Having a hard time deciding which iPad to get? There are plenty of factors worth considering: Do you want to get the cheapest? The largest? The most powerful? Lucky for you, we’ve compiled all the latest models of the iPad, iPad Mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro below with their corresponding prices, sizes, and specifications. What’s more, they’re all available at awesome discounted prices on Best Buy. Read on to find out which one suits you best.
IPAD MINI
– $330, was $530
The iPad Mini sports a nearly identical design to its predecessor. The bezels are still as chunky as ever, which is baffling considering the rest of the world’s gadgets, including the iPad Pro, have moved on from this outdated design trend. Nevertheless, the iPad Mini is still the best tablet that you can get for its size. It offers speedy performance, fluid software, and a gorgeous display. It’s also the most affordable option in Apple’s tablet lineup. Right now, you can purchase the iPad Mini with 64GB of memory on Best Buy for $330 instead of $530 – that’s a whopping $200 worth of savings.
Despite the lack of an edge-to-edge screen, the iPad Mini’s Retina display with a 2,048 x 1,536 resolution looks great, with sharp details and vibrant colors, and images appear completely natural, thanks to Apple’s True Tone technology. The home button below also serves as the Touch ID lock, and it’s very responsive even for users who have already gotten used to the convenience of Face ID. This tablet is powered by the same chip that’s inside Apple’s latest iPhones — the A12 Bionic processor — which is still one of the fastest mobile processors on the market. It won’t perform as well as the latest iPad Pro’s A12X Bionic chip, but it’s still impressively fast. If you’re looking to do some light editing work on Adobe Photoshop or Premiere Rush, you won’t encounter any problems, although the tiny screen might be an issue.
Unfortunately, the iPad Mini lacks Smart Keyboard support, which means you’ll need to buy a third-party keyboard case (or a detached Bluetooth keyboard) if you want use it for writing. At least it now supports the first-gen Apple Pencil, which was only compatible with the iPad Pro back then (the second-gen remains exclusive with the iPad Pro). This makes the iPad Mini great for drawing and taking down notes.
With a tiny 7.9-inch screen and a product weight of just 0.66 pounds, the iPad Mini is ideal for those who travel a lot and don’t want their hands to grow weary with prolonged use. Get one for $330 on Best Buy today.
IPAD
– $360, was $430
The standard iPad’s bezels are still obscenely large (slimming them down would have made it look a tad more contemporary), but this tablet now boasts a bigger 10.2-inch screen compared to the previous model’s 9.7-inch display. In comparison, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S5e’s trimmed bezels look fetchingly modern, and so do those of the iPad Pro. None of this means that the iPad feels cheap, though. It has a nice substantial weight to it, plus it sports a 100% recycled aluminum enclosure which is good for the environment. Instead of Face ID, which remains exclusive to the iPad Pro and the latest iPhones, you get Touch ID, although that’s not exactly a deal-breaker for most users. What sets this apart from the older iPad 9.7 is support for the Smart Connector so you can use it with Apple’s Smart Keyboard (sold separately).
As mentioned earlier, this device offers a slight increase in screen size. The LCD panel’s pixel density is the same at 264 pixels per inch, although it looks sharp, and is colorful and very bright. And thankfully the headphone jack has not been removed, unlike the iPad Pro. You don’t have to go hunting for a 3.5mm-to-Lightning jack once your Bluetooth headphones lose power.
Strangely, the iPad 10.2 didn’t get a processor upgrade, unlike the cheaper iPad Mini which now boasts the A12 Bionic chipset. However, this tablet’s A10 Fusion processor still packs plenty of power. Multitasking with several apps open won’t be an issue, and navigating the new iPadOS is buttery smooth. The previous iPads ran with just a slightly altered version of the iOS, but the iPadOS is an entirely different beast. You’ve got the ability to use multiple apps in the Slide Over menu, a revamped home screen layout that includes the Today View widgets, desktop-grade Safari, and multi-window apps. You can now even use Split View on the same app, like having two Google Docs open side-by-side.
The first-gen Apple Pencil is compatible with this iPad, and it remains an excellent and responsive tool. There’s still no way of storing it, though, unlike the second-gen Apple Pencil which magnetically attaches to the iPad Pro, and it’s still in danger of snapping in half every time you charge it through the Lightning port. Finally, the battery life was pretty good. You’d be able to use the iPad for a maximum of three days with intermittent use, or a full workday if you’re going to use it as your primary device.
