Are you an incoming college or high school student looking to see which iPad you should buy? You’ve come to the right place. My name is Cyrus, and I’ve been an avid iPad user for the past 5 years through my undergrad and grad school years. In today’s article, we’re going over every single new iPad available to see which one you should buy.
The iPad Pro: The Everything You Need Plus Plus Tablet
The iPad Pro is what I would call the everything you need plus plus tablet. Taking a look at the raw stats, the iPad Pro is very beefy, coming with all of the bells and whistles, such as the OLED and M4 processor. These two combined will make for a great tablet experience at a pretty high price.
The OLED or organic LED screen means you will get absolutely beautiful colors on the display with a 120 Hz refresh rate thanks to Apple promotion. It will look far smoother than the other iPads, especially since it rocks the fastest processor of the lineup.
You probably won’t be able to tell that it is very much faster than the others besides the screen being smoother because of the refresh rate, since all the iPads in this list are limited by their operating system. For the ultra professional individuals out there, you’ll be very satisfied with this device. But that extreme price and pretty high bar to actually benefit from this tablet over the others makes me believe that the better option for almost all of you is what comes next.
The iPad Air: The Everything You Need Plus Tablet
This is what I would consider to be the everything you need plus tablet, meaning it has everything you need and more. It’s not going to be as over the top as the iPad Pro, but what it lacks in certain features here and there, it makes up for in price.
The iPad Air is far more cost efficient for students, and it might still have too many features for many of you. The screen is still great, not OLED like with the Pros, but Apple has a great track record for the wonderful Retina screens.
The M2 processor of the iPad Air, although not as powerful as the M4 in the iPad Pro, is still likely going to yield mostly the same results. Because like I said, limitations with the operating system. It will literally run anything compatible with an iPad, especially since the chip it has right now used to be used in the iPad Pro. I personally rock the iPad Air in college, and it has been a wonderful device for me.
The iPad Mini: A Niche Choice
Let’s discuss the iPad Mini. Frankly, this one I haven’t seen too much in college and haven’t used extensively, either, because it’s just not that popular. I would consider this iPad the everything you need minus for most of you.
From my own personal experience, I like the fact that it’s small and easily portable. But for note-taking, it’s more of a notepad than a notebook. That smaller frame, while great for ease of transportation, means that you won’t have much space to work with.
It’s not really as usable as, say, a notebook. But for small things like lists and whatnot, it’s doable for that. Being $150 more expensive than the newer entry-level iPad, the iPad 10, the iPad Mini is best for those with specific personal preferences, like smaller hands and specific needs. Because this hasn’t been updated in nearly 3 years as of June 2024, I would recommend waiting for the new version of the iPad Mini, possibly coming out in the fall, or just choosing a different iPad altogether.
The iPad 10: The Best Budget-Friendly Option
In regards to the best budget-friendly iPad, there is no better option than the entry-level variant, the iPad 10. Released in fall 2022, the iPad 10 is a solid option for most students who want to get into digital note-taking. I would call this the everything you need iPad.
Even considering how the other iPads have better performing processors and this model will likely get an update in the fall, I still believe most students would be satisfied with this device. Truthfully, this iPad can probably satisfy all of your needs.
It can be used for note-taking, meetings, editing photos and video, content consumption, etc. It truly doesn’t break the bank like the others. If you’re budget-conscious, which would be understandable given how expensive college can be, I would say the iPad 10 is also a fair option. The only problem I have with it being its storage capacity.
Final Recommendations for Students
Disclaimer: you cannot just get an iPad for school and college, you’ll need a computer as well, more so than a tablet. A tablet is more of an accessory item to your setup.
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iPad 10 and iPad Air: For most students, I believe the iPad 10 is a great budget-friendly device that will satisfy all of your needs. If you want a bit more storage, but not too much, I’d say just go for the iPad Air instead. Really, for most of you, you can’t go wrong with either the iPad 10 or iPad Air.
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iPad Pro: It’s tough to recommend the iPad Pro to students because it’s incredibly expensive and pretty tough to justify. If you want the best of the best tablet and can afford it, get the iPad Pro.
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iPad Mini: It’s pretty small, so it’s best for those with smaller hands. Do note that it also isn’t too easy to take notes with just because of that smaller screen. It is the oldest device on the list, so I would actually suggest waiting, if you can, until the new one arrives.
Ultimately, this really is your decision. Focus on your needs and budget, and I’m sure you’ll make the right decision. My name is Cyrus. Thank you very much for reading, and have a wonderful day.
