These are the best iPad models to buy before school starts(1)

These are the best iPad models to buy before school starts(1)

From the powerhouse iPad Pro to the portable iPad Air, these are the best iPad models for students in high school or college.

iPad Pro (6th generation)

Best iPad overall

iPad (10th generation)

Best base model iPad

iPad Mini (6th generation)

Best compact iPad

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Apple's iPad lineup is arguably unmatched by any other tablet maker. While our list only features what ZDNET thinks to be the four best options, each iPad is fit for different students, professionals, and creatives alike for multiple use cases.

From the iPad Mini to the iPad Air, these premium tablets consistently find their way to the top of performance charts. They offer 10 hours of battery life, clear and crisp displays, and access to thousands of apps in the App Store.

And because Apple keeps updating and enhancing iPadOS, the iPad keeps gaining valuable features like widgets on the home screen, trackpad support, new Apple Pencil features, and more Mac-like features, while differentiating the tablet lineup from the iPhone. The latest version, iPadOS 17, is set to arrive in the fall, with new features like interactive widgets, webcam support, and better support for PDFs.

Also: The best iPad keyboards

Below, you'll find Apple's current iPad lineup and details about what differentiates each model in a bid to help you find the best iPad model for your budget and needs this back-to-school season. My top pick is the sixth generation iPad Pro,

but the other three models are worthy in their own right.

The best iPads of 2023

iPad Pro (6th generation)

Best iPad overall

pros & cons

pros

· iPadOS 16.1's new multitasking feature

· Strong performance thanks to M2 chip

cons

· Most expensive by a long shot

· Not many changes compared to previous model

more details

iPad Pro (6th generation) specs: Display: 11-inch Liquid Retina display or 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion and True Tone | Processor: Apple Silicon M2 | Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB | Biometrics: Face ID | Colors: Silver, space gray | Cameras: 12MP wide, 10MP ultrawide rear and 12MP TrueDepth FaceTime front | Weight: 11-inch: 1.03 pounds, 12.9-inch: 1.5 pounds | Dimensions: 11-inch: 9.74 x 7.02 x 0.23 inches, 12.9-inch: 11.04 x 8.46 x 0.25-inches| Connections: USB-C Thunderbolt/USB-4 | Battery life: 10 hours

Apple's 2022 iPad Pro lineup is by far the most capable and impressive iPad lineup I've seen, making it my best overall pick. It's also the most expensive by a long shot. The design hasn't changed much on the outside, but on the inside, you'll find Apple's M2 processor, which consists of 20 billion transistors -- 25% more than the M1. It's the same exact processor that Apple is using in the new 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.

ZDNET writer Jason Cipriani spent some time with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and found it to be faster and more capable than any other iPad model he's tested to date. You can expect download speeds up to 2.4Gbps, twice as fast as the previous model, 15 percent faster performance, and up to 35 percent faster graphics performance.

Cipriani was particularly impressed by the Pro's power when handling a large workload.

"The combination of Stage Manager and external monitor support means you can have up to eight apps open and in use on the iPad Pro at the same time. This, of course, will tax the performance of the tablet, but Apple's M2 processor is the most capable when it comes to powering through whatever you throw at it," he said.

The Pro also supports the 2nd-generation Apple Pencil, and there's a new hover feature thanks to the M2 chip. The feature works like this: When the tip of the Apple Pencil gets within 12 millimeters of the display, parts of the interface come to life in apps that support the new feature.

Although the differences between the 5th-generation and this 6th-generation model are more subtle, the M2 chip is really what makes it a powerhouse tablet. The iPad Pro, combined with iPadOS and the M2 chip, is as close as you can get to a laptop without actually buying a laptop.

iPad (10th generation)

Best base model iPad

pros & cons

pros

· Modern design

· USB-C port

· Landscape front-facing camera is superior to other iPad models

· Four colors to choose from

cons

· $120 more than predecessor

· Dongle required to charge Apple Pencil (1st generation)

more details

iPad (10th generation) specs: Display: 10.9-inch Liquid

Apple's tried-and-true tablet, the base model iPad, is arguably the best value in the group. You get the same features as the more expensive Pro and Air models in a lightweight form factor with a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone and thinner bezels than the previous generation.

Apple updated the iPad in the fall of 2022 with the A14 Bionic processor, USB-C support, 5G support for on-the-go tasks, and a new 12MP ultra-wide camera. It also has support for the Magic Keyboard Folio made specifically for this iPad and includes an adjustable kickstand with a 14-key function row for shortcuts.

ZDNET Editor June Wan went hands-on with the iPad and puts the model ahead of even the M2 iPad Pro.

"The area where the regular iPad edges out the Pro is camera placement," he said. "Generally speaking, having the camera located on the long side really does bring an improvement to how you're presented in video calls and photos."

It also comes in fun colors that break out of the standard space gray and silver we have seen for so long. The colors include pink, blue, yellow, and classic Apple silver.

One major downside of the new iPad is that it doesn't support the 2nd-generation Apple Pencil. Instead, you'll have to connect your 2nd-generation Apple Pencil to a dongle in order to use it, making it an unnecessary hassle.

iPad Air (5th generation)

Best iPad for anyone

Jason Cipriani/ZDNET

pros & cons

pros

· M1 processor

· 5G connectivity

· Touch ID sensor doubles as a power button

· Compatible with Magic Keyboard and 2nd-generation Apple Pencil

cons

· Same design we saw Apple bring to the Air in late 2020

more details

iPad Air (5th generation) specs: Display: 10.9-inch Retina display | Processor: Apple Silicon M1 | Storage: 64GB or

Apple's latest update to the iPad Air is more of a catch-up announcement than anything. The 5th-generation iPad Air keeps the same design we saw Apple bring to the Air in late 2020, but it now boasts an M1 processor and 5G connectivity. That's a lot of performance for the cost, which starts at $599.

Cipriani ran tests on its performance, and the iPad Air is almost as powerful as the iPad Pro.

"Geekbench 5 on the iPad Air resulted in a single-core score of 1,701 and a multi-core score of 7,137," he said. "I ran the same test on my personal 12.9-inch iPad Pro with the same M1 processor with 16GB of memory, compared to the iPad Air's 8GB, and the scores were much closer than I anticipated: The iPad Pro scored 1,708 for single-core and 7,297 in the multi-core test."

With a 10.9-inch display and a Touch ID sensor that doubles as a power button on the side of its housing, the iPad Air is more affordable and slightly different than the iPad Pro. The new iPad Air still works with the Magic Keyboard and 2nd-generation Apple Pencil.

Apple also updated the color lineup for the Air, matching the iPad Mini's color lineup, with the addition of a new blue color.

With my best wishes