Best iPad from Apple company

After 4 hours of research and analysis of 7 models, we have determined that the best iPad is the Apple iPad Air 4 .

 

Apple iPad Air 4 (64 GB - Wi-Fi)

By taking many components from the Pro version, this model becomes the best quality / price ratio of the brand thanks to its high performance and excellent screen.

 

The iPad Air 4 arises as a deflated version of the iPad Pro. It takes many components such as its main photo sensor, its housing and Apple Pencil 2 and Magic Keyboard compatibility to make it a balanced solution able to suit the greatest number. As a bonus, it has the brand's latest processor, the A14 Bionic.

Apple iPad 10.2 (32 GB - Wi-Fi)

With its very good screen quality, its meticulous build quality and its extensive software optimizations, this model is a ready-made solution for people looking for a simple but efficient tablet.

Taken directly from the original model, this 8th generation retains the title of best touchscreen tablet on the market for its excellent quality / price ratio. The basic codes remain quite simple: a basic but efficient tablet, capable of being used both for entertainment and for games. Its processor is certainly not at the level of the last generation A14 Bionic but allows it sufficient versatility for the majority of users.

 

Apple iPad Pro (128 GB - Wi-Fi)

The most efficient model on the market despite the appearance of the Air and its A14, it offers a high level of quality and ergonomics that even allow it to outperform many laptops.

 

899.00 € at Amazon

The iPad Pro, whether it's 11 ”or 12.9” , is hands down the best tablet available today. Its size and power even allow it to easily replace a standard computer. Of course, the ergonomics are not neglected and allow you to spend many hours working on it. It is also available in a 4G version , all in four storage levels.

Apple iPad Mini 5 (64 GB - Wi-Fi)

The brand's only compact tablet, it is the only model to offer a 7.9 ”diagonal screen. This does not prevent it from offering a good compactness / performance ratio.

 

449.00 € at Amazon

Playing on the flower beds of the classic iPad, the Mini is a more compact version of the latter. Unfortunately, it can not claim to compete with Android tablets of the same style because of its entry price a little too high and its aging format. Too bad, because its assets are not negligible with, in particular, an unfailing fluidity and a very good quality panel.

 

 

Why trust us ?

None of our articles are sponsored. We sometimes receive a commission when you purchase a product through our links, which allows us to fund our work while remaining completely impartial. Learn more .

How did we make our choice?

In the range of Apple, many versions of the iPad are present and it is quite difficult to navigate when the time comes to choose. Indeed, with the exception of the price, what are the elements that differentiate each model and which one (s) present (s) the best quality / price ratio?

 

To help you in this process, we have defined the following criteria:

 

Performance: determined by the processor and the amount of RAM memory, it affects your use of the device. To determine what is necessary for you, you must first define your needs: an entry-level model can be suitable for many uses but will be more limited for heavy tasks where the middle or even the high-end have many more resources and equipment to help you work peacefully.

The screen: this element is the most important part of the tablet. All of its use is based on the latter and it is therefore essential to ensure its quality. To do this, you need to focus on its readability, determined by its brightness levels, its contrast and its reflectance, and on the quality of the rendering, impacted by the colorimetry and the color temperature.

Ergonomics: to be able to use your iPad for long hours without tiring, you must take care of its grip. This element depends on the format of the tablet but also on the materials used and the location of the buttons / controls. In the case of Apple products, this point is rarely a problem because the brand pays special attention to this aspect.

Photo quality: although this aspect is less important on an iPad than an iPhone , it can be interesting to have a good sensor to photograph whatever element you need such as a document, for example . The frontal lens is of great importance for videoconferencing, which is increasingly popular at the time of this writing.

Autonomy: as with any technological device, you must ensure the endurance of the battery to be able to make the most of your tablet without having to look at all costs for a power outlet. Fortunately, in recent years, Apple has greatly improved its results at this level.

