hey guys I‘m tom of techchap and
in front of me here i have every new iPad you can buy
from the smallest iPad mini uh to actually the cheapest iPad which is just called the iPad
which starts at 329 pounds uh then we have the air
and then the two brand spanking new pro models complete with the m1 chip
and also on the 12.9 the mini led screen
so which is best which should you buy
well it's a tough question because the price is there's quite a big range
we go from the 329 iPad
up to over two and a half grand for a top spec pro 12.9
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okay first question why actually buy an iPad
well for me whichever one you go for
i reckon the iPad is still the best tablet you can buy for a couple of reasons
but the big one really is the app store
it's the sheer number and also importantly the quality of iPad optimize apps
that i think sets this apart from rivals
you can still have a great experience on something like the galaxy tab from samsung
but if i was going to go out and buy a new tablet i would pick one of these
but it's also not just about watching netflix or browsing the web
these are great tools for kids for students for productivity and work
and obviously you can pair it with something
like the apple pencil if you fancy doing some doodling or drawing
or a keyboard I really really love the magic keyboard
it is quite expensive actually but if you can stretch your budget
and you're buying an air or a pro i highly recommend this
we'll talk more about it in a second
and with these you can turn your iPad into a proper almost laptop replacement
i say almost because obviously now we do have iPad os 15.
it's in beta right now i've got it installed in the sort of preview modes here
although it won't be coming out till September properly
but unfortunately as a lot of us had hoped
we're not seeing any proper sort of desktop applications coming to the iPads
it was a bit of a reach i guess
but since the new pros do come with the m1 chip
which is in the new macbooks and the imac
it wasn't that much of a stretch maybe to think
that we'd have some more professional level applications on here
but sadly not
so first of all the iPad now gets proper iPhone style widgets on the home screen
and not just in this sidebar like before
this is still running the older software just for comparison
we also get this new app library which is permanently docked at the bottom
and this automatically categorizes your apps into easy to access folders
which you can then access from the dock
there's also a new multitasking menu
that helps you uh split apps more easily
and generally it's just a bit of a sort of quality of life improvement
rather than anything revolutionary
there are a few other tweaks and changes
but so this video isn't like an hour long
let's move on and actually talk abou the differences
between the iPads and then eventually which one you should actually buy
so right now there's five different new models of iPad to choose from
and they all come in various colors storage sizes
and also connectivity with wi-fi
and also lte options with the two latest pros also offering 5g as opposed to just 4g lte
but let's start with this guy
i know this is the smallest and it kind of makes sense as we're going along uh here
but this is the standard iPad the 8th gen iPad
and this is actually a bit of a bargain
because you're getting that fantastic iPad experience
that's less than half the price of the cheapest pro
and also next to the air and the pro models it does look a little bit dated
in terms of the design particularly the chunky bezels
although it does mean there's room for this physical home button
so we've got the touch id rather than a sort of face id
and actually some people do still prefer there's a physical button you can press
which brings you back to the home screen
you're not going to get lost not that you would anyway
but you know if an older person or a kid is using this that might be useful
and you've got your fingerprint in there as well
slightly annoyingly though we do have the lightning port rather than the usb-c
which we get on the other iPads
now as you might be able to tell from some of the apps installed
this isn't my personal iPad my little nephew oliver is using this to play games
and uh use some sort of educational apps so for that because
it's a little bit thicker a little bit cheaper as well
you don't mind quite as much if he drops it
although i still recommend putting a big rugged case on it
because he's gonna smash against something
but this is great for kids as well
you can also pair the standard iPad with a keyboard
not the magic keyboard but you can get one of these
and also the first generation apple pencil
which isn't quite as responsive
and also you charge by plugging into the lightning port on the bottom
which is a bit stupid and i still think one of the worst designs apple's ever come up with
and while the retina ips display is sharp and bright and quite colourful
