The iPad Comparison Chart

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

by
Daniel Nations
Daniel Nations
Writer
Daniel Nations has been a tech journalist since 1994. His work has appeared in Computer Currents, The Examiner, The Spruce, and other publications.
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Daniel Nations
Updated on June 05, 2021

The iPad has consistently been the best of the best in the world of tablets. Each new release seems to set a new threshold, with the latest iPad Pro rivaling the power of most laptops. While it's easy to choose an iPad, 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. We break them down below.

New iPads in 2020

In 2020, Apple announced a new iPad (8th generation) and an iPad Air, the company's mid-range and budget tablets. The new iPad has a 10.2-inch screen, like its predecessor, but is upgraded to the Apple A12 Bionic processor. New models of the iPad Pro and iPad mini were released in 2020.

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.

Feature  iPad Pro (2020) iPad (2020) iPad mini (2020) iPad Air (2020)
Entry Price $799+ $329 $399 $599
CPU A12Z Bionic chip with Neural Engine A12 Bionic chip with Neural Engine A12 Bionic chip with Neural Engine A14 Bionic chip with Neural Engine
Motion Processor Yes Yes Yes Yes
Resolution 2732x2048 2160x1620 2048x1536 2360x1640
Security Face ID Touch ID Touch ID Touch ID
Display 11- or 12.9-inch IPS LED-backlit with TrueTone 10.2-inch LED-backlit with IPS 7.9-inch LED-backlit with TrueTone 10.9-inch IPS LED-backlit with TrueTone
Storage 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 
1 TB		 32 GB, 128 GB 64 GB, 256 GB 64 GB, 256 GB
Rear Camera 12 MP, 10 MP Ultra Wide, 4K video support, LiDAR scanner for AR 8 MP, 1080p video 8 MP, 1080p video 12 MP wide, 4K video support
Front Camera 7 MP with Retina Flash 1.2 MP 7 MP with Retina Flash 7 MP with Retina Flash
Data Rate Gigabit-class LTE Gigabit-class LTE Gigabit-class LTE Gigabit-class LTE
Wi-Fi 802.11 ax 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
Bluetooth 5.0 4.2 5.0 5.0
Connectivity USB-C Lightning Lightning USB-C
Apple Pencil Gen 2 Gen 1 Gen 1 Gen 2
GPS Yes Yes Yes Yes

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 to buy from the Apple Store or third-party retailers, while others can only be found used or refurbished.

Feature 12.9 iPad Pro (2020) 11 iPad Pro (2020) 12.9 iPad Pro (2018) 11 iPad Pro (2018)
Entry Price $999 $799 $799 $649
CPU 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
Resolution 2732x2048 2048x1536 2732x2048 2388x1668
Security Face ID Face ID Face ID Face ID
Display 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 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); 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 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 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/ac
MIMO Yes Yes Yes Yes
Bluetooth 5.0 5.0 4.2 4.2
Siri Yes Yes Yes Yes
Barometer Yes Yes Yes Yes
GPS Yes Yes Assisted Assisted

iPad and iPad Air Comparison

The most recent versions of the iPad and the iPad Air were released in 2020. The iPad supports the first-generation Apple Pencil, and the iPad Air supports the second-generation Apple Pencil. These models also have upgraded processors compared to earlier models.

Feature iPad (2020) iPad (2018) iPad (2017) iPad Air 3 (2020) iPad Air 2 iPad Air
Entry Price $329 n/a n/a $599 n/a n/a
CPU A12 Bionic Neural Engine 2.34 Ghz Quad-Core 64-bit Apple A10 Fusion 1.85 Ghz Dual-Core 64-bit Apple A9 A14
Neural Engine		 1.5 Ghz Tri-Core 64-bit Apple A8X 1.4 Ghz 64-bit Apple A7
Resolution 2160x1620 2048x1536 2048x1536 2060x1640 2048x1536 2048x1536
Touch ID Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Display 10.2-inch IPS LED-backlit 9.7-inch IPS LED-backlit 9.7-inch IPS LED-backlit 10.2-inch IPS LED-backlit 9.7-inch IPS LED-backlit 9.7-inch IPS LED-backlit
Storage 32 GB, 128 GB 32 GB, 128 GB 32 GB, 128 GB 64 GB, 256 GB 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB
Rear Camera 8 MP iSight 8 MP iSight 8 MP 12 MP iSight 8 MP iSight 5 MP
Front Camera 1.2 MP 720p 720p 7 MP 720p 720p
Data Rate Gigabit-class LTE 4G LTE 4G LTE Gigabit-class 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 802.11ax 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 802.11 a/b/g/n
MIMO Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Bluetooth 4.2 4.2 4.2 5.0 4 4
Barometer Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
GPS 4G Version Only 4G Version Only 4G Version Only 4G Version Only 4G Version Only 4G Version Only

iPad mini Comparison

Only the iPad Mini 5 is available for sale on the Apple website. Other models might be found in stores or on resale websites.

Feature iPad mini (2020) iPad mini 5 iPad mini 4 iPad mini 3 iPad mini 2 iPad mini
Entry Price $399 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
CPU A12 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 2048x1536 2048x1536 2048x1536 2048x1536 2048x1536 1024x768
Touch ID Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Display 7.9-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 8 MP, 1080p video iSight 8 MP, 1080p video iSight 8 MP iSight 5 MP iSight 5 MP iSight 5 MP
Front Camera 7 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 Yes Yes 4G Version Only 4G Version Only 4G Version Only 4G Version Only

Vintage and Obsolete iPad Models

The iPad models that Apple hadn't sold for the last 5 to 7 years are designated as vintage by Apple. These models no longer receive software support but are eligible to receive hardware service from Apple.

The iPad models that were discontinued more than 7 years ago are designated as obsolete by Apple. These no longer receive any service for software or hardware. No exceptions.

Vintage iPads

The following iPad models are designated vintage and no longer receive software support:

  • iPad 2
  • iPad 3 (except the Wi-Fi only model, which is obsolete)
  • iPad 4
  • Original iPad mini
  • iPad mini 2
  • iPad mini 3
  • Original iPad Air
  • iPad Air 2

Obsolete iPads

The following iPad models are designated obsolete and no longer receive software or hardware support:

  • Original iPad
  • iPad 3 (Wi-Fi only version)

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What's the difference between an iPad and a tablet? The iPad is a tablet, but it's the only tablet that runs on the iOS 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 are you looking for a potential laptop replacement? Then you might want an iPad Pro. Check out our iPad buyer's guide for more information.
  • What is the cheapest iPad model to buy? Currently, the 32GB iPad 2020 model is the cheapest at $329. You may be able to find an even cheaper device if you're willing to buy refurbished or used.
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