After having gone through numerous tests carried out on the Internet, analyzed the technical sheet of each product, consulted the opinions of French-speaking and English-speaking users and by making sure of the legitimacy of these comments, we were able to determine the 4 best iPads of the moment.

 

 

Apple iPad Air 4 (64 GB - Wi-Fi)

By taking many components from the Pro version, this model becomes the best quality / price ratio of the brand thanks to its high performance and excellent screen.

The iPad Air 4 arises as a deflated version of the iPad Pro. It takes many components such as its main photo sensor, its housing and Apple Pencil 2 and Magic Keyboard compatibility to make it a balanced solution able to suit the greatest number. As a bonus, it is equipped with the brand's latest processor.

 

This processor is none other than the A14 Bionic which appeared on the iPhone 12 . He develops extraordinary power capable of handling any task that you may entrust to him. It's simple, it rivals the A12Z of the Pro model and therefore, with laptop processors. It also served as the basis for the M1 chip of the new MacBooks Air .

 

The screen is fitted with a 10.9 ”panel with a resolution of 2360 x 1640 px. The calibration is once again excellent with careful colorimetry (dE 1.3), correct color temperature (6959K) and high contrast, despite the use of IPS (1361: 1). Brightness levels (0.1 to 507 nits) and low reflectance underline the whole, making it usable in all circumstances.

 

The ergonomics are not very different from that of an iPad Pro with a rather angular design and an identical case even if it is a little thicker (6.1 mm against 5.9). As a result, all accessories compatible with the latter are compatible with the iPad Air.

 

This model, on the other hand, does not include FaceID and replaces it with TouchID, moved to the upper edge. It also has the Smart Connector and a magnetic slot for the Apple Pencil 2.

 

Unlike other more affordable models of the brand, the iPad Air is equipped with the main module of the Pro (12 Mpx). The result is good photo quality in the middle of the day thanks to software processing improved by the presence of the A14 Bionic. The images are therefore sharper and digital noise is less present. On the other hand, the night results are hardly usable. The front module (still taken from the Pro) is more than sufficient for videoconferencing.

 

Autonomy, finally, is very interesting with no less than 14 hours of use. Charging goes through the USB-C port and takes a little over 2 hours with the supplied 20W adapter.

 

Apple iPad 10.2 (32 GB - Wi-Fi)

With its very good screen quality, its meticulous build quality and its extensive software optimizations, this model is a ready-made solution for people looking for a simple but efficient tablet.

Taken directly from the original model, this 8th generation retains the title of best touchscreen tablet on the market for its excellent quality / price ratio. The basic codes remain fairly simple: a basic but efficient tablet, capable of being used for both entertainment and games.

 

Thus, we find the A12 Bionic chip. Although aging, this chip continues to offer a decent level of performance, capable of accommodating the vast majority of users of this type of machine. It is certainly not at the level of the last generation A14 Bionic but allows it more than sufficient versatility.

 

For the display, we find the 10.2 ”panel of the 2019 version. The experience is still as pleasant with an ideal reactivity and a perfect colorimetry. The brightness keeps a decent level but the contrast is a bit low. Fortunately, the coating of the screen makes it usable outdoors by completely eliminating any reflections. Compatibility with the first generation Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard  is also assured.

 

On the design side, nothing unusual with a style typical of iPads (even if it is a little outdated), a construction still so neat and a well thought out ergonomics. As a result, the 8th generation continues the momentum of previous versions by offering a comfortable grip. Touch ID is always in the game.

 

The photo part offers a fairly common result for a tablet: usable photos without being exceptional and an unusable night rendering. The front sensor is still limited to 1.2 Mpx which is far from current standards.

 

Autonomy is slightly improved compared to the 2019 vintage with a gain of one hour. This allows this model to be placed in the market average, especially when taking into account the optimized standby mode which works miracles on a daily basis.

 

Finally, this iPad 8 is a simple evolution of the previous version. It justifies the upgrade by adding a much faster processor.

