All iPads Need Help Deciding What IPad

[Abydos]

cat killing an iPad - really , my cat in the days of crt used the crt as a warming pad (try looking through a swishing tail - you won't notice any jelly roll). seriously go to a store get a hands on feel for the device (currently there is a iPad generation 1, a iPad mini6 , and a 13" iPad Pro here - each has virtues and limits/ personally the generation 1 device is my favorite even though it is best considered a curio now) that way you have a slightly better idea of the limitations of the device

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Hello ,
I am looking at buying a iPad around the end of January/ February this year .
But I cannot figure out which one to go for ,
For reference I have a iPhone 16 pro max for my personal phone and I used to have a m1 MacBook Air before my cat killed it .
So I am thinking maybe the iPad mini ? But then the display won’t be as good and it’s not much bigger then my iPhone so then I thought the iPad Pro but then which one ?
So yeah pretty confusing so if anyone could give any insight or any advice that would be appreciated .
Thanks

Your finances are your finances, so there is that. Also IMO actually handling the choices is a necessity. Opinions here and online comparisons have very limited value. Display quality, for instance, is only relevant to your eyes/brain. What some internet dweeb opines means little.

Find a way to do real A-B comparisons in hand. Then buy. I agree Costco is a good source for tablets.

 

[Ctrlos]

Hello ,
I am looking at buying a iPad around the end of January/ February this year .
But I cannot figure out which one to go for ,
For reference I have a iPhone 16 pro max for my personal phone and I used to have a m1 MacBook Air before my cat killed it .
So I am thinking maybe the iPad mini ? But then the display won’t be as good and it’s not much bigger then my iPhone so then I thought the iPad Pro but then which one ?
So yeah pretty confusing so if anyone could give any insight or any advice that would be appreciated .
Thanks

On the iPhone I couldn't care less but ProMotion makes a massive difference to iPadOS. I would honestly consider an iPad Pro. Thankfully the M1 version is still brilliant even after 5 years. I use one as my road computer and it doesn;t skip a beat. Don't know what US pricing works out as but in the UK you can get one for £400 2nd hand.

 

[TokyoKiller]

If you can wait until the next iPad Air refresh, I think the display will get 120Hz like the iPhone 17 did. If not the Air is a great middle ground of power and budget, I also would look at M2 iPad Pros from Apple’s own refurbished store.

 

[drrich2]

Fair warning about 2nd hand iPads, at least in the U.S.; fraudulent product appears to be a serious problem. On Facebook Marketplace I've seen a lot of ridiculously under-priced product (e.g.: M4 iPad Pro.s just over $100), and noticed a number of sellers had many listings and in more than one (non-adjacent) state. A YouTube search turned up a video of a guy examining a fake iPad that was shockingly credible; it turned on, did the 'Hello There,' appeared to go through setup, had the box and documentation that looked close to the real thing, and it was when the guy downloaded and ran an app. he showed it had the wrong kind of processor, etc.

I'm not saying don't buy one, but buyer beware.

 

[TokyoKiller]

Fair warning about 2nd hand iPads, at least in the U.S.; fraudulent product appears to be a serious problem. On Facebook Marketplace I've seen a lot of ridiculously under-priced product (e.g.: M4 iPad Pro.s just over $100), and noticed a number of sellers had many listings and in more than one (non-adjacent) state. A YouTube search turned up a video of a guy examining a fake iPad that was shockingly credible; it turned on, did the 'Hello There,' appeared to go through setup, had the box and documentation that looked close to the real thing, and it was when the guy downloaded and ran an app. he showed it had the wrong kind of processor, etc.

I'm not saying don't buy one, but buyer beware.

The fakes have definitely gotten much better lately.

 

[TechRunner]

Tossing out a vote for the 11" M3 iPad Air. When my Mini bit the dust in early December I opted to go back to a larger screen and love it. I do occasionally miss the small size of the Mini, but overall the 11" size seems to be the sweet spot for me.

The M3s are being discounted off and on in many places here in the U.S. Not sure about where you are.

 

[will16promax]

Created a poll to help me see the general thoughts of people
Thanks for all the responses so far very helpful

 

[wilberforce]

The main reason I got an iPad Pro is for the FaceID which works very well. I found the TouchID on other models to be very annoying and unreliable. I would much rather get an older model of the iPad Pro with FaceID than a newer model without (e.g., M4 11” iPad Pro $800 at Costco USA).
I have had 3 iPad minis and cannot recommend the mini unless you absolutely have to have the smallest size. It is worse in every other way, especially usability and value for money. iPadOS user interface is not designed for the mini, so it just shows a shrunken and hence compromised version of the display.

 

[BB714]

Go to Costco online and get one of the M4 Pro 11" or 13" while still in stock. It’s an absolute great deal.

