The Ultimate iPad Comparison Chart

Which iPad is best for you? Compare all of the models

By
Daniel Nations
Daniel Nations
Daniel Nations
Writer
  • University of Texas at Arlington
Daniel Nations has been a tech journalist since 1994. His work has appeared in Computer Currents, The Examiner, and other publications. He is a developer who has published apps in the Apple App Store, Google Play marketplace and Amazon Appstore; he also has worked as a data analyst and DB administrator.
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Updated on May 7, 2024

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Person deciding between several iPad models

Jo Zixuan Zhou / Lifewire 

While it's easy to decide on an iPad when you want a tablet, it's not as easy to narrow down that choice to a specific model. The iPad lineup is now broken into the Pro level of tablets and the basic iPad models.

What Is the Newest iPad?

Apple announced several new iPads at its Let Loose event on May 7. A welcome change after a quiet 2023 when no new iPads were released. Here's what Apple unveiled in 2024:

The iPad mini (6th generation) was last updated in 2021 and, along with the iPad, uses the A-series processors (also designed by Apple).

Current iPad Lineup Comparison

If you plan to purchase a new iPad, this chart represents the iPad models currently for sale and supported by Apple.

iPad Pro (2024) iPad Air (2024)  iPad Pro (2022) iPad 10 (2022) iPad Mini 6 (2021)
Entry Price $999+ $599+ $799+ $449 $499
CPU Apple M4 Apple M2 Apple M2 A14 Bionic chip with Neural Engine A15 Bionic chip with Neural Engine
Motion Processor Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Resolution 2752x2064 (13-inch) 2420x1688 (11-inch) 2732x2048 (13-inch) 2360x1640 (11-inch) 2732x2048 (12.9-inch) 2388x1668 (11-inch) 2360x1640 2266x1488
Security Face ID Touch ID Face ID Touch ID Touch ID
Display 11- or 13-inch Tandem OLED with ProMotion 11- or 13-inch Liquid Retina LED-backlit with IPS 11- or 12.9-inch IPS LED-backlit with TrueTone 10.9-inch LED-backlit with IPS 8.3-inch LED-backlit with TrueTone
Storage 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB 2TB 128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB 128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB 2 TB 64 GB 256 GB 64 GB 256 GB
Rear Camera 12 MP wide, 4K video, ProRes 12 MP wide, 4K video, 12 MP, 10 MP Ultra Wide, 4K video support 12 MP, 4K video 12 MP, 4K video
Front Camera Landscape 12 MP Ultra Wide with Center Stage and TrueDepth Landscape 12 MP Ultra Wide with Center 12 MP Ultra Wide with Center Stage 12 MP Ultra Wide with Center Stage on landscape side of display 12 MP Ultra Wide
Data Rate Gigabit-class LTE Gigabit-class LTE Gigabit-class LTE Gigabit-class LTE Gigabit-class LTE
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.2 5.0
Connectivity Thunderbolt / USB 4 USB-C Thunderbolt / USB 4 USB-C USB-C
Apple Pencil Pro, Gen 2 Gen 2 Gen 2 Gen 1 Gen 2
GPS Cellular version only Cellular version only Cellular version only Cellular version only Cellular version only

iPad Pro Comparison

The following chart shows the differences between the older lineup of iPad Pro models and the newest. Some of these are still available from the Apple Store or third-party retailers, while others can only be found if you buy a used iPad or a refurbished one.

13-inch iPad Pro (2024) 11-inch iPad Pro (2024) 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2022) 11-inch iPad Pro (2022) 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2021) 11-inch iPad Pro (2021) 12.9 iPad Pro (2020) 11 iPad Pro (2020) 12.9 iPad Pro (2018) 11 iPad Pro (2018)
Entry Price $1299 $999 $1099 $799 $1099 $799 $999 $799 $799 $649
CPU Apple M4 Apple M2 Apple M2 Apple M2 Apple M1 Apple M1 A12Z Bionic chip with Neural Engine A12Z Bionic chip with Neural Engine A12X Bionic chip with Neural Engine A12X Bionic chip with Neural Engine
Motion Processor Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Resolution 2752x2064 2420x1688 2732x2048 2388x1668 2732x2048 2388x1668 2732x2048 2048x1536 2732x2048 2388x1668
Security Face ID Face ID Face ID Face ID Face ID Face ID Face ID Face ID Face ID Face ID
Display 13-inch Tandem OLED Ultra Retina XDR with ProMotion 11-inch Tandem OLED Ultra Retina XDR with ProMotion 12.9-inch IPS LED-backlit with TrueTone, displays qualifies for Apple's requirements of XDR display 11-inch IPS LED-backlit with TrueTone 12.9-inch IPS LED-backlit with TrueTone, displays qualifies for Apple's requirements of XDR display 11-inch IPS LED-backlit with TrueTone 12.9-inch IPS LED-backlit with TrueTone 11-inch IPS LED-backlit with TrueTone 12.9-inch IPS LED-backlit with TrueTone 11-inch IPS LED-backlit with TrueTone
Storage 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB 64 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB 64 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB
Rear Camera 12 MP wide, 4K video, ProRes 12 MP wide, 4K video, ProRes 12 MP, 10 MP Ultra Wide, 4K video support, LiDAR scanner for AR 12 MP, 10 MP Ultra Wide, 4K video support, LiDAR scanner for AR 12 MP, 10 MP Ultra Wide, 4K video support, LiDAR scanner for AR 12 MP, 10 MP Ultra Wide, 4K video support, LiDAR scanner for AR 12 MP (wide); 10 MP (ultrawide) with 4K video support 12 MP (wide); 10 MP (ultrawide) with 4K video support iSight 12 MP with 4K video support iSight 12 MP with 4K video support
Front Camera Landscape 12 MP Ultra Wide with Center Stage and TrueDepth Landscape 12 MP Ultra Wide with Center Stage and TrueDepth 12 MP with Retina Flash 12 MP with Retina Flash 12 MP with Retina Flash 12 MP with Retina Flash 7 MP with Retina Flash 7 MP with Retina Flash 7 MP with Retina Flash 7 MP with Retina Flash
Data Rate Gigabit-class LTE Gigabit-class LTE Gigabit-class LTE Gigabit-class LTE Gigabit-class LTE Gigabit-class LTE Gigabit-class LTE 4G LTE 4G LTE 4G LTE
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi 6 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 4.2 4.2
Siri Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Barometer Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
GPS Cellular version only Cellular version only Cellular version only Cellular version only Cellular version only Cellular version only Cellular version only Cellular version only Assisted AssistedLandscape 12 MP Ultra Wide with Center Stage and TrueDepth

iPad Comparison

The most recent version of the iPad, the 10th generation, was released in 2022. This iPad supports the first general Apple Pencil (and the new Apple Pencil (USB-C) and uses the A14 Bionic processor.

iPad 10 (2022) iPad 9 (2021) iPad 8 (2020) iPad 7 (2018) iPad 6 (2017)
Entry Price $449 $329 $329 $329 $329
CPU A14 Bionic Neural Engine A13 Bionic Neural Engine A12 Bionic Neural Engine 2.34 Ghz Quad-Core 64-bit Apple A10 Fusion 1.85 Ghz Dual-Core 64-bit Apple A9
Resolution 2360‑by‑1640 2160x1620 2160x1620 2048x1536 2048x1536
Touch ID Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Display 10.9 IPS LED-backlit 10.2 IPS LED-backlit 10.2-inch IPS LED-backlit 9.7-inch IPS LED-backlit 9.7-inch IPS LED-backlit
Storage 64 GB 256 GB 64 GB 256 GB 32 GB 128 GB 32 GB 128 GB 32 GB 128 GB
Rear Camera 12MP Wide 8 MP Wide 8 MP iSight 8 MP iSight 8 MP
Front Camera 12 MP Ultra Wide 12 MP Ultra Wide 1.2 MP 720p 720p
Data Rate Gigabit-class LTE Gigabit-class LTE Gigabit-class LTE 4G LTE 4G LTE
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 6 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
MIMO Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Bluetooth 5.2 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.2
Barometer Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
GPS Cellular version only Cellular version only 4G version only 4G version only 4G version only

iPad Air Comparison

The latest version of the iPad Air, the fifth overall, came out in March 2022. It's the first non-Pro iPad to use Apple's M1 chip.

