Which iPad do I get in 2025?

Sajal Choudhary -

This is the year to get an iPad. Finally.

I published a book!

An iPad is my reward!

Apple announced updates to the base iPad and the iPad Air recently.) In addition there is the iPad Pro and Mini upgraded last year.

If I loved my money I would get the base iPad, and call it a day. And maybe I will. But then the Apple ramp would not be as good as it is. Would it?

my use case

Here’s what I want an iPad for:

  1. Consumption : Books, Video
  2. Drawing

That’s it. And that brings me to:

the state of the iPad lineup

I don’t know why the iPad Air exists. I mean I get why, it’s the medium in the good-better-best product strategy.

But take, the MacBook Air, which was also updated last week. It is a perfectly capable device for the masses. I use and love my MacBook Air.

The base iPad is the iPad for masses. It is the Air of the iPad lineup, or should be.

For what an iPad can do, the iPad Pro is too expensive. Or so I feel, for people in video production, maybe it’s great.

Or maybe, what I want to say is:

here’s what I want

  1. A good screen (maybe too soon to hope for OLED)
  2. Apple Pencil/ Pencil Pro (sticks to the side)
  3. Face ID

I don’t care about the M3 chip in the Air. This is not a productivity device for me.

I just want to read and draw on it, and watch movies and photos.

That’s it. That’s the rant. I am undecided still.

The base iPad does not have the good pencil. But I will most probably be getting that. Apple Intelligence might not be good enough now, but still, I need it.

I think my wish for the iPad Air is to be the undisputed iPad for the masses, like the Air is.

Maybe, the base iPad is that already.