad Air regularly, leaving up to two and a half years between upgrades, and there are no immediate signs of a new model at the moment.

How Many Years Should an iPad Last? Apple usually supports a new iPad with iPadOS updates for at least five years and often several years longer. Most iPad models hold up well in performance, features, and storage over this timeframe which means that five years is a standard lifespan for any iPad.

64GB: enough for basic use. 128GB: enough for the average user. 256GB: store photos, videos, series, and music offline. 512GB: store your entire photo, video, and movie collection.

While storage capacity for traditional computers comes from a hard drive, iPads use flash storage memory, which is why the capacity may be called the memory. While the RAM plays a part in your iPad's speed, the storage capacity doesn't. An iPad with 16GB of storage is as fast as a similar model with 128GB.

An Apple device like an iPhone, iPad, or Mac comes with a set amount of storage. The more storage your device has, the more music, apps, photos, and other content you can store on that device.

iPads are generally easier to use and run smoother than some other tablets, although much of the time the difference is barely noticeable. In terms of overall user experience, Apple's iOS comes in ahead of Google's Android OS system for the average user.

What is the disadvantage of iPad? ›

High cost:

The cost of iPad devices is expensive than that of android tablets. You also have to buy apps to use on your device. The accessories of the iPad are also expensive. For example, the external keyboard, touchpad, Apple pencil, card reader are expensive devices.

Apple saw a sharp decline in iPad sales in fiscal 2022, according to earnings results for the fourth quarter that were shared today. iPads brought in $29.2 billion in 2022, down from the $31.8 billion in sales Apple saw in 2021.

For free recycling of your old iPad, a prepaid shipping label, and instructions, see the Apple Trade In website. The symbol above means that according to local laws and regulations your product and/or its battery shall be disposed of separately from household waste.

iPads are not quite like their smaller sister, the iPhone. They have a longer life and don't need upgrades or trade-ins as often. Over time, your device will slow down, and when it loses the seamless touch response it's known for, you may become frustrated.

The iPad's battery can retain 80% of its original capacity until 1000 charge cycles. Replace your iPad's battery after four years of use or when the battery begins to swell or show any signs of battery malfunction.

The cost of iPad devices is expensive than that of android tablets. You also have to buy apps to use on your device. The accessories of the iPad are also expensive. For example, the external keyboard, touchpad, Apple pencil, card reader are expensive devices.

Yes it is worth buying. It is still and will be for some time to come updated to the latest iOS and has a pretty powerful chip. Apple updates their iPads for about 6+ years.

iPads generally have a lifespan of about 5 years. Keep your software as up-to-date as possible. Plan to replace your tablet every 3 years. Reference Table 1 below to determine if your iPad is still supported.

How many years should an iPad last? ›

How Many Years Should an iPad Last? Apple usually supports a new iPad with iPadOS updates for at least five years and often several years longer. Most iPad models hold up well in performance, features, and storage over this timeframe which means that five years is a standard lifespan for any iPad.

After the manufacturing process, an iPad's life cycle averages 3-5 years. But, other than disassembling the device, another way that non-manufacturer sources can recycle an iPad is by refurbishing it.

The iPad gives you an operating system (iOS) with an intuitive interface and brilliant display that links to other Apple laptops and devices. iPads tend to be more stable and easier to use than other tablets. The iPad is still in the lead when it comes to the number of available and useful apps.

iPads are unlikely to get viruses because Apple's mobile operating system is highly compartmentalized. This means that apps are quarantined from one another, and it's very unlikely that infections spread through the system.

iPad: Fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and 10th generation (2017 to 2022).

An old iPad won't run the latest apps and games, but it can still be your remote control, digital photo frame, dedicated e-book reader, nightstand alarm clock, and more. If your iPad can't run the latest version of iPadOS, it's officially old.

5th-Generation iPad Air (2022)

The main difference between the devices is their chips and amount of memory, so if you plan on using your ‌iPad‌ for more demanding tasks like 3D graphic design, advanced photo editing, and gaming, the ‌iPad Air‌ will be the better choice by far.

However, there's no doubting the iPad Air 5 is the more advanced device. It is leaps and bounds ahead in terms of performance, has a faster USB-C port, and a more feature-rich camera setup. It will cost you more, but if you really need those extra features, it's your best bet and is absolutely worth it.

For free recycling of your old iPad, a prepaid shipping label, and instructions, see the Apple Trade In website. The symbol above means that according to local laws and regulations your product and/or its battery shall be disposed of separately from household waste.