If you're here to ask "what iPad should I buy?" read this first!
There have been a lot of threads asking about iPad options in the run-up to the new academic year, so I thought I'd provide a bit of a breakdown of who should be buying what sort of iPad depending on your planned usage.
"I want an iPad as a secondary device to my laptop for basic tasks like note taking, web browsing, playing media, and I am budget conscious"
Get the current generation of plain iPad, the 10th generation as it is called on Apple's website. It's every bit as good as the next step-up option, the iPad Air, for most of these lightweight tasks- the screen is the same size, resolution and brightness, the cameras and connectivity are identical, they have the same fingerprint sensor and very similar designs, and they both support the current Type C equipped Apple pencil for note taking. The iPad Air has perks like more power and support for the Apple Pencil Pro, but these are not going to be relevant factors over the lifetime of the iPad's time in your hands if your usage never goes beyond the casual tasks listed here, and the price difference is enough to fund at least a few nights of your Fresher's Week drinking.
"That's what I want, but I want something smaller and lighter"
Get the iPad Mini, the screen is slightly smaller than an A5 notebook compared the iPad and iPad Air that come in slightly smaller than A4, and it's about 40% lighter. Contrary to the name, the iPad Air is barely lighter than the base iPad at all- it's 3.2% lighter, which is 15 grams, which is less than the weight of a Cadburys Freddo the Frog chocolate bar.
That's what I want, but I want something with a bigger screen
Get the 13" iPad Air, it's the biggest iPad you can get without breaking into four-figure price points. You are paying literally double the cost of the base iPad now though, so that extra screen space for larger media and notes better be very important to you!
"An iPad is going to be an important part of my course/job/hobbies, which involve more intensive applications like creative tools or graphically demanding games"
The jump to the iPad Air and iPad Pro actually make sense here- the sibstantially more powerful processors will definitely make the use of creative suites like Adobe or CAD software run significantly more smoothly as well as drastically decreasing export times, and the Apple Pencil Pro is a far more versatile tool in applications that can utilise its functionality. As for which to choose, they're very much on a sliding scale in line with price- they will all do the same things, the Pro models will just do them faster than the Airs, and 13" models will be easier to do work on than 11" ones. Although the display is a substantial improvement on the Pro models- it uses an OLED screen for drastically better image quality and contrast, and the high refresh rate will make doing anything on the tablet feel smoother. This is all going to be especially important to visual artists, photo/videographers, or those looking for the best media/gaming experience.
"I don't have a laptop, so I want the iPad to be my primary study tool, although I won't be using my iPad for anything specific to my course/degree"
Get a laptop, seriously. If you can only have one device and you won't benefit from the touch-based utility a tablet brings for your studies or hobbies, a laptop is going to be the better device for you in the long run. This is in large part due to the keyboard- it doesn't look quite as cool to be taking notes on your laptop as it does to be writing away on a screen with a fancy stylus, but when it comes to the essays and dissertations that will take up so much of your academic lives, you'll be glad a proper keyboard with a full range of hinge movement, well spaced keys, proper key travel, a big trackpad and all the extra buttons that a stripped down tablet keyboard cover won't have.
"Using a tablet will be critical to my studies and I want one device I can use with flexibility, or I am simply hellbent on only having a single device and I want to be able to change how I use it"
Get an iPad Pro with the Magic Keyboard, it's the closest thing out there to a "proper" keyboard in terms of the range of keys and the keys are less fatiguing to type on for extended periods of time when essays read their ugly heads. Just bare in mind that for the price of a 13" iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard, you could get a far more versatile combination of MacBook Air with a supplementary iPad in varying combinations, that would get you the best of both worlds.
"I'm an Android/Windows user, what about us?"
Honestly, iPads are often the best tablets you can buy regardless of whether you're already in Apple's ecosystem or not. Hardware and performance are always among the best you can get at any given price point, the stylus functionality is only rivalled by Samsung's S Pen equipped models, and nothing can hold a candle to iPad OS when it comes to the range and quality of tablet optimised apps. But if you did want to stay away from fruit based manufacturers, Samsung's Tab S range and Microsoft's Surface lines are the best options for Android and Windows based tablets respectively, while Lenovo, OnePlus and Xiaomi make a range of great options at lower price points.
"I want an iPad as a secondary device to my laptop for basic tasks like note taking, web browsing, playing media, and I am budget conscious"
Get the current generation of plain iPad, the 10th generation as it is called on Apple's website. It's every bit as good as the next step-up option, the iPad Air, for most of these lightweight tasks- the screen is the same size, resolution and brightness, the cameras and connectivity are identical, they have the same fingerprint sensor and very similar designs, and they both support the current Type C equipped Apple pencil for note taking. The iPad Air has perks like more power and support for the Apple Pencil Pro, but these are not going to be relevant factors over the lifetime of the iPad's time in your hands if your usage never goes beyond the casual tasks listed here, and the price difference is enough to fund at least a few nights of your Fresher's Week drinking.
