iPad Guides
Updated May 2024 • Page 2
Our iPad buyer's guide helps answer the questions you need to know before buying.
Apple released the 6th generation iPad mini in September 2021. This iPad mini is also referred to by the model year: iPad mini (2021). The 6th generation iPad mini features a newer design that closely resembles the 4th generation iPad Air, it has an 8.3” Liquid Retina display with True Tone, and it is powered by the A15 Bionic chip with Neural Engine. Features of this model include 64GB or 256GB of internal storage, a USB-C connector for charging, Touch ID in the power button for device security, a two-speaker audio landscape mode, a 12MP wide camera on the back, and a 12MP ultra-wide camera with Center Stage on the front. The 6th generation iPad mini is available in Space Gray, Pink, Purple, and Starlight, and it supports the 2nd generation Apple Pencil and works with Bluetooth keyboards.
Apple took a bit of a break with the iPad Mini release cycle, which in past years was year-to-year. The 5th generation iPad Mini arrived a few years after the iPad Mini 4, in March 2019. The 5th generation iPad Mini arrived with the familiar 7.9-inch form factor, however, there were some solid improvements in terms of the processing power. The iPad Mini 5 has a Retina display resolution of 2048 x 1536 and a ppi of 326. Apple kept the fully laminated display and anti-reflective coating and added a 500 nits max brightness with True Tone. The device is powered by the Apple A12 Bionic chip with an Apple M12 motion coprocessor and has storage options of 64GB or 256GB. This model arrived running iOS 12.1.4 and with options for a WiFi-only model or a WiFi + Cellular model. Other feature highlights of the 5th generation iPad Mini include WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5, a 5124 mAh battery, 7MP FaceTime front-facing camera, and an 8MP rear-facing iSight camera.
Apple announced the 5th generation iPad Air on March 8, 2022. Pre-orders began shortly after, and the iPad Air 5 began shipping on March 18, 2022. The 5th generation iPad Air is a clear follow-up to the 4th generation iPad Air. It carries a similar design, including multiple color options, but the 5th generation iPad Air brings several key new features. The 5th generation iPad Air features include a 10.9” Liquid Retina display with True Tone, an Apple M1 chip with next-generation Neural Engine, up to 256GB of storage, 5G cellular connectivity, and a 12MP ultra-wide front camera with Center Stage.
The iPad Pro 11” 2021 is the 3rd generation iPad Pro 11” and it was unveiled in April 2021. The overall design and style of the iPad Pro 11” 2021 are the same as the iPad Pro 11” 2020, but there are some key improvements under the hood. For example, the iPad Pro 11” 2021 is powered by the Apple M1 chip with next-generation Neural Engine, and the storage space is now up to 2TB (up from 1TB on the 2020 model). The 2021 iPad Pro 11” has a USB-C connector with support for Thunderbolt / USB 4, and it supports 5G cellular connectivity. The front camera is a 12MP TrueDepth ultra-wide and the rear camera is a dual array with a 12MP wide and 10MP ultra-wide. The iPad Pro 11” 2021 also supports the 2nd generation Apple Pencil, along with the Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio.
Apple released the 5th generation iPad Pro 12.9” in April 2021, and while there were quite a few similarities going from the 3rd generation to the 4th generation iPad Pro 12.9”, Apple changed that with the release of the 5th generation iPad Pro 12.9”. The exterior design looks the same with silver and space gray color options, but the display, processor chip, storage, and cellular connectivity were all improved. The iPad Pro 12.9” 2021 model features a 12.9” Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion technology and True Tone. The display has a resolution of 2732 x 2048, and it is mini-LED with more than 10,000 LEDs with a 1000 nit full-screen brightness and 1600 nits peak brightness for HDR. The iPad Pro is powered by Apple’s M1 chip with a next-generation Neural Engine, offers up to 2TB of storage space, and supports 5G, in addition to 4G LTE. Other highlights for the 2021 iPad Pro 12.9” include a USB-C connector with support for Thunderbolt / USB 4, and support for the 2nd generation Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard, and Apple Smart Keyboard Folio.
Apple released the fifth-generation iPad in March 2017. This iPad was running iOS 10.3 at launch, and similar to previous versions, the fifth-generation iPad was available in a WiFi-only and a WiFi + Cellular model. The iPad features a 9.7-inch display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536, and it was powered by the Apple A9 processor with the Apple M9 motion coprocessor, and options for 32GB or 128GB of storage space. The fifth-generation iPad also has a 1.2MP front-facing camera, 8MP rear-facing camera, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, and a Lightning connector for charging. New features that arrived with this model iPad included iBeacon, a barometer, and Touch ID for device security.
The 4th generation iPad Pro 12.9” was released in March 2020, and this model served as the follow-up to the 3rd generation iPad Pro 12.9” which was released in November 2018. The 4th generation iPad Pro 12.9” arrived with some improvements as compared to the third-generation model, however, there were also quite a few similarities. For example, the 12.9” display remained as a Liquid Retina display with ProMotion technology and True Tone. Both models also offer up to 1TB of internal storage, a 7MP TrueDepth camera on the front, a USB-C connector for charging, Face ID for security, and support for the 2nd generation Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard, and Apple Smart Keyboard Folio. The new features for the 4th generation iPad Pro 12.9” include the Apple A12Z Bionic chip with Neural Engine, a LiDAR scanner, and a dual rear camera with a 12MP wide and 10MP ultra-wide lens.
The 11” iPad Pro 2020 is the second-generation iPad Pro 11 and it was announced in March 2020. This release brought several new hardware improvements to the iPad itself, along with new accessories such as the Magic Keyboard. The iPad Air 11” 2020 also supports the 2nd generation Apple Pencil and Apple Smart Keyboard Folio. The 11” display is Liquid Retina with ProMotion technology and True Tone and it has a resolution of 2388 x 1668. Some of the other hardware features include a 7MP TrueDepth camera on the front, a dual-camera setup on the back with a 12MP wide and 10MP ultra-wide, and a LiDAR scanner. The iPad Pro 11” 2020 allows for up to 1TB of internal storage space, has a USB-C connector for charging, and is powered by the Apple A12Z Bionic chip with Neural Engine. This model iPad Pro also has Face ID for device security, four-speaker audio, and a Smart Connector on the back that allows for easy connecting with accessories such as the Magic Keyboard.
The fourth-generation iPad was originally released in November 2012 and was later updated in February 2013. The original November 2012 release included storage options of 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. The updated February 2013 release included a 128GB storage option. The fourth-generation iPad kept the same 9.7-inch display, and the resolution was increased to 2048 x 1536. The iPad was powered by the Apple A6X processor, had options to get a WiFi-only model, and a WiFi + Cellular model, and it launched with iOS 6.0. Other features of the iPad included a 1.2MP front-facing camera, a 5MP rear-facing camera, a home button, a volume rocker, a function switch, and a Lightning connector for charging.
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