Best iPad for 2023
CNET tested the current Apple iPad crop to find the best one for your needs right now, but there's also a new generation on the horizon.
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What to consider
Price
Display
Processor
Pencil support
Camera
What’s the best iPad overall?
iPad shoppers, I have frustrating news for you. There's no perfect iPad right now. This is the state of iPads in 2023: Lots of choices but no clear winner while we wait for new iPads to arrive in 2024. We advise you to spend as little as possible in the meantime. The 10th-gen iPad has a good balance of features, a front camera that's in a better location for video chat, USB-C and a design that matches newer iPads. However, its lack of Pencil 2 support and a higher price means we still recommend the older 9th-gen iPad as the most affordable model for kids and families. Apple’s iPad release schedule took 2023 off, but we’re expecting new models across the board in 2024, including Pro models with OLED displays and potentially Apple's latest M3 chips. We recommend waiting it out if you can (or consider a refurb), but it’s comforting that all current iPad models run tons of apps and even multitask pretty well.
CNET has been testing and reviewing iPads since the original version, and we’ve tried every model since then. We’ve also compared their performance against both Macs and competing Android tablets to judge their relative value.
Best iPads of 2023
The year-old 10th-gen entry-level iPad has a whole new design, with USB-C, a faster A14 chip and a larger display. Its best feature, though, is a repositioned front-facing camera that finally centers video chats properly in landscape mode, which is how most people use their iPads when they're connected to keyboard cases. If you're someone who needs to Zoom a lot on an iPad, this is worth the extra price over the ninth-gen model if you can afford it. The downside is the bizarre lack of support for the Pencil 2, requiring you to use a first-gen Pencil and a USB-C charge dongle (not included) for sketches and note-taking. Apple does have a new USB-C Pencil that's meant to help, but it's still weird.
Best iPad on a budget
iPad 9th-Gen (2021)
We've always appreciated the entry-level iPad for its affordable price. This older entry-level model is less expensive than the newer 10th-gen iPad, and is still very functional. Its older A13 chip and Lightning-charger-equipped, Touch ID home button design all feel somewhat outdated but work fine. This iPad's screen size is perfect for everyday work and fun. There's an auto-zooming front-facing Center Stage camera, and unlike the 10th-gen iPad, the first-gen Apple Pencil doesn't need a dongle to work. It's still compatible with a range of keyboard cases, too.
Best iPad Pro on a budget
Apple iPad Air (2022)
The iPad Air costs less ($599) than the iPad Pro, but has less starting storage (64GB). It adds an M1 processor similar to that of the iPad Pro from 2021, a 5G option, and a Center Stage front-facing camera. It doesn't have the better-placed front camera of the 10th-gen iPad, but supports Pencil 2 and has a better processor and display. The only points where it lags compared to the 11-inch Pro are a slightly slower processor, that new Pencil 2 hover support, and faster connectivity. You still might consider the Pro worth it. But keep in mind that the 2021 iPad Pro, if it's on sale for less, is the better buy: It has a faster-refresh display, better rear cameras, Face ID/lidar and a faster Thunderbolt USB-C port.
Best iPad for power Pencil users
iPad Pro 2022
Apple's 2022 iPad Pro refresh added a more powerful M2 chip, faster Wi-Fi 6E and optional 5G connectivity, and a new Pencil 2 "hover" feature that activates the display when the stylus is in close range. Not many apps take advantage of hover, though, and the rest of this iPad design's the same as the previous model. The iPad Pro lineup contains the only models with faster 120Hz variable refresh rate displays, a step-up Mini LED HDR display on the 12.9-inch model, Face ID and depth-sensing lidar cameras, and a faster Thunderbolt 4 port. If you don't mind that the front-facing camera isn't landscape-oriented yet -- and you have the money to burn -- this is the most advanced model, but it doesn't get you any closer to being a Mac. Also, you should definitely wait on this if you can. Newer models, most likely with OLED displays and M3 processors, are expected next year.
