Air, mini, Pro or the simple iPad? Finding the right Apple tablet is no longer that easy. We'll help you find the right iPad for you.
iPad 2018: The perfect entry-level tablet
iPad mini 5: The little big tablet
The iPad mini offers significantly more performance than the iPad from 2018. Apple only unveiled the device in spring 2019. Compared to the original from 2012, the form factor has hardly changed. This tablet also has the most important components: Lightning connector, headphone jack and fingerprint sensor. What sets the iPad apart from the others is its size. As the name suggests, the iPad mini is the smallest of all Apple tablets with a display diagonal of 7.9 inches.
Thanks to its powerful features, the iPad mini is up to all tasks from email processing to video editing. Even the most complex games are no problem for the small tablet. Thanks to its form factor and weight, it not only fits in almost any bag, it is also ideal as a (power-hungry) e-book reader. The only thing I personally find difficult is working for longer periods of time on the small screen.
iPad Air: the golden mean
The new iPad Air was presented together with the iPad mini and offers the same performance as the small tablet with the A12 Bionic. Touch ID, lightning and headphone connection are also included. However, with a diagonal of 10.5 inches, the screen is significantly larger than that of the iPad mini and the normal iPad. However, the thin edges on the left and right make it appear only slightly larger than the entry-level device.
The iPad Air is also available with 64 and 256 gigabytes of memory as a WLAN and LTE version. If you are looking for a tablet that you want to use to write longer texts or that will at least partially replace your notebook, for example when travelling, then definitely go for the model with more memory.
iPad Pro: the high-end model
You can also choose the screen size of the iPad Pro. You can get it with an 11-inch or 12.9-inch display. You should think carefully about which version you want before buying. The large iPad no longer fits in a tablet compartment in your rucksack.
You have much more choice when it comes to storage than with the other iPads. The Pro tablets are available with 64, 256, 512 gigabytes or one terabyte of memory. With the additional option of connecting external storage media, the iPad Pro is the closest you can get to completely replacing a notebook. These devices are suitable for you if you already own an iPad and are sure that you want to replace your notebook with a tablet.
After finishing my dust-dry teaching degree early, I actually wanted to work in radio. Along the way, I just wanted to get a brief taste of the tech field. That was over seven years ago.
A few years ago, it was much easier to find the right iPad for you. Users had the choice between the model with and without mobile communications in various storage variants. With the iPad mini, another display size was added in 2012. Things are now a little more complicated. You can currently choose between five iPads, some of which have completely different features and cater to very different needs. Here I show you where the devices differ and which iPad is worthwhile for whom.
First things first: All the iPads mentioned here work with the Apple Pencil. The normal iPad as well as the iPad Air and iPad mini are compatible with the first version of the pencil, while the two current iPad Pro models only work with the second-generation Apple Pencil. All devices are also equipped for the future. Each of the iPads will receive the update to iOS 13 or the tablet-optimised iPadOS in September. You will therefore be able to enjoy all the software innovations for the iPad, such as the new home screen or improved multitasking.
If you're looking for a tablet for surfing on the couch, checking and occasionally writing emails or playing games and watching series on the go, you should take a closer look at the iPad 2018 (or iPad 6th generation). Apple unveiled the device in spring 2018 as part of an educational event. Schools in the USA can purchase it at a discounted price and use it in their classes. It is also currently the cheapest iPad alternative in Europe. You don't have to be a pupil for this.
The build quality is extremely high. The device is modelled almost one-to-one on the first edition of the iPad Air from 2013. There are no surprises in terms of design: The casing is made of aluminium, has a clean finish and has the high-quality feel typical of Apple. The Touch ID fingerprint sensor is on board to protect the device from unauthorised access, and there is a Lightning connector as well as a headphone socket, which is becoming increasingly rare these days. The only disadvantage compared to other iPads is that the display is not laminated. This means that there is a cavity between the glass and the display, which you will notice when tapping on the icons even if you have already held another iPad in your hand. If not, you will hardly notice this fact.
Technically, the tablet also differs from the other devices in a few ways. The resolution of the 9.7-inch Retina display with 2048 x 1536 pixels is high enough that you can't recognise individual pixels. However, you will have to do without the True Tone technology on this iPad, which ensures that screen content adapts better to the ambient light and looks more natural thanks to a dynamic white balance. It can't quite keep up with the other devices in terms of performance either. The built-in A10 Fusion processor comes from the iPhone 7, but the working speed is still so high that you can easily use two apps side by side in split screen or play games like the popular "Fortnite" with it.
