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The Best iPad to Buy (and Some to Avoid) in 2026: Compare the Air, Pro, Mini
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FINDING THE BEST iPad should be simple. You get whatever’s new, right? If only. Apple sells four main iPad models in varying sizes, each with its own strengths. In addition, a growing number of older iPads are floating around the eBays of the world. Since all these devices largely look the same, it’s important to know what you’re buying and what you should pay for it. This guide covers the iPad models currently available, what’s coming up, the key differences between them, and the older versions that are still in use (including those you should avoid at any price). I also break down which Apple Pencil and accessories to pair with your device.
Be sure to check out all our buying guides, including the Best iPad Accessories, Best iPhones, Best iPhone 17 Cases, Best Tablets, Best Android Tablets, and Best MacBooks.
Updated June 2026: I've included information on the new software release, iPadOS 27. I've also added some extra context on future iPad releases and a new iPad accessory I tested.
There are tons of iPads out in the world, and it can be tough to figure out exactly what model you own if you're thinking of selling it or you're looking for accessories and want to make sure they'll work with your iPad. Apple also doesn't name its slates sequentially as it does with the iPhone, only adding to the confusion. No matter. Finding your model is simple.
Accessory makers usually indicate which iPad a case, folio, or keyboard cover is designed to work with. If you see a retailer mentioning a specific generation or processor, this is Apple's current lineup:
Yes. The iPad Air was updated to the M4 in March of 2026, while the base iPad and iPad Pro were both refreshed in 2025. Most people should buy one of those, and they're perfectly great options. There were initial reports that the base iPad would get updated this spring as well, moving up to the A18 chip to give it Apple Intelligence features for the first time. It didn't come to fruition, though, so the next likely launch time is this fall.
Apple's iPad Pro, powered by the M5 chip, launched in October 2025; it's the most recent model. You can either opt for the latest or find the M4 iPad Pro on sale. At the earliest, we'll see the iPad Pro get updated alongside the M6 chip this fall. Some reports have indicated that the M6 may get delayed until 2027, which would also delay the iPad Pro.
Lastly, the iPad Mini is the oldest at this point, updated in late 2024. If the reports end up being true and the iPad Mini does get upgraded later this year, this will be the biggest iPad update of the year, as it would see an upgrade to OLED for the first time.
iPadOS 27 was announced at WWDC, and the focus was all on Siri. It introduces not only a dedicated Siri AI app based on the world knowledge and context of Google Gemini, but also highly improved integration with apps like Camera, Mail, Photos, Messages, Calendar, and more. The most interesting of these AI features is Shortcuts, which now lets you create an automated task using natural language that can trigger actions across multiple apps.
It also refines the highly controversial Liquid Glass redesign from last year's iPadOS 26, adding a slider in Settings to change the opaqueness of the transparency. Other notable changes in this year's upcoming software update include faster, more efficient performance, user-made Custom Extensions that can be created through natural language, custom EQ with AirPods, dramatically extended parental controls, and lots more. Here are the iPads compatible with iPadOS 27: