Which iPad should I buy?
The iPad (A16) at £404.97 suits most buyers; the iPad Air (M4) suits students and laptop use. Every iPad compared by chip, screen, Pencil and UK price.
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Which iPad should you buy?
The Apple iPad (A16) is the right iPad for most UK buyers, at £404.97 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026). Students and anyone who wants a keyboard or the Apple Pencil Pro should buy the iPad Air 11-inch (M4) at £743.57 instead.
The iPad mini suits one-handed reading, and the iPad Pro earns its price only for buyers who will use its OLED 120 Hz screen and Thunderbolt port every day, as set out in iPad Air M4 vs iPad Pro M5. The Android options sit alongside these in Best tablet UK 2026.
| Buyer | iPad | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Streaming, homework, family use | iPad (A16) | £404.97 |
| Reading, travel, one-handed use | iPad mini (A17 Pro) | £594.66 |
| Students, notes, laptop-style work | iPad Air 11-inch (M4) | £743.57 |
| Split-screen work, bigger drawing canvas | iPad Air 13-inch (M4) | £900.00 |
| Video editing, HDR, professional illustration | iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) | £1,496.62 |
What is the difference between the iPads?
Apple sells four iPad ranges in 2026, six models in all, and the chip, screen and accessory support separate them more than size. Only the iPad (A16) lacks Apple Pencil Pro support, and only the iPad Pro has an OLED screen, 120 Hz ProMotion and Face ID. Chip, Pencil and keyboard support below come from Apple's UK compare page.
| iPad | Chip | Screen | Apple Pencil | Keyboard | Unlock | Apple UK | Amazon UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPad (A16) | A16 | 11-inch Liquid Retina, 60 Hz | Apple Pencil (USB-C) | Magic Keyboard Folio | Touch ID | £429 | £404.97 |
| iPad mini (A17 Pro) | A17 Pro | 8.3-inch Liquid Retina, 326 ppi | Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB-C) | Bluetooth keyboards | Touch ID | £599 | £594.66 |
| iPad Air 11-inch (M4) | M4, 12GB | 11-inch Liquid Retina, 60 Hz | Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB-C) | Magic Keyboard for iPad Air | Touch ID | £749 | £743.57 |
| iPad Air 13-inch (M4) | M4, 12GB | 13-inch Liquid Retina, 60 Hz | Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB-C) | Magic Keyboard for iPad Air | Touch ID | £949 | £900.00 |
| iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) | M5, 12GB | 13-inch Ultra Retina XDR (tandem OLED), 120 Hz | Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB-C) | Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro | Face ID | £1,499 | £1,496.62 |
Apple also sells an 11-inch iPad Pro (M5) from £1,199 at Apple UK. The iPad Pro starts at 256GB; every other iPad starts at 128GB, and Apple UK charges £100 more for the 256GB version of each. Memory also separates the chips: Apple lists 12GB for the M4 in both iPad Air sizes and publishes no memory figure for the iPad (A16).
Radar · 0-100 scores
- iPad (A16)
- iPad Air 11-inch (M4)
- iPad Air 13-inch (M4)
- iPad Pro 13-inch (M5)
How much more does each step up the iPad range cost?
The step that pays for itself is the iPad (A16) to the iPad Air 11-inch (M4), at £338.60 on Amazon UK in October 2026; the step that most buyers should skip is the iPad Air 13-inch to the iPad Pro 13-inch, at £596.62. Compare Electronic subtracted each Amazon UK price from the next model up.
| Step | Extra cost | What it buys | Worth it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPad (A16) to iPad mini (A17 Pro) | £189.69 | A17 Pro chip, Apple Pencil Pro, smaller 8.3-inch screen | Only for size |
| iPad (A16) to iPad Air 11-inch (M4) | £338.60 | M4 and 12GB, Apple Pencil Pro, Magic Keyboard, Wi-Fi 7 | Yes, for study and work |
| iPad Air 11-inch to 13-inch (M4) | £156.43 | 13-inch screen, 600 nits | Yes, for split-screen and drawing |
| iPad Air 13-inch (M4) to iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) | £596.62 | OLED, 120 Hz, Face ID, Thunderbolt, M5, 256GB | Only for daily creative work |
Amazon UK undercut Apple UK on all five models on 11 October 2026: by £24.03 on the iPad (A16), £4.34 on the iPad mini, £5.43 on the iPad Air 11-inch, £49.00 on the iPad Air 13-inch and £2.38 on the iPad Pro 13-inch. Accessories add to every price: the Apple Pencil (USB-C) costs £79.00 and the Apple Pencil Pro £129.00. Buyers weighing a keyboard set-up should read Should I buy an iPad or a laptop?
Which iPad is best for children, students, artists and readers?
