Should You Get An iPad Or Pixel? Your Guide To Choosing A Tablet

If you’ve been reasoning astir taking the plunge and getting a tablet for yourself, we’re present to help. We’ve breached down the key differences among immoderate of the astir fashionable models available to bargain caller – and due to the fact that determination are a fig of options connected this list, we’ve grouped them by budget. From the highlights of each mentation to the bottommost line, instrumentality a look astatine our guidance beneath and find the 1 that volition springiness you the astir bang for your buck.

Spoiler alert: Right now, our prime is the 11th-generation iPad. It’s the latest exemplary of the modular iPad that we judge provides the champion worth and has tons of utile features without the much costly bells and whistles that astir radical astir apt don’t need.

Highlights: Powerful A16 bionic chip, much retention size options, much affordable than fancier tablets, 10-hour artillery life

The classical iPad volition astir apt ever beryllium a winner, and the newest mentation (the 11th generation) is nary exception. This 1 provides an upgrade connected the 10th-gen with a faster processing spot (A16 versus A14), portion inactive retaining galore of the 10th-gen's champion features — a artillery beingness up to 10 hours, 4K video recording, the amusive colour options and more. It's conscionable a tenth of an inch bigger, and offers retention sizes of 128, 256 and 512GB, which is much flexibility than the 10th-gen's 64 and 256GB.

This iPad besides lacks Apple Intelligence features that usage generative AI for things similar ChatGPT integration, "Genmoji" and more. But considering however overmuch retention Apple Intelligence takes up, and the ambivalence of galore Apple customers, its lack whitethorn not beryllium a dealbreaker (and is perchance adjacent a plus).

Bottom line: This is astir apt the champion worth and price, and is astir apt the astir utile for mundane living, if you're not utilizing your tablet for aggravated nonrecreational originative projects.

Get it from Amazon for $299+.

Highlights: No Apple Intelligence, offers smaller retention sizes, antithetic colour options than different models, little almighty A14 bionic spot processor

Not lone has the 10th-generation iPad earned a high people and stamp of approval from Consumer Reports, but Wirecutter named it their apical pick for astir radical successful 2024 — arsenic did Wired and CNET in 2025.

The 10th-gen iPad has an A14 bionic chip, which is an older and little businesslike processor than immoderate of the newer models' M-series chips, but should inactive beryllium plentifulness usable for astir people. Like the 11th-gen, this doesn't person Apple Intelligence. Meanwhile, you tin inactive bask up to 10 hours of artillery beingness connected Wi-Fi, the USB-C larboard for accelerated charging and 4K video recording.

You tin get the 10th-gen iPad successful 4 colors and 2 retention sizes: 64GB oregon 256GB. It supports the Apple Magic Keyboard Folio, positive the USB-C and first-generation Apple Pencils (but not the second-generation Pencil).

Bottom line: This is astir apt the iPad (and tablet) with the astir bang for your buck. If you program to usage your tablet for leisure, alternatively than arsenic a nonrecreational creative, this exemplary astir apt has everything you need.

Get it from Target for $349.99+.

Highlights: Connection to Google Home astute devices, bully enactment for families with the charging dock, built-in Chromecast to formed video to your TV

CNET recommends the Google Pixel Tablet arsenic a large option, particularly for families, and Wirecutter named it the champion Android tablet. You tin get it successful 2 colors and with oregon without a charging talker dock astatine Amazon.

The Pixel tablet has a artillery beingness of up to 12 hours, and is designed for entertainment: You tin Chromecast contented from your tablet onto your TV with ease. The 11-inch surface tin besides beryllium divided to amusement 2 apps astatine erstwhile for adjacent much functionality.

The 11-inch tablet features Google AI, arsenic good arsenic Google apps similar Gmail, Docs, Photos and more. This includes the Google Home app, which lets you power immoderate Google astute devices you have, from the popular Nest thermostat to lights, cameras and more. Find them successful 2 colors and 2 sizes.

Bottom line: If you privation an Android tablet, oregon program connected keeping your tablet successful a cardinal determination successful the location for the full household to use, this is simply a large enactment for doing it all.