it's not as good as the pricier models
and also unlike every other iPad
this base one doesn't have a laminated screen
which means there's a small air gap between the glass and the screen itself
most people probably wouldn't even notice
but you don't get quite the same feeling of sort of directly touching the screen
as you do with the other ones it's just a small thing but you might notice it
but i think the biggest compromise with the base iPad is the storage
because the cheapest one the entry level only comes with 32 gigs
i paid the extra 100 or so to get 128 which i would definitely recommend
but i wouldn't pay 560 pounds for the 128 gig plus lte model of this
which actually I do have here because well everyone's use case is a bit different
but i just don't know why you wouldn't either use wi-fi or hotspot from your phone
and uh save the money on the sim plan and also paying the extra for the compatibility
maybe if this is your work tablet and the business is paying then go nuts
but for most of us i wouldn't really bother with the lte
and last but definitely least the cameras
we get an eight megapixel single lens on the back
and a one megapixel facetime selfie up front
that's kind of weird
but i think with video calling becoming more and more important these days
that could be a reason to maybe pay a bit more and go for one of the better models
there is a chance though that we may see an updated iPad
a 9th gen version maybe in September time so keep an eye out for that
there's nothing confirmed yet so don't hold me to it
but there could be new models of this and the mini coming in a few months
maybe so that's the base iPad but let's move on to the iPad mini
which as you can see is clearly the smallest and the cutest
and the most portable and it's basically the same as the standard iPad
uh but in a smaller form factor we have this 7.9 inch screen
and also somehow it's actually more expensive than the standard iPad as well
although in fairness if i jump to the settings and then go to storage
you'll see that the base model is actually 64 gigs rather than 32
which does make a big difference
and therefore kind of evens the pricing out a little bit you are getting more for your money
plus we're getting this slightly higher quality laminated screen
which the standard one still lacks i really do quite like the mini
but the problem is we have this quite dated design
and because it does have this smaller screen size arguably next to a big iPhone
this is the 12 Pro Max so it's the biggest one you can get right now
you could argue that there's not that much need for a tablet this size
but then again if you're going to use this as an e-reader
or if maybe you have an older iPhone that's a lot smaller
which you probably do then this could still be worth considering
we still have these chunky bezels
as well as the home button with touch id
the single camera lens on the back
and the same facetime camera up top here
as you can see the black borders cut into the screen a little bit
so you're not really getting that much of a immersive tablet experience
unlike the other ones here
so while the techie nerd in me thinks oh well it's not big enough
and it doesn't have this or that
you can't get away from the fact that
this is the only iPad you can hold one-handed
and it really is just a lovely portable tablet
which really is what tablets were meant to be
not necessarily big honking very expensive laptop replacements
so if you're just browsing the web maybe watching a few videos
or reading perhaps with the kindle app
then i do still highly recommend the mini five
Okay, this is where things start to get a little bit more interesting,
because this is the iPad Air, the 4th gen Air.
And in my opinion, this is the best overall iPad you can buy.
And think of it more like an iPad Pro lite than a deluxe standard iPad, because
the Air actually shares the same design pretty much as the 11-inch Pro as you can see.
Also, we're getting pretty much the same 11-inch Liquid Retina Display.
Although well technically this is 11 inches. This is 10.9 and also, it's only 60Hz rather than 120,
which we get on the pro models, which does make a difference，
but really there's not a whole lot in it.
And I just think the Air is kind of like the best all-rounder.
It looks great, especially in this new sky-blue color.
And actually, if I bring up the standard iPad next to it, you can see it's a similar size overall,
but we're getting a 0.7-inch bigger screen, because they've trimmed those bezels.
It does mean we've lost the Home button on the bottom,
and the Touch ID fingerprint reader is now built into the power button at the top.
And we also get USB-C now instead of Lightning,
which makes this just a lot easier in terms of connectivity and plugging in peripherals.
But it's also not just a pretty face, because on the inside, we have Apple's A14 Bionic processor,
which isn't as quick as the ludicrously powerful M1 chips in the Pro, but it's still seriously fast.