Children are best served by the iPad (A16), students by the iPad Air 11-inch (M4), artists by the iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) or the cheaper iPad Air 13-inch (M4), and readers by the iPad mini (A17 Pro).
- Children:the iPad (A16) at £404.97 runs every school and games app children use, and the Apple Pencil (USB-C) at £79.00 covers drawing and handwriting practice. Its 11-inch screen matches the iPad Air's size.
- Students: the iPad Air 11-inch (M4) at £743.57 takes the Apple Pencil Pro for lecture notes and the Magic Keyboard for iPad Air for essays, with 12GB of memory for split-screen work.
- Artists: the iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) at £1,496.62 has a 120 Hz ProMotion screen, which redraws the ink line twice as often as the 60 Hz iPad Air. The iPad Air 13-inch (M4) at £900.00 gives the same 13-inch canvas for £596.62 less.
- Readers and travellers:the iPad mini (A17 Pro) at £594.66 has the sharpest screen in the range at 326 ppi and weighs 293 g, 61% of the iPad (A16)'s 477 g. Apple lists Bluetooth keyboards only, so it is a poor choice for typing.
Buyers who only read books should also weigh a cheaper e-reader in Is a Kindle worth it?
Which iPad is the best buy?
The Apple iPad (A16) is the best-value iPad, at £404.97 for the 128GB Wi-Fi model on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026). It shares the iPad Air 11-inch (M4)'s 264 ppi screen density and Apple's 10-hour battery rating for £338.60 less.
Apple iPad (A16) specifications (Apple)
- Chip: Apple A16
- Display: 11 in Liquid Retina, 264 ppi, 500 nits, 60 Hz
- Storage: 128 GB
- Battery: 28.93 Wh, up to 10 hours
- Weight: 477 g, 7 mm thick
- Accessories: Apple Pencil (USB-C), Magic Keyboard Folio
The iPad (A16) covers streaming, reading, video calls and homework, with Touch ID in the top button and a 12MP rear camera. The compromises are the older A16 chip, no Apple Pencil Pro support and a keyboard folio that costs £249.00 on Amazon UK.
Apple iPad (A16) - pros and cons
Where to buy
Check price
Three alternatives cover students, small hands and professionals, at Amazon UK prices on 11 October 2026.
Also consider
Verdict
Buy the Apple iPad (A16) at £404.97 for streaming, reading and homework, and the Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M4) at £743.57 for study, notes and keyboard work. The iPad Pro is for professionals only; the full comparison is in iPad Air M4 vs iPad Pro M5 and the wider shortlist in Best tablet UK 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which iPad is the best value in 2026?
The Apple iPad (A16) is the best-value iPad, at £404.97 for 128GB on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026), £24.03 below Apple UK's £429. It has an 11-inch 264 ppi screen, Touch ID and Apple's 10-hour battery rating, and works with the Apple Pencil (USB-C) and the Magic Keyboard Folio.
Is the iPad Air worth it over the basic iPad?
The Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M4) is worth the extra £338.60 for students and anyone using a keyboard daily. It adds the M4 chip with 12GB of memory, Apple Pencil Pro support, Wi-Fi 7 and the Magic Keyboard for iPad Air. For streaming, reading and homework, the Apple iPad (A16) at £404.97 does the same job.
Is the iPad mini worth it?
The Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro) is worth it for a buyer who wants an iPad for one-handed reading, travel or note-taking on the move. Apple lists an 8.3-inch 326 ppi screen, 293 g weight and Apple Pencil Pro support. It costs £594.66 on Amazon UK in October 2026, £189.69 more than the larger Apple iPad (A16).
Which iPads work with the Apple Pencil Pro?
The Apple Pencil Pro works with the iPad mini (A17 Pro), both iPad Air (M4) sizes and both iPad Pro (M5) sizes, according to Apple's UK compare page. The Apple iPad (A16) supports the Apple Pencil (USB-C) instead, which lacks pressure sensitivity. The Apple Pencil Pro costs £129.00 and the Apple Pencil (USB-C) £79.00 on Amazon UK.
Which iPad is best for students?
The Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M4) is the best iPad for students, at £743.57 on Amazon UK in October 2026, because it supports the Apple Pencil Pro for notes and the Magic Keyboard for iPad Air with a trackpad. Students on a tight budget get the same 11-inch screen size from the Apple iPad (A16) at £404.97.
Is it cheaper to buy an iPad from Amazon or Apple?
Amazon UK undercut Apple UK on all five iPads in Compare Electronic's check on 11 October 2026, by between £2.38 and £49.00. The biggest gap was the Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M4) at £900.00 against £949 at Apple. Apple's own store adds free engraving and Apple Trade In credit against an old device.