Get it from Amazon for $357+.

Highlights: Up to 15-hour artillery life, IP8 h2o and particulate protection, super-fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, includes S Pen

What astir Samsung tablets? Enter the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9. Consumer Reports named it a CR Smart Buy, and it's 1 of their top-scoring Android tablets.

It seems similar the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip that runs this tablet and the Apple A16 bionic spot are somewhat comparable, though your penchant whitethorn disagree (and you whitethorn announcement the quality much oregon less) based connected what you're utilizing it for. Much of the S9's (and different Samsung tablets') selling close present centers connected its inclusion of Galaxy AI built into the tablet.

One of the large pros of Samsung's tablets appears to beryllium the battery life, which tin past up to 15 hours connected this one, an upgrade implicit astir iPads' 10-hour artillery life. It's besides water- and dust-protected, a diagnostic that iPads don't presently offer. Your acquisition of the S9 besides includes the S Pen for drafting oregon taking notes by hand, dissimilar immoderate of the iPads, which would necessitate a abstracted acquisition for the Apple Pencil.

You tin get the S9 successful 2 colors and 3 retention sizes: 128, 256 and 512GB.

Bottom line: This is simply a large Android enactment that offers immoderate features you'd miss connected an iPad. The terms is higher, but does see an S Pen, which whitethorn involvement oregon deter you depending connected whether you spot yourself utilizing the pen.

Get it from Amazon for $519+.

Highlights: M2 processing chip, 2 surface sizes, 128GB retention enactment (plus 3 others), Apple Intelligence, pastel colors available, adjacent to the Pro successful presumption of features but without the terms tag

Want an iPad that offers much features than the 11th-gen, but can't rather tummy the committedness to the Pro (the astir premium enactment that you’ll find connected the database ahead)? Enter the 2024 iPad Air. It's not rather the Pro — it runs connected a little almighty M2 spot and has a little precocious camera and much modular LED display, among different things — but it's inactive a noticeable upgrade connected the basal iPad. Enjoy an anti-reflective coating connected the display, 4K video recording, accelerated USB-C charging and Apple Intelligence features for a comparatively mid-range terms and adjacent 10-hour artillery life. Consumer Reports gave this exemplary cleanable marks connected convenience, performance, show and photograph and video, for reference. 

Unlike the Pro, this iPad besides offers a 128GB retention size. (Wirecutter noted the deficiency of a 128GB enactment arsenic a flaw of the 10th-gen iPad, due to the fact that 64GB mightiness beryllium excessively small but 256GB excessively much.) That's successful summation to 256GB, 512GB and 1TB options. You tin get the iPad Air successful an 11-inch oregon 13-inch size successful 4 colors, including 2 pastels. It supports the USB-C Apple Pencil, Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard.

Bottom line: The iPad Air is simply a bully Goldilocks enactment if you privation much than the basal models person to connection and you're consenting to ammunition retired a small much wealth — but not implicit $1,000.

Get it from Target for $599.99+.

Highlights: Smaller and lighter plan (but inactive thicker than the iPad Pro) that's bully for question oregon kids, A17 Pro processing chip, Apple Intelligence, 128GB retention option, pastel colors available

At lone 8.3 inches, the petite dimensions of the 2024 iPad Mini's screen certainly basal retired from the pack, and can beryllium a gully if carrying astir a larger tablet isn't arsenic convenient for you. Beyond this distinguishing factor, the determination of the beforehand camera (at the apical successful representation mode alternatively than landscape) and the A17 Pro chip, the Mini is different rather akin to the iPad Air. That means it has Apple Intelligence features, a Liquid Retina show with an anti-reflective coating, 10-hour artillery life, 4K video signaling and USB-C charging.

The A17 Pro spot is newer and faster than the 10th-gen iPad's A14 but slower than immoderate of Apple's M-series chips. You tin get the iPad Mini successful 4 colors, including 2 pastels, and 3 retention capacities (128GB, 256GB and 512GB). It supports the USB-C Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil Pro, arsenic good arsenic Bluetooth keyboards — but notably not the Apple Magic Keyboard (this could beryllium owed to its smaller size, which doesn't marque arsenic overmuch consciousness with a keyboard arsenic larger tablets do).

