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Apple iPad vs. iPad Air vs. iPad mini vs. iPad Pro: Which Tablet Should You Buy?

Apple has four iPad models to choose from, spanning some wide ranges in price and performance. We compare them all to help you decide which one is right for you.

By Will Greenwald
Updated March 8, 2022

Apple offers four different iPad lines with five different screen sizes, ranging in price from $329 to $799 (for baseline models; the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with cellular connectivity and 1TB of storage will set you back $1,649). With updates to these tablets coming nearly every year (the iPad Air is the most recent one to be refreshed), it can get pretty complicated if you're shopping for a new tablet.

To help you figure out what you're getting with each iPad, let's look at all the differences between the various models, including what's changed with the latest versions. But let's start with the similarities, and what you can expect from any Apple tablet you buy today.


Similarities Across the Board: Software and Accessories

A few years ago, Apple formally split the iPad's operating system off from iOS, which powers iPhones, into iPadOS. The tablet-specific operating system is very similar to iOS, but focuses on streamlining and expanding multitasking to improve the usefulness of iPads as workplace devices, with pinnable widgets and cross-app workflow features like split screen and rapidly sliding between screens. Basically, it's iOS optimized for much bigger displays.

Wireless connectivity is also almost universally strong across all iPad models. Every version has dual-band 2.4/5GHz Wi-Fi with MIMO and optional cellular connectivity, though the entry-level iPad lacks Wi-Fi 6 and 5G.

Each iPad also supports the Apple Pencil. This doesn't mean every Apple Pencil is the same; the $99 first-generation Apple Pencil works with the standard iPad, while the $129 second-generation Apple Pencil works with the iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad Pro.

All iPads can also work with Bluetooth keyboards, but the iPad, iPad Air, and iPad Pro feature Smart Connectors that make them compatible with Apple's Smart Keyboard, and the iPad Air and iPad Pro also work with Apple's higher-end Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio. In addition, all iPads can work with the Magic Trackpad 2, Apple's touchpad accessory.


Apple iPad: Budget Baseline

Apple iPad (2021)

These days, the standard iPad is Apple's budget tablet, by far the least expensive at $329. It's also the least advanced, but the most recent refresh has given it nice a boost in processing power.

The 2021 iPad uses the A13 Bionic chip, the same chip used in the iPhone 11. It still lags in power compared with the iPad mini (A15 Bionic), and far behind the iPad Air and iPad Pro (M1), but the A13 Bionic is no slouch for the price. Storage is also relatively generous, at 64GB for the baseline model and a 256GB option for those who need more space.

The screen is the least advanced of current iPad models. It's a 10.2-inch Retina LCD, with a 2,160-by-1,620-pixel resolution for 264 pixels per inch. It lacks the lamination and anti-reflective coating of the more expensive tablets, and doesn't feature Wide Color up to the DCI-P3 color space. The only significant change to the latest model's screen is the addition of Apple's True Tone feature, which adjusts color balance based on surrounding light.

The iPad's rear-facing camera is the same 8MP sensor as the previous model, but its front-facing camera is significantly better. The selfie camera is 12MP, with a 122-degree field of view and support for Apple's Center Stage tracking feature. It's nearly double the resolution of the 2020 iPad's selfie camera, making FaceTime calls much nicer. It doesn't support Face ID, though; that's still exclusively an iPhone and iPad Pro feature.

The big appeal of the regular iPad is the value it offers for the price. At $329, you're getting a big, bright screen and lots of functionality, even if it has the weakest processor and screen of the lineup. If you want a versatile entertainment device for watching videos, reading books and comics, browsing the web, communicating with your friends, and even doing light text-crunching and presentations, it's an excellent choice.


Apple iPad mini: Small, But Mighty

Apple iPad mini (2021)

This is the smallest iPad, but a big step up from the larger entry-level tablet in power and features. The iPad mini weighs 0.66 pounds and measures less than a quarter of an inch thick, small enough to easily fit in a bag or even a large jacket pocket. That has its own appeal if the larger, pound-plus iPads are too bulky for you.

The iPad mini doesn't make many compromises for its size. Its 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display features a resolution of 2,266 by 1,488 pixels, for a sharp 326 pictures per inch. It doesn't have the ProMotion technology of the iPad Pro's screen, but it features the same P3 Wide Color and True Tone modes, in a fully laminated panel with anti-reflective coating.

PCMag iPhone 13 Special: Apple Event Analysis
PCMag Logo PCMag iPhone 13 Special: Apple Event Analysis

Internally, the iPad mini shoots past the base iPad with its A15 Bionic chip. The selfie camera is the same as the standard iPad, a 12MP ultra-wide sensor that supports Center Stage in FaceTime to automatically frame your face. The rear-facing camera is also 12MP, with True Tone flash and Smart HDR.

It's full-featured on the connectivity front, with Wi-Fi 6, plus 5G on the cellular model. It also has a USB-C connector instead of a Lightning port, though it uses only USB 3.1 Gen 1 and DisplayPort, with no Thunderbolt or USB 4 support.


