All iPads Which iPad to upgrade my 2020 A12Z Pro 11” to?

[jafico1]

Currently I have an iPad Pro 2020 11 inch A12Z that I was generously given by my university during the COVID pandemic, which I have used ever since. However, it’s definitely starting to feel its age: I’m lucky to get a day out of a full charge, and it’s starting to feel a bit sluggish when it comes to tasks like app switching. I’ve tried the iPadOS 26 beta on it and it also felt very slow (understandably, it’s not final software of course).

An iPad Pro as an upgrade would be absolutely overkill - I have an M1 MacBook Air and a Windows desktop for power user tasks, and I don’t do things that need an iPad Pro like digital art. I also have a 16 Pro Max phone-wise. Upgrade possibilities are the three lower-end iPads I think, which means I have to give up ProMotion and would need to get a new Apple Pencil as none of them work with the Pencil 2 I have at the moment. I also have a Magic Keyboard that’s pretty much on its last legs as well as a Smart Keyboard Folio, but I’m not particularly attached to either.

• iPad A16
  • Pros: Very cheap to upgrade to considering trade-in values and discounts, nice colours
  • Cons: Not laminated screen, doesn’t seem like a huge upgrade on paper.
• iPad Air M3
  • Pros: Big speed boost, compatible with the keyboards I’ve got.
  • Cons: Most expensive of the three, maybe a bit overkill?
• iPad Mini A17 Pro
  • Pros: Size looks really good for reading and note taking, decently powerful, really good companion device maybe?
  • Cons: Screen maybe too small, only Bluetooth keyboards, would it overlap too much with Pro Max?

At the moment I’m leaning towards the Mini - would the Air or the base iPads be more sensible? Mostly using my iPad for browsing, note taking, ebook reading, watching videos and some photo editing on the go (Photomator etc).

Thanks in advance for all your help

 

[Digitalguy]

Currently I have an iPad Pro 2020 11 inch A12Z that I was generously given by my university during the COVID pandemic, which I have used ever since. However, it’s definitely starting to feel its age: I’m lucky to get a day out of a full charge, and it’s starting to feel a bit sluggish when it comes to tasks like app switching. I’ve tried the iPadOS 26 beta on it and it also felt very slow (understandably, it’s not final software of course).

An iPad Pro as an upgrade would be absolutely overkill - I have an M1 MacBook Air and a Windows desktop for power user tasks, and I don’t do things that need an iPad Pro like digital art. I also have a 16 Pro Max phone-wise. Upgrade possibilities are the three lower-end iPads I think, which means I have to give up ProMotion and would need to get a new Apple Pencil as none of them work with the Pencil 2 I have at the moment. I also have a Magic Keyboard that’s pretty much on its last legs as well as a Smart Keyboard Folio, but I’m not particularly attached to either.

• iPad A16
  • Pros: Very cheap to upgrade to considering trade-in values and discounts, nice colours
  • Cons: Not laminated screen, doesn’t seem like a huge upgrade on paper.
• iPad Air M3
  • Pros: Big speed boost, compatible with the keyboards I’ve got.
  • Cons: Most expensive of the three, maybe a bit overkill?
• iPad Mini A17 Pro
  • Pros: Size looks really good for reading and note taking, decently powerful, really good companion device maybe?
  • Cons: Screen maybe too small, only Bluetooth keyboards, would it overlap too much with Pro Max?

At the moment I’m leaning towards the Mini - would the Air or the base iPads be more sensible? Mostly using my iPad for browsing, note taking, ebook reading, watching videos and some photo editing on the go (Photomator etc).

Thanks in advance for all your help

I have a similar iPad, the A12X with 6GB of RAM, which is essentially an A12Z minus one GPU core internally.
I also have the M1, M2 and M4 in the larger sizes (and also an M1 in the 11").
I am surprise how fast this A12X still is even for someone like me who is used to the others. I barely feel the difference.
I have the impression that iPadOS 26 slows it down somewhat (I won't be installing it), so I would go back to 18 until you can and give it another year or 2. All the other options seem some kind of partial downgrade...

 

[Momof9]

Currently I have an iPad Pro 2020 11 inch A12Z that I was generously given by my university during the COVID pandemic, which I have used ever since. However, it’s definitely starting to feel its age: I’m lucky to get a day out of a full charge, and it’s starting to feel a bit sluggish when it comes to tasks like app switching. I’ve tried the iPadOS 26 beta on it and it also felt very slow (understandably, it’s not final software of course).

An iPad Pro as an upgrade would be absolutely overkill - I have an M1 MacBook Air and a Windows desktop for power user tasks, and I don’t do things that need an iPad Pro like digital art. I also have a 16 Pro Max phone-wise. Upgrade possibilities are the three lower-end iPads I think, which means I have to give up ProMotion and would need to get a new Apple Pencil as none of them work with the Pencil 2 I have at the moment. I also have a Magic Keyboard that’s pretty much on its last legs as well as a Smart Keyboard Folio, but I’m not particularly attached to either.

