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Best iPad 2023: Which Apple tablet should you choose?

Apple never stops (and never will stop) releasing new tablets. Find out which is the best iPad for you

Choosing a tablet can be a tricky business. First of all, you have to decide between iOS or Android – if you’re here, though, you’ve at least made up your mind on that count. But now it gets harder. Do you want the cheapest Apple iPad available? The largest? The newest? So many questions! 

This list only includes current models that can be purchased brand new. If you don’t find something you like here you can always head back in time to pick up a cheaper refurbished iPad – those models are often discontinued, and therefore can only be bought used.

Read on for our roundup of the best Apple iPads you can buy today.

READ NEXT: The best Android, iOS and Windows tablets


Best iPad: At a glance


The best Apple iPad to buy in 2023

1. Apple iPad (2021): Best standard iPad

Price: £314 | Buy now from John Lewis The latest standard tablet from Apple’s labs, the iPad 10.2in (9th-gen, 2021), is very much an iterative update but it’s undeniably a welcome one and maintains its position as the best-value iPad out there. Physically, it’s identical to the 8th-gen model from 2020, with the same design, dimensions and 10.2in 2,160 x 1,620 IPS touch display. But there is a small handful of updates that makes it upgrading, if not from last year’s iPad, then definitely from the 2019 or 2018 models.

Not only has this generation of iPad moved from an A12 Bionic chip to the A13 Bionic (the same as inside the iPhone 11 Pro Max, no less), but it also packs a brand new ultrawide-angle FaceTime HD camera. This allows the iPad to take advantage of Apple’s new Centre Stage feature, where the camera follows your face as you move around the room.

That’s not all, however. Apple is also, at long last, bringing its True Tone display tech to its cheapest iPad, ensuring a more comfortable viewing experience, especially indoors. Unless you need an absolute powerhouse tablet or would prefer something a little smaller, this is almost certainly the Apple iPad for you.

Read our full Apple iPad 10.2in (2021) review

Key specs – Processor: Hexa-core Apple A13 Bionic; Screen: 10.2in (2,160 x 1,620); Storage: 64GB, 256GB; Size: 251 x 174 x 7.5mm; Weight: 487g; Operating system: iPadOS 16

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Also consider: Apple iPad (2022)

While the next iteration of iPad would usually step in to replace its predecessor on this list, the 10th gen iPad complicates things by improving only a little and charging quite a lot more. Starting at £499, the iPad (2022) offers the same storage options as the 9th Gen, but uses a slightly faster A14 Bionic processor. For the extra money, you also get a larger 10.9in display, and perhaps most excitingly, USB-C charging.

The swap to USB-C isn’t seamless – the 1st Gen Apple Pencil is supported, for instance, but you need to use the provided Lightning adapter to charge it from the tablet – and battery takes a minor hit compared to the 9th Gen iPad. Still, this tablet fills a small gap in the market, and if this is where you’re shopping, then the iPad (2022) is the one for you.

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2. Apple iPad Air 5 (2022): Almost an iPad Pro (and much cheaper)

Price: £589 | Buy now from John Lewis The Apple iPad Air might not be an iPad Pro in name but it’s almost as fast as one. Powered by Apple’s revolutionary M1 processor, its performance is considerably quicker than the previous-gen model and matches the speeds of the latest iPad Pro 12.9in (2021). That’s an incredible feat for a tablet that costs several hundred pounds less, and it makes it the most powerful iPad in pound-for-pound terms.

We’re happy to go out on a limb and say that the iPad Air 5, like the pricier iPad Pro, is actually a viable 2-in-1 laptop replacement. Its CPU performance can handle any task that a similarly priced laptop could and, when combined with the Apple Pencil 2 and Magic Keyboard, it becomes a fully functioning – and incredibly slimline – workstation. The camera and display aren’t as advanced as on the iPad Pro (2021), notably lacking the 120Hz refresh rate, but that’s a fair trade when the Air is so much cheaper.

It doesn’t have the same screen appeal as the iPad Pro, but it comes remarkably close considering how much cheaper it is. Battery life is almost on par with the iPad Pro, too, and display brightness and colour accuracy are as good as we’ve come to expect from an Apple device. For those who want the best balance of price and performance, the iPad Air 5 is clearly the iPad to choose right now.

Read our full Apple iPad Air 5 (2022) review

Key specs – Processor: Octa-core Apple M1; Screen: 10.9in, (2,360 x 1,640); Storage: 64GB, 256GB; Size: 248 x 179 x 6.1mm; Weight: 461g; Operating system: iPadOS 15

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3. 12.9in Apple M2 iPad Pro (2022): Best iPad tablet

Price: £1,249 | Buy now from John Lewis The M2 iPad Pro (2022) is a tough sell, offering minimal advancements over the 2020 model while charging a fair chunk more, but the bottom line is that, if you want the most powerful iPad on the market, this is the one to go for. The new M2 chipset delivers incredible performance – which arguably the iPad Pro wasn’t really wanting for – as well as the new hover functionality for the Apple Pencil 2.

Otherwise, the hardware is pretty much identical to the 2020 iPad Pro, with storage options ranging from 128GB up to 2TB and a stunning mini-LED display on the 12.9in model (the 11in version uses a less impressive LCD panel). These similarities make it questionable whether or not the iPad Pro (2022) is better value than its predecessor, but if you want the absolute best iPad on the market, and you’ve got the deep pockets for it, this is the pinnacle.

Read our full Apple M2 iPad Pro (2022) review

Key specs – Processor: Octa-core Apple M2; Screen: 12.9in (2,732 x 2,048); Storage: 128GB–2TB; Size: 11in – 248 x 179 x 5.9mm, 12.9in – 281 x 215 x 6.4mm; Weight: 11in – 468g, 12.9in – 684g; Operating system: iPadOS 16

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4. Apple iPad mini (2021): Best iPad for travelling light

Price: £499 | Buy now from John Lewis Despite its popularity, the iPad mini hasn’t enjoyed updates with as much regularity as Apple’s other tablets in recent times. With the 2021 model, however, Apple has given its smallest iPad a big overhaul, lavishing it with a completely new design, new internals and a whole load of new features.

With its squared-off edges and slim bezels, it now looks a bit like a compact iPad Pro and it shares some of the premium iPad’s features as well. Chief among these is support for the Apple Pencil 2, which can be recharged by attaching it magnetically to one of the iPad mini’s edges. The front-facing camera also supports Apple’s clever Center Stage tech, which sees enables it to track your face and keep it in frame while you’re on video calls.

The iPad mini (2021)’s internals have also been updated and it’s now powered by the same processor – the A15 Bionic – as found in Apple’s iPhone 13 handsets. Anyone after a compact iPad for watching video content, playing games or sketching/taking notes on the move will want the iPad mini (2021).

Read our full Apple iPad mini (2021) review

Key specs – Processor: Hexa-core Apple A15 Bionic; Screen: 8.3in (2,266 x 1,488); Storage: 64GB, 256GB; Size: 195 x 135 x 6.3mm; Weight: 293g; Operating system: iPadOS 16

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