Apple iPad Air: Almost Pro

Apple iPad Air (2022)

The iPad Air has sat in the middle of Apple's iPad lineup for a while, offering a middle ground between the budget iPad and the iPad Pro. The 2022 iPad Air tilts that balance heavily toward the Pro end, with extensive upgrades that put it within striking distance of the pricey, professional tablet. It already was physically close in design to the iPad Pro, with flat edges and a very slim frame around a screen that lacks a home button, but now the internals have been upgraded to well beyond the iPad and iPad mini.

To start, the 2022 iPad Air uses the M1 chip found in the iPad Pro. That's a desktop-level processor, the same one used in the iMac and MacBook Air. It's a huge step up from the A14 Bionic mobile processor in the previous model, and starting at $599, it's by far the least expensive M1 device available.

The screen is largely untouched, a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina LCD with a 2,360-by-1,640 resolution and a brightness of 500 nits. It supports P3 wide color, and uses a fully laminated panel with anti-reflective coating. It's the same pixel density (264 pixels per inch) as the iPad Pro and iPad mini, though the iPad Pro can get brighter.

The front-facing camera has been upgraded to a 12MP ultrawide sensor with Center Stage, just like the iPad and iPad mini. It's significant upgrade over the 2020 iPad Air's 7MP selfie camera, but that only puts it on the same level as the current iPad and iPad Air, and it doesn't have Face ID. The iPad Pro still beats it on the camera front, with its dual rear-facing sensors.

The iPad Air's USB-C port is twice as fast as the previous model at USB 3.1 Gen 2, but it lacks the Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4 support you get on the iPad Pro. The cellular version now supports mid-band 5G.


Apple iPad Pro: Professional Powerhouse

Apple iPad Pro (2021)
Apple iPad Pro (12.9-inch, Wi-Fi, 128GB) - Space Gray

Apple iPad Pro (12.9-inch, Wi-Fi, 128GB) - Space Gray

Finally, there's the iPad Pro, released in early 2021. The name makes it clear: The 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros are professional tablets, designed to offer the processing power and screen quality that artists, musicians, designers, and editors demand for their work. That distinction is important, because it needs to justify the much higher $799 and $1,099 baseline price tags the Pro models command over the other versions.

The iPad Pro uses Apple's M1 chip, which made it absolutely crush the other iPads available last year. The desktop CPU has now been added to the iPad Air, though, so the Pro no longer exclusively has that advantage. It's still an utter beast that can handle pretty much any processing tasks you can throw its way, and beats out the iPad Air with its smoother ProMotion screen and multiple rear cameras, along with the choice between 11- and 12.9-inch models.

The screens are the only major difference between the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models. The 11-inch iPad Pro has a Liquid Retina display with a 2,388-by-1,668 resolution and Apple's ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate and True Tone technologies, as well as Wide Color support. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro has all of those technologies and a higher 2,732-by-2,048-pixel resolution (for the same 264 pixels per inch as the smaller model), but adds a mini-LED backlight system that can both get much brighter and more precisely control the light output of the screen for better contrast.

The cameras on the iPad Pro are also impressive. It has two rear-facing cameras, a 12MP wide-angle lens and a 10MP ultra-wide lens that can capture double the field of view, plus a new LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scanner that can measure distance and time-of-flight. In addition, the cameras can record 4K video at up to 60 frames per second, while the other iPads can only capture 1080p. The front-facing TrueDepth camera is also 12MP, with support for Face ID, 1080p60 recording, cinematic video stabilization, and Smart HDR 3.

The cellular versions of the iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro all have 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 and support mid-band 5G, but only the Pro has millimeter-wave 5G. It's faster but shorter range than mid-band 5G, and gives the Pro a slight edge on the wireless front. The iPad Pro also has a USB-C port, with support for Thunderbolt 3, USB 4, and DisplayPort. That's a lot of power and flexibility.


So Which iPad Should You Get?

Ultimately, the best iPad depends on your needs. You shouldn't drop over $1,000 if you just want a tablet to watch Netflix and read comics, but you also shouldn't expect professional power and features in a $329 entry-level model. Thankfully, the iPad mini and the iPad Air mean that Apple's tablet selection isn't a matter of just those extremes.

We really like the $329 iPad for its functionality and value, and its processor upgrade makes it even more appealing. If you just want an Apple tablet for entertainment and personal use, the iPad is still an excellent value, while the more expensive iPad mini features significantly more processing power in a smaller package. The iPad Air is a good choice if you want the premium look, feel, and most of the performance of the iPad Pro without paying for the most expensive model, while the iPad Pro is a worthwhile investment for professional users looking for the brightest (and largest) screen and the convenience of Face ID.

No matter which model you choose, make sure you learn how to master iPadOS with our top tricks and tips.

Everything Apple announced in March 2022
PCMag Logo Everything Apple announced in March 2022

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About Will Greenwald

Lead Analyst, Consumer Electronics

I’ve been PCMag’s home entertainment expert for over 10 years, covering both TVs and everything you might want to connect to them. I’ve reviewed more than a thousand different consumer electronics products including headphones, speakers, TVs, and every major game system and VR headset of the last decade. I’m an ISF-certified TV calibrator and a THX-certified home theater professional, and I’m here to help you understand 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and even 8K (and to reassure you that you don’t need to worry about 8K at all for at least a few more years).

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