Apple has an iPad for all budgets.
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Apple's iPad line is now radically different from what it used to be in 2023. Here's how to choose the best tablet for your budget.
All Apple product lines offer products in a very wide range of prices. If you have a certain budget, the iPad is the way to go.
However, unlike other product categories, the iPad portfolio was stagnant in 2023. There were no updates at all this year and the drought continued until May 2024.
Recent changes have seen Apple make significant updates to its iPad Air and iPad Pro lineup. At the same time, the company adjusted the budget end of the spectrum, discontinuing the 9th generation iPad and turning the 10th generation model into a new entry-level version.
The changes mean that buyers still have plenty to choose from at first glance. But if you look at it in terms of how much you're willing to spend, choosing the perfect iPad becomes a lot easier.
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10th generation iPad
The 10th generation iPad supports the first generation Apple Pencil.
From $349 US
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11-inch iPad Air 6
The 2024 iPad Air 6 has been updated design and equipped with M2 chip.
From $575
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13-inch iPad Air 6
The 2024 13-inch iPad Air with the M2 Chip is the newest addition to the iPad lineup.
From $765
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11-inch iPad Pro M4
The 11-inch iPad Pro features the M4 chip and Ultra Retina XDR display.
From US$949
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13-inch iPad Pro M4
13-inch iPad Pro M4 – Apple's thinnest product ever.
From $1,249
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iPad mini 6
iPad mini 6 supports 2nd generation Apple Pencil and has USB-C charging.
From $399.99
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9th generation iPad
9th generation iPad – Apple's budget model.
From $249
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iPad Air 5
iPad Air 5 is available in five colors and equipped with a USB port. -C-port.
Buy from $499
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11-inch iPad Pro M2
11-inch iPad Pro 2022 equipped with the Apple M2 chip.
Buy from $749
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12.9-inch iPad Pro M2
12.9-inch iPad Pro 2022 Liquid Retina XDR display.
Buy from $1049
View 5 more products…
Best iPad – overall price range
If you look at the entire range, Apple managed to cover all possible prices from $349 to $2,599 for the iPad model.
The 10th generation iPad is the cheapest option in the lineup, while the latest 12.9-inch iPad Pro with cellular connectivity is the most expensive, priced at $2,599 with the highest capacity option and nano-texture glass . .
General iPad price range as of May 2024
The difference between the cheapest iPad and the most expensive is $2,250. The price difference is enough that you could buy the six cheapest iPad Gen 10 models for less than the cost of the most expensive iPad Pro configuration and still have about $155 left over.
Looking at the scale from afar, you can divide the catalog into three main sections: the sub-$650 end of the spectrum, the post-$1,000 iPad Pro era, and the mid-$650 to $1,000 range.
This article will be divided into sections covering each of the three ranges.
Best iPad – storage, cellular and nanotexture issues
There are many features of each iPad model to consider when choosing which version to buy, but consider all the trade-offs between models. The size of the bands is determined by cellular connectivity and storage capacity.
Apple only offers versions of its iPads with Wi-Fi connectivity or with optional cellular service. However, the importance of internet connectivity has meant that the cellular option has become a more important factor than before, potentially on par with storage.
For some people, access to the Internet wherever they are may be more important than increasing their storage capacity. Others may not want the additional cellular costs that go beyond the upgrade itself and paying for cellular plans.
Of course, you can rely on an iPhone or other device as a personal hotspot if you want the benefits of cellular service without paying for an upgrade. However, this transfers all costs associated with the data plan to your smartphone's data plan, and also uses additional power through the hotspot hosting device.
Even so, this can be considered a reasonable compromise.
For ease of comparison, we highlight models with cellular support as a separate option; the cost of upgrading from a version without cellular connectivity ranges from $130 to $200.
Prices for memory capacity of iPad models as of May 2024
A more significant element affecting the cost is the amount of memory: the more you buy , the more expensive the iPad will cost. Storage needs may also be a factor in determining whether to opt for a higher model, since additional features may not necessarily benefit the user as much as having more capacity on hand.
Apple has simplified the storage issue for its iPad line, even more so than for its iPhone catalog. For all non-Pro and non-Air models, Apple has limited the capacity to two options: 64GB and 256GB.
