A lot has changed since the first iPads. iPads have moved to iPadOS – their own operating system, adapted to work with tablets. Now it’s possible to connect a keyboard and a mouse to the devices to use them almost like computers. With these gadgets, you can do everything from gambling at betchan.com/de to editing videos and creating your own apps.
Apple also changed its positioning: Apple introduced the iPad Pro, which with a keyboard costs more than the MacBook Air, moved the tablet to the “desktop” processor M1 and upgraded all other models, including the mini.
iPads are now available in a wide range for all purposes and tastes. Here are the best models in 2022.
iPad Pro M1 (2021)
The senior model iPad Pro – first of all the device for professionals who need the highest class display. The key advantage of the model is the technological screen: it’s brighter, contrasts and conveys colors better than the younger iPads. The display will be fully appreciated by everyone who needs to work with content: artists, photographers and editors.
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is the only device in the lineup with Liquid Retina XDR display. The marketing term hides the mini-LED technology – a method of backlighting the screen, when each pixel has three LEDs instead of one.
For comparison, in peak mode, this display produces up to 1600 nits of brightness, and the screens of other iPads – 500-600. This is especially noticeable in the sun: the iPad Pro 12.9-inch version is one of the few gadgets you can safely use outdoors on the clearest of days. In iPad Pro with a screen diagonal of 11 inches is a standard IPS-matrix, it can not boast of such brightness.
Another, even more significant effect of mini-LED – very high contrast. In contrast to conventional IPS matrices, the iPad Pro 12.9 screen can be illuminated differently in different areas. The contrast of the Pro display is 1,000,000:1, while the Air display has 1,356:1. This is useful not only when working with content, but also while watching movies: in HDR, the tablet will not highlight the darkest areas of the picture at all, and the brightest will be highlighted to the maximum. This adds to the naturalness of what is happening on the screen, because the human eye is best perceived by a more contrasting image.
The third feature of the display is the refresh rate of 120 Hz. It seems to be a small thing, but it’s important if you are drawing on a tablet or playing online games. The display is extremely responsive, there is no lag – you draw as if you were drawing on real paper. Moreover, the increased Hertzian speed greatly transforms the interaction with the interface: menus and pages in the browser are scrolled through smoothly. 120 Hz is available in both the 12.9″ and 11″ versions.
Basic iPad (2021)
Apple’s most affordable classic tablet, it continues to be updated and re-released annually. The model has the same design: the massive frame and the “Home” button with Touch ID remained. At the same time in the basic iPad is a good display – IPS-matrix with LED-backlight, which is installed in more advanced and expensive models of Air.
In terms of pixel density per inch, the display of the base iPad is not inferior to either the Air or Pro, and the screen resolution of 2160 × 1620 pixels is only slightly behind them. There are no problems with the clarity or detail of the image: the screen is quite bright and contrasty, and pixels are visible only up close.
For some, the thickened frame and the home button will even be an advantage. The basic iPad is easier to pick up so as not to leave traces on the screen. And the Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the round key is still a sleek and fairly secure way to unlock.
Other features of the model are the iPhone 11’s A13 processor, support for the first-generation Apple Pencil, and the weakest camera in the lineup. But if the tablet is not your only device, you don’t plan to shoot a lot on it and run demanding apps, these nuances are unlikely to become an obstacle for you.
Basic model is more than enough for documents in Microsoft Office, popular online games like World Of Tanks: Blitz and watching movies. For the iPad you can buy a special case-keyboard Smart Keyboard from Apple – with it, it will be able to work professionally with the text. But the case has a disadvantage: in the folded form it doesn’t cover the tablet completely, only the screen.
Basic iPad also supports Apple Pencil first generation pen: the device can take notes in a hurry or draw simple sketches. But professionals may not have enough responsiveness of the screen – with a frequency of 60 Hz the image is updated with an apparent delay.
The base model is in many ways a compromise device, but the concessions made it also the cheapest iPad. In terms of price to features ratio it’s an excellent purchase, a great gift for a person who has not yet had an iPad or other Apple gadgets, and just a suitable tablet for basic tasks.
iPad Air (2020)
The Air is a universal model in the lineup and a good choice in terms of price to performance ratio. The device falls short of the Pro in several parameters, but in everything else it is not inferior. There’s no ultra-wide-angle camera and LiDAR depth sensor, and the display refresh rate is limited to 60Hz instead of 120Hz. There’s also no Face ID to unlock the screen by face, but there is Touch ID built into the side power button. This is convenient and familiar in its own way.
In this case, the tablets are very similar in appearance, they can be distinguished by the power button: the Air has a glass button to read a fingerprint. And also by the colors of the body: the Air line offers a greater choice of colors, while the Pro are sold in more austere, classic shades.
The Air is suitable for copywriters, media editors, students and freelancers in remote work. You can even edit photos with the iPad version of Photoshop or work with video through apps like LumaFusion. But for this it is better to use a screen larger than 11 inches, and the Air is more for working with texts and consuming content.
iPad Mini (2021)
iPad mini is primarily a pocket device. It’s hard to print large amounts of text because the display is too compact. But it’s comfortable to communicate in social networks, as well as to make short or medium publications.
It’s a tablet for people who need to jot down quick notes, almost without wasting time looking for the device in the bag. A good reader for people who like to read on the subway or in cafes. And a tool for games and leisure that fits in your jacket pocket. You can give it to a child or teenager as one of the first devices of their own.
The tablet isn’t a substitute for a smartphone – it’s a different product category. iPad mini works on iPadOS: supports multiple windows Split View and Apple Pencil, and the latest generation – the second. The model may be suitable for those who do not have an iPhone, or those who want a little more features, but about the same portability.
One of the disadvantages of the mini is the “jelly” effect on the screen, which appears when you flip through the pages. One part of the display seems to move faster than the other when the picture changes rapidly. This is a feature of LCDs that update the image line by line. Not critical, but may have to get used to it. If you are looking at the mini, try it on the stand in the store first.
Another drawback is not the most advanced camera, similar in characteristics to the sensor in the iPhone XR. It’s enough for good daytime and acceptable night shots, but you should not expect anything impressive.
The new mini stands out with its processor: it received the same A15 as the current iPhone 13 at the time of the material release. This will give it at least another five or six years of iPadOS updates and a decent performance reserve even for demanding apps.
