Feed: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
Feed Link: https://www.engadget.com/
---

Title: The best iPad for 2025: How to pick the best Apple tablet for you

Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2025 07:00:37 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/best-...

WeΓÇÖve long considered AppleΓÇÖs iPads to be the best tablets on the market,
but determining exactly which model you should buy isnΓÇÖt always
straightforward. Do you just want a big screen for streaming and web
browsing? Do you want to use it like a pseudo-laptop? Do you care about Apple
Intelligence at all? If youΓÇÖre not sure, allow us to help. WeΓÇÖve tested
every iPad available today and broken down which ones should best fit your
needs below.

Table of contents

The best iPads for 2025

How we test the best iPads

iPad FAQs

Recent updates

The best iPads for 2025

How we test the best iPads The top edge of the iPad mini. Photo by Nathan
Ingraham / Engadget

Much like we do for our guide to the best tablets overall, we spend several
days with each iPad to see how they feel and perform with different tasks:
watching videos, web browsing, playing both casual and graphically intense
games, editing 4K photos and video, running multiple apps side-by-side,
making FaceTime calls and the like. To better measure performance
specifically, we use benchmarking tests like Geekbench 6, 3DMark and GFXBench
Metal, plus we measure how long it takes for each tablet to boot up and open
various apps. We also check how well each tablet holds up long-term, whether
itΓÇÖs with a review unit provided by Apple or an iPad model thatΓÇÖs owned
by a member of the Engadget staff.

To help compare the color performance and brightness of the displays, we play
the same videos on different iPads, side-by-side, at equal brightness levels.
We use each tablet in direct sunlight outdoors to see how well they hold up
to glare, and we play a handful of the same musical tracks to evaluate
speaker performance. For battery life, we keep track of how long each tablet
generally lasts before it needs a recharge, but we also play a 1080p movie on
a loop at roughly 70 percent brightness with power-sapping background
processes off. We also test each device with an Apple Pencil and note how
responsive the stylus feels. Finally, we carefully pore over spec sheets and
software updates to keep track of which features are available on certain
iPads but not others.

iPad FAQs The iPad (A16) on top of an 13-inch iPad Air. Jeff Dunn for
Engadget What are some new features coming to iPadOS 26?

Apple released the latest update to its iPad operating system, iPadOS 26, in
September. The update is a fairly significant overhaul, one that brings
iPadOS closer to macOS than ever before. New features include the ability to
open more windows simultaneously and resize or tile them more freely; a Mac-
style Menu bar; a dedicated Preview app; an upgraded Files app; an improved
ability to export or download large files in the background; an Exposé view
that shows all open windows; a pointier cursor and the option to add folders
to the Dock. It also uses the new ΓÇ£liquid glassΓÇ¥ design language that
Apple is rolling out across all of its platforms in 2025.

That said, it completely removed the ΓÇ£slide overΓÇ¥ and ΓÇ£split viewΓÇ¥
modes found in previous versions of iPadOS, which can make quickly viewing
multiple apps at once a little more cumbersome. (Though the former will now
return in an upcoming update.) Notably, most of these features are available
across AppleΓÇÖs tablet lineup, from the iPad Pro to the entry-level iPad.
You can find the full list of compatible devices at the bottom of AppleΓÇÖs
overview page.

How long do iPads typically last?

If history is any indication, expect Apple to update your iPad to the latest
version of iPadOS for at least five years, if not longer. The current iPadOS
26 update, for example, is available on iPad Pro models dating back to 2018
and other iPads dating back to 2019. How long your iPadΓÇÖs hardware will
last depends on which model you buy and how well you maintain it. (If
youΓÇÖre particularly clumsy, consider an iPad case.) A more powerful iPad
Pro will feel fast for a longer time than an entry-level iPad, but each model
should remain at least serviceable until Apple stops updating it, at minimum.

WhatΓÇÖs the difference between the iPad and the iPad Air?

Compared to the standard iPad, the iPad Air runs on a stronger M3 chip
(instead of the A16 Bionic) and has 2GB more RAM (8GB total). Both come with
128GB of storage by default. The Air is also available in two sizes, 11 and
13 inches, whereas the 11th-gen iPad doesn't offer the larger screen option.
The M-series SoC gives the Air better long-term performance prospects, plus
access to certain iPadOS features such as Apple Intelligence. Its display
supports a wider P3 color gamut, has an antireflective coating and is fully
laminated. The latter means thereΓÇÖs no ΓÇ£air gapΓÇ¥ between the display
and the glass covering it, so it feels more like youΓÇÖre directly touching
whatΓÇÖs on screen instead of interacting with an image below the glass. The
Air also works with the newer Pencil Pro stylus and more comfortable Magic
Keyboards, and its USB-C port supports faster data transfer speeds. It
technically supports faster Wi-Fi 6E, too, while the lower-cost iPad uses Wi-
Fi 6.

