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00:00Alright, hey guys, I'm Tom of TechJab and I've got every single iPad that Apple sells
00:13right now.
00:14From the Ā£330 base iPad to the over Ā£2,000 fully tricked out iPad Pro 12.9.
00:21You may have noticed that I made one of these pretty similar buying guides just a couple
00:25of months ago, but now we have a couple of new additions to the iPad family, including
00:29the iPad Mini and what is unhelpfully called, well, the iPad.
00:35And so the new iPad Mini has just had its biggest design overhaul for nearly a decade
00:40and it looks just fantastic now.
00:42Plus the regular iPad, now in its 9th generation and still the most affordable overall, has
00:48just had a much needed spec boost and finally gets a decent sized base storage option at
00:5364 gigs.
00:54So actually, both this and the Mini have just jumped way up in my recommended iPad list,
01:00but which one should you actually buy?
01:02Well, I've tried to boil down all the important information, everything that you need to know
01:06to pick the right one and hopefully you find it useful.
01:09And if you do, a cheeky little like and subscribe would be lovely.
01:12Okay, so these are the five main iPad models that Apple sell right now, including the 11
01:18and 12.9 inch iPad Pros and they're all running the just released iPadOS 15 software.
01:23And as usual, we get the different color and storage options, which vary between models
01:28as well as cellular versions if you want a mobile data connection, although personally
01:32I usually just hotspot for my phone or use Wi-Fi.
01:35But there is a lot to think about, screen size, processors, storage, accessories, cameras
01:40maybe, and it's all a balancing act against what you'll actually use it for and of course
01:44your budget.
01:45But first of all, why would you actually want to buy an iPad?
01:48Well for me, it's quite simply the best tablet you can buy and that's mostly down to the
01:52App Store and the sheer number of good iPad optimized apps and games, although the less
01:57said about Instagram the better.
01:59But not just that, they're also fantastic as a learning tool for kids and students.
02:04The Apple Pencil means they're great for digital artists and designers and if you pair it with
02:08a keyboard, particularly the Magic Keyboard, they become a pretty good laptop alternative.
02:13Okay, so let's start with what is probably the most significant new addition and also
02:18the smallest iPad, the 6th Gen Mini.
02:21In my last iPad roundup, which as I say was only a couple of months ago, I pleaded with
02:25Apple for a new Mini which would basically be a shrunk down iPad Air and that's pretty
02:30much exactly what we've got.
02:32And while then I had a hard time recommending the Mini, this one is a whole other story.
02:38Because an iPad you can use one-handed is incredible and so if you don't need a huge
02:42screen or you just want something that easily slips into your bag or even your pocket, well
02:46just, this should be the top of your list.
02:50It gets the same slim bezels and squared off design as we see on the larger Air and
02:54Pros as well as stereo speakers, the Touch ID power button on top here, along with the
02:59slightly odd new placement of the volume buttons and while overall it's about the same size
03:04as the last Mini, the display is actually a fair bit bigger, 8.3 inches versus 7.9.
03:10Plus it's taller, it's got less of a square aspect ratio so we're actually getting smaller
03:14black bars when you watch videos and movies on this.
03:17It is still using a 60Hz IPS screen so no fancy OLED or ProMotion here unfortunately
03:24but it's still sharp, colour accurate and it looks good.
03:27And it's also packing the brand new Apple A15 Bionic chip which is the same one that
03:31we get in the new iPhone 13s which actually makes this the most powerful iPad outside
03:37of the two Pro models that come with the M1 chip.
03:40Other new stuff?
03:41Well we get improved cameras front and back including this very nifty new 12 megapixel
03:47ultra wide selfie camera which supports Apple's centre stage where the camera will crop in
03:52and track your face in video calls.
03:55We also get an extra gig of RAM, up to 4 from the previous Mini as well as Apple Pencil
03:592 support and a USB-C port, no lightning in sight.
04:04Downsides?
04:05Well we have lost the headphone jack, the 3.5mm jack which we had on the old Mini that
04:09is gone unfortunately so you will have to use wireless Bluetooth earphones with this.
04:14Also while the A15 chip is a lot more powerful, in my tests between 80-100% faster than the
04:20previous Mini, in sort of everyday use you don't always see that benefit, that extra
04:24performance although when it comes to loading bigger games or doing more demanding tasks
04:28then yes this is significantly faster.
04:31Now the entry level 64GB version of the Mini will cost you about Ā£480 or $500 which is
04:37a pretty hefty Ā£150 premium over the regular iPad with the same storage.
