Which iPad Model Should You Get? 2022 Update

[Amir Shoam]

If you're upgrading your iPad, the current Pro models differ in more than size, and the latest iPad Air is a serious step up from the 9th-gen iPad and iPad Mini.

Read the full article here.

https://www.techspot.com/article/2429-ipad-buying-guide/

 

[Squid Surprise]

So your description of the "cheap" iPad is that its A13 chip is fast enough to do anything... but your description of the mini is that the A15 is far slower than the M1.... you do realize that the A15 is still faster than the A13, right?

 

[Amir Shoam]

So your description of the "cheap" iPad is that its A13 chip is fast enough to do anything... but your description of the mini is that the A15 is far slower than the M1.... you do realize that the A15 is still faster than the A13, right?

The phrase "fast enough" doesn't appear anywhere in the article. Even if it did, the ability to run 100 meters doesn't make someone deserve a medal.

 

[Squid Surprise]

The phrase "fast enough" doesn't appear anywhere in the article. Even if it did, the ability to run 100 meters doesn't make someone deserve a medal.

Lol... I wasn't quoting.... here's the quote:
"the 9th-gen iPad is powered by the A13 Bionic chip and 3GB of RAM. This tablet can easily handle iPadOS 15 and any app or game on the App Store."

Now here's the quote from the iPad Mini:
"It sports the A15 Bionic chip which is nowhere near as fast as the M1 in the more expensive models,"

It's saying that the A13 can handle everything easily... yet the A15 isn't as fast as the M1...
Now do you understand my post?

 

[CBTex]

I really think the standard ipad and the iPad air are the ones to get. The standard is more than powerful enough for what most users use a tablet for, media consumption, web browsing and games. If some needs more power for content creation the Air has the same M1 as the Pro. Don't really see the point of the mini anymore, unless someone absolutely needs that specific screen size.

 

[Shadowboxer]

For me its the base ipad or the ipad pro. They say here the price for the ipad air starts at $599 but that is for the 64GB version and thats not really good enough for personal use (small capacity ipads are only good for single use scenarios like menus or teaching aids etc). But if you want the 256gb version then its only about $100 cheaper than the 256gb pro. And the pro has a lot of things the air doesnt it seems, the most important being the speakers and the 120hz screen. I have a pro and the speakers are outstanding, it sounds pretty much as good as a decent portable bluetooth speaker.

But you can get the ipad air in different colours, the pro is black or white, which is a bit of a shame.

 

[waclark]

So your description of the "cheap" iPad is that its A13 chip is fast enough to do anything... but your description of the mini is that the A15 is far slower than the M1.... you do realize that the A15 is still faster than the A13, right?

I think they state that in the article when they said "...but you won't find anything faster in such a small package."

 

[Squid Surprise]

I think they state that in the article when they said "...but you won't find anything faster in such a small package."

Yes... but the implications of the description of the A15 in this article is that it's slow - but it's as fast as you can get in that form factor..

Whereas the implications of the description of the A13 is that it's plenty fast...

You see the problem here?

 

[flieslikeabeagle]

Over the past 11 weeks I have had all of the ipads in this article - except the newly announced iPad Air (5th Gen). One of them is probably a great match for somebody. I use my iPad for reading news and emails, wrtiting (by hand and with a keyboard), editing photos, drawing, leading online yoga classes and recording classes.

Here’s what I found:

iPad Mini Gen 6: I REALLY wanted this to be the one. It is so comfortable to hold. Its A15 chip is fine for what I do and I liked reading on it better than on my new Kindle Paperwhite. (I might feel differently about the Kindle when it gets warm enough to want to read outdoors in the sun.) Alas, it was just too small - especially for using its split screen.

I next went to the opposite extreme, the 12.9 inch Pro: its screen is gorgeous, and it can do everything I want it to do with lots of capability left over whenever Apple gets around to beefing up iPad OS. Its speakers are excellent as well, which matters to me because my hearing isn’t great. Unfortunately, I found it too heavy to hold for any length of time. It’s large size also made holding it in one hand iffy.

The $300 Base iPad is suprisingly capable. The deal-breaker for me was that it doesn’t support iPencil 2 and, having used it on other iPads, I just couldn’t settle for the earlier version.

iPad Air (4th Gen): I think that if I bought one with more than 64GB of storage this would have been a keeper. I had decided that I needed at least 126GB and that I would wait until this week’s Apple event to make up my mind about sticking with the 4th Gen, getting a 5th Gen or trying the 11” Pro.
The Air is an excellent combination of being reasonably lightweight and yet big enough to do what I do. The A13 chip seems capable enough with Procreate, Pixelmator, etc. To my surprise, the screen was completely satisfactory - even after having worked with the 12.9in Pro. The speakers aren’t great, but with iPod pro’s I could have lived with that.

On Tuesday I picked up a very lightly used 11 in Pro for just over $650. Lo and Behold: it is the Goldilocks iPad for me. The ProMotion screen is better for drawing. (I’m not sure why I didn’t notice that with the 12.9” Pro.) The speakers are great and the M1 chip should be able to handle anything an updated OS might bring. It was a close call between this and getting the new Air. What tipped the balance was mostly price. Had I paid for a new one, I could have got the 11 Pro for $749 with 128 GB of memory - plenty for me. The new Air is available with 64 GB (too little for me) for $599. To get 256GB I would have paid $749, for which I wouldn’t have got four speakers or ProMotion.

