The best iPad 2018: how to choose the right Apple tablet for you

The best iPad to buy in 2018 gives you Apple's most powerful tablet at a reasonable enough price and large size, but there are so many options today that it's confusing.

The iPad Pro is the most powerful Apple tablet for sale, and comes in two sizes, the huge iPad Pro 12.9 and the iconic iPad Pro 10.5. Both are expensive compared to the iPad price that was once normal.

Do you need a cheap iPad? The newly named New iPad 2018 has just been launched as the best way to get an Apple tablet, now with Apple Pencil support. It's a much better way for the average consumer and students who want the basics a 9.7-inch screen with iOS 11.

Meanwhile, the iPad Air 2, also a 9.7-inch tablet, is still popular, although Apple does not selling it directly never again. And the aging iPad mini 4 (launched in 2015) is still their cheapest option, but their days are surely numbered.

In any case, there is an iPad for you and probably all will run iOS 12 in 2018. We create the best iPad list to help you reduce the best Apple tablet options for you.

Let's start with a video overview of the best iPads

For everyone else, you'll find a summary of all the iPads available below, including the new iPad (2018) and the second generation iPad Pro.

These come with complete specification lists, your good and bad points and a look at what makes them work, so you can make an informed purchasing decision.

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1. iPad Pro 10.5 (2017)

The entry-level Pro receives an increase in screen

Weight: 469g | Dimensions: 250.6 x 174.1 x 6.1 mm | Operating system: iOS 11 | Screen size: 10.5 inches | Resolution: 1668 x 2224 pixels | CPU: A10X Fusion | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 64 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB | microSD slot: No | Battery: 8,134 mAh | Rear camera: 12MP | Front camera: 7MP

Excellent speakers

Version of 512GB

The screen adds a lot of expense

iOS is still not a good replacement for laptop

The iPad Pro of 10.5 inch version is the Apple star tablet with a slightly larger screen than it used to on previous iPads and less bevel on the sides. Its brilliant Retina HD screen is your best selling point.

The new ProMotion screen adds an impressive layer of fluidity to daily use, if not strictly necessary, and the smaller bezels means you're getting much more screen in a footprint not much bigger than 9.7 in 2016. It's an iPad for the professionals, but also one who will love the media.

Apple's flagship tablet, one that uses Apple Pencil and several features of iOS 11 centered on tablets such as the new dock, Control Center and Instant Mark with the pen. If you invest in the recommended smart keyboard, you can connect it to a professional-level iPad without going through all the Bluetooth rings.

It's a difficult decision if the new iPad Pro is the best iPad or if it's basic. iPad is the best option for your value proposition. If you have enough money, this is it.

Read the full review: iPad Pro 10.5

2. New iPad (2018)

The new iPad is economical and works with Apple Pencil

Weight: 469g | Dimensions: 240 x 169.5 x 7.5mm | Operating system: iOS 11 | Screen size: 9.7-inch | Resolution: 1536 x 2048 pixels | CPU: A10 Bionic | RAM: 2GB | Storage: 32 / 128GB | microSD slot: No | Battery: Up to 10 hours | Rear camera: 8MP | Front camera: 1.2MP

Affordable

Works with Apple Pencil

Your educational ambitions are overloaded

Incompatible Smart Keyboard Cover

This is the best Apple iPad for the average consumer and for education, even if it is still not the most powerful for sale. It is simply a great value. The new iPad (2018) replaces the very similar 2017 model and, before that, the iPad Air 2 in the line of Apple, with ranges below the range Pro.

Works with the Apple Pencil, offering the cheapest way Scribble the 9.7-inch crystal, although you can not get the smart keyboard with this non-professional model. It also has the same luxury metal body as the rest of the Apple iPad range, although it is noticeably slightly thicker than the iPad Air 2 or iPad Pro at 7.5 mm.

With the included Touch ID fingerprint sensor, iOS 11 under the hood and up to 10 hours of battery life when you surf the net or watch videos, the new iPad (2017) is an excellent multimedia player and a good option for tablets if you do not plan to use it to a large extent to increase productivity.

Read the full review: iPad (2018)

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3. iPad Pro 12.9 (2017)

The best really big iPad you can buy

Weight: 677g | Dimensions: 305.7 x 220.6 x 6.9 mm | Operating system: iOS 11 | Size of the screen: 12.9-inch | Resolution: 2048 x 2732 pixels | CPU: A10X Fusion | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 64 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB | microSD slot: No | Battery: 10,875 mAh | Rear camera: 12MP | Front camera: 7MP

Great screen, great tablet

Power tremendous

Too expensive as replacement for a laptop for some

We really like the iPad Pro because of its large size and it's The closest thing we have to a MacBook 2 in 1 with touch screen. It just happens that you run iOS 11 instead of macOS.

It is the best productivity and entertainment tablet thanks to its 12.9-inch screen, four speakers and the base for iOS 11 and the multitasking interface. Apple has redesigned its Control Center interface to make the application change even easier, and this tablet is compatible with Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard.

Is it the biggest weakness? The price of iPad Pro 12.9 inches, and the size is not a good option for everyone. But if you can afford it and you want the larger iPad available, you're going to love this, it's a laptop replacement for a lot of people.

Read the full iPad Pro 12.9 (2017)

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4. iPad Pro 9.7 (2016)

The latest iPad Pro is one of the best tablets on the planet

Weight: 437g | Dimensions: 240 x 169.5 x 6.1mm | Operating system: iOS 11 | Screen size: 9.7-inch | Resolution: 1536 x 2048 pixels | CPU: A9X | RAM: 2GB | Storage: 32/128 / 256GB | microSD slot: No | Battery: Up to 10 hours | Rear camera: 12MP | Front camera: 5MP

Excellent speakers

Up to 256GB of storage

Expensive start price

Lower consumption than the larger version

For the average user, the iPad Pro 9.7 (2016) is one of the best general options. The 9.7-inch screen achieves a great balance between being big enough to get much more than a phone's screen and small enough to be quite portable.