• iPad A16
  • Pros: Very cheap to upgrade to considering trade-in values and discounts, nice colours
  • Cons: Not laminated screen, doesn’t seem like a huge upgrade on paper.
• iPad Air M3
  • Pros: Big speed boost, compatible with the keyboards I’ve got.
  • Cons: Most expensive of the three, maybe a bit overkill?
• iPad Mini A17 Pro
  • Pros: Size looks really good for reading and note taking, decently powerful, really good companion device maybe?
  • Cons: Screen maybe too small, only Bluetooth keyboards, would it overlap too much with Pro Max?

At the moment I’m leaning towards the Mini - would the Air or the base iPads be more sensible? Mostly using my iPad for browsing, note taking, ebook reading, watching videos and some photo editing on the go (Photomator etc).

Thanks in advance for all your help

I would probably avoid the basic iPad - especially after having an iPad Pro....

How is your eyesight? Wear glasses? if so, would you use the iPad without glasses?
I say this because of my issues. I currently have iphone 14 pro max, purchased iPad mini for reading at night (w/out glasses - now I can't) take to church and other places I want a bit more detail than my iPhone.... Last year I got the M2 11" air because I had issues with the pwm on the new OLED on the M4 iPad Pros. I am using it lately more for watching / listening to videos at night when I have trouble sleeping because the mini is to blurry for me to see without glasses... LOL

I am an artist, I have had many of the iPad pros over the years. I am happy with the Air.... would love it more if it was a pro LOL. Hopefully M5 won't have the pwm issues.... or I may end- up trying to find a new M2 iPP....

 

[KeepCalmPeople]

I have the same A12Z iPad and am looking to replace it. I was in an Apple Store last weekend and the lack of ProMotion on the base model was immediately noticeable. I don't think I could use a basic iPad as my primary iPad.

 

[jafico1]

I have the same A12Z iPad and am looking to replace it. I was in an Apple Store last weekend and the lack of ProMotion on the base model was immediately noticeable. I don't think I could use a basic iPad as my primary iPad.

Yeah this is the problem, the pro screen is absolutely gorgeous and love the 120hz refresh rate, but I’m not in that group of users where an iPad Pro would benefit me otherwise - £1k on an iPad is too much, when I’d rather put the difference towards my next MacBook or PC as that would benefit me more.

I’ve installed 26 on the iPad to try it - definitely faster than it was in the beta, but compared to the 16 Pro Max I own it’s noticeably slower.

The decision is definitely difficult because the sensible upgrades are also downgrades in some ways - either the mini with smaller screen but more portable, or the Air which loses the ProMotion 😞.

 

[Vivian125]

As i still have the iPad Pro 12.9 (2020) until i upgraded last April to M4 (which is OLED)
I'd suggest Go for An M3 iPad Air, and i would avoid getting the Basic iPad
the iPad A16 isn't anything snappy or can feel worst than A12Z especially on gaming and editing due to the fact it has much lesser cores (Octa cores vs 5) my friend iPad is about the same or feels sluggy due to lack of lamination display and 60hz which contributes to it being slower even more

If your budget allows to an M4 why not stick with the PRO? but if not you can go with an M3 Air Instead as it will still have 90% of the Features of the Pro has. Though you will lose 120hz, and Power, and OLED but going to M3 will feel like more faster in day to day use. The only reason why basic iPad Sells more because its also has the weakest processor but has the best battery life too but if your reason is just only for the battery then the basic iPad is good to go. iPad Mini is also good if you are okay with the smaller display that is just 3 times the size of an iPhone 17 Pro Max screen

But in the iPad A16 you lose a lot more (even from your old iPad 2020 A12Z)
You will Lose the following:
8 Cores (The iPad 2025 has only 5 CORES)
120Hz
Laminated Display
P3 Wide Color
Anti Reflective coating
Compatible Magic Keyboard or its alternatives

 

[1BadManVan]

As i still have the iPad Pro 12.9 (2020) until i upgraded last April to M4 (which is OLED)
I'd suggest Go for An M3 iPad Air, and i would avoid getting the Basic iPad
the iPad A16 isn't anything snappy or can feel worst than A12Z especially on gaming and editing due to the fact it has much lesser cores (Octa cores vs 5) my friend iPad is about the same or feels sluggy due to lack of lamination display and 60hz which contributes to it being slower even more

If your budget allows to an M4 why not stick with the PRO? but if not you can go with an M3 Air Instead as it will still have 90% of the Features of the Pro has. Though you will lose 120hz, and Power, and OLED but going to M3 will feel like more faster in day to day use. The only reason why basic iPad Sells more because its also has the weakest processor but has the best battery life too but if your reason is just only for the battery then the basic iPad is good to go. iPad Mini is also good if you are okay with the smaller display that is just 3 times the size of an iPhone 17 Pro Max screen

But in the iPad A16 you lose a lot more (even from your old iPad 2020 A12Z)
You will Lose the following:
8 Cores (The iPad 2025 has only 5 CORES)
120Hz
Laminated Display
P3 Wide Color
Anti Reflective coating
Compatible Magic Keyboard or its alternatives

And missing quad speakers going from a pro to any other model