"That's what I want, but I want something smaller and lighter"
Get the iPad Mini, the screen is slightly smaller than an A5 notebook compared the iPad and iPad Air that come in slightly smaller than A4, and it's about 40% lighter. Contrary to the name, the iPad Air is barely lighter than the base iPad at all- it's 3.2% lighter, which is 15 grams, which is less than the weight of a Cadburys Freddo the Frog chocolate bar.
That's what I want, but I want something with a bigger screen
Get the 13" iPad Air, it's the biggest iPad you can get without breaking into four-figure price points. You are paying literally double the cost of the base iPad now though, so that extra screen space for larger media and notes better be very important to you!
"An iPad is going to be an important part of my course/job/hobbies, which involve more intensive applications like creative tools or graphically demanding games"
The jump to the iPad Air and iPad Pro actually make sense here- the sibstantially more powerful processors will definitely make the use of creative suites like Adobe or CAD software run significantly more smoothly as well as drastically decreasing export times, and the Apple Pencil Pro is a far more versatile tool in applications that can utilise its functionality. As for which to choose, they're very much on a sliding scale in line with price- they will all do the same things, the Pro models will just do them faster than the Airs, and 13" models will be easier to do work on than 11" ones. Although the display is a substantial improvement on the Pro models- it uses an OLED screen for drastically better image quality and contrast, and the high refresh rate will make doing anything on the tablet feel smoother. This is all going to be especially important to visual artists, photo/videographers, or those looking for the best media/gaming experience.
"I don't have a laptop, so I want the iPad to be my primary study tool, although I won't be using my iPad for anything specific to my course/degree"
Get a laptop, seriously. If you can only have one device and you won't benefit from the touch-based utility a tablet brings for your studies or hobbies, a laptop is going to be the better device for you in the long run. This is in large part due to the keyboard- it doesn't look quite as cool to be taking notes on your laptop as it does to be writing away on a screen with a fancy stylus, but when it comes to the essays and dissertations that will take up so much of your academic lives, you'll be glad a proper keyboard with a full range of hinge movement, well spaced keys, proper key travel, a big trackpad and all the extra buttons that a stripped down tablet keyboard cover won't have.
"Using a tablet will be critical to my studies and I want one device I can use with flexibility, or I am simply hellbent on only having a single device and I want to be able to change how I use it"
Get an iPad Pro with the Magic Keyboard, it's the closest thing out there to a "proper" keyboard in terms of the range of keys and the keys are less fatiguing to type on for extended periods of time when essays read their ugly heads. Just bare in mind that for the price of a 13" iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard, you could get a far more versatile combination of MacBook Air with a supplementary iPad in varying combinations, that would get you the best of both worlds.
"I'm an Android/Windows user, what about us?"
Honestly, iPads are often the best tablets you can buy regardless of whether you're already in Apple's ecosystem or not. Hardware and performance are always among the best you can get at any given price point, the stylus functionality is only rivalled by Samsung's S Pen equipped models, and nothing can hold a candle to iPad OS when it comes to the range and quality of tablet optimised apps. But if you did want to stay away from fruit based manufacturers, Samsung's Tab S range and Microsoft's Surface lines are the best options for Android and Windows based tablets respectively, while Lenovo, OnePlus and Xiaomi make a range of great options at lower price points.
(edited 1 year ago)
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- Laptop vs iPad for university
- I Got Full Marks in my English Lit GCSE - AMA!
- Does anyone have any organisation tips for Sixth Form? Sorry it's quite long lol
- Quick Question for the Modern Languages and Cultures Students
- Uni first year
- mocks!! what are the best ways to answer English Literature paper 2?
- I dont get english lit
- Science / biology Equivalency tests
- GCSE English Literature Study Group 2025-26!!
- Essays
- A-Level AQA English Literature B Help x
- Medicine- should I get an ipad?
- Architecture degree September 2024
- Which supplies would you recommend for someone beginning Geography BA?
- is it too late?
- Should i get an ipad for uni?
- Motivational quote for every day!
- GCSE Advice
- A level English Literature Coursework Tips
- GCSE edquas English lit
Latest
Trending
Last reply 3 months ago
Best value for money laptop for aerospace engineering student?Last reply 4 months ago
Best laptop for students, Expert recommendations to chooseLast reply 4 months ago
Need to know computer specification for Computer Science DurhamLast reply 4 months ago
Please suggest me a laptop for aerospace engineeringHow The Student Room is moderated
To keep The Student Room safe for everyone, we moderate posts that are added to the site.