And although Apple has abandoned the Air alias, at 240 x 169.5 x 6.1 mm and 437g the iPad Pro 9.7 is as thin and light as the iPad Air 2.

But it is up to the name Pro, with a lot of power thanks to its A9X chipset and 2GB of RAM, four speakers for serious multimedia potential, a beautiful screen of True Tone, which adapts the color and intensity to its environment, and of course the possibility of using the Smart Keyboard and the Apple Pencil with him, if you want to use the blackboard to really do things. [19659002] The iPad Pro 9.7 (2016) also comes with up to 256 GB of storage if you're willing to pay, so you do not need to feel limited by the lack of a microSD card slot, and it's likely to remain a powerful tablet and versatile in the next few years, so although it's expensive, you may not feel the need to update for a while.

Read the full review: iPad Pro 9.7 (2016)

  iPad mini 4

5. iPad Mini 4

The latest 7-inch iPad is a big step forward from the previous version

Weight: 299g | Dimensions: 203.2 x 134.8 x 6.1mm | Operating system: iOS 11 | Screen size: 7.9-inch | Resolution: 1536 x 2048 pixels | CPU: A8 | RAM: 2GB | Storage: 16/32/64 / 128GB | microSD slot: No | Battery: 5124 mAh | Rear camera: 8MP | Front camera: 1.2MP

Great screen

Elegant design

Chipset dated

Non-touch 3D

Large screens are not for everyone, and that's where the 7.9 inches The iPad Mini 4 enters. The size of the screen means that it is much more portable than the larger Apple tablets, especially because it is lightweight at 299 g. It is not so small that you can use it with one hand, but you can hold it comfortably for much longer than most of the Apple slates, or throw it in a bag and forget it.

It's also big enough to navigate the net nicely or watch videos when you're away from home and larger screens, but obviously it's not such a strong experience for most visual media like Apple's largest whiteboards. 9.7, 10.5 and 12.9 inches.

The small size and lack of Smart Connector also worsens the productivity of the iPad Pro range, but this is not designed as a laptop replacement.

It is still quite powerful thanks to 2GB of RAM and the old but still impressive Apple A8 chip, while the screen is sharp, rich and easy to see even in bright sunlight.

The iPad Mini 4 is also a fraction of the price of Apple's Pro range, and with 128 GB of storage it does not need to be terribly limited in that area, although it is no match for the 256 GB you can get in the iPad Pro .

Read the full review: iPad Mini 4

  iPad Pro

6. iPad Pro 12.9 (2016)

It is large, powerful and absolutely impressive

Weight: 713g | Dimensions: 305.7 x 220.6 x 6.9mm | Operating system: iOS 11 | Size of the screen: 12.9-inch | Resolution: 2048 x 2732 pixels | CPU: A9X | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 32/128 / 256GB | microSD slot: No | Battery: 10,307mAh | Rear camera: 8MP | Front camera: 1.2MP

Very powerful

Large screen

Powerful

The battery life could be longer

The iPad Pro 12.9 (2016), or simply the iPad Pro as it is sometimes known, is in many ways a bigger and better version of the iPad Pro 9.7 (2016).

It matches the four powerful speakers, accessory options and storage capacity of that board, but at 12.9 inches the screen is significantly larger, while its resolution of 2048 x 2732 ensures that it retains the same pixel density of 264ppi. It is also more powerful than its younger brother, combining the same Apple A9X chipset with 4 GB of massive RAM.

That power is undeniably a good thing, but the size of the screen will be more divisive, since all that space is great if you plan to use it as a real laptop replacement, to run split-screen applications, or to see many movies, leaves it a bit difficult to manage in other ways, especially because it makes the blackboard a high 713g. If you want the ultimate in portability, it's not like that.

But if you can afford the high price and want the biggest and most powerful tablet that Apple has to offer, there can be no other option than the iPad Pro 12.9. [19659002] Read the full review: iPad Pro 12.9 (2016)

  iPad Air 2

7. iPad Air 2

It is still a rugged tablet that is now cheaper

Weight: 437g | Dimensions: 240 x 169.5 x 6.1mm | Operating system: iOS 11 | Screen size: 9.7-inch | Resolution: 1536 x 2048 pixels | CPU: A8X | RAM: 2GB | Storage: 16/32/64 / 128GB | microSD slot: No | Battery: Up to 10 hours | Rear camera: 8MP | Front camera: 1.2MP

Powerful

Lovely screen

Volume mute

16 GB is very little storage

The iPad Air 2 is the predecessor of the iPad Pro 9.7 and the new iPad, although it may not have compatibility with the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil, or Apple's latest power under the hood, it's worth considering.

Not so strong for productivity, but in many other ways the iPad Air 2 can almost match the iPad Pro 9.7 and for a lower price.

On the one hand, it has the same metal body of first quality, along with the same weight and dimensions, which makes it thin and light, 6.1 mm thick and 437g.

It also has the same size and resolution 9.7 inches 1536 x 2048 screen, although behind the scenes the most vivid colors and True Tone technology (for the dynamically adjusted white balance) in the iPad Pro 9.7 make the screen most impressive .

But when the screen is already so good on the iPad Ai r 2 you might not miss those things, especially if you have not seen them in action.

If you do not need the productivity potential of the iPad Pro and can live with slightly outdated but still solid specifications, the iPad Air 2 is a strong option.

Read the full review: iPad Air 2

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