04:43And if you want to go up to 256GB of storage, it's Ā£619, plus if you want 5G as well
04:50to make it the sort of ultimate portable device, add another Ā£140 onto that as well.
04:54And that's before we even consider a case or a pencil so things can start to get pricey.
05:00But for the base 64GB model, the compact size, the new design and the extra speed makes this
05:05Mini a great choice and I think it actually might be my new favourite iPad.
05:10Now quick side note because every single iPad here, except this one, the regular iPad
05:15supports the Apple Pencil Gen 2 which actually in terms of responsiveness and latency is
05:20pretty much the same as the first one but it's a bit more comfortable because we have
05:24this flat edge so you can sort of get a better grip, it also stops it from rolling off your
05:28table all the time and crucially it's a whole lot more convenient because you don't have
05:32to plug it into the lightning port like we do here so you have a giant very expensive
05:38lollipop which is just the worst design ever.
05:41So really the reason you'd want the Gen 2 Pencil is because it does, well not that,
05:47it does, it does that.
05:51It magnetically attaches to the side of the iPad and then wirelessly charges which is
05:56just I think about a billion times more convenient than this thing.
06:01To be honest with you, I don't really use the pencil that much so I probably wouldn't
06:04buy one but for proper drawing, note taking or a bit of doodling it's a great option
06:09to have.
06:10Okay, next up we have the brand new 9th generation iPad.
06:15Just the iPad.
06:16And it's definitely a case of meet the new iPad, same as the old iPad because design
06:21wise this has barely changed in the past 5 or 6 years with the same chunky bezels top
06:25and bottom, that Touch ID home button which I know some people prefer and also the older
06:30less versatile lightning port.
06:32The thing is though, there's nothing wrong with it.
06:34It's functional and importantly it's a lot cheaper than the others but it does feel
06:37a bit, well, very last last gen especially now that we have this new redesigned mini.
06:44But I would argue you should look beyond that because this will do 95% of what most people
06:49want their iPad to do, even the top end pro.
06:52And for about Ā£330 or $350 for the base 64GB version and actually even less if you're
06:58buying for education reasons, you're getting pretty much the full iPad experience here
07:03for almost half of what you'll pay for the similarly sized iPad Air.
07:07Front and centre is this 10.2 inch screen and it's big, it's bright, it's sharp
07:12and just like the rest of the range we also get True Tone which adjusts the screen's
07:16white balance to match your lighting and it's a little bit more comfortable for your eyes.
07:20However the only downside is the display isn't laminated so there's a very small but just
07:24about noticeable air gap between the glass and the actual screen although it's not
07:28the end of the world.
07:30And it's still more than fast enough and actually Apple claims it's 20% quicker than
07:33last year's model with the A13 chip that we get now.
07:37Also like the mini, in fact every iPad now except for the Air, we get the new 12 megapixel
07:42ultra wide selfie camera with centre stage.
07:45So if you want something for browsing, watching movies and TV, a bit of gaming, FaceTime calls
07:51or I think actually ideally for a child for educational apps, my nephew Oliver absolutely
07:55loves this thing, then this is more than up to the task.
08:00I'm in chat chat.
08:02Yes it looks a bit older and it's not had quite the same update that the mini has but
08:06who cares?
08:07For Ā£330 this is incredible value for money.
08:10And it is also compatible with the smart keyboard which is still a little bit pricey although
08:15nowhere near as much as the magic keyboard but it protects it, obviously it gives you
08:19that keyboard functionality and it's quite a nice extra actually.
08:23Okay moving on and in the middle of the group we have the iPad Air.
08:27So this is the fourth gen Air which actually came out almost a year ago now.
08:31So while it is just like a scaled up mini, the lack of a 2021 update means the Air actually
08:36has a previous gen A14 chip and also gets the older FaceTime camera without centre stage.
08:42Although the main camera on the back is a little bit better on the Air but really who
08:45uses that?
08:46It also costs about Ā£100 or $120 more than the new mini but for that you are getting
08:52a much larger 10.9 inch screen and an almost identical look and feel to the more expensive
08:5711 inch iPad Pro.
08:59And the Air is just a lovely thing to use with this big colour accurate screen, it's
09:04thin and lightweight, I love the colour options and unlike the regular iPad this gets USB-C,
09:10stereo speakers, touch ID and the power button and Wi-Fi 6.
09:14But for me one of the big reasons you might want to go for the Air actually and pay that
09:17bit extra over these two is because it works with the Magic Keyboard.
