Which iPad should you buy in summer 2024?

Now that 2 new iPads are here (the iPad Air 6 and iPad Pro 7), it’s time to decipher which one to buy. Stay with me, because the current lineup isn’t simple (while removing one complication at Let Loose, it added another).

Big pros/gamers? The iPad Pro 7

It is obvious that the new iPad Pro is for pros (it’s even in the name!), but it’s harder to say who. These days, a professional would be perfectly happy with an iPad Air (especially with the Air’s new L size). I’d say, however, that photography and videography professionals who need to work with many video recordings in ProRes at once would be better off with the new iPad Pro. Add some musicians (Logic Pro 2 has several new AI features, which will run smoother on an M4-powered iPad). Also, if you’re in desperate need for a function row on the new Pro-exclusive Magic Keyboard (which anyway costs $300-$350 over the already pricey iPad Pro) or ATAP (as thin as possible) iPad (Apple somehow overworked the thinness and lightness of the iPad Pro to outrace the iPad Air, which specifically has Air, or thin and light, in its title, unlike the iPad Pro), go. And don’t forget those playing graphically intensive games a lot.

Milder professionals/gamers? The iPad Air 6

People under workloads that are still big but not iPad Pro-big can go for the iPad Air. Games that more than mildly need performance (but not iPad Pro performance) will also work great with the Air. Basically, this is the mid-range option.

Most other people? The iPad 10

The iPad 10 is a great iPad for those who are first indulging into the lineup and most people in general, especially at its new $349 price. In my experience (the iPad 10 is the one I use and the one I’m writing this article on), it doesn’t have a fingerprint or anti-reflective coating, but most people won’t mind. The only two things that might drive users up past the iPad 10 are in accessories: it doesn’t support the Apple Pencil Pro or the (new or old) Magic Keyboard (for the latter, it does have an exclusive Magic Keyboard Folio, but it can be a hassle to put on your lap).

Small fans? The iPad mini 6

For those who like small iPads, the iPad mini is the best (and only) option in the iPad lineup, with its 8.3” size. And yes, it still does have that all-screen design and Apple Pencil 2 support (although on the latter there is no support for the Pencil Pro). A new iPad mini is expected to arrive in the fall, but it’ll probably be a chip upgrade and nothing else (it’s unfortunately unlike Apple to put out two redesigns in a row). Yes, the 3-year space between versions might mean much better performance, but who cares about performance?

Outro? WHY IS THE LINEUP SO COMPLICATED???

Overall, the iPad lineup is a unnecessarily complicated lineup. If I were Apple, I’d just make an iPad and an iPad Pro, with the iPad in 8.3”, 10.9”, and 13” sizes and with the iPad Pro in 11” and 13” sizes (c’mon, who would want a pro iPad that’s smaller than the regular size?). Get rid of the mini and Air. Steve Jobs simplification. Simplifying Tim Cook complexity. At least this article is here to help you in figuring out which one to buy this season!

By Leo