What is the best iPad model ever made?

By YPB Team

From the original iPad that launched a category to the impossibly thin M4 Pro with its OLED display, Apple has iterated on the tablet more than almost any product in its lineup. Which iPad generation was the best of the bunch?

iPad Pro M4 (2024)

The thinnest Apple device ever made, featuring a tandem OLED display that delivers deep blacks and stunning brightness in an impossibly svelte chassis.

1000pts

iPad Pro 10.5" (2017)

Introduced ProMotion 120Hz display technology to tablets, making scrolling and drawing feel dramatically smoother than anything that came before.

624pts

iPad Air M1 (2022)

The iPad Air that finally got the modern squared-off redesign and M1 chip, offering Pro-level performance at a considerably lower price point.

624pts

iPad Pro 9.7" (2016)

A compact Pro-tier iPad with a True Tone display, four-speaker audio, and Apple Pencil support that hit a sweet spot of power and portability.

571pts

iPad mini (1st gen, 2012)

The 7.9-inch miniaturised iPad that made tablets genuinely pocketable and proved smaller could be just as capable.

499pts

iPad Air (1st gen, 2013)

A dramatic redesign that shaved weight and thickness dramatically, bringing the iPad closer to its ethereal ideal and earning near-universal praise.

499pts

iPad Pro 11" (2018)

A complete ground-up redesign with Face ID, USB-C, and a nearly bezel-free display that reset expectations for what a premium tablet could look like.

399pts

iPad Pro M1 12.9" (2021)

The first iPad with Apple's M1 chip and a stunning mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display that brought professional display quality to a portable device.

399pts

iPad Air M3 (2025)

Apple's current mid-range benchmark, packing the M3 chip and Apple Intelligence features into the accessible Air lineup for creators and students alike.

399pts

iPad (1st gen, 2010)

The original iPad that launched the modern tablet category, running iOS and challenging the idea of what a portable computer could be.

249pts

iPad Air 2

The thinnest iPad ever at the time of release, with a laminated anti-reflective display and Touch ID — many still consider it the most elegantly proportioned iPad.

249pts

iPad mini 6 (2021)

A long-awaited reinvention of the mini line with a modern edge-to-edge design, USB-C, and Touch ID in the power button — in a still-pocketable frame.

249pts

iPad (10th gen, 2022)

A complete redesign of the entry-level iPad with USB-C and a landscape front camera, finally bringing the affordable tier in line with the modern aesthetic.

249pts

iPad 2

A thinner, lighter follow-up that added front and rear cameras and became the benchmark for what a good tablet should feel like for years.

0pts

iPad mini 7 (2024)

The latest mini with the A17 Pro chip and Apple Intelligence support, keeping the beloved compact form factor relevant in the age of AI-powered software.