Important for the purchase decision: The iPad is available in two versions, one with and one without mobile communications, each with 32 or 128 gigabytes of memory. If you already know in advance that you want to install lots of apps and download films, series and eBooks on the go, it's better to go for the larger version. As with all other Apple tablets, you cannot expand the memory of the 2018 iPad using a microSD card. Apart from that, the iPad is still unrivalled in its price range.
But don't let that fool you. Because the aluminium casing hides high performance. With the "A12 Bionic" processor from the iPhone Xs series, the manufacturer has installed one of the fastest chips available. In addition, the display not only impresses with its high resolution and good colour reproduction, it also offers True Tone technology and is laminated (like the iPad Air and Pro). This makes it feel almost as if you are touching the pixels directly when using it.
All in all, the iPad mini is currently the best tablet in this size range. Not only because there are hardly any alternatives with Android, but above all because Apple has equipped it with the latest technology in many areas. It is suitable for you if you don't have a smartphone that is too big and are looking for an ultra-portable tablet that you can take with you wherever you go. The iPad mini is available with and without LTE with 64 or 256 gigabytes of memory. Even the smaller version is enough to store a few seasons of your favourite series or a few films for longer trips.
Aside from the screen area, the iPad Air differs significantly from the iPad mini in one respect: there is a Smart Connector on the right-hand side. This allows you to use the iPad Air with external keyboards such as Apple's Smart Cover or the Logitech Slim Combo. The advantage: unlike with a Bluetooth keyboard, you don't have to switch on Bluetooth and go through a setup process first. All you have to do is plug in the keyboard for the tablet to recognise it. The power comes from the iPad.
This makes the iPad Air ideal for employees to work with the iPadOS that will be released in late summer. Multitasking is no problem thanks to the powerful hardware - and if you like, you can even connect a Bluetooth mouse via the accessibility features. For me, this makes the iPad Air the perfect hybrid of work device and entertainment machine. Thanks to the large, colourful and high-contrast display with True Tone support, media content is always shown to its best advantage. It hasn't replaced my notebook one-to-one, but I can now leave it at home more often thanks to the installed beta version of iPadOS.
The current "iPad Pro" models are a completely different kettle of fish. They are technically much better equipped and also look much more modern than the other Apple tablets. This is because the devices do not have a fingerprint sensor. Instead, the manufacturer has installed the TrueDepth camera known from the iPhone X(s) with Face ID facial recognition. Because TouchID is no longer required, Apple has the opportunity to significantly minimise the display edges once again. You can't call it completely borderless here, but the Pro devices do look more stylish than the Air and mini.
The screens are not only larger, they also have a few special features compared to the other tablets. ProMotion technology is used here. This Apple term refers to a high refresh rate of up to 120 Hertz, which, among other things, ensures that the display reacts even faster to inputs. This benefits the Apple Pencil in particular, which should make drawing feel even more realistic. According to the manufacturer, the refresh rate also automatically adapts to the display and the movements of the content. This makes scrolling in the browser, for example, feel as smooth as butter. The rounded corners of the display are another nice little detail. You can charge the Apple Pencil directly on the iPad via induction. A magnetic device ensures that you don't lose the pencil.
In terms of performance, no other device can match the iPad Pro: The A12X Bionic, currently Apple's fastest processor, is at work inside. In benchmark comparisons, the devices leave many a MacBook behind. You will have to do without a headphone socket on the Pro models. Instead, there is only a USB-C port. This has the advantage that you can also connect other hardware to the iPad. With the right cable, for example, it is possible to transfer images from a camera directly to the iPad via a PC or Mac without any intermediate steps.
With iPadOS, the iPad Pro also recognises external storage media such as hard drives. With the revised Files app, you can then navigate through the directories, import data or open and edit it directly. That's where the Mac feeling comes in. You can also connect USB-C screens to the iPads. Normally, the image from the iPad is then simply mirrored. However, some apps such as Apple Keynote also use the external display as an extended screen. The Pro tablets also have a Smart Connector for compatible keyboards.
