Comparison of Apple tablets: which iPad to choose in 2020 among Air, Pro and mini?

Ten years ago now, after having revolutionized mobile telephony with the iPhone and its touch screen, Steve Jobs put the cover back and unveiled theiPad. The concept is roughly the same - with iOS inside at the time - but the panel is much larger, the size of a small laptop, while it is impossible to make calls . In fact, it can be seen as an iPod touch XXL. Now let's see what the different editions are and which one suits which needs.

iPad Air: the best value for money?

Let's start with the iPad which is, for us, the first choice. It is therefore a question ofthe iPad Air, available in its third generation with a 10.5-inch screen. Why this one? Because at 569 euros in its most affordable version, it does wellbetter than the classic iPadfor less than 200 euros difference. Indeed, its display is a little larger and has True Tone technology, the front camera is of better quality (count on seven megapixels with an f/2.4 aperture) and the processor is more powerful: it is hereApple A12 Bionicengraved with a precision of seven nanometers by Taiwanese subcontractor TSMC. On the operating system side, no change: the two devices being released the same year, they are both entitled to the update to iPadOS 14.

Now let's go into detail. The iPad Air is a tablet like we are used to seeing in stores, withslightly thinner edgesthan those of the classic iPad, but differs above all by its wasp size: only 6.1 mm thick. It is moreover this characteristic which -originally- earned it its nickname, taking exactly that of the range of eponymous MacBooks, renowned for the same appearance. Still with the design, you should know that the iPad Air is available in three colors:silver, space gray and gold. For the internal memory, it will be 64 or 256 GB (739 euros) of storage, while the rear camera offers a wide-angle of 8 MPx less efficient than that of the iPad Pro (4th gen). Note that there is also a model capable of connecting to the4Gin addition to Wi-Fi, but this is also the case for other iPads, knowing that you have to add 140 euros to the base price to afford it.

Very versatile, the iPad Air is therefore also intended for students (it is compatible with keyboards thanks to itsSmart Connectorand Bluetooth LE) as well as travelers who like to be entertained on the train or on the plane without having to compromise on image quality: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or even their competitor Disney+ are all available in the App Store. In addition, the Retina IPS screen is entitled to a definition2Kof 2,224 x 1,668 pixels, or a density of 264 ppi, with maximum brightness of 500 nits when viewed outdoors and anti-reflective coating as a bonus.

In terms of autonomy, the iPad Air offersten hours of video streamingon the web: just that. It is also compatible with the Apple stylusPencil, but only in its first generation for the moment. However, many artists looking for an excellent tablet at a reasonable price turn to the iPad Air precisely to be able to use this accessory. We see in fact - this is what we noticed when testing them together - that the duo works wonderfully in any environment.

The iPad Air is therefore ideal for…

• those who like to have fun, as a couple or on the move
• make a quality gift without breaking the bank
• education: the iPad Air fits in all bags with its reduced thickness without being too small to display lessons

The iPad Pro, for the most demanding

Let's now move on toundisputed champion of all iPads: the iPad Pro. This model, which is the most recent to date, is available in several editions, which differ above all by their size: either with a large screen12.9 inches(almost as much asthe latest 13-inch MacBook Pro), or a smaller ofeleven inches. Prices start at899 eurosfor the most compact without 4G, or 1,069 euros with mobile data. For the big one, it will be 1,119 euros or 1,289 euros for cell phone. The rest of the price does not depend on the color (silver or space gray of your choice) but on the storage, which is also the most significant compared to other iPads: 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB or1 Tointernal memory. Maximum price: 1,839 euros.

In terms of performance, we also see that the iPad Pro beats all records in its category, with inside nothing less than the latest Apple A12Z Bionic processor with Neural Engine, that is to say intelligence artificial in command. Inside,eight hearts: four Vortexes at 2.5 GHz and four Tempests clocked at 1.6 GHz. Furthermore, these are6 Go to RAMwhich accompany the chip: enough to achieve phenomenal speeds, whether playing with Apple Arcade or with energy-hungry graphics software, especially since the GPU is also from Cupertino and octocore.

Let's now move on to the imaging, which is the most remarkable strong point of the iPad Pro: in fact, from the first glance, we see that this tablet has something special, because itstriple sensorprominent on the back does not go unnoticed. This is composed above all of aLiDAR, or ToF sensor (forTime of Flightwhich meansflight timein English), used to more accurately measure the distances between an object and you. This is very useful for AR, whose applications are found both at work and for leisure, for example to imagine a new arrangement of furniture with the Ikea app.

The second lens offers twelve megapixels with a wide-angle f/1.8 aperture, while the second, aultra grand-angleof eleven mm, reaches f/2.4 for ten megapixels. Everything can take photos in HDR and good quality even at night thanks to a quadruple LED flash, to film up to sixty frames per second in definition4Kor up to 240 fps in HD. Finally, on the front and for selfies, portrait mode is available, meaning your face remains sharp but the background is blurred. Gadget but useful for some. The front lens offers seven megapixels, with f/2.2 aperture, but is above all accompanied by the integration of TrueDepth technology which allows the iPad Pro to be unlocked with biometric recognition ofFace ID.

Finally, note that the iPad Pro is the only one to have a Retina screen with a refresh rate of120 Hz, while its unique design reminiscent of the iPhone 4, with straighter edges and premium colors, allows it to stand out. Last detail: the iPad Pro recharges through a portUSB-Cand not Lightning, while it is compatible withthe keyboardMagic Keyboard: he is the only one entitled to it.

