iPad Buying Guide – Which Apple Tablet To Buy in 2022?

So, I believe; finally, you have given in to the temptation of buying an iPad for yourself or a family member who will love the Apple tablet.

Not all iPads are created equal, literally and figuratively.

Different Apple iPad Models are available in the market, but not all are worth buying.

This article will try to simplify which one you should buy based on your requirements and budget.

We have hand-picked four iPad models that you should currently buy that come with the latest specs and will be good to use for many years.

However, many old iPad models sell on Amazon, Flipkart, and other eCommerce websites that you shouldn’t buy. They may look the same as newer models but comes with an older processor and have outdated specs.

What are the Different Ipad Sizes

1. iPad 8th Gen – 10.2 Inch Retina Display
2. iPad Mini – 7.9 Inch Retina Display
3. iPad Air – 10.9 Inch Retina Display
4. iPad Pro – 11 Inches and 12.9 Inches.

Should You Buy WIFI Only or Cellular + WIFI IPad?

The Wifi Only iPads are cheaper and cost up to Rs. 10,000 less than the Cellular + WIFI version.

The Wifi-only iPad can connect to your home or office wifi network and connect to your mobile hotspot.

The WIFI and Cellular versions support a sim card that you can use to connect to the internet, in the same way, you use your smartphone data.

I don’t think there is a real advantage to buying a cellular iPad if you spend most of the time at home or office connected to the Wifi network.

Let’s start with the most affordable iPad that you can currently buy online.

Apple iPad(8 Generation) – Price – Rs 29,900.

The iPad 8th Gen and the iPad Mini come with an older Apple A12 processor. However, these are excellent devices for reading, movies, emails, and general tasks.

The Apple iPad(8 Generation) is a bit old and the most affordable iPad on our list.

It comes with a gorgeous 10.2-inch Retina display, and it also has support for Apple Pencil and a smart keyboard.

The size is around 10 inches – a perfect size for a tablet bigger than a phone and much smaller than a laptop.

Furthermore, the iPad comes with a powerful A12 Bionic chip, delivering excellent performance for all general tasks and gaming.

Additionally, it operates on the iPad OS 14 will also get future software updates.

It has a 1.2MP FaceTime HD front camera and 8MP back camera for photography. The cameras are decent but no match for the latest iPads.

Also, it provides you with 10 hours of battery backup for long-lasting usage.

Lastly, the Apple iPad(8 Generation) is available online for purchase at Rs 29,900(For 32GB storage and WiFi version) and Rs 39,890(For 32GB storage and WiFi+Cellular version).

KEY SPECIFICATIONS OF Apple iPad 8 Generation

• Processor – A12 Bionic chip.
• Rear Camera – 8MP
• Front Camera – 1.2MP
• Connectivity – WiFi and 2G LTE.
• Battery backup – 10 hours of usage time.
• Internal Storage – 32 GB internal memory.
• Operating System – iPad OS 14
• Voice Calling – Available in both versions, i.e., WiFi and WiFi + Cellular.
• Screen – 10.2 inches retina display.
• Compatibility – Apple Pencil, Smart Keyboard, and Bluetooth keyboard.
• Dimensions – 25.0x 17.4 x 0.7 cm.
• Weighs – 490g
• Price Rs. – 29,900(WiFi version) and Rs 39,890(WiFi+Cellular version)

Apple iPad Mini – Price – Rs 45,900

Apple iPad Mini offers a 7.9-inch Retina display with Truetone, a wide color gamut, and Apple Pencil support.

The iPad Mini comes with the powerful A12 Bionic chip we have already seen in the Apple iPad 8 Generation, and it runs on the iPad OS 14.

It has a 7MP FaceTime HD front camera and an 8MP rear camera. The front camera is much better, and it is ideal for students/professionals attending video calls on Zoom or Google Meet.

Furthermore, it provides you 10 hours of battery backup and also has stereo speaker support.

Lastly, the Apple iPad Mini is available in the following configurations:

• 64 GB Storage and WIFI – Price Rs. 34,999
• 64 GB Storage and WIFI + Cellular 45,900 – Price Rs. 34,999
• Rs 48,900 (256GB+WiFi Only)
• Rs. 59,900 (256GB+WiFi+Cellular version).

The 64 GB storage version is more than enough for most people, but you will have to shell out a lot of money if you need more storage. (Apple Storage upgrades are pretty expensive).

