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From left to right: iPad Pro 12.9, iPad Air (5), iPad and iPad mini
Photo: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
On April 3rd, the iPad will be twelve years old.
One day after the start of sales in the USA, our US correspondent Marc Pitzke wrote about the new device that it was "heavier than expected", after all it weighed 680 grams.
But after that first day with Apple's tablet computer, he also said: "It's completely unnecessary - but after a few minutes you don't want to live without it anymore."
My colleague is obviously not alone in this judgment.
According to figures from market researchers at IDC, the US group is by far the tablet market leader.
Apple is doing a lot to maintain this position.
The group now offers four different series of its flat computers.
It's not that easy to differentiate one model.
When it comes to the screens alone, you have the choice between 8.3 inches, 10.2 inches, 10.9 inches, 11 inches and 12.9 inches.
The chips deliver vastly different performance, ranging from the A13 of the iPhone 11 to the M1, which is also found in the MacBook Air, the MacBook Pro and the iMac.
In addition, there are different cameras, different connections, as well as different digital pins and a number of memory variants.
In addition, of course, there is the question of whether it is enough if the iPad is connected to the WLAN, or whether it should also be online via mobile communications while on the go.
And if so: Is LTE enough or should it be 5G?
And finally the question of all questions: How much can it cost?
In the following text we try to answer all these questions.
iPad
Apple is now delivering the basic model of the iPad series in the ninth generation - and you can see it.
It's the only newer Apple tablet still in a case with rounded edges, it's the only one that still has the "Touch ID" fingerprint sensor on the top, and it's the only one that's still charged via a Lightning socket.
The smart connector on the side also fits some older accessories.
It's also the only current Apple tablet on whose screen you can still write and draw with the "old" Apple Pencil (99 euros) and the only one that can be connected to Lightning accessories.
Compared to earlier models, the screen has been marginally enlarged from 9.7 inches (approx. 25 cm) to 10.2 inches (approx. 26 cm).
What sets it apart from more modern models is the thick frame.
From today's perspective, the display itself is still good, delivers strong colors and good contrasts, but reflects a lot.
The A13 chip runs fine with the current iPadOS 15.4.
However, it is likely to be the reason why this model is excluded from iPadOS updates two years earlier than those with current chips like the A15 and M1.
For whom is that?
Even the cheapest version, the iPad is just that: an iPad that runs iPad apps.
Complex apps with augmented reality take a little longer, but you can live with that.
Anyone who buys the iPad with a mobile connection pays an additional 140 euros, but only gets LTE.
When it comes to memory, you only have the choice between a meager 64 gigabytes (GB) and 256 GB, which costs 170 euros more.
Our recommendation:
The iPad (9) is Apple's tablet for pragmatists and the smallest version is just right for 379 euros.
Invest in a smart keyboard (179 euros) instead of mobile communications or memory.
Then the inexpensive tablet becomes a cheap and light notebook.
iPad mini 6
The mini among the iPads initially made me perplexed: What should this thing be good for?
Especially since it is smaller than the iPad, but at the same time significantly more expensive.
There are many reasons for the price difference.
For one thing, the screen is smaller.
With 2266 × 1488 pixels, however, it has a higher resolution than that of the iPad.
On the other hand, it can display the so-called P3 color space, which enables more and therefore more realistic colors.
And it has an anti-reflective coating.
The combination of these properties results in a significantly clearer, sharper image with fewer annoying reflections than the iPad.
It is powered by the same A15 chip as in the iPhone 13 Pro, so the iPad mini will receive iPadOS updates for just as long as the iPhone 13 Pro.
Here, too, you can get a model with a mobile phone connection for an extra charge of 170 euros, and the mini also supports 5G.
If you want to write or draw on the screen, you can buy the 2nd generation Apple Pencil for 135 euros.
Apple does not offer a keyboard, so you have to switch to third-party accessories.
There are only two storage variants: 64 GB and 256 GB.
In the end, what makes the mini attractive is the combination of plenty of power, a good screen, 5G and the compact format.
Without a protective cover, it even fits in a large jacket pocket.
So it's the best iPad for on the go - for example as a mini TV on an economy flight, as a luxury navigation system in the car or as a digital pilot's case in a small plane.
For whom is that?
At least not for the little ones, even if it is so small.
Due to the choice of body colors, one could see the mini as a fashion statement.
With its mix of performance and functions, however, it is more recommended as a professional device.
Or how about a combination of iPad mini and cheap clamshell phone?
You could use the iPad for everything that has to do with the Internet, and the cell phone for making calls.
Our recommendation:
Because it is so small and also light at just under 300 grams, you should use the mobile phone version, with which you can be online anytime and anywhere - except in dead spots.
The 64 GB variant is usually sufficient.
But if you want to store a lot of digital maps on the device, for example, you should choose the fully equipped 256 GB memory.
At 899 euros, it is painfully expensive.
iPad Air
With the fifth-generation iPad Air, Apple has just closed a gap that previously existed between the iPad mini and the Pro models.
While the iPad mini and the Pro models were already equipped with the M1 chip, an old A14 chip was still running in the iPad Air (4).
The new model is now available with the M1 chip and optionally with 5G mobile communications and has a new front camera.
Instead of 7 megapixels, it now has 12 megapixels and, above all, the so-called follow mode.
This is what Apple calls the possibility that the camera – although immobile – follows the person in front of the camera to a certain extent when they move around the room in front of the iPad.
A pretty effect.
The performance of the M1 makes the Air a workhorse.
It's completely overpowered for most tablet tasks.
On the one hand, the chip gives the user the security of being prepared for new apps that may require more computing power in a few years.
On the other hand, one can expect that the iPad Air with the M1 chip will have enough power for the next six or so major iPad OS updates.
This expected long service life of the device also puts its high price into perspective.
Even the cheapest model with 64 GB of memory costs 679 euros, almost twice as much as an iPad without »Air«.
In addition to the fast M1 chip, you get a visibly better display with the same properties as the iPad mini.
But here it is 10.9 inches (approx. 28 cm) tall.
Likewise, the latest iPad Air, like the mini, has a USB-C port instead of a Lightning socket.
You can not only connect all kinds of chargers to it, but also, for example, monitors, network cables or digital cameras and memory card readers.
If you have a use for it and are not afraid of the extra charge, you can also use the 2nd generation Apple Pencil.
For whom is that?
If your primary use of iPad is watching movies, checking email, and surfing the web, you don't need iPad Air unless you have too much money.
The Air is Apple's tablet for people who want to work with it.
For hobby photographers, for example, who want to load photos from the SLR camera directly onto the iPad and edit them there.
Or for musicians sketching songs with apps like GarageBand, Sampletank and Cubasis LE 3.
The device could also be interesting for students who use it with a keyboard and pen as a device for everything and write homework on it, take notes in lectures and watch Netflix in the evening.
We recommend:
If you want to save and edit photos or films on the iPad Air or manage a large music collection on it, you have to accept the high surcharge (170 euros) for the 256 GB version.
The 5G variant is only needed for those who are far away from their home network, company network or campus.
A keyboard is often more useful.
Apple's cheapest variant is the Smart Keyboard Folio for 199 euros.
The Magic Keyboard is even fancier and more robust, but expensive at 339 euros.
You can also type longer text comfortably on both.
If you often edit photos, you should treat yourself to the Apple Pencil 2 (135 euros).
iPad Pro
Even if it may seem so: the two iPad Pro models with 11-inch and 12.9-inch displays are not only interesting for professionals.
If you are interested in an iPad Air with 256 GB (from 849 euros), you only have to pay 30 euros more to get an iPad Pro instead.
That only has half as much memory, but a few other extras that could justify the extra charge.
Unlike the displays of the rest of the iPads, which are fixed at 60 frames per second, the screens of the iPad Pro series manage up to 120. But you can also lower the refresh rate to save power.
Apple calls this Pro Motion.
In addition, the Pro models have better cameras in the back, namely a 12-megapixel wide-angle and a 10-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera.
You can't take pictures comfortably with it, but if you have to, the pictures are quite good.
The lidar scanner also helps here, measuring the surroundings with weak laser light and thus helping the camera to focus better and to better distinguish the subject from the background.
He also helps with apps and games that use augmented reality.
The front camera seems to be identical to that of the iPad Air, it also masters the follow mode.
And then there is the Thunderbolt connection, to which you can connect high-resolution screens or large storage media.
Just professional stuff.
Professional stuff is also the even better display of the 12.9-inch model, which contains mini-LED technology.
With its more than 10,000 tiny LEDs, it ensures that the screen with 1000 nits is almost twice as bright as the 11-inch version (600 nits).
With HDR films or photos, it can even reach 1600 nits.
The result is impressive picture quality with extreme contrasts.
At least if you keep the screen clean.
Because otherwise finger dirt lies like a diffuse veil over the screen.
It is logical that the M1 chip is also installed here.
Unlike the other iPads, however, Apple offers a wide range of memory configurations for the Pro iPads.
This starts with the base versions being equipped with 128 GB, which makes much more sense than the measly 64 GB of the other models.
But you can also order 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 terabyte (TB) and even 2 TB.
Of course, the prices then skyrocket.
For whom is that?
Not just for professionals anyway.
As mentioned above, the small version of the iPad Pro is also an alternative to the iPad Air.
The big one is already a luxury, but it can perhaps also replace the television in addition to the notebook, especially since the four speakers sound really good.
The versions with a lot of memory are aimed at photographers and filmmakers who want to view and edit their recordings on the go.
We recommend:
If you want the best of everything but don't want to pay the highest price, the iPad Pro 11-inch with 256 GB of storage is for you.
At 989 euros, it's not a bargain.
The 12.9-inch version is reserved for professionals.
But they shouldn't be afraid to order enough storage space.
With 1TB and the 5G option, the large iPad Pro costs 2139 euros, but it's also a mobile workstation that fits in the seat pocket.
Keyboard and stylus prices are the same as the iPad Air (5).
Our savings tip
If you're now in the mood for an iPad, but the price makes your hair stand on end: how about a used one?
Apple itself also offers iPads in its refurbished store.
Many of these devices are returns from the online shop, all have been overhauled and cleaned.
Similar offers are also available at Refurbed, Backmarket and Rebuy.
If it doesn't have to be the latest model, you can find bargains there.
However, it is important to buy with caution.
With a 2017 model, for example, you can assume that the battery will soon run out and may need to be replaced.
Such a purchase is therefore only worthwhile if the price is really good.
Otherwise, buying used is recommended, especially for devices that are up to two years old, because they still have plenty of life ahead of them.
Background: Product tests in the Netzwelt department
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