Which iPad to buy for Apple Intelligence

[CarlLikesTech]

Hi!

I am in the works of getting a new iPad. As a medical student I need a big screen, but in my daily life, I am a heavy user of ChatGPT, Siri and Google home. Accordingly, I believe I will be a very heavy user of Apple Intelligence. Which iPad should I get? Will the 13 inch MacBook Air have enough power?

Thank you for your help!

 

[coffeemilktea]

If you want an iPad with a big screen for Apple Intelligence, either the 13-inch iPad Pro or the 13-inch iPad Air would get the job done. It's really a matter of how much power you need, and how much you're willing to spend ($799 for the Air vs $1299 for the Pro).

The MacBook Air definitely has enough power for what you need (and has a similar screen size to the other devices), so it's really a matter of whether you prefer a tablet form factor vs. a laptop.

 

[CarlLikesTech]

Thank you very much for your response!

I made a mistake and wrote MacBook Air when I meant iPad Air 😅. Will the iPad Air have enough power? 🙂 I read posts written by people using the beta version of Apple Intelligence who stated that it was a really resource intensive feature.

 

[coffeemilktea]

I made a mistake and wrote MacBook Air when I meant iPad Air 😅. Will the iPad Air have enough power? 🙂 I read posts written by people using the beta version of Apple Intelligence who stated that it was a really resource intensive feature.

Since Apple Intelligence is a beta product, it's hard to say definitively how well it would perform once it's properly released... but if power is a concern, it's probably well worth it to get the 13-inch iPad Pro, especially since it'll probably get supported longer with that M4 chip.

 

[Populus]

Hi!

I am in the works of getting a new iPad. As a medical student I need a big screen, but in my daily life, I am a heavy user of ChatGPT, Siri and Google home. Accordingly, I believe I will be a very heavy user of Apple Intelligence. Which iPad should I get? Will the 13 inch MacBook Air have enough power?

Thank you for your help!

My advice: get an M2 iPad Air or even better, an M2 iPad Pro if you can find a good deal. Both will offer the best value for what you want.

If you love OLED screens (not me), and you’re willing to spend more, then the M4 iPad Pro is the best device. But the M2 machines should do well with Apple Intelligence.

 

[CarlLikesTech]

My advice: get an M2 iPad Air or even better, an M2 iPad Pro if you can find a good deal. Both will offer the best value for what you want.

If you love OLED screens (not me), and you’re willing to spend more, then the M4 iPad Pro is the best device. But the M2 machines should do well with Apple Intelligence.

Thank you for your reply! When you say you don’t like OLED screens, is it because they burn in?

 

[Populus]

Thank you for your reply! When you say you don’t like OLED screens, is it because they burn in?

Burn in, eye issues in response to PWM that only affect a minority, you name it.

 

[DaniTheFox]

M3. Oh, there's no iPad with M3, unlike the MacOS line. And there probably won't be one, since the M3 is now considered very expensive to manufacture. So M4 and only the Pro version it is.

But who knows what will come in the near future (A17 Pro would also be an option. iPad mini?).

But I think the M1 and the M2 are certainly no slow horses in this respect.

 

[Populus]

M3. Oh, there's no iPad with M3, unlike the MacOS line. And there probably won't be one, since the M3 is now considered very expensive to manufacture. So M4 and only the Pro version it is.

But who knows what will come in the near future (A17 Pro would also be an option. iPad mini?).

But I think the M1 and the M2 are certainly no slow horses in this respect.

The reason why there’s no M3 for iPad and there won’t be any more M3 and A17 Pro is exactly that: the N3B process is too expensive and with poor yields, so Apple is switching to N3E at full speed. Once they release the A18 iPhone and the M4 Macs, that will become the next baseline.

 

[DaniTheFox]

The reason why there’s no M3 for iPad and there won’t be any more M3 and A17 Pro is exactly that: the N3B process is too expensive and with poor yields, so Apple is switching to N3E at full speed. Once they release the A18 iPhone and the M4 Macs, that will become the next baseline.

The reason why there’s no M3 for iPad and there won’t be any more M3 and A17 Pro is exactly that: the N3B process is too expensive and with poor yields, so Apple is switching to N3E at full speed. Once they release the A18 iPhone and the M4 Macs, that will become the next baseline.

You’re absolutely right. I had forgotten that the A17 Pro is also available on the N3B. What are your thoughts on the future of the iPad? Will it be powered by the A18 or the M2 chip?

 

[Populus]

You’re absolutely right. I had forgotten that the A17 Pro is also available on the N3B. What are your thoughts on the future of the iPad? Will it be powered by the A18 or the M2 chip?

Neither. You mean the base, entry model iPad, that doesn’t even have a laminated display? Nah, good luck if it’s upgraded to an A15 or A16, and no Apple Intelligence. Let’s be real: Apple doesn’t want you to buy their cheapest iPad. It is there for a reason, yes, but being a flagship iPad or a good value is not. Those are the roles of the iPad Pro or Air respectively.

The only iPad I see getting an A18+8GB of RAM is the iPad mini. Because it is more expensive, and makes you get into iPad Air territory (price wise).

Remember, all the Apple products are designed to lead you, like a ladder, to the most expensive product. That’s their goal. And this is especially true with the iPad lineup.

 

[DaniTheFox]

Neither. You mean the base, entry model iPad, that doesn’t even have a laminated display? Nah, good luck if it’s upgraded to an A15 or A16, and no Apple Intelligence. Let’s be real: Apple doesn’t want you to buy their cheapest iPad. It is there for a reason, yes, but being a flagship iPad or a good value is not. Those are the roles of the iPad Pro or Air respectively.

The only iPad I see getting an A18+8GB of RAM is the iPad mini. Because it is more expensive, and makes you get into iPad Air territory (price wise).

Remember, all the Apple products are designed to lead you, like a ladder, to the most expensive product. That’s their goal. And this is especially true with the iPad lineup.

Yes, the iPad is still a long way from Apple Intelligence. However, the mini is actually a 9-inch iPad Air. Therefore, it’s possible that an A18 chip could be used in the mini. Since an A18 chip is on the N3B-Technology platform, should we recommend an iPad xxx with at least an N3B-Technology chip?

 

[Populus]

Yes, the iPad is still a long way from Apple Intelligence. However, the mini is actually a 9-inch iPad Air. Therefore, it’s possible that an A18 chip could be used in the mini. Since an A18 chip is on the N3B-Technology platform, should we recommend an iPad xxx with at least an N3B-Technology chip?

The A18 is not coming in that N3B tech, but rather on the second gen 3nm process (N3E) and 8GB of RAM, thus, AI ready.

 

[DaniTheFox]

Oh yes, I mistook N3B for N3E. Apple’s intelligent features in iOS 18.1 don’t help with that.