00:00Which iPad should you buy in 2025? In this video, I've got the four best iPads to help you figure
00:05out which one is worth your money based on what you're looking for out of an Apple tablet. All
00:09are linked below with the latest deals to make things easy. But without further ado, here's your
00:14guide to the best iPads that you can buy today. The iPad Air isn't just our pick for best iPad
00:19of 2025. It's also currently our number one pick for best overall tablet to buy for most people.
00:25Our team finds the iPad Air to strike a great balance between performance and value offering
00:30a great middle ground between the standard iPad and the iPad Pro. The Air starts at $599 for the 11-inch
00:37model or $799 for the 13-inch model which is $400 to $500 cheaper than the iPad Pro so no chump change.
00:43And with this M2 chip, the iPad Air 2024 is the second most powerful iPad in the lineup and is
00:49on par with the 2022 iPad Pro performance-wise. Compared to Apple's iPads with the A17 or older
00:56chips, the Air can offer that extra speed for multi-tasking or graphically intense games and
01:01apps. Weighing just 1.02 pounds for the 11-inch model and 1.36 pounds for the 13-inch, the iPad Air
01:08is extremely portable. Maybe not quite as much as the iPad Mini, but more on that later in this video.
01:13Now, while the iPad Air doesn't have an OLED display as found on the Pro models,
01:18the liquid retina panel is still bright and punchy. Plus, with support for the Magic Keyboard and the
01:23Apple Pencil Pro, the iPad Air is an excellent choice for note-taking and productivity. Those
01:28accessories do cost extra, so I'll link deals for everything below. Interestingly, the iPad Air
01:33still lacks Face ID for fast login, so you've just got the fingerprint scanner at the top. But overall,
01:38the iPad Air remains the best iPad to buy for most people, offering that balance of performance,
01:43features, and value. The basic 10th-gen iPad is one that we also highly recommend.
01:48It's almost always on sale, somewhere around $300 or less, and I feel like it's a really nice
01:52upgrade, especially if you're hanging onto an older iPad with that physical button. It also
01:57has slim bezels, and it's got a 10.9-inch display compared to the 10.2-inch screen on the 9th-gen
02:02predecessor. Another welcome upgrade is it switched to USB-C, so no more lightning or chunky bezels,
02:08which makes this feel like a really modern tablet with a very approachable price.
02:11While the A14 chip won't blow you away, and it may feel slower compared to other iPads
02:16on this list, not to mention it doesn't support any Apple intelligence features, which is a
02:21bit of a bummer. It's still pretty powerful for streaming apps and games. It also has support
02:26for the new Apple Pencil USB-C, so if you want an affordable tablet for note-taking or drawing,
02:31this can be an excellent choice. Sadly, though, it doesn't support the more advanced Apple Pencil
02:352 or Pencil Pro, which means you don't have features like gestures, pressure sensitivity,
02:39and wireless charging. But how does the iPad 10th-gen compare to the iPad Air? It looks similar
02:45enough to the Air, though it's just a smidge heavier. And in our test, battery life is also
02:50impressive, lasting about 30 minutes less than the Air at 11 hours. But the base iPad also has a very
02:55vibrant liquid retina display, though its thicker bezels and its slightly smaller screen than the
03:00iPad Air. It also lacks the premium anti-reflective coating that we get on the Air. That said,
03:06Apple's most affordable iPad is finally worth buying again and is an excellent choice if you're
03:10on a tighter budget. Just keep in mind some of those sacrifices that you might be giving up.
03:15And as a heads up, it also is rumored that there might be a refresh model coming out sometime in 2025.
03:21But for now, if you need a new iPad at the lowest price, you're not going to be disappointed.
03:26The 2024 iPad Pro continues to be the most powerful tablet that you can buy, period.
03:31It's actually Apple's first device to showcase the new M4 processor, which outperforms every
03:36other tablet that we've tested, as well as many other laptops too, believe it or not.
03:40But can the iPad Pro really replace your laptop? While iPadOS still leaves a lot to be desired,
03:46the M4 processor offers the absolute best performance that you can get in a tablet and can
03:50easily handle video editing, multitasking, and gaming on Apple's most impressive tablet
03:55display to date. So if that's something you're after, the iPad Pro M4 is the way to go.
04:00Now, I mentioned its display already. The 2024 iPad Pro sports this beautiful
04:04OLED display with incredible inky blacks, vivid color, and extreme brightness,
04:09reaching to an eye-searing 1510 nits for HDR content based on our testing.
04:13It's great whether you're editing photos, streaming movies, or just browsing.
04:17If you plan on using your tablet outdoors a lot, you might want to consider upgrading to
04:20the Pro exclusive nano-texture glass for another $100, which does reduce glare for that configuration.