Apple continues to offer plenty of options in its Air lineup, with four options ranging in capacity from 128GB to 1TB. Pro models go one step further, ranging from 256GB to 2TB.
Perhaps these models can justify the extra capacity options over third-party tablets.
This doesn't take into account the idea of using cloud storage as additional capacity outside of the iPad, which could be useful for those with extensive photo collections.
There is another factor that may affect the price of the iPad Pro, but not other models.
Apple borrowed from the Pro Display XDR the ability to use nano-texture glass. The texture is meant to help reduce glare on the screen.
The add-on carries an additional $100 fee for those who accept it, but only for 1 TB and 2 TB capacities.
Best iPad — Under $650
The budget end of the scale is relatively easy to understand. At the very bottom of the scale, you really only have one choice.
The 10th generation iPad is the entry-level option, priced at $349 for 64GB capacity. Although that will change once you get to $499.
iPad models you can buy for under $650 as of May 2024
At this point, you can buy a 256GB iPad, a 64GB iPad GB cellular or 64GB iPad mini. If you don't want to avoid being tethered to an iPhone or don't really need a smaller device, the 256GB iPad is a safe bet.
For $599 you can buy the aforementioned iPad 256 with cellular or a 64GB iPad mini, but you can get the 11-inch iPad Air with M2 instead. You get 128GB of storage and a performance boost, so it's a smart choice.
At the higher end of the scale, you get the 256GB cellular iPad and iPad mini, as well as the same 128GB iPad Air for $50 less. This is where the iPad mini comes in, with cellular support but a 64GB capacity.
While storage size is a concern, the iPad mini's size and cellular support may be the best value of the bunch at this price. Unless you need the performance of the 11-inch iPad Air.
iPad mini 6
Buy on Amazon Buy on B&H Buy on Adorama
Best iPad – $650 to $1,000
The middle of the range picks up where we left off at $649, but the first thing worth noting comes at $699. The 11-inch iPad Air gets an upgrade to 256GB.
Another new item, priced at $749, is the 11-inch, 128GB iPad Air with cellular support. That's against the 256GB iPad Air without cellular and the cheaper 64GB iPad mini with cellular. The Air with cellular connectivity is perhaps the best all-rounder here.
iPad prices range from $650 to $1,000 as of May 2024.
The 13-inch, 128GB iPad Air costs $799. There will also be a 256GB cellular version of the iPad min at this price point, but you can still save $100 on the 256GB 11-inch iPad Air.
With the 11-inch iPad Air with cellular up to 256GB for $899, it arguably becomes the best option. Unless you want the 13-inch iPad Air with 256GB of internal storage or the 11-inch iPad Air with 512GB.
At $949, the 13-inch iPad Air with cellular connectivity becomes a contender, albeit with 128GB of internal storage. At this level, the 11-inch iPad Air with or without cellular or the 13-inch iPad Air without cellular are probably still the better choice due to storage capacity.
Moving to the higher end of this subcategory, $999 can give you a lot of bang for your buck. You'll save $100 if you choose the 512GB 11-inch iPad Air or 256GB 13-inch iPad Air, while the 256GB 11-inch iPad Air with Cellular costs $150.
However, you can always take it to the next level and choose the iPad Pro. The base configuration of the 11-inch iPad Pro starts at this price point and includes OLED display enhancements, an M4 chip, and 256GB of internal storage.
At this price, moving to the professional league is extremely viable.
2024 iPad Air 6
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Best iPad – $1,000 or more
This region is dominated by iPad Pro models. Despite this, high-bandwidth cellular options from earlier versions are still possible depending on your needs.
For $1,049, you can get the 11-inch iPad Air with 512GB Cellular or the 13-inch iPad Air with 256GB Cellular. You can save $50 and get the entry-level 11-inch iPad Pro, which may be better overall.
For $50 more ($1,099), there are 11-inch and 13-inch non-cellular iPad Air models with capacities of 1 TB and 512 TB, respectively. If you don't need large amounts of storage, you should consider either the cellular iPad Air, which is slightly cheaper, or the basic 11-inch iPad Pro.
iPad prices above $1,000 as of May 2024
When the price reaches $1,199, an 11-inch iPad Pro with cellular connectivity and 256GB of internal storage will be an option. storage. For the same money, you can get a 512GB non-cellular version.