 

 

Apple iPad Pro (128 GB - Wi-Fi)

The most efficient model on the market despite the appearance of the Air and its A14, it offers a high level of quality and ergonomics that even allow it to outperform many laptops.

 

899.00 € at Amazon

The iPad Pro, whether it's 11 ”or 12.9” , is hands down the best tablet available today. Its size and power even allow it to easily replace a standard computer. Of course, the ergonomics are not neglected and allow you to spend many hours working on it. It is also available in 4G version , all in 4 storage levels.

 

Performance is ensured by the A12Z Bionic chip. With the A14 launched this year, it is the best mobile processor on the market. It outperforms all of its competition and can even outperform laptop chips. You might as well say that, whatever your tasks, he will always respond in the blink of an eye.

 

The display is entrusted to a Liquid Retina panel, already present on the previous version. Its quality no longer needs to be proven. We find an IPS panel that can be used in all circumstances and an excellent calibration after a small passage through the parameters. The result is one of the best screens on the market, even if Apple skips AMOLED.

 

On the ergonomic side, the finding is still positive. We find the new style of the brand's products with their more angular design. The handling remains pleasant, the heavier weight than on competing models therefore has no impact.

 

Unlocking is entrusted to FaceID, integrated in the front photo module. We also find the Smart Connector to connect a dedicated keyboard and USB-C, a new extremely versatile connector standard.

 

iPadOS is still there to guarantee you a smooth experience and optimal productivity thanks, in particular, to the many productivity options available on the dedicated store. This model also supports the latest version of Apple Pencil (optional). A magnetic location for pairing and wireless charging is of course provided.

 

Autonomy, on the other hand, is more average with an endurance of 1 day to 1 day and a half of intensive use. Of course, with moderate use the result is more positive. Once again, the strength of this iPad comes from Apple's very efficient sleep mode which consumes much less energy than that which can be found on an Android tablet, for example.

 

In summary, the iPad Pro is the most efficient model on the market despite the appearance of the Air and its A14, it offers a high level of quality and ergonomics that even allow it to surpass many laptops.

Apple iPad Mini 5 (64 GB - Wi-Fi)

The brand's only compact tablet, it is the only model to offer a 7.9 ”diagonal screen. This does not prevent it from offering a good compactness / performance ratio.

 

449.00 € at Amazon

Playing on the flower beds of the classic iPad, the Mini is a more compact version of the latter. Unfortunately, it can not claim to compete with Android tablets of the same style because of its entry price a little too high and its aging format. Too bad because its strengths are not negligible with, in particular, a foolproof fluidity and a very good quality panel.

 

Like the last version of the original model, it is equipped with the A12 Bionic. The results are identical to this version and the heating is very well managed despite the small size of the device.

 

The screen is reduced to a diagonal of 7.9 ”(resolution of 2048 x 1536 px). Once again it exhibits excellent colorimetry (dE 1.8). The color temperature is managed by the True Tone which adapts the trend according to the ambient lighting. Readability side, no worries with high brightness (470 nits) and low reflectance. The contrast, although limited (917: 1), is compensated by these two data.

 

The design itself retains the brand's old style: thick borders, home button for TouchID and rounded edges. The set has neat finishes and a high quality of assembly while remaining pleasant in the hand. The iPad Mini 5 is also compatible with the Apple Pencil (1st gen).

 

The photo part, on the other hand, dates from another era. The main objective offers results corresponding to an entry-level smartphone. Fortunately, Apple has integrated a new front-end module to improve results in selfie or video conferencing.

 

Autonomy, finally, is placed in the average with an endurance of 11 hours. Charging is standard for an Apple product, so you shouldn't be in a hurry to top it up.

 

In short, if you need a compact and powerful tablet, then the iPad Mini is the best solution… as long as you have the necessary investment. It is indeed much more expensive than its Android competitors.

 

 

 

Honorable mentions

At the moment, no product available on the European market seemed to us to have the qualities necessary to appear alongside our main selection. We will be sure to offer you interesting alternatives as soon as we learn about them.