04:27But if you want that upgrade, you're also going to need to opt for the higher one or two terabyte
04:31models, which is already super pricey. For reference, the 11-inch model starts at $999,
04:37while the 13-inch model that we have here starts at $1,299.
04:41Interestingly, while once the iPad Air's biggest selling feature, the iPad Pro
04:46is actually now Apple's lightest and thinnest model. And the difference is even more noticeable
04:51in the 13-inch models, where the iPad Pro is actually 40 grams lighter compared to the 13-inch
04:56iPad Air and a full millimeter thinner. In terms of battery life, the iPad Pro also still lasts the
05:02longest at about 12 and a half hours for the 11-inch and just over 13 hours for the 13-inch model.
05:07But of course, to really use your iPad Pro as a laptop replacement, you'll probably also want to get
05:12the Magic Keyboard, which is another $299 or $349 for the 11 or 13-inch models, respectively.
05:19And as you can already tell before other upgrades like storage and display, it's not hard to imagine
05:24spending over $1,500 on this tablet. That said, if you don't need all the speed or display quality
05:30upgrades, you're probably better off with the iPad Air, which has that lower entry price, and it's more
05:35than enough performance for most people. But if you want the absolute best tablet that Apple has to offer,
05:40then the 2024 iPad Pro M4 is for you. Finally, we've got Apple's smallest, most portable,
05:46and cutest iPad on the list, the 2024 iPad Mini 7 with its compact 8.3-inch liquid retina display.
05:54At just 0.65 pounds, 293 grams, it's Apple's lightest tablet ever and is something that you can pretty
06:00much take or use anywhere. It's a great one-handed device giving you access to iPadOS on a significantly
06:06smaller screen, yet it's still very usable. And if you're big into reading, whether it's news,
06:10books, or even comics, its vibrant display and excellent portability gives Kindles and other
06:15dedicated e-readers a run for their money. Now, despite its size, this tiny slate doesn't skimp on
06:21performance either. In our testing, the A17 Pro chip also delivers speeds that are only slightly
06:26behind the more powerful and more expensive iPad Air with the M2 chip. From browsing the web,
06:31editing photos, and even playing games, it can handle a lot for its size. Better yet,
06:36with iPadOS 18 installed, you can take full advantage of powerful Apple intelligence features
06:41like writing and summarization tools. Obviously, sometimes a smaller display might feel a bit
06:46cramped at times, and it's not the best choice if you like having apps open side-by-side. But aside
06:51from that, the only real downside that I've found is that it doesn't support the Apple Pencil 2,
06:56which myself and a lot of other people already own. And instead, you'll need to opt for the newer and
07:01more expensive Apple Pencil Pro or the Apple Pencil USB-C. Starting at $499, the iPad Mini 7 is so
07:09easy to recommend, and its combination of portability and power makes it the ultimate best small-sized
07:15tablet that you can buy right now. Whether you want something easy for media consumption or easy enough
07:19to always just carry around, the Mini delivers performance in a very small package, and you won't
07:24be disappointed with this. Now, if you've watched the video up to this point, and you're still on
07:28the fence about which iPad is right for you, here are a few things that you can consider. Start by
07:33thinking about how you'll primarily be using your iPad. Are you mostly using this for light
07:37entertainment like reading or watching videos? The base iPad is probably all you need. But if you want
07:42something a little bit lighter, thinner, and more future-proof, then the extra $250 that you get with
07:47the iPad Air might be worth the upgrade. Similarly, the iPad Air with the M2 has the extra performance to run
07:53your games and apps smoother, but the iPad Pro M4 takes things to the next level, all in a shockingly
08:00thinner and lighter body, but with a much higher starting price point. On the other hand, if
08:05portability is the most important thing to you, and you want something to bridge the gap between your
08:09phone and a full-sized tablet, then there's no beating the iPad Mini. It's such a great size for
08:14taking on the go. No matter which iPad you go with, you'll want to make sure that you pick one with the
08:18right amount of storage for your needs, because there's no upgrading it later. Apps, games, and videos can eat
08:23through your storage really quickly, and the base iPad 64 gigabytes may not be enough for everyone.
08:28And then finally, do you need cellular connectivity? All these iPads have eSIM models for an upcharge
08:33that could be worth it if you want internet on the go without needing to rely on Wi-Fi or your phone's
08:38hotspot. So which of these iPads do you think you'll get in 2025? The ridiculously powered iPad Pro,
08:43the ultra-portable iPad Mini, the budget iPad, or the do-it-all iPad Air? Let me know in the comments,
08:49and don't forget to check out our full reviews for every tablet linked below,
08:53along with the best deals. Thanks for watching, and until the next one, I'll catch you later.
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