For $1,249, the 13-inch iPad Air with Cellular has a capacity of 512 GB, and the 11-inch iPad Air with Cellular has 1 TB. Again, screen size or power, the iPad Pro line is still arguably the best way forward.
When the 13-inch iPad Air reaches a 1TB variant priced at $1,299, it will have to compete with the aforementioned cheaper cellular options, as well as a new competitor. A 13-inch iPad Pro will arrive at this stage, albeit with 256GB of internal storage.
That 13-inch iPad Pro would be pretty decent, but remember you can save $100 and get twice the capacity with the 11-inch version. Or save $50 and get the 13-inch iPad Air with cellular connectivity and 512GB of storage.
The latest iPad Air configuration is available for $1,449, with a 13-inch 1TB model available. For just $50, you can get a 13-inch iPad Pro with 256GB Cellular or a 13-inch iPad Pro with 512GB.
After this price, only iPad Pro models are available, which means your only concerns are screen size, capacity, and cellular connectivity. For the 1TB and 2TB models, you can pay an extra $100 to add nano-texture glass, which improves image quality.
You get the top of the 11-inch iPad Pro for $1,999, or $2,099 if you opt for nano-texture glass and 2TB of storage. At this tier, you can get the cellular version with nanotexture glass and 1TB of storage for $1,899, the 13-inch iPad Pro with 1TB and glass for $1,999, or the 13-inch cellular version with 1TB for $2,099.
The scale continues to $2,299 when the 11-inch iPad Pro with cellular connectivity tops out at 2TB of storage and uses nano-texture glass. For the same money, the 13-inch iPad Pro is also 2TB without glass, and the 13-inch with cellular and glass is $100 cheaper.
The 13-inch iPad Pro without cellular connectivity comes out of the conversation at $2,399, again with 2TB capacity and a glass finish. Again, you need to save $200 to get the 1TB cellular equivalent with nano texture.
Finally, at a bleed-inducing $2,599, the 13-inch iPad Pro with Cellular tops out at 2TB of storage and the aforementioned glass.
iPad M4
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Best iPad — How to choose a tablet
Choosing the best tablet will always be difficult if you have many options. With Apple's product line, it's definitely a case of getting to the middle of the range.
It's usually a good idea to choose the higher performance options, but you really have to have a need for it. If the iPad will be your main computing device, it makes sense to pay for the higher-end models.
In many use cases, a basic iPad can handle most of the average user's daily tasks.
Screen size will always matter, and you have three to choose from: iPad mini, 11-inch or 13-inch. We've found that larger tablets tend to be better for productivity and content creation, so going for a 13-inch screen may be a good idea.
Cellular is perhaps the most disposable feature of all, as you can simply turn off your iPhone or mobile hotspot if local Wi-Fi isn't available. The price difference may be enough to cover the cost of other feature upgrades.
Storage is the biggest price option, and it's not a linear jump. The cost increase at the low end is minor, but it can certainly increase the price significantly.
However, you should ask yourself whether you really need 2TB of storage in the iPad Pro. You can save $400 and get 1TB, which is quite usable even for professional use.
Looking at what features you can access can help you when it comes to AppleCare+ and accessories. Often overlooked when pricing a new iPad, these extras add to the overall cost but can be very convenient.
That aforementioned $400 savings could easily get you an Apple Pencil and some AirPods or even a Magic Keyboard to go with your shiny new tablet.
Where to buy iPad from Apple
Best prices All Apple's iPad range can be found in our iPad Price Guide, featuring exclusive deals on the new 2024 iPad Air 6 and M4 iPad Pro models.
The budget iPad 9th is also on sale in our price guide, as is the 10th generation iPad, which now starts at $349 (retail).
You can compare prices on current and sale models, and set price alerts (if you're not quite ready to buy) on price guides to help you get the best deal on any model. Speaking of discounts, we also highlight the best deals in our roundup of iPad deals.
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