So in the end, I would have chosen the 11in Pro with 128 GB new for $749 over the new Air with 256GB for $749. What tipped the scale for me was ProMotion, four speakers and the chance to buy the Pro used for less than a new one costs.

 

[Loli Pop Carbon]

I'm interested in iPad Air for drawing and digital art (currently using iPad 6). Do you know if the new iPad Air has laminated screen or not? The iPad 6 doesn't.

 

[flieslikeabeagle]

I'm interested in iPad Air for drawing and digital art (currently using iPad 6). Do you know if the new iPad Air has laminated screen or not? The iPad 6 doesn't.

I am not sure because I put a film on each of the screens that makes them act and feel more like paper. It makes writing and drawing easier for me. I cannot keep the brand names straight, but I use the $15 ones, not the $40 ones.

 

[mrvco]

Lol... I wasn't quoting.... here's the quote:
"the 9th-gen iPad is powered by the A13 Bionic chip and 3GB of RAM. This tablet can easily handle iPadOS 15 and any app or game on the App Store."

Now here's the quote from the iPad Mini:
"It sports the A15 Bionic chip which is nowhere near as fast as the M1 in the more expensive models,"

It's saying that the A13 can handle everything easily... yet the A15 isn't as fast as the M1...
Now do you understand my post?

You're right, but I think what we're really supposed to be doing is clicking one of affiliate links and buying something

 

[Loli Pop Carbon]

I am not sure because I put a film on each of the screens that makes them act and feel more like paper. It makes writing and drawing easier for me. I cannot keep the brand names straight, but I use the $15 ones, not the $40 ones.

What I mean with laminated screen is not the surface texture. Laminated screen eliminates the gap between the outer glass and the actual screen. iPad 6 display is not laminated as it has noticeable air gap between the glass and the screen. Usually the iPad Pro has it. It's noticeable when I want to be very accurate in drawing, but I got used to it eventually with my iPad 6.

Just wondering if the new iPad air has laminated screen, I may pull the trigger to upgrade. Or I may have to save up for the Pro version later if it doesnt have it.

 

[Amir Shoam]

I'm interested in iPad Air for drawing and digital art (currently using iPad 6). Do you know if the new iPad Air has laminated screen or not? The iPad 6 doesn't.

As the article implies, the base model is the only one without a laminated display.

 

[Watzupken]

I think it is not that hard to decide. Firstly, people will have to consider their budget. Then they need to consider which one suits their needs. For me, the new iPad Air is not that different from the 11 inch Pro model. The biggest difference is definitely the screen, where its brighter and with a faster response time. And my recommendation is to opt for the 256GB version. I am disappointed with Apple for offering a base 64GB for the iPad Air, considering the Air is a mid tier tablet. In today’s context, 64GB is barely sufficient since the OS itself takes up quite a fair bit of that space.

 

[waclark]

Yes... but the implications of the description of the A15 in this article is that it's slow - but it's as fast as you can get in that form factor..

Whereas the implications of the description of the A13 is that it's plenty fast...

You see the problem here?

I'm sure my high school English teacher would deduct points for lack of clarity. The author could have clarified by saying, it's not as fast as the M1 but still can handle everything you're likely to encounter today. In other words, the M1 probably has a little better lifecycle because it can handle higher performing workloads than the A15.

 

[Amir Shoam]

I'm sure my high school English teacher would deduct points for lack of clarity. The author could have clarified by saying, it's not as fast as the M1 but still can handle everything you're likely to encounter today. In other words, the M1 probably has a little better lifecycle because it can handle higher performing workloads than the A15.

Being able to run the same video editing apps as the iPad Air doesn't mean it can render video as fast. The basic iPad can't be criticized for that, because it's not close to the Air in price, but the Mini can.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Being able to run the same video editing apps as the iPad Air doesn't mean it can render video as fast. The basic iPad can't be criticized for that, because it's not close to the Air in price, but the Mini can.

Of course it can.... the new iPhone SE offers the same cpu as the iPhone 13... yet costs hundreds less... With an iPad being much larger than even the pro max, why can’t they stick the same cpu in?

Write your reviews with a bit less bias please

 

[waclark]

Being able to run the same video editing apps as the iPad Air doesn't mean it can render video as fast. The basic iPad can't be criticized for that, because it's not close to the Air in price, but the Mini can.

I think that's what I said, the A15 isn't as fast as the M1, however, I doubt people are buying Minis for rendering. To me, the Mini fills the niche for people who want a small device that can run most of the Apple eco-system apps. It's great for things like reading, movies on the go, iOS games and even as a drone display screen. I can't think of a reason to buy a Mini to do daily productivity work, except on an occasional basis.

 

[wiyosaya]

I just picked up a Mini (which I will setup tonight). I've been using a Mini 1 for quite some time; the battery is starting to wear out - and I did not feel like dissecting it to replace the battery.

I use it for two things diabetes tracking and navigation, and quite literally nothing else. The Mini size is perfect for me - and much nicer than that Pocket PC I used to use many years ago for the exact same things.

The new Mini should last me for quite some time; I do not update, obviously, with each generation.