9.7-inch iPad, iPad Mini, iPad Air and iPad Pro: here's a guide to choosing the Apple tablet that best meets your needs
About a couple of weeks ago, Apple revamped its iPad range by introducing its latest tablets: the iPad Mini 5 and iPad Air 2019. Now if you want to buy an iPad you are spoilt for choice between the 9.7-inch iPad, the new 7.9-inch iPad Mini, the new 10.5-inch iPad Air and the two 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pro. How to choose the right Apple tablet?
The differences between one iPad and another are not only related to the screen size but also to some technical features under the shell. For example, the iPad Air 2019 is a kind of depowered iPad Pro 2018. So here's a quick roundup of the main features of all the Apple tablets currently on the market, to choose the best one for you based on your needs and the price/quality ratio of each of these devices.
iPad 2018 9.7-inch: features and price
It's the bare-bones iPad, but that's not to say it's not worth buying. It has a 9.7-inch IPS display with 2048×1536 pixel resolution at 264 ppi, A10 Fusion processor, 32 GB RAM or 128 GB internal memory, 8 MP camera, Lightning connector and headphone jack. On the Italian store of Apple you can buy it from 359 euros.
iPad Mini 2019: features and price
It is the little one of Apple's house, but only in size: it has a 7.9-inch screen with a resolution of 2048×1536 pixels at 326 ppi. It integrates the A12 Bionic processor, internal memory of 64 GB or 128 GB, 8 MP camera, Lightning connection and headphone jack. In Italy, Apple sells it from 459 euros.
iPad Air 2019: features and price
It is the iPad that was created to combine power and convenience of transport: it has a 10.5-inch LED-backlit screen with a resolution of 2224×1668 at 264 ppi, A12 Bionic chip with 64 or 256 GB of internal memory, 8 MP camera, Lightning connection and headphone jack. It's basically an iPad Mini with a bigger screen, or an iPad Pro with a little less power. Apple sells it with a price starting at 569 euros.
iPad Pro 2018: features and price
Available with an 11 or 12.9-inch screen, both Liquid Retina but the first with a resolution of 2388×1668 at 264 ppi and the second with a resolution of 2732×2048 pixels at 264 ppi, the iPad Pro is the top of the line tablet from Apple. It has an A12X Bionic processor, internal storage of 64-256-512 GB or even a TB, 12 MP camera, USB-C connector and no headphone jack. The base price in Italy is 899 euros for the 11-inch model and 1,119 euros for the 12.9.
Apple iPad, which one to buy?
In light of these differences, the choice between one model and another iPad is not easy. If the most important variable for you is price, then the basic iPad is the one that costs the least but is still a good tablet. If you chose to buy an Apple product you won't regret it, but if you also evaluate Android products, then with similar prices you can find more up-to-date products. If, on the other hand, power is what you're looking for then the two iPad Pros are what you need: the A12X Bionic chip is able to rival in many tasks even some Intel Core i7 processors, such as those mounted on the 15-inch MacBook Pro of the penultimate generation. With the iPad Mini, on the other hand, you have a tablet that's compact in size and comfortable to carry around, but considering that many 2019 smartphones have screens over 6 inches maybe you should ask yourself if a tablet is really what you need. The iPad Air, finally, is perhaps the perfect synthesis of a bit of all these needs because it combines acceptable size with a respectable processor.