But if we look at some benchmarks,
it's no surprise that the A12 chips in the iPad 8th Gen and the iPad mini 5 get similar results,
but the A14 in the Air really impresses being about 50 faster across single and multi-core
speeds, and in my 3DMark wildlife extreme gaming test, it was a third faster.
The extra performance in this will definitely make it more future-proof, and as
more apps are developed for the higher-end iPads, this will last you longer than these two.
Quick side note, and when it comes to the Air or the Pros for that matter,
it's the accessories that really make it stand out.
Not only do we get the gen 2 Apple Pencil, which has this much more seamless connection.
It just magnetically attaches to the side, and also charges wirelessly.
Plus, we're getting a faster response time with it, so it feels a bit more like a real pen.
It's the first model along with the Pros to support the Magic Keyboard.
This also shares the same 12-megapixel camera with the iPad Pro,
although it doesn't have the ultra-wide lens or the LiDAR.
And we also get a seven-megapixel selfie camera up front.
But coming up from these two, the camera on the Air is a big step up.
But so is the price. This is about 250 pounds more than the standard iPad.
So really, I think this is more for enthusiast users if you're going to use this a lot.
My only issue with this is the storage. It still starts with 64 gigs, which is pretty stingy actually.
And also, the worst bit is the model up from this if you want more storage is 256.
There's no 128, which then puts it at just 30 pounds less than the Pro.
Apple know what they're doing, uh,
they're basically restricting this a little bit to tempt you up to the Pro,
because for most people, this would be all you need.
But despite that, I think most people could still get away with 64 gigs at the moment.
I still think the iPad Air is the best all-round iPad you can buy right now.
It's kind of funny, because everything I’ve talked to you about so far,
everything I’ve said I also said back in November when I made my last iPad buying guide,
these three haven't changed what has changed.
And the reason why I‘m making this new buying guide is because of these two new Pros.
The 11 and the 12.9. These have just been refreshed for mid-2021,
and the big news is that they both come with Apple's incredible M1 processor.
That's the same chip that they use in their MacBooks and iMacs.
Or be a slightly lower power version.
but these are insanely fast and together with slightly more RAM and more storage,
as well as a Mini Led screen on this 12.9.
These Pros have had quite a big upgrade.
But aside from the size obviously, the Mini Led screen and also the price,
these two Pro models are essentially identical.
And actually, I just finished my big review of the new 11 and 12.9 Pros,
which you can watch by clicking this little pop-out thing somewhere over there, hopefully,
and also, at the end of the video, I’ll link it. But essentially,
we get the same sleek aluminum design as we've had for the last couple of years,
the 120Hz refresh rate for a smoother slicker feeling, and also the same punchy quad speakers,
Face ID in the camera up here, and also the same camera hardware as the previous Pro
with the main and the ultra-wide lens as well as that LiDAR sensor,
which helps with augmented reality, although mainly I just use it for measuring stuff.
But the 2021 Pros also now get 8 or 16 gigs of RAM depending on the storage option,
which is up from 6 on the older Pros, as well as a faster USB 4 port that
supports Thunderbolt 3 and the 5G option, not just 4G LTE.
The image signal processor in the M1 chip also improves the white balance
and the noise of the cameras, and we also get this new FaceTime camera.
It's a 12 megapixel ultra-wide with Center Stage which uses
the extra resolution wider field of view to crop in and track your face as you move around.
It actually does work really well although you can turn it off if you find it a little bit jarring.
However, none of this comes cheap, because the 11-inch Pro will cost you 750 pounds,
rising to a thousand pounds for the 12.9.
That is an awful lot of money, and actually just like this in its base configuration,
this costs the same as the MacBook Air, but of course this doesn't come with a keyboard.
And once you tack on the keyboard and maybe upgrade the storage as well, then these
become very expensive and in the same ballpark as your MBP and other premium laptops.
So despite the fact that we do get the same M1 chip as the MacBooks and the iMacs,
this still isn't in my opinion a proper laptop replacement.
Although in some ways, you do get more functionality from this,
because we have the touchscreen and it's a tablet. But jumping back to the M1 chip,
and these are as I say just spectacularly fast especially in benchmarks.