 

[DCIFRTHS]

Hello ,
I am looking at buying a iPad around the end of January/ February this year .
But I cannot figure out which one to go for ,
For reference I have a iPhone 16 pro max for my personal phone and I used to have a m1 MacBook Air before my cat killed it .
So I am thinking maybe the iPad mini ? But then the display won’t be as good and it’s not much bigger then my iPhone so then I thought the iPad Pro but then which one ?
So yeah pretty confusing so if anyone could give any insight or any advice that would be appreciated .
Thanks

Sorry, but I have to ask. How did the cat kill the MacBook Air?

 

[will16promax]

Sorry, but I have to ask. How did the cat kill the MacBook Air?

Walked over the keyboard and somehow damaged the screen and then the screen got weird display Lines and then just was unusable as the display completely went .
Too much to replace the screen so that’s why I want a iPad .

 

[G5isAlive]

I've owned a lot of iPads since the original and there was never a wrong one, liked them all. I currently own 3 different form factors, thats how much I like iPads.

1) The mini 6 is great for its convenience of size. easier to carry around. easier to hold in bed for reading. its probably my favorite for those reasons (easily my most used), but if I could only get one... I don't know if it would be a mini. sometimes I DO want a larger screen. BTW, my phone is an iPhone 16 Pro Max, and yes, the mini screen is significantly bigger so I reach for it for reading, web browsing etc. As for 'jelly roll', IMHO it's an over blown concern. Is it 'real?' Yes, but for me, only during wildly artificial times, i.e. not when I actually use it, only if I try to recreate a strange situation of scrolling fast and trying to read at the same time. something I just dont do. YMMV. I am a pragmatist and don't look for problems. But it is fashionable to say Jelly Roll is evil.

2). I have an iPad Air 11" sitting next to the couch because it's easy enough to hold while sitting and web browsing. Its serviceable. But slightly too large for me in bed.

3). Finally I have a m4 iPad Pro 13" that I got purely to use for reviewing photos, its a beautiful screen (though I dont miss it for anything else I do and probably dont even need it for this). Sometimes I couple it with the keyboard when traveling and I dont want to take my MacBook. And I also sometimes use it as a second monitor with my MacBook.

The point that I am trying to make, is spec wars may mean something on computers, but ALL iPads are fast enough for almost anything people do with it. For me the screens are all good. So really buy what you can comfortably afford, and dare I suggest if you think you have enough to buy an iPad Pro, you could also afford a mini AND regular iPad. 🙂

oh, and, to continue with they are all good, my wife uses a 6 year iPad for games, web browsing, movies, and email, and refused to let me upgrade her. She feels its fine.

So. You can't go wrong 🙂. Enjoy. Go to an Apple Store and figure out which form factor makes the most sense for you.

 

[will16promax]

I've owned a lot of iPads since the original and there was never a wrong one, liked them all. I currently own 3 different form factors, thats how much I like iPads.

1) The mini 6 is great for its convenience of size. easier to carry around. easier to hold in bed for reading. its probably my favorite for those reasons (easily my most used), but if I could only get one... I don't know if it would be a mini. sometimes I DO want a larger screen. BTW, my phone is an iPhone 16 Pro Max, and yes, the mini screen is significantly bigger so I reach for it for reading, web browsing etc. As for 'jelly roll', IMHO it's an over blown concern. Is it 'real?' Yes, but for me, only during wildly artificial times, i.e. not when I actually use it, only if I try to recreate a strange situation of scrolling fast and trying to read at the same time. something I just dont do. YMMV. I am a pragmatist and don't look for problems. But it is fashionable to say Jelly Roll is evil.

2). I have an iPad Air 11" sitting next to the couch because it's easy enough to hold while sitting and web browsing. Its serviceable. But slightly too large for me in bed.

3). Finally I have a m4 iPad Pro 13" that I got purely to use for reviewing photos, its a beautiful screen (though I dont miss it for anything else I do and probably dont even need it for this). Sometimes I couple it with the keyboard when traveling and I dont want to take my MacBook. And I also sometimes use it as a second monitor with my MacBook.

The point that I am trying to make, is spec wars may mean something on computers, but ALL iPads are fast enough for almost anything people do with it. For me the screens are all good. So really buy what you can comfortably afford, and dare I suggest if you think you have enough to buy an iPad Pro, you could also afford a mini AND regular iPad. 🙂

oh, and, to continue with they are all good, my wife uses a 6 year iPad for games, web browsing, movies, and email, and refused to let me upgrade her. She feels its fine.

So. You can't go wrong 🙂. Enjoy. Go to an Apple Store and figure out which form factor makes the most sense for you.

Thank you for that information

 

[*~Kim~*]

I wouldn't buy a Mini at this point. It is likely to be replaced by the end of the year and doesn't as mentioned have great screen tech.

 

[o3dp]

I would go with 13" air. Has m3 and pro keyboard supports Apple Pencil pro and has Touch ID. If you want OLED and biometric, go with the pro. The m5 iPad pro isn't much more than m4 and I have heard it's much more powerful than m4

 

[mansplains]

So I am thinking maybe the iPad mini ? But then the display won’t be as good and it’s not much bigger then my iPhone so then I thought the iPad Pro but then which one ?