Despite its shortcomings, the iPad 10.2 is an excellent tablet that’s powerful, has a fantastic operating system, and serves up solid battery life. At $360 on Best Buy, $70 less than its original price of $430, this is the best tablet that you can buy on a limited budget.
IPAD AIR
– $430, was $630
The iPad Air sits in the middle of the iPad line, the ultimate compromise between the entry-level iPads and the more powerful, but more expensive iPad Pro. Despite being a few hundred bucks cheaper than the iPad Pro, the iPad Air still boasts several high-end features that might convince you to get it instead, including Smart Keyboard and first-gen Apple Pencil compatibility.
Design-wise, the iPad Air is safe and uninspiring compared to the stunningly modern iPad Pro. The bezels surrounding the 10.5-inch screen remain obnoxiously large, although you’ll be pleased to know that the headphone jack remains intact unlike with the iPad Pro. Face ID has become the norm with recent iOS devices, but the iPad Air still utilizes Touch ID. That’s not exactly a bad thing, plus you don’t have to lift this tablet to unlock it.
One of the best things about the iPad Air is its 10.5-inch LCD screen. It has a pixel resolution of 2,224 x 1,668 and a wider color gamut support, offering crisp details and more colors for a richer viewing experience. The screen supports True Tone Display as well, resulting in a more natural-looking picture. Furthermore, Apple has added stereo speakers to this tablet that are surprisingly loud and well-balanced.
Just like the iPad Mini, iPhone XS, and iPhone XR, the iPad Air is powered by the A12 Bionic chip. Zipping through numerous apps and multitasking proved fast and seamless, and small touches like the Split View and the Dock make the tablet experience even more convenient.
Want to expand the iPad Air’s capabilities to cover more work much faster and efficiently? You’ll be glad to know that this tablet works with the Smart Keyboard and first-gen Apple Pencil (both sold separately). This enables you to bang out some light typing jobs or get creative with doodling and sketching. And with a battery life of up to 10 hours, it can keep you powered for a full workday with medium usage.
The Apple iPad Air is a fantastic alternative to the iPad Pro if you don’t have the budget for it. Get one with 64GB of internal memory at a huge $200 less on Best Buy. Instead of its usual hefty price of $630, take it home for $430.
IPAD PRO
– $800
If you’re looking for something powerful to replace your laptop take a look at the 11-inch iPad Pro, our choice for the best tablet of 2019. It’s currently on sale on Best Buy for $800.
Appearance-wise, the iPad Pro keeps up with the current design trend seen in most electronic devices, the iPad Pro’s bezels are slim and symmetrical. Although it feels massive in terms of size, it is lightweight enough to use with one hand (well, almost). Just like the iPhone X, the home button is now missing. Unlocking the screen is done through Face ID, and you have to navigate the interface through swiping and gestures. In portrait orientation, you’ll find the power button and the volume rocker on the right edge. Unfortunately, just like the latest iPhone, this one, too, doesn’t have an audio jack.
Its 11-inch Retina LED display has a 2,388 x 1,668-pixel resolution and is breathtaking. Images look super sharp, colors are vibrant, and it gets plenty bright even when outdoors. However, the blacks aren’t as deep as the OLED display on the iPhone XS, but it’s still stunningly gorgeous. It supports HDR content and has a 120hz screen refresh rate, so watching videos and working on this tablet is an absolute blast. Battery life is one of its strong suits. On a single charge, the iPad Pro can easily last the whole day with normal usage.
The iPad Pro is a workhorse of a portable device. It is powered by the powerful A12X Bionic processor. Playing graphically demanding iPad Pro games was fast and fluid, and Apple even claims the chip can process graphical input better than the Xbox One. Multi-tasking also wasn’t an issue, as the iPad Pro can deftly handle heavy programs like Photoshop with relative ease. While you might still want a desktop or laptop to run other programs, the iPad Pro is the best for professionals compared to the iPad Mini, iPad, and iPad Air.
Probably the biggest draw to the iPad Pro is its exclusive compatibility with the 2nd-gen Apple Pencil. The other iPads only support the 1st-gen Apple Pencil, which you have to plug into the Lighting port to charge and is always in danger of snapping in half. The Apple Pencil 2, on the other hand, can be charged wirelessly and magnetically attaches onto the frame of the iPad Pro.
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