13-inch iPad Air 6 (2024) 11-inch iPad Air 6 (2024) iPad Air 5 (2022) iPad Air 4 (2020) iPad Air 3 (2019) iPad Air 2 (2014) iPad Air (2013)
Entry Price $799 $599 $599 $599 $599 n/a n/a
CPU Apple M2 Apple M2 Apple M1 Apple A14 Bionic A14 Neural Engine 1.5 Ghz Tri-Core 64-bit Apple A8X 1.4 Ghz 64-bit Apple A7
Resolution 2732x2048 2360x1640 2360x1640 2360x1640 2060x1640 2048x1536 2048x1536
Touch ID Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Display 13-inch Liquid Retina LED backlit with IPS 11-inch Liquid Retina LED backlit with IPS 10.9-inch IPS LED-backlit 10.9-inch IPS LED-backlit 10.2-inch IPS LED-backlit 9.7-inch IPS LED-backlit 9.7-inch IPS LED-backlit
Storage 128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB 128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB 64 GB 256 GB 64 GB 256 GB 64 GB 256 GB 16 GB 32 GB 64 GB 128 GB 16 GB 32 GB 64 GB 128 GB
Rear Camera 12 MP wide, 4K video 12 MP wide, 4K video 12 MP Wide 12 MP 12 MP iSight 8 MP iSight 5 MP
Front Camera Landscape 12 MP Ultra Wide with Center Stage Landscape 12 MP Ultra Wide with Center Stage 12 MP Ultra-Wide 7 MP 7 MP 720p 720p
Data Rate Gigabit-class LTE Gigabit-class LTE 5G NR GSM LTE Gigabit-class LTE 4G LTE 4G LTE
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 6E 802.11 Wi-Fi 6 802.11 Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n
MIMO Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Bluetooth 5.3 5.3 5.0 5.0 5.0 4 4
Barometer Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
GPS Cellular version only Cellular version only iBeacon iBeacon 4G version only 4G version only 4G version only

iPad Mini Comparison

The iPad Mini 6 came out in 2021, and it's the biggest "small" iPad Apple has made.

iPad Mini 6 (2021) iPad Mini 5 (2020) iPad Mini 4 (2015) iPad Mini 3 (2014) iPad Mini 2 (2013) iPad Mini (2012)
Entry Price $499 $399 n/a n/a n/a n/a
CPU A15 Bionic chip with Neural Engine A12 Bionic chip with Neural Engine 1.5 Ghz 64-bit Apple A8 1.29 Ghz 64-bit Apple A7 1.29 Ghz 64-bit Apple A7 1 Ghz Dual-Core Apple A5
Motion Processor Yes Yes M8 M7 M7 None
Resolution 2266x1488 2048x1536 2048x1536 2048x1536 2048x1536 1024x768
Touch ID Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Display 8.3-inch LED-backlit with TrueTone 7.9-inch LED-backlit with TrueTone 7.9-inch IPS LED-backlit 7.9-inch IPS LED-backlit 7.9-inch IPS LED-backlit 7.9-inch IPS LED-backlit
Storage 64 GB, 256 GB 64 GB, 256 GB 128 GB 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB
Rear Camera 12 MP, 1080p video 8 MP, 1080p video iSight 8 MP iSight 5 MP iSight 5 MP iSight 5 MP
Front Camera 12 MP with Retina Flash 7 MP with Retina Flash 720p 720p 720p 720p
Data Rate Gigabit-class LTE Gigabit-class LTE 4G LTE 4G LTE 4G LTE 4G LTE
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n 802.11 a/b/g/n 802.11 a/b/g/n
MIMO Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Bluetooth 5.0 5.0 4 4 4 4
Barometer Yes Yes No No No No
GPS Cellular version only Cellular version only Cellular version only Cellular version only Cellular version only Cellular version only

Vintage and Obsolete iPad Models

Apple designates as vintage the iPad models it has not sold for the last 5 to 7 years. These models no longer receive software support but are eligible for hardware service from Apple.

The iPad models discontinued over seven years ago are designated as obsolete by Apple. These no longer receive any service for software or hardware.

Is your iPad obsolete? To find out, read our article on obsolete and outdated iPad models.

FAQ

  • What's the difference between an iPad and a tablet?

    The iPad is a tablet, but it's the only one that runs on the iPadOS operating system. Tablets from other companies like Google and Samsung typically run on Android. The iPad also uses Apple's proprietary hardware, such as the powerful M1 chip found in the 2021 iPad Pro.


  • Which iPad should I buy?

    It entirely depends on your needs. Are you looking for a device just to watch movies and read books? You're probably fine with the base model iPad or iPad Air. Are you a creative professional or looking for a potential laptop replacement? Then, you might want an iPad Pro.

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