Best iPad for mobility
iPad Mini
If you don't care about a keyboard case (even though there are some small ones that will work with it), this tinier iPad mini, while expensive, is still a great portable pick. Its newer design supports the Pencil 2, it has USB-C, and its processor is plenty fast enough. For note-taking, reading, games and movies, this is an enticing choice.
How we test iPads
We run benchmarks on iPads similar to how we test both iPhones and laptops, looking for single and multicore performance and graphics performance indicators that can help show relative speed gains across models. But that’s only part of the story. We also use iPads as everyday devices, playing games, running lots of apps, and looking at multitasking performance in split-screen mode. We look at how camera quality feels, too, especially for the front-facing camera in Facetimes and Zooms.
We also look at accessories and which ones are available for a particular model: Apple’s own keyboards and Pencils, and notable third-party options, too.
Factors to consider
Like we said above, the best iPad features right now are distributed across models, making it hard to single out a go-to “perfect” iPad right now. Price, performance, front camera quality, accessory support and display quality vary across models. Most people tend to buy iPads for family or personal use, and you’ll need to decide how much you want to spend. There are also frequent sales of iPads that can change the equation, too. But the iPad as a product line is great overall. Models tend to have long lives, and all models on sale now are solid at running apps and games, and even multitasking.
The last wave of iPads in 2022 added more choice, but no clear stand-out best product. The 10th-gen iPad, released last fall, is more expensive than the ninth-gen iPad, which remains on sale. The 10th-gen model has a better-placed front-facing camera for video chats, a larger screen, a faster processor and USB-C charging, but needs its own cases and a weird dongle for charging the first-gen Pencil (although it also supports Apple’s lower-cost USB-C pencil, too). It's a great pick if it's ever on sale, but expensive otherwise.
The iPad Pros got better M2 processors, faster Wi-Fi 6E and 5G connectivity in late 2022, and a new "Pencil hover" tool for proximity-based previews of art tools. But its design remains the same and the front camera placement hasn't been fixed, which remains frustrating for anyone who was hoping to use the iPad Pro for work-based video chats when in landscape mode. Also, iPadOS is no closer to replacing your Mac, although Stage Manager's external monitor support offers a little more multiscreen multitasking. Wait for the next iPad Pro, which will likely have M3 series processors, before spending your money.
Meanwhile, the iPad Air, released in early 2022, still remains the best "Pro on a budget" iPad with its fast M1 chip and Pencil 2 support, but it’s the most likely candidate for an upgrade early next year. The current model doesn't fix that front camera either, though, so if looking good on Zoom and FaceTime matters most to you, consider that 10th-gen iPad instead. And if there's an iPad model that seems like it could get an update sooner than any other, it's this one.
Read more: Best iPad Deals Right Now
There's a $120 starting price gap between the $329 entry-model ninth-gen, which remains in the line, and the new $449 10th-gen version. That gives the older model a bit of an edge over the new one, despite the latter's slightly larger display, side camera, better processor and USB-C connection -- especially if you only really need one of those upgrades, like the camera relocation. If you need all those upgrades and can afford it but don't need an M1 CPU, the step-up model makes sense.
Whichever model or screen size you choose, all the current iPads support the latest version of iPadOS (a version of iOS specifically for iPads) and a mix of either the first, second-gen or lower-cost USB-C Apple Pencil. Apple supports external monitors for iPads with an M1 chip or better via a feature called Stage Manager, which has been gradually improving.
No matter what iPad you buy, there are ways of connecting keyboard cases, Bluetooth and otherwise, although your options will vary. That's good news for anyone who wants to do more than stream videos and music, browse websites and play Apple Arcade games. Plus, all the current iPad models support mouse and trackpad use for a more MacBook-like experience. The Apple Magic Keyboard is compatible with the iPad Pro and iPad Air, but not the 10th-gen iPad (which has a Magic Keyboard Folio case instead).