KEY SPECIFICATIONS OF Apple iPad Mini

• Processor – A12 Bionic chip.
• Rear Camera – 8MP
• Front Camera – 7MP
• Connectivity – WiFi and 4G LTE.
• Battery capacity – 5124mAH.
• Battery backup – 10 hours of usage time.
• Internal Storage – 64/256 GB internal memory.
• Operating System – iPad OS 14
• Voice Calling – Available in both versions, i.e., WiFi and WiFi + Cellular.
• Screen – 7.9 inches retina display.
• Compatibility – Apple Pencil.
• Dimensions – 21.6x 14.5 x 0.6 cm.
• Weighs – 300.5g
• Price Rs. – 45,900(64GB+WiFi+Cellular version), Rs 48,900(256GB+WiFi), and 59,900(256GB+WiFi+Cellular version)

Also, we recently wrote about the best Kindle Readers you can purchase in India.

Apple iPad Air – Price – Rs 54,900

The iPad Air is powered by the latest Apple A14 processor (same as iPhone 12) and is incredibly fast.

The iPad was launched in late 2020 and is an ideal machine for professionals, office workers, and college students.

Apple iPad Air comes with a Stunning 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone and P3 wide color gamut. Moreover, you can easily use it outdoors with a 500 nits max brightness.

Powering the Apple iPad Air is an A14 Bionic chip that offers a fast CPU and graphics processor. As a result, you can easily play all the games and even do video editing or design work on this iPad with ease.

Similar to the above-mentioned iPads, it also runs on iPad OS 14.

It weighs 458 grams and comes with a 7606mAH battery that offers up to 10 hours of battery backup.

You can easily pair it with the Apple keyboard or other third-party keyboards to make it work as a laptop replacement.

Furthermore, it offers a high-clarity 12MP rear camera and 7MP FaceTime HD front camera, best suited for video calls and zoom meetings.

The new iPad Air is available for purchase with a starting price of Rs 54,900 (64GB+WiFi version), Rs 66,900(64GB+WiFi+Cellular version), and Rs 68,900(256GB+WiFi version).

KEY SPECIFICATIONS OF Apple iPad Air

• Processor – A14 Bionic chip.
• Rear Camera – 12MP
• Front Camera – 7MP
• Connectivity – WiFi and 2G LTE.
• Battery capacity – 7606mAH.
• Battery backup – 10 hours of usage time.
• Internal Storage – 64/256 GB internal memory.
• Operating System – iPad OS 14
• Voice Calling – Available in both versions, i.e., WiFi and WiFi + Cellular.
• Screen – 10.9 inches retina display.
• Compatibility – Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard, and Smart Keyboard Folio.
• Dimensions – 25.9 x 18.9 x 0.5 cm.
• Weighs – 458g.
• Price Rs. – 54,900(64GB+WiFi version), Rs 66,900(64GB+WiFi+Cellular version), and 68,900(256GB+WiFi version).

Next, we have the iPad Pro models with a larger display and more powerful processors.

Many people don’t prefer to buy a Macbook Air or Pro but opt for an iPad that can also work as a laptop when paired with a physical. Keyboard.

The iPad Pro is available in either an 11 Inch Screen size or a bigger 12.9 Inch.

You can also read about the best docks to use with an iPad or MacBook.

Apple iPad Pro (2021 model 3rd Generation) – Price – Rs 71,900.

The iPad Pro powered by the latest M1 processor is swift, and pairing these with a physical keyboard is a good replacement for a laptop for doing lots of work.

iPad Pro 11 inches comes with a liquid retina display and a resolution of 2388*1668 pixels, a 600nits brightness, and 264ppi density.

Powering the iPad Pro is a powerful Apple M1 chip, and Apple claimed that it offers 75 times faster performance than the first-generation iPad.

The iPad Pro runs on iPadOS 14.

The ultra-clear photos and videos have a dual camera on the rear carrying a 12MP wide camera, a 10MP ultra-wide camera, and a LiDAR scanner that supports 4K video shooting.

Also, we have got the new 12MP Ultra Wide camera, 122° field of view, and offers a ƒ/2.4 aperture at the front.

The front camera can record 1080p videos, whereas the rear camera can record 4K videos.

It weighs 466 grams(WiFi model) and 468 grams(WiFI + Cellular models).

iPad Pro(12.9 inches)

Apart from the above 11 inch iPad Pro we have the top of the line 12.9 inch iPad Pro that comes with some upgrades over the 11 Inch model. Let me share with you the key differences and why you should opt for the 12.9 inch model.

iPad Pro 12 inches comes with a mini-LED backlit Multi‑Touch display with IPS technology and a resolution of 2732*2048 pixels and has a 264ppi pixels density.

It offers up to 100 nits of maximum brightness and is an incredible display for multimedia consumption and regular work.

