A lot has happened since Steve Jobs introduced the first Apple iPad in 2010. At that time there was only one range of tablets in the brand, but over the years we found several ranges of the product in the catalog and hence the doubts about which iPad is better to buy. In this article we analyze the profile of the public to which each of them is oriented in order to help you in your choice and solve all your doubts.
With iPadOS, any iPad is almost a computer
Apple has been pretending that iPads are excellent computers for years. It really is not, although this beyond being a marketing slogan, has its part of reality in the fact that more and more things can be done with the brand’s tablets.
It was in the year 2019 when the iPad separated from iOS to adopt its own operating system: iPadOS, at that time called iPadOS 13. It is true that both at a functional and aesthetic level it continues to have a very large common link with the iPhone and iOS, although it has exclusive features that make the experience of using the iPad more complete and bring it closer to that of a computer.
An example of the aforementioned is the possibility of connecting external keyboards, using trackpads and mice or the possibility of connecting external storage devices and managing files comfortably. The ability to interact with video or photo editing applications and office applications on a larger screen than on an iPhone is also a point in favor of the iPad. And obviously a computer will always be more complete, but the fact of being able to access so many functions on a tablet is the least striking and exceeds the expectations with which this product was initially raised.
The best is the iPad Pro, although perhaps it is excessive
If we have to talk about the best Apple tablet, we must undoubtedly go to the iPad Pro models. There is no other tablet from the company that surpasses it in features, performance and even in design advances, since this is the range that first incorporates the aesthetic novelties that are later inherited by the rest of the iPad. However, this does not make it the most ideal for everyone. Is someone going to be short with this iPad? Surely not, but perhaps you will not get the most out of it and it will serve you with one of the cheapest iPads.
Who is the iPad Pro for then? Well, for heavy iPad users who can work with him for at least most of their time, someone who edits photography in a professional way, a graphic editor who sees a work tool in the Apple Pencil and another audience that meets that profile ‘ Pro’. The refresh rate of 120 Hz is also one of the great exclusives of these iPad, considerably improving the user experience. So is the LiDAR sensor of the latest models for those who need augmented reality tools.
It should be noted that these iPads always carry an improved version of the chips that mount the rest of the iPad, usually named with a letter at the end (A11X Bionic, A12X Bionic, A12Z Bionic, etc.). The performance at the end of these tablets is much higher than the others and that is why it is indicated to carry out heavier tasks than in the rest. Also in storage we find a plus over the rest, reaching even capacities of 1 TB of memory.
They have also incorporated a USB-C port for years that, beyond serving to recharge their battery, also provides an extra in terms of data transfer speed , making it even compatible with very powerful external storage disks that with a Lightning connector is hardly going to be possible. If we also take into account its tight front design with hardly any frames, we have a very complete device as a result.
iPad mini with a very defined audience niche
These iPads have hardware that, without being the most powerful, tends to mount recent generation processors and capacities that are more than acceptable. However, they are not so thought about taking advantage of heavy tasks, but not because they are not capable but because of their sizes. As the name suggests, these are Apple’s smallest iPads and they have great disadvantages for those who want to make the most of the screen. However, it offers great possibilities thanks to its compact size and tremendous portability.
They are perfect for the consumption of multimedia content , whether away from home on public transport, at the beach or in any other situation in which this iPad feels comfortable. But also at home, being able to be comfortably using it on the sofa, in bed or on a desk. The compatibility with Apple Pecil of its latest generations also makes it an excellent digital notebook for taking notes by hand or drawing.
iPad, ideal for students and other profiles
Possibly this is the iPad that covers a greater number of user profiles. It is the cheapest of the brand and that already makes it much more affordable than the rest. Its components are always somewhat lower than the rest of the models, but they are still powerful tablets to use in all kinds of areas.
They are simply called “iPad”, but the year of its launch or the description “for students” is usually added as a suffix. This is precisely due to being a very appetizing device for them, whether they are in high school or university, since they are perfect because they have a more than acceptable screen size for reading, underlining and studying notes, but also for writing them with keyboard accessories. or even the first generation Apple Pencil. In addition to taking advantage of the entire ecosystem of applications in the App Store focused on student tasks.
However, it not only stays in that school audience, since it is also perfect for undemanding users who seek in it a tool with which they can access all kinds of professional functions without losing the leisure focus that it allows for the consumption of content. multimedia or video games.
The iPad Air is a great middle ground
From what has been seen so far, the iPad is the one that marks the entry range to Apple tablets and the iPad Pro the one that closes it as the best, with the exception of the ‘mini’ with its defined market niche. Well in the middle of everything we find the iPad Air, being devices that inherit the most outstanding characteristics of previous generations of the ‘Pro’ that are no longer so current, but always offering improvements compared to the model focused on students.
It is perhaps not the most ideal for heavy tasks such as video editing because in the end the ‘Pro’ will always give greater fluidity, but it is fully capable of it by providing more than enough performance for sporadic uses in heavy tasks like that. Its processors are usually those of the most recent generation, although not in its version improved with letter as it happens in its older brothers.
In the latest versions of iPad Air we can find an all-screen design that is very similar to the ‘Pro’ models. It is an ideal device for those who want to have a new look, with better performance than the entry model, but without the need for as much raw power as the ‘Pro’ and, of course, at a more competitive price. that can make it a sweet treat even for students who want more than just the basic model.
The fact that it has also added a USB-C connector in that last generation makes it also much more complete than the cheaper models and even the previous generations of this iPad Air. In fact, it could be said that it cannibalizes the iPad Pro in a way, since the public who was in no man’s land can already find their ideal tablet.