Starting at $349, the 11th-gen iPad is $250 less expensive than the iPad Air.
It has a similarly elegant design with flat edges, thin bezels, USB-C port,
and a Touch ID reader. Battery life is rated at the same 10 hours, and both
devices have their front-facing camera on their long edge, which is a more
natural position for video calls. The cheaper iPad works with the first-gen
and USB-C Apple Pencils ΓÇô which are more convoluted to charge ΓÇô and a
unique keyboard accessory called the Magic Keyboard Folio.

Jeff Dunn for Engadget WhatΓÇÖs the difference between iPads and Android
tablets?

The operating system, duh. But to give a few more specifics: Android devices
are available from more manufacturers and cover a wider price range. You
wonΓÇÖt see an $80 iPad anytime soon. Android is also more malleable in that
you can easily sideload apps from places beyond GoogleΓÇÖs official app store
and more extensively customize the look of the OS (though the former may no
longer be an option in the coming months). Several Android tablets still have
features like a headphone jack or a microSD slot for adding storage, too,
though those are getting rarer.

But we tend to recommend Apple tablets to those who have no allegiance either
way. iPad apps are still a bit more likely to be designed specifically for
larger screens, rather than looking like blown-up phone software, and Apple
is just about peerless when it comes to long-term software support. Every new
iPad hits a certain baseline of hardware quality and performance ΓÇö none of
them feel cheap, and all of them are fast enough for most needs. Plus,
youΓÇÖll get the most out of an iPad if you use other Apple devices.

Can an iPad replace a laptop?

This is a loaded question, since laptop workflows differ from person to
person. If you mostly use a notebook for browsing the web, watching videos or
writing emails and word docs, then sure, you can get along just fine with an
iPad and the right iPad accessories. ItΓÇÖll be easier to carry around, the
battery life is great and having the touchscreen and stylus support is handy
(though many Windows users have that regardless). Even beyond the basics,
plenty of media editors, graphic designers and digital artists have shown
they can get things done on an iPad.

Broadly speaking, though, a laptop OS tends to be more flexible when it comes
to file management, multitasking, coding or other ΓÇ£heavyΓÇ¥ tasks. The
recent iPadOS 26 update does close the gap a bit, though itΓÇÖs still not
quite as fluid. Safari on the iPad isnΓÇÖt fully on par with desktop browsers
either. So the answer really depends on you.

How do I take a screenshot on an iPad?

As we note in our screenshot how-to guide, you can take a screenshot on your
iPad by pressing the top button and either volume button at the same time. If
you have an older iPad with a Home button, simultaneously press the top
button and the Home button instead.

Recent updates

Late October 2025: The new M5-based iPad Pro replaces the previous-generation
iPad Pro as our top pick for power users.

Early October 2025: WeΓÇÖve made a few edits to reflect the full release of
iPadOS 26 and made sure our recommendations are still accurate.

August 2025: We've taken another sweep to ensure our picks are still accurate
and added a few more notes to our FAQ section.

June 2025: WeΓÇÖve made a few minor edits to reflect the announcement of
AppleΓÇÖs latest iPadOS update, which we detail above.

May 2025: WeΓÇÖve lightly edited this guide to ensure all details and links
are still correct. WeΓÇÖre also keeping an eye on how the Trump
administrationΓÇÖs tariff policy affects the pricing and stock of the iPad
lineup (and every other tech category). All of our picks are still available
at normal prices today, but weΓÇÖll update this guide if that changes.

March 2025: We've reviewed the iPad (A16) and named it our new budget pick,
removing the discontinued 10th-gen iPad in the process.

March 2025: The recently-launched iPad Air M3 has replaced its predecessor as
our top overall recommendation. WeΓÇÖve also made a note regarding the new
iPad (A16), which we plan to test in the near future and expect to become our
new budget pick. WeΓÇÖve made a handful of edits elsewhere in the guide to
reflect AppleΓÇÖs latest hardware.

January 2025: WeΓÇÖve lightly edited this guide for clarity. Our
recommendations remain the same.

October 2024: We've updated our guide to include the new iPad mini 7.

June 2024: WeΓÇÖve touched up this guide to reflect some of the new iPadOS
features Apple announced at WWDC, though our picks remain the same.

Nathan Ingraham contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/best-...
tablet-for-you-150054066.html?src=rss

---
VRSS v2.1.180528