So, we essentially have three tiers of performance.
We've got the A12 chip in the mini 5 and the iPad 8th Gen,
the A14 in the iPad Air,
and the M1 in the Pros.
Except for maybe rendering video or if you're editing lots of super high resolution raw photos,
it can be kind of tricky to actually really see that benefit of the extra performance with
the higher end models. These still feel very fast to me.
So, if you have watched or read any reviews of the new Pros including mine perhaps,
you'll know that the big issue is just the untapped potential.
We have all this horsepower with the M1.
You have to kind of get creative to really see any difference.
However, everyone's use case is different.
More apps will be developed to take advantage of it,
so over time in the next couple of years, we may see some real tangible benefit to the M1.
But right now, it's not essential, which is why I still think the Air is the go-to option.
However, a more visible upgrade with the Pros and exclusive to the 12.9,
is this new Mini Led screen.
And side by side with the 11-inch Pro which has the same LED LCD,
blacks just look kind of like a washed out gray.
Now importantly, for non-HDR apps and content, the difference really isn't that obvious,
except for that difference in contrast as both peak at the same 600 nits of brightness.
However, jumping into some HDR video, and you get 1,000 nits on the Mini LED,
with areas of peak brightness up to 1600 nits. It's a big difference.
Although the downside is that there is some quite obvious blooming around bright objects,
which is made even more obvious thanks to the fact that we have the much darker areas
because of the higher contrast.
So, whether Mini LED and the larger size is worth an extra 250 pounds over the 11,
really comes down to how you use it.
If you want the best iPad movie watching experience or need a better screen for work,
then yes, it makes sense.
But for most of us, I don't think it's essential.
I saw a comment on my last iPad buying guide saying the best one is the one you can afford.
And that is absolutely true, because let's face it.
The iPad is a bit of a luxury item. No one needs an iPad. Although they are very nice to use.
So, I would definitely recommend looking at older or refurbished models as well.
You can get them from Apple officially,
although they're quite expensive, so it's worth shopping around.
Okay let's wrap up. And I’ve got a few kind of key takeaways.
The first one being storage, because chances are whatever iPad you buy,
you're probably going gonna hang on to it for three four five years.
So, think about whether it's worth paying a bit more to up the storage,
particularly on the standard iPad, uh, maybe even with the Air up to 256.
It is kind of painfully expensive sometimes, but you don't want to be constantly
uninstalling apps or deleting videos because you've filled it out in the first six months.
So, consider the storage.
Secondly, I don't think most of us really need to buy the Pros.
They are very nice and they have a few advantages,
but the M1 chip doesn't make that much of a difference right now.
I think the main reason to consider it is the higher 120Hz refresh rate,
particularly if you are gonna do lots of drawing or doodling,
because it makes the pen a bit more responsive.
But I still think the iPad Air is kind of all you need.
And thirdly, I still don't think iPads can fully replace your laptop.
They're not supposed to.
There's just lots of options to kind of make them seem that way particularly
with a Magic Keyboard, but they're still restricted and limited by the iPadOS software.
They are still essentially big iPhones rather than small MacBooks.
So enough of me waffling, which one should you buy?
Well, I think you can probably guess.
Because I’ve said it a few times during the video.
But I would recommend the iPad Air for most people.
If you're gonna give this to your kid or your mum
or you don't really care about any bells and whistles,
go with a standard iPad or the mini 5 if you prefer the smaller form factor.
And then the Pro if you just want the best camera, the best performance,
the most future proofing if you will.
But obviously it does still run the same iPad apps that any of them do.
So fundamentally aside from some accessories and a few extra bells and whistles,
like the LiDAR, I don't think the Pros are essential.
Although this is certainly the best iPad, there's no arguments there.
And breathe, we made it. You got to the end of the video.
Thank you so much for sticking with me throughout, I appreciate that was quite a long one.
I think my voice is getting a bit horsey.
I will leave links to all these below.
And if you've got any questions at all,
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