The screen is not as bright, is not oled, and lacks higher refresh of the iPhone, sure. But it is quite a bit bigger than you may think. Diagonal size is only part of the picture, hold the devices side by side and you’ll see how much difference the aspect ratio makes.

 

[SkiHound2]

Hello ,
I am looking at buying a iPad around the end of January/ February this year .
But I cannot figure out which one to go for ,
For reference I have a iPhone 16 pro max for my personal phone and I used to have a m1 MacBook Air before my cat killed it .
So I am thinking maybe the iPad mini ? But then the display won’t be as good and it’s not much bigger then my iPhone so then I thought the iPad Pro but then which one ?
So yeah pretty confusing so if anyone could give any insight or any advice that would be appreciated .
Thanks

Hard decision and we all have our biases so my best advice is to do as much comparison shopping as you can and go to a local best buy or somewhere you can look at the devices, hold them, play with them. My view is the mini is kind of a niche product. Might be great for folks doing certain kinds of field work where portability is important, or as a very portable companion to a larger device; but I think of my phone as occupying that niche. IMO the 11" models offer the best compromise of screen size and portability for most folks. Relative to the 12.9 or 13" models, the 11" models have an aspect ratio that more closely approximates dimensions that better match a lot of media (4k tv, movies, etc.). And the 11" models are considerably lighter and easier to hand hold than the larger iPads. The models with the larger screens are better for someone looking for a laptop replacement. Perhaps someone who has it paired with keyboard much of the time. The larger screen and aspect ratio are more conducive to folks using multiple applications. I saw a video done by a person who had downsized from 13 to 11; he was generally happy but said he did a lot of video editing and said the larger screen was much better for that. The current Air has an m3 chip, I have an 11" in Pro with an M1. I've never felt I needed more power. There are many Youtube videos comparing the Air and the Pro, I'd suggest looking at some. The Air uses Touch ID, the Pro uses face recognition. The Air has a 60hz LCD (which looks very nice) while the Pro has a 120hz OLED display. The base Air comes with 8gb of ram and 128gb of storage; the base M5 pro has 12gb of ram and 256gb of storage. The Air is a very nice device that will likely do anything you need it to do. The Pro adds some niceties that are generally not critical but are nice. I have an M1 Pro and it's been terrific. I tend to keep these devices quite a long time and the price difference is not a huge consideration for me but might be to others.

 

[TheBeverage]

Regarding the Air, if you've waited this long I'd recommend waiting for the new model to drop in March.

 

[Homme]

I have an old 2018 iPad Pro and a mini 6th gen.



a) Go for the cheapest 11th gen you can find, and upgrade again in 2-3 years time and benefit from the trickle-down of new technology.

jelly scrolling is no big deal nowadays.

As for the 11th gen iPad the 12th gen one will come out quite soon with A19

I think the display will get 120Hz like the iPhone 17 did.

Nah and Gorman says that next gen Air will have an LCD so still 60hz

What it actually needs is a flashlight like the Pro and Mini

the Air and Mini are in the middle of the iPad line competing with one another around a loop. One gets better features than the other and Vice Versa ( right now as I said Mini has a flash while the Air doesn’t, Minis A17 Pro has double the Neural Operations per second than the M3 on the Air whilst the Air is more powerful, has a 1TB Capacity compared to 512GB Max for the Mini etc)

Fair warning about 2nd hand iPads,

To add to your post to also look out for is battery capacity for second hand iPads (and iPhones as well).

Big caveat emptor right there

 

[MacRazySwe]

jelly scrolling is no big deal nowadays.

Says who?

It's all personal preference in terms of what people choose to tolerate.

That might be your opinion, but you can't just say "it's no big deal". With a tablet, all you're essentially buying is a screen. So when that core component doesn't hold up to the standards we're used to, it makes it extremely difficult to recommend. Personally - The mini 6/7 is the worst performing iOS device I've had. (Comparing all iPads, iPhones, et.c.). And I've had a few! Adding to that, it's roughly $500, so I think many would be disappointed.

 

[will16promax]

Just tried out some iPads in the store ,
iPad mini is a no go can tell the difference with the screen , leaning towards m5 pro 13” with the keyboard.
Very snappy and like the larger screen for multimedia etc .
Only problem is the cost it’s over my original 1000 budget so I don’t know if I could pay the 1000 in a lump sum and then pay the rest on an interest free loan ?

 

[wilberforce]

Well, I guess you need to change the thread title to “Need Help Paying for iPad” 🙂

 

[MacDevil7334]

Just tried out some iPads in the store ,
iPad mini is a no go can tell the difference with the screen , leaning towards m5 pro 13” with the keyboard.
Very snappy and like the larger screen for multimedia etc .
Only problem is the cost it’s over my original 1000 budget so I don’t know if I could pay the 1000 in a lump sum and then pay the rest on an interest free loan ?

Costco still has the 256 GB 13” M4 version with cellular for $899. Even if you have to buy a membership, that’s still worth the savings.