All iPads Which iPad should I buy and where/how can I get the best deal?

[Hieveryone]

I've decided to finally get an iPad after not using one for many years.

I'm a bit confused as to which one would be best for me, since there are so many models.

Mini, Pro, Air, just the iPad

I also want to know which accessories work with what, because I would be interested in a keyboard, pen, and whatever other accessories are available.

And, of course, I'm looking for a good deal if I can get one

 

[darngooddesign]

Do you want a really small iPad or a really big one? If yes then either the Mini or big Pro.

If No and you want a keyboard and pen get the Air or iPad Pro. If you just do regular stuff get the Air but if you plan on editing Raw photos and videos get the Pro. If you do regular stuff but want the best screen and nicest speakers (for a tablet) get the Pro.

If you want a keyboard that isn’t too heavy get the Keyboard Folio. If you want a keyboard witch a trackpad that you can also treat like a charging dock get the Magic Keyboard. If you want a trackpad but dont want to pay what Apple is charging just spend some time on Youtube watching review videos.

People tend to overthink these what should I buy “dilemmas”. Apple has a generous, 15-day no questions asked return policy. If you cant decide between the Air and the Pro, or two sizes of Pros, just buy both and return the one you like the least after a week. The best Apple deal you can predict is on Black Friday, or a refurbished 3rd gen (2018) iPad Pro which for mostly people will be as fast as the 4th gen (2020) iPad Pro.

 

[Hadron]

Basically the Mini is smallest, the base iPad is best value but has an older design and lesser (though still perfectly decent) display, the new Air shares the Pro's design but lacks some bells and whistles, the Pro offers a few things that some people will tell you are essential and others will shrug at.

For many people the regular iPad will do everything they want for a lot less than the Air and half the price of the Pro. Others will have requirements that are only met by a different model. For some that extra cost may be worth it just to have something "nicer", but for others it would need a tangible benefit to justify it. Without knowing what you intend to use it for or your budgetary preferences/constraints are it's impossible to make any recommendation.

They are all Pencil compatible these days, but there are 2 models of Pencil. The iPads that use a Lightning port (Mini and basic iPad) are compatible with the original Pencil, those that use a USB-C port (Pro and the new Air) are compatible with Pencil 2, which has some extra features, doesn't have the awkward "pull off a little cap and plug it into the Lightning port" charging method, and costs even more (the Pencils are rather expensive for what they are, but that pretty much goes without saying. They work well). Rather than try to provide a comprehensive list of accessories I suggest you go to the Apple Store website, select accessories, specify which iPad you want them to be compatible with and see what the options are for each. You'll find that more expensive iPads generally have more expensive accessories as well, so again if budget is a factor and you have a list of accessories you want that may be worth factoring into your choice. Of course there are also third party accessories which will cost less than anything you'll find in the Apple Store.

One tip I can give: try to understand your needs before making a choice. The product tiers are designed in order to upsell you, often beyond what you need, and I see that working quite often in this forum. For example, someone might think the Air 4 suits them fine, but be unsure whether the 64GB storage of the base model is enough. The next option is 256GB, but that adds £150 to the price. And then the base 11" Pro only costs £40 more than that, has 128GB storage and some of the "bells and whistles" I referred to earlier, and a chorus of voices will tell them that one or other of these is "really nice" and woth the extra £40... and before you know it someone who had thought that a £579 Air 4 was probably right for them is paying £769 for an 11" Pro. And since it was only the storage that they were unsure of, they've effectively paid £190 for an extra 64GB. So as I say, try to understand what you actually need before making your choice, and beware of the siren cry of "but it's only XXX more for...", because that's stepping on an escalator.

 

[AutomaticApple]

If No and you want a keyboard and pen get the Air or iPad Pro.

The keyboard and pen work with the regular iPad too.

 

[ericwn]

OP, come back when you have an idea about your preferred size and weight for the device as that’s the main interface to the OS.

Forum members might be able to assist you better knowing what you want to do with the device, just like with any computer purchase.

The Apple store will show you online which accessories are compatible with what, but maybe start at the use case.

 

[darngooddesign]

The keyboard and pen work with the regular iPad too.

I should have been more specific. The Pencil 2 is only compatible with the Air and Pro. Your can get an Apple Keyboard for the regular iPad, but not the Magic Keyboard.

 

[QCassidy352]

As always, this question cannot be answered without knowing the purposes for which it will be used.

 

[Crow_Servo]

If you’re looking for a good deal, I imagine we’ll see some sales closer to the holidays.

As to the question of which iPad to get, we must ask you what iPad you used last. What has been your experience with the iPad? What’s your use case?

Without much info, we might just recommend something at random. If you want to jump in with both feet, one might suggest the very best, which is the Pro or to a lesser extent, the new Air. Those have the best accessories. The magic keyboard and Apple Pencil 2 are the most premium add-ons.

