The Best iPad (2021): Which Apple Tablet Should You Buy?

Be sure to check out all our buying guides, including the Best iPad Accessories, Best iPhones, Best iPhone 12 Cases and Accessories, Best Tablets, and Best MacBooks.Updated June 2021: We've added the 2021 iPad Pro and noted the generation of each iPad.Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-Year Subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). With the keyboard, you can even get some light work done.The only downside you may notice: There is more of an air gap, or space between the glass and screen, than the iPad Air, Mini, and Pro. It's completely usable and a fantastic tablet, but the pixels on the screen don't feel as flush with the glass, which is especially noticeable when drawing with the Pencil.Model: 8th GenerationApple's 4th-generation iPad Air (read our review here) will make you wonder if there's any need to shell out for the iPad Pro. Its speed and performance are on par with the Pro, and it uses the new A14 Bionic, just like the iPhone 12 range). It's so good, I preferred watching movies on it over the new iMac. The new iPad Pro models are also the first to use the same M1 chip that powers Apple's MacBooks. Like the Air, it's compatible with the Magic Keyboard and the Smart Keyboard.Model: 5th Generation 12.9 inch, 3rd Generation 11 inchApple updated the iPad Mini (5th generation) in 2019 with a speedy A12 Bionic processor, which is the same one inside the iPhone XS from 2018. Its thin, laminated display also makes it an ideal (albeit petite) tablet for writing and drawing, thanks to its new first-gen Apple Pencil support.Model: 5th GenerationApple has always packed a little extra into its iPad Pro tablets. If you’re buying something for a child to use, try Amazon’s Fire tablets, which are cheaper than any new iPad and still have tons of kid-friendly features and parental controls.WIRED is where tomorrow is realized.