The iPad Pro 12.9 inches weighs 682 grams(WiFi model) and 684 grams(WiFI + Cellular models).

It ships with a 20 Watts USB Type-C power adapter and comes with a Built-in 40.88 watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery.

Additionally, we have 4 speakers for excellent audio and 5 studio-quality microphones for excellent call quality and audio recording.

Besides, the Cellular version comes with 5G and 4G LTE support, and the WIFI version is compatible with the latest WIFI 6 standard.

The price of the iPad Pro 12.9 inches in India starts at Rs 99,900(128GB WiFi model) and Rs 1,13,900(128GB WiFi + Cellular model).

iPad Pro 11 Inch Variants and Price:

• 128GB storage and WiFi version – Rs 71,900.
• 256GB storage and WiFi version – Rs 80,900.
• 128GB storage and Cellular+WiFi version – Rs 85,900.
• 256GB storage and Cellular+WiFi version – Rs 94,900.

KEY SPECIFICATIONS OF Apple iPad Pro (11 Inch)

• Processor – Apple M1 chip.
• Dual Rear Camera – 12MP and 10MP with LiDAR scanner.
• Front Camera – 12MP
• Connectivity – WiFi and 5G LTE.
• Battery backup – 10 hours of usage time.
• Internal Storage – 64/256/1TB/2TB GB internal memory.
• Operating System – iPad OS 14
• Voice Calling – Available in both versions, i.e., WiFi and WiFi + Cellular.
• Screen – 11 inches retina display.
• Compatibility – Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard, and Smart Keyboard Folio.
• Dimensions – 25.9 x 18.9 x 0.5 cm.
• Weighs – 458g.
• Price – Rs 71,900(base variant), and Rs 1,70,900(Top variant).

Comparison between iPad(8 Gen) vs. Apple iPad Mini vs. Apple iPad Air vs. Apple iPad Pro

IPad And IPad Mini

The new iPad – iPad 9th generation and iPad mini/ iPad mini 6 were launched along with the iPhone 13 series during the California streaming event on Tuesday, 14 September.

New iPad Specifications:

The iPad comes with 10.2 inches LED-backlit multi-touch enabled display with 2160*1620 pixels resolution. It has IPS technology, 264 PPI, True Tone display, and 500 nits peak brightness. It supports the Apple pencil.

Powering the new iPad is the powerful A13 Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture and a Neural engine for improved performance. A13 Bionic chip was debuted in iPhone 11 in 2019. It runs iPadOS 15.

Further, the all-new camera system in the new iPad has a 12 MP FaceTime H camera (f/2.4) with Ultra Wide focus, 122-degree field view, and Center Stage support. The rear camera has an 8 MP Wide camera with an f/2.4 aperture.

The home button retains the touch ID like the previous iPad.

It comes in WiFi-only and WiFi + 4G connectivity. It supports Bluetooth 4.2.

It includes stereo speakers and dual microphones for calls, video/audio recording.

Moreover, the 32.4 Whr battery will offer a backup of up to 10 hours. It is packed with a 20W USB-C power adapter.

The new iPad is available in Silver and Space Grey color.

The WiFi model weighs 487 grams, whereas WiFi+4G weighs 498 grams. It measures a dimension of 250.6*174.1*7.5 mm.

iPad Mini Specifications:

The new iPad mini is available in four beautiful colors – Space Grey, Pink, Purple, and Starlight.

The iPad mini has 8.3 inches liquid Retina LED-backlit multi-touch display with IPS technology. It has 2266*1488 pixels resolution and 326 PPI. The display features 500 nits peak brightness, an anti-reflective coating, and a fully laminated display. It supports the Apple pencil (2nd gen).

In addition, likewise the iPhone 13 series, the iPad mini is powered by the latest and most advanced A15 Bionic chip that has six-core CPUs, five-core GPUs, and 16 core Neural Engine to deliver powerful performance. It runs iPadOS 15.

The camera system is similar to that of the new iPad.

However, here in the case of iPad mini has a 12 MP rear camera.

The connectivity option includes WiFi, Bluetooth, and USB-C adapter.

The 19.3 WHr battery can deliver up to 10 hours on a single charge.

The iPad mini WiFi model weighs 293 grams, while WiFi+4G weighs 297 grams. It measures 195.4*134.8*6.3 mm.

Storage and Pricing:

Written By Ayush Sharma – Edited By kanuj Sharma

You can also check out other Windows and Android Tablets if you are not too invested in the Apple Eco-System.

Data & Image Source – Apple Offical – iPad