The iPad Pro is therefore ideal for…

• as its name clearly indicates: professionals and businesses with a large budget
• the photo and theaugmented realitythanks to its triple sensor
• professions that need 3D applicable with LiDAR: architects, developers, surveyors, etc.
• les gamers

Choose the compact format of the iPad mini

Neither the iPad Air nor the iPad Pro suits you? Very good: it's time to tell you about the iPad mini. As its suffix suggests, this iPad is much smaller than the others because its screen does not measurethan 7.9 inchesdiagonally. The latest edition of the iPad mini dates from 2019, and costs459 eurosvia Wi-Fi with 64 GB of storage (or 629 euros for 256 GB), which makes it almost the most affordable of all Apple tablets. Consequently, the manufacturer has stuck to the strict minimum here: official Apple keyboards are, for example, not compatible, unlike the Apple Pencil.

In terms of performance, the iPad mini offers3 Go to RAMand features the Apple A12 Bionic processor that is also found on the iPad Air of the same year, which still allows it to stand up to the task. In reality, it is mainly its display that changes, since here we benefit from a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels which therefore offers326 ppito the user; it's excellent. However, if you plan to spend time in front of the screen this is probably not ideal: it is too small to work effectively and can sometimes cause details of certain works to be missed.

As you have understood, the design of the iPad mini is therefore particularly easy to transport: it measures only 6.1 mm thick and weighs less than 500 grams (barely more than 300, in fact) . Thin and light, iteven fits in one handand can slip into a jeans pocket: the waiters love it, especially since its battery life lasts all day. For the photo, it will be 8 megapixels at the back with f/2.4 aperture: it's honest, especially since HDR shots are also available. However, you can only record videos inFull HD, with slow motion up to 120 frames per second.

On the front, the FaceTime HD camera offers 7 MPx, f/2.2 aperture and videos in 1080p too but at only 30 fps. As for unlocking, it is done viaTouch IDfrom the home button located just below the screen. No Face ID, however. Three colors are on sale: silver, space gray and gold. Two microphones and two speakers are integrated, which makes the iPad mini a good choice for using VoIP applications like FaceTime, Slack or WhatsApp.

The iPad mini is therefore ideal for…

• restaurants: at the cash register or at the table, the iPad mini is super easy to use for everyone
• THEnomads: the compact format makes the difference
• Android users who want to move to iPadOS (we'll find you there in terms of technical sheet)

The classic, timeless iPad

We are coming to the end of our comparisonwhich iPad to choose. We couldn't conclude it without going through the most iconic model: the iPad (in short). It was he who launched the range, during its announcement at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, on January 27, 2010. It has since been renewed regularly, its last edition dating, like the iPad mini, from 2019 If it is difficult to describe the iPad as classic, we can nevertheless say that it is quite “.normal” for a tablet: no high-end technical sheet as with the iPad Pro, but no low-cost either. We are indeed on “reasonable”.

Let's prove it by looking at the technical sheet of the iPad (2019). Its IPS LCD touch screen, first of all, is entitled to a diagonal of10.2 inches, displaying sixteen million different colors for a fairly small size/border ratio of 74.4%. The display resolution is 1620 x 2160 pixels, or 264 ppi, scratch resistant. As you can see, nothing really exceptional, but it's not bad, knowing that you can install the same applications as on other iPads.

The classic iPad weighs 483 grams in the Wi-Fi version compared to ten more with LTE compatibility, for dimensions of 250.6 x 174.1 x 7.5 mm: it is not the most imposing but neither is it the smallest iPad. For the design, we also find an aluminum chassis and glass on the front where the Apple Pencil stylus is supported (first generation only). Performance-wise, it will be a processorApple A10 Fusion(four cores: 2x Hurricane + 2x Zephyr at 2.34 GHz) under the hood: on the other hand, it is by far the least efficient in our comparison, even compared to that of the iPad mini. However, iPadOS 14 is particularly well optimized in function and unless you have planned days of non-stop gaming this will not normally be a problem. The GPU, for its part, is a hexa-core PowerVR Series7XT Plus.

The iPad's internal memory only comes in two selections:32 GB (that's not much) or 128 GB. Each time, it will be 3 GB of RAM which will accompany the storage. You can save many photos thanks to the 31 mm 8 MPx sensor installed on the back of the device, with a standard f/2.4 aperture for HDR photos or Full HD videos, with 720p reaching up to 120fps. On the front, the front camera sticks to1.2 MPx only: here too, Apple could have done better. We really feel a taste of unfinished business with this iPad, probably to the benefit of the other models which all have something more interesting.

Let's finish by comparing the prices of the iPad. They do not change depending on the color chosen (the same as for the iPad mini). It will therefore be389 eurosfor 32 GB without 4G or 529 euros with mobile data. With 128 GB, count on 489 euros with Wi-Fi or 629 euros with 4G. With this, Apple provides engraving, completely free, but not obligatory.

The classic iPad is therefore ideal for…

• small budgets who want an iPad but don't have more than 400 euros to spend: it'sthe cheapest
• those who have an iCloud subscription (32 GB of storage is enough then)
• developers who only need a basic datasheet

Conclusion: which iPad to choose in 2020?