Best iPad 2024: All Apple tablets tested and reviewed
Apple never stops (and never will stop) releasing new tablets. We test out the range to find out which is the best iPad for you
Having tested almost 100 tablets in our time, we can safely say that Apple makes the best tablets on the market. Where things get tougher, however, is when it comes time to consider which is the best iPad for you.
Here at Expert Reviews, we’ve put every iPad ever released through their paces over the years, including the entire current iPad range. Whether it’s the dinky iPad Mini, the original iPad line, the sleek iPad Air or the all-powerful iPad Pro range, there’s now an iPad for almost everybody. From casual media consumption to full-on laptop replacements, Apple’s tablet range covers an awful lot of ground.
Below, you’ll find a selection of the best iPads depending on your specific requirements. We’ve also provided a breakdown of how we test each and every iPad that comes through our doors.
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Best iPad: At a glance
| Best iPad for most people | Apple iPad (2021) (~£319) | Check price at John Lewis |
| Best-value iPad | 13in Apple iPad Air (M2, 2024) (~£749) | Check price at John Lewis |
| Best high-end iPad | 13in Apple iPad Pro (M4, 2024) (~£1,249) | Check price at John Lewis |
| Best iPad for travelling light | Apple iPad mini (2021) (~£475) | Check price at Amazon |
How we test iPads
Just as we do when we’re reviewing smartphones or Android tablets, we generally begin our iPad tests by downloading the Geekbench and GFXbench applications from the Apple App Store. These give us benchmark results for CPU and GPU performance that we can use to compare the iPad to its competitors.
Using DisplayCal software and a display colorimeter, we then measure the screen’s colour accuracy, contrast, black level and peak brightness.
Next, we test the iPad’s battery life. To keep consistency across all devices, we set the brightness to 170cd/m2 (again, using a display colorimeter) and engage aeroplane mode, then we set a looping video running until the iPad powers down. After charging it back up, we’ll record the final timestamp from the video.
For the cameras, we take a variety of photographs, including scenic, low-light and indoor shots, as well as any video recording features. We also test how clear the front-facing lens is, for video call purposes.
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The best Apple iPad you can buy in 2024
1. Apple iPad (2021): Best iPad for most people
Price when reviewed: £319 | Check price at John Lewis
- Great for… advanced FaceTime camera and affordable price
- Not so great for… no USB-C port and not the most powerful
The best 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 are a handful of updates that we feel make it worth upgrading, if not from the previous 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), but it also packs a brand new ultrawide-angle FaceTime HD camera. This allows the iPad to take advantage of Apple’s Centre Stage feature, where the camera follows your face as you move around the room.
That’s not all, however. Apple has also, at long last, brought 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 (2021) review
Key specs – Processor: Hexa-core Apple A13 Bionic; Screen: 10.2in (2,160 x 1,620); Storage: 64GB, 256GB; Size: 174 x 7.5 x 215mm; Weight: 487g; Operating system: iPadOS 16
Also consider: Apple iPad (2022)
While the next iteration of the 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 adaptor 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.
2. Apple iPad Air (M2, 2024): Best-value iPad
Price when reviewed: £749 | Check price at John Lewis
Great for… pro-level performance for considerably less money
Not so great for… middling battery life and only a 60Hz display
The best thing about the latest Apple iPad Air is just how much it has in common with the more expensive Pro line. The lightning-fast M2 chipset is pulled directly from the 2022 iPad Pro, it supports the new Apple Pencil Pro and, for the first time, you can now buy it in a 13in size as well as the more compact 11in. All of this for a few hundred less than its bigger sibling means that the iPad Air (M2, 2024) is the best “pro” level iPad for most people.
The display is vibrant and exceptionally colour-accurate, although the 60Hz refresh rate isn’t great, and it can be combined with the Apple Magic Keyboard to perform as a decent laptop replacement. Battery life, while solid, isn’t as good as the M4 iPad Pro (below), and you don’t get the rich contrast of an OLED panel, either. If you can deal with those shortcomings, however, this is easily the best value-for-money you can get from an iPad right now.
Read our full Apple iPad Air (M2, 2024) review
Key specs – Processor: Octa-core Apple M2; Screen: 2,360 x 1,640 (11in), 2,732 x 2,048 (13in); Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB; Size: 179 x 6.1 x 248mm (11in), 214 x 6.1 x 281mm (13in); Weight: 462g (11in), 617g (13in); Operating system: iPadOS 17
3. Apple iPad Pro (M4, 2024): Best iPad overall
Price when reviewed: £1,249 | Check price at John Lewis
Great for… fantastic OLED display and extensive battery life
Not so great for… extremely expensive but nothing else of note
It’s very expensive, but if you want the best iPad that Apple has to offer, the M4 iPad Pro is the only way to go. It’s the thinnest and lightest Apple tablet to date, with the 13in model measuring just 5.1mm thick and weighing 582g and the 11in model measuring 5.3mm and weighing just 444g. Both models can be combined with the new Magic Keyboard to transform into a powerful laptop replacement – although at this price, the argument to do this instead of getting a MacBook Air is slim.
The iPad Pro’s gorgeous tandem OLED display is wonderfully bright and vibrant, with impressive colour accuracy, making it a creative tool par excellence. The brand-new M4 chipset is, unsurprisingly, incredibly fast, too, but what’s most impressive is the power efficiency. In our looping video test, the M4 iPad Pro lasted 18hrs 13mins, which is seven hours better than its predecessor and three hours better than the M3 MacBook Air 13.6in.
Read our full Apple iPad Pro (M4, 2024) review
Key specs – Processor: Octa-core Apple M4; Screen: 2,420 x 1,668 (11in), 2,752 x 2,064 (13in); Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB; Size: 178 x 5.3 x 250mm (11in), 216 x 5.1 x 282mm (13in); Weight: 444g (11in), 582g (13in); Operating system: iPadOS 17
4. Apple iPad mini (2021): Best iPad for travelling light
Price when reviewed: £499 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… compact design and Apple Pencil 2 support
- Not so great for… mediocre battery life
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 gave 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 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: 135 x 6.3 x 195mm; Weight: 293g; Operating system: iPadOS 16