The more I obsess over the thought of upgrading my iPad, the more I consider just getting the best next time. If I can be patient, I’d like to wait for next year’s Pro. If I’m less patient, maybe the new Air if it goes on sale by the end of the year. I’d rather not pay full price for the Air, since it does lack certain features (like quad speakers).

 

[Caliber26]

If you just do regular stuff get the Air but if you plan on editing Raw photos and videos get the Pro.

In what way(s) would a 2020 iPad Pro with A12Z be more efficient at handling RAW image files than an iPad Air with its A14?

I realize the Pro has 6GB of RAM, compared to the 4GB on the Air, but isn't the RAM only useful when handling multiple apps open at the same time? The only apps I use that I could see requiring "pro" performance are Lightroom & Photoshop. Will an Air 4 be good enough for casual use?

I'm asking because I'd rather get the Air (lower price & color options) but I'd like to know what other factors I should weighing before settling one or the other.

Thanks.

 

[Hieveryone]

Sorry for the delay, and thank you to everyone for your replies. I appreciate them!

Basically, I want an iPad where I can use the internet and internet based Apps (like twitter, etc).

I think it would be a great tool. I also want to take notes and put ideas down. I think a pencil would be helpful for that.

I don't see myself using a keyboard, but a trackpad would come in handy at times as well, so I can click easier instead of tapping with my finger especially when sitting at a table with the iPad propped up on my table.

That's about it. I don't need cellular, or anything like that. I think the mini would be too small of a screen.

 

[Caliber26]

Sorry for the delay, and thank you to everyone for your replies. I appreciate them!

Basically, I want an iPad where I can use the internet and internet based Apps (like twitter, etc).

I think it would be a great tool. I also want to take notes and put ideas down. I think a pencil would be helpful for that.

I don't see myself using a keyboard, but a trackpad would come in handy at times as well, so I can click easier instead of tapping with my finger especially when sitting at a table with the iPad propped up on my table.

That's about it. I don't need cellular, or anything like that. I think the mini would be too small of a screen.

Based on what you're saying here, I'd recommend going with the entry level iPad (8th generation). It has a processor that is BEYOND capable of doing the things you mentioned and then some.

The only reason to step up to the pricier iPad Air 4 is if you prefer the aesthetics of it (lack of home button & bezels). But as far as performance goes, the 8th-gen "regular" iPad will handle stuff like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, emails, web surfing, and messaging just fine. It even supports the 1st-generation Apple Pencil for taking notes or sketching.

What do I strongly recommend is going with the 128GB storage option. The 32GB that comes as a base option is a joke by today's standards and you will be frustrated sooner rather than later when you start getting notifications that you're out of space. You want to have enough storage for apps, pictures/videos, music, etc. And future iOS updates tend to be hefty, so it's better to have the extra storage space for that as well.

128GB 8th-gen iPad $429 + 1st-gen Apple Pencil $99 = $528

That's $70 cheaper than the Air which only comes with half the storage (64GB) and it would cost you additional $129 for the 2nd-generation Apple Pencil that it requires.

Amazon right now has the 8th-gen iPad and 1-st gen Pencil on sale for $395 and $95, respectively. And with Black Friday sales right around the corner, I'm sure prices will drop even more. So if you can wait a few more weeks it could be well worth it. In the mean time, here's a 6-minute video of the iPad from the event last month. You can see here how well it works with the pencil for note-taking.

 

[darngooddesign]

In what way(s) would a 2020 iPad Pro with A12Z be more efficient at handling RAW image files than an iPad Air with its A14?

I realize the Pro has 6GB of RAM, compared to the 4GB on the Air, but isn't the RAM only useful when handling multiple apps open at the same time? The only apps I use that I could see requiring "pro" performance are Lightroom & Photoshop. Will an Air 4 be good enough for casual use?

I'm asking because I'd rather get the Air (lower price & color options) but I'd like to know what other factors I should weighing before settling one or the other.

Thanks.

More RAM and better multi core performance which benefits intensive apps like Lightroom. Unless you know that you will be doing a lot of really intensive graphic work the Air will be fine for you. Maybe upgrade to a Pro in a couple of years if your usage changes, but performance-wise you can easily get five years out of the Air. Since you can easily get five years out of the Air don’t skimp on storage, just get double what you think you’ll need.

 

[darngooddesign]

Sorry for the delay, and thank you to everyone for your replies. I appreciate them!

Basically, I want an iPad where I can use the internet and internet based Apps (like twitter, etc).

I think it would be a great tool. I also want to take notes and put ideas down. I think a pencil would be helpful for that.

I don't see myself using a keyboard, but a trackpad would come in handy at times as well, so I can click easier instead of tapping with my finger especially when sitting at a table with the iPad propped up on my table.

That's about it. I don't need cellular, or anything like that. I think the mini would be too small of a screen.

What I like about the external keyboard is not having the onscreen keyboard taking up half the screen. it also makes a nice keyboard stand. The downside to the regular Appl3 keyboard is no backlighting which the MK solves.