09:22The Air and the Pros are the only compatible iPads with this but it just transforms it
09:28almost into a proper laptop replacement.
09:31However if you don't really need the keyboard that much then things are a little bit trickier
09:35because versus the base iPad the Air does all the same stuff, albeit with a smarter
09:41design, slightly faster chip, USB-C and Pencil 2 support.
09:45And the thing is this costs a good Ā£250 more than the regular iPad for the same amount
09:51of storage, 64GB and also near enough the same IPS 60Hz screen.
09:56So the problem is less that the Air is too expensive, it's that the basic iPad is such
10:01good value and does pretty much everything the Air can.
10:04Also jumping up to 256GB on the Air makes even less sense because while obviously more
10:09storage is great for having more games and movies, at Ā£729 you're then only Ā£20 short
10:16of the 128GB 11-inch iPad Pro which comes with plenty of other advantages of its own.
10:22But just going back to this Magic Keyboard for a second and if you are serious about
10:26working on your Air or Pro then I can't recommend this Magic Keyboard enough.
10:30While iPadOS 15 didn't give us some of the rumoured desktop app support like proper FileCut
10:36Pro which many of us had sort of wished to the Apple gods, we do get much better multitasking
10:41and paired with this Magic Keyboard which gives us a really good sized comfortable keyboard
10:46along with a touchpad and an extra USB-C port which means you can actually charge using
10:51one of them and then use the other for plugging in peripherals like extra storage.
10:55It also acts as a protective case, you can adjust the angle and because it attaches magnetically
11:00you can just grab the iPad to take it off.
11:03You can save a little bit of money and go with the Smart Keyboard Folio but this loses
11:07the trackpad, the extra USB-C port and the nicer keys and layout of the Magic Keyboard.
11:13So finally let's talk about these two, the big dogs, the iPad Pros and we've got the
11:1711 and the 12.9.
11:20So the 11 is much more of a tablet sized experience whereas the 12.9 looks and feels a lot more
11:25like a laptop sized screen.
11:27Now both of these were refreshed not long ago, mid 2021 and the big news is that they
11:32get Apple's fantastic M1 processor which is the same chip used in the new MacBooks
11:37and iMacs albeit in a slightly lower power form as well as more RAM and storage and on
11:43the 12.9 exclusively we have this gorgeous mini LED screen.
11:48Honestly the M1 chip in this is just ludicrously fast and actually compared to the next fastest
11:53chip, the A15 in the mini, it's still a good 50-100% faster so realistically this
11:59is overkill for most of us.
12:01But if you are a power user working with maybe 10-bit 4K video or high megapixel images
12:07or 3D design then this is probably the one to get.
12:11Now between the two, other than the screen and the size, these are basically identical
12:15and in basic terms we get the sleek aluminium design similar to the Air and the Mini although
12:20this improves on those models slightly with even thinner bezels.
12:24But crucially one of the big upgrades is we get ProMotion which is Apple's fancy marketing
12:28term for a 120Hz refresh rate screen and so everything you do from swiping between
12:34home screens, using apps or even the more responsive pencil, you do definitely appreciate
12:39having that smoother refresh.
12:41We also get insanely good quad speakers, the TrueDepth Face ID scanner instead of Touch
12:46ID, as well as an ultra-wide camera lens and a LiDAR sensor so you can measure your, well,
12:52rooms I guess.
12:54The Pros also now get 8 or 16GB of RAM depending on the storage option as well as a fast charging
12:58port, a faster USB 4 port that supports Thunderbolt 3 as well as a 5G option and the cameras also
13:04benefit from the M1 chip which actually helps reduce noise and gives a more sort of natural
13:09white balance.
13:10Plus we do get that 12 megapixel ultra-wide FaceTime camera with centre stage.
13:15So obviously if you can have any iPad you'd want one of these but they are very expensive
13:20with the 11-inch starting at about Ā£750 going up to a grand for the Ā£12.9.
13:27And that's with 128GB storage.
13:29If you bump it up to 256GB and then maybe add the keyboard and pencil, you're suddenly
13:33up to about Ā£1600 which is premium laptop money.
13:38Interestingly though, the iPad Pro 12.9 actually costs the same as the base spec MacBook Air.
13:44This is actually the Pro but you know what I mean.
13:46And actually then when you add in a Magic Keyboard, this gets more expensive.
13:50So at this point, it might be worth considering if a MacBook Air or Pro is actually a better
13:54option.
13:55Although of course you don't have a touch screen but with the latest macOS software,
13:59we do now get support for some mobile apps.
14:01So I still don't know if an iPad can really be a proper laptop replacement yet.
14:06Not until I can get full Final Cut or Premiere Pro for me at least.
14:09So if I did have a grand or Ā£1200 to spend then I would probably go with a laptop.
14:14Downsides?
14:15Well, price obviously.
14:17And also while the M1 races out ahead in terms of benchmarks, the reality is this doesn't
14:21feel much faster in regular apps and even demanding games.
14:25So this is really a case of untapped potential.
14:27It's future-proofing to the max.
14:29So instead, a more visible upgrade is this mini LED screen that's exclusive to the 12.9
14:35inch Pro.
14:36And side by side?
14:37Well, you can judge for yourself but the LED LCD's blacks look like a washed out grey
14:42versus the more contrasty proper inky blacks that we get on the mini LED.
14:47Having said that, for non-HDR apps and content, the difference isn't as obvious as they both
14:52peak at 600 nits of brightness although when you do jump into some properly good HDR video
14:57you do get 1000 nits on the mini LED with areas peaking up to 1600.
15:03And it makes a big difference.
15:04It's a lot more vibrant.
15:06Although on the downside, there is some blooming around brighter objects which is made more
15:10obvious thanks to the much darker black areas.
15:13So whether mini LED is worth paying the extra 250 quid or so over the 11 inch is down to
15:19your use case really.
15:20If you're watching a lot of movies or you're doing sort of really colour sensitive work,
15:24photo, video editing, then probably yeah.
15:27Plus of course you are getting the bigger, more laptop sort of experience size screen.
15:31But for regular non-HDR content then, I don't think it's as big of a deal.
15:37But having said all that, maybe you shouldn't buy any of these because no one needs an iPad.
15:43You kind of need a phone.
15:44You probably need a laptop.
15:45These are more of a sort of luxury, nice to have item.
15:48And even then, while you get some really nice upgrades with these latest ones, there's nothing
15:52wrong at all with a used or refurbished iPad from the last one to two years.
15:57Refurbs are great.
15:58Plenty of companies do them, although official Apple ones can be a bit pricey.
16:01But if you can find some good deals on outgoing 8th gen regular iPads or perhaps seeking out
16:06a used iPad Air 4th gen or iPad Pro from 2018 or 2020, they're fantastic and will probably
16:13save you a whole bunch of money.
16:15Okay, let's wrap up.
16:16And I've got three big takeaways.
16:19Firstly, storage.
16:20Apple price gouges on storage.
16:22They know that the 128 is probably what you want, which is why they give you a 64 and
16:26256 gig options.
16:27It's a pain in the backside, but they know what they're doing.
16:30So really, if you're streaming everything, you're not downloading a ton of big games,
16:3464 gigs is absolutely fine.
16:36Don't go crazy, particularly on the cheaper models.
16:39Secondly, unless money is no object or at least less of an object, you probably don't
16:44need an iPad Pro.
16:45Yes, the ProMotion is nice, the extra cameras and the M1 chip, but it's not really fully
16:49taken advantage of and I would probably just go with the Air if you're considering them.
16:54And thirdly, even if it doesn't make it a full laptop replacement, if you're going for
16:58an Air or a Pro, I would highly recommend getting the Magic Keyboard or even just the
17:02smart keyboard case on the regular iPad.
17:04It makes a big difference to how usable they are.
17:07So between them, I would probably say, while it's harder to recommend than it used to be,
17:12the iPad Air is still the best all-rounder.
17:15In terms of value for money, 100% all day long, the regular iPad.
17:18And actually for kids, 100% go for this one.
17:21For me, I have to say, I think the iPad Mini, this new 6th gen, is probably my favorite
17:26new iPad.
17:27If you already have a big iPhone, like a Pro Max, then maybe it's not really worth going
17:32for this and you want a bigger one.
17:33But if you have a regular sized phone, even though you don't get proper keyboard support
17:37with this, outside of Bluetooth, separate keyboards, this is such a fun iPad to use
17:41for reading, for bits of gaming, doodling with the Apple Pencil.
17:45It's a little bit pricey, but I really like this thing.
17:48But if you've got any questions at all, or you think I've missed something, then do let
17:51me know in the comments below.
17:53A cheeky like and subscribe would be very much appreciated if you did enjoy it.
17:56And I'll also leave links to all these in the description below.
17:59Thank you so much for watching, guys.
18:00And I'll catch you next time right here on The Tech Chat.