Bottom line: Travelers, commuters, kids and anyone who'd similar to person a surface bigger than a telephone but smaller than a laptop tin bask the Mini. But if size isn't a dealbreaker, this is beauteous akin to the iPad Air, which offers a faster processing spot and different goodies.

Get it from Amazon for $489+.

Highlights: 20-hour artillery life, IP68 h2o and particulate protection, S Pen included, an upgrade connected the S9 FE

The S10 FE is simply a CNET apical pick for affordability, though CNET says you mightiness privation to get the S9 (which is astir the aforesaid price) alternatively of the S10 FE. This is chiefly owed to the S10 FE moving connected the Exynos 1580 spot — it's an upgrade to the S9 FE's Exynos 1380 successful presumption of velocity and performance, but again, is little precocious than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

Otherwise, overmuch of this is the same, from the included S Pen to the h2o and particulate extortion and agleam 10.9-inch display. One of the standout features of the S10 FE that adjacent the S9 doesn't connection is the agelong artillery life, which tin widen up to 20 hours. You tin drawback this successful 3 colors and 2 retention sizes, 128 and 256GB.

Bottom line: For this price, you mightiness beryllium amended disconnected grabbing the faster S9 instead, but this inactive boasts an awesome artillery life.

Get it from Amazon for $429.99+.

Highlights: 13-hour artillery life, smaller retention options, little price, bully for streaming, made with strengthened solid for durability

Available successful 3 colors with 32 oregon 64 gigs of retention and with oregon without lockscreen ads, Amazon’s Fire HD 10 tablet is simply a budget-friendly prime that offers plentifulness of diversions successful the signifier of streaming, societal media and more, on with a 13-hour artillery life. The constricted retention capableness makes it hard to comparison to different tablets connected this database — if you're readying to support photos oregon a ton of apps connected this, you whitethorn privation much room, but if you're looking for the cheapest exemplary worthy buying, this whitethorn beryllium for you.

The 1,080-pixel show measures 10.1 inches and is compatible with Amazon’s stylus, which is sold separately. This exemplary offers 25% faster show than its predecessor, according to Amazon, and superior durability.

Based connected immoderate reappraisal feedback, we’d counsel checking Amazon’s database of Fire-compatible apps to guarantee that this tablet tin tally your favorites.

Bottom line: The Fire HD 10 is large for streaming oregon video calling and has an fantabulous artillery beingness for the price, but the constricted retention capableness whitethorn crook immoderate shoppers away.

Get it from Amazon for $139.99+.

Highlights: One of the much affordable Samsung tablets, bully for students and wide note-taking with included S Pen, 14-hour artillery life, offers smaller retention options

If you look astatine Samsung's chart denoting the differences betwixt immoderate of their models connected Amazon, the S6 Lite astir apt doesn't look the astir impressive: It's not water- oregon dust-protected, its 14-hour artillery beingness is little than the S9 oregon S10 models, and it runs connected the older and slower Exynos 1280 chip.

However, if you comparison this to immoderate different tablets similar iPads, it whitethorn look much affirmative successful relation. After all, the 14-hour artillery beingness is inactive much than the modular iPad's 10 hours, and the iPads besides aren't water- oregon dust-protected. The S6 Lite's 10.4-inch surface is conscionable a spot smaller than the S10 FE's 10.9 inches, and Samsung markets it arsenic a bully enactment for students, who tin instrumentality notes utilizing the included S Pen.

Available with 64 oregon 128GB, this is besides a utile bargain for idiosyncratic who doesn't request a ton of retention and would alternatively wage little for a little capacity. The S6 Lite comes successful 3 colors.

Bottom line: This is simply a lower-tech enactment than thing similar the S9, but that tin beryllium a positive depending connected what you're consenting to walk — and it inactive has a longer artillery beingness than an iPad.

Get it from Amazon for $209.99+.

Highlights: Newest and fastest M4 processing chip, much vibrant display, much surface and retention sizes, Apple Intelligence, somewhat lighter design, much precocious camera

The latest mentation of the iPad Pro makes much consciousness for radical who aren't connected a fund and are looking for a tablet to thin connected full-time for work, creation instauration oregon different much progressive usage cases. Equipped with the astir businesslike and almighty Apple processor, the M4 chip, the iPad Pro besides has OLED exertion for a much close and vibrant show with an anti-reflective coating to trim glare. 

Apple Intelligence is included successful this model, arsenic is simply a much precocious rear camera with an ambient airy sensor that tin assistance with scanning documents, among different things. The artillery beingness is beauteous adjacent with different models astatine up to 10 hours connected Wi-Fi.

One of the different large draws of the iPad Pro is the retention capableness and surface size options. You tin get an 11-inch oregon 13-inch iPad Pro, and take from capacities of 256GB, 512GB, 1TB oregon 2TB successful 2 antithetic colors. For the 2 largest capacities, you tin besides take betwixt a modular solid show oregon a matte, nano-texture show to trim glare adjacent further (though not everyone thinks this is worthy the other cost). The iPad Pro supports the USB-C Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil Pro, arsenic good arsenic the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro.

Bottom line: The iPad Pro is the fastest, astir powerful, astir high-tech enactment among the models. But is it worthy each those other hundreds of dollars? If you program to usage each of the features each day, each day, it could be. But otherwise, this 1 whitethorn beryllium excessive for the mean consumer.

Get the 11-inch from Amazon for $896.31+ and the 13th inch for $1,099+.

Highlights: A15 bionic chip, nary Apple Intelligence, enactment for 64GB storage, pastel colors including pinkish available

There aren't excessively galore differences betwixt the 2024 iPad Mini and this discontinued 2021 model. They person the aforesaid camera, precise akin Liquid Retina displays, USB-C charging and a 10-hour artillery life.

One large quality is the processing chip, since this exemplary has an older A15 spot that isn't arsenic efficient. Other differences see a deficiency of Apple Intelligence features, and antithetic retention capacities and colors. Storage connected the 2024 Mini starts astatine 128GB, truthful the 2021 Mini's 64GB enactment could beryllium appealing, particularly if you don't program to store overmuch connected here. This procreation besides offers a pinkish iPad Mini, which the newer 1 does not (it replaced the pinkish with pastel blue). It supports the USB-C and second-generation Apple Pencils, and similar the 2024 Mini, lone supports third-party Bluetooth keyboards.

Right now, we can't urge the 2021 Mini. This is mostly due to the fact that the terms is excessively precocious to warrant erstwhile compared to the 2024 Mini. If your bosom is acceptable connected this one, you'll astir apt privation to hold until there's a large sale.

Bottom line: If you specifically privation a miniature iPad with 64GB of retention and nary more, the 2021 Mini tin acceptable your needs similar nary different exemplary can... but otherwise, this exemplary is presently precise expensive, truthful you mightiness arsenic good upgrade to the 2024 iPad Mini for thing amended and somewhat cheaper.

Get it from Target for $499.99+.

Highlights: Older M1 chip, much colour options but less retention capableness and surface size options, Apple Intelligence, not a large terms close now

You tin inactive bargain the discontinued fifth-generation iPad Air, the past 1 released earlier the 2024 model, astatine Walmart — but we don't urge it, particularly due to the fact that banal is precise constricted close now.

This exemplary runs connected the older M1 chip, and has a batch of the features that the existent iPad Air does: Apple Intelligence, the Liquid Retina display, USB-C charging, a 10-hour artillery beingness and the aforesaid camera (though the beforehand camera is astatine the apical of the fifth-gen iPad, whereas the 2024 exemplary has it centered connected the broadside truthful you tin instrumentality video calls successful scenery mode, attached to an Apple Magic Keyboard).

There's some little and much prime with this model, too. It comes successful 1 much colour than the 2024 Air (pink) but is lone made successful 1 size with a 10.9-inch screen. The retention capableness is likewise constricted to 256GB. This exemplary supports the USB-C and second-generation Apple Pencils, positive the Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio.

Bottom line: Skip this iPad Air and get the caller 1 instead.

Get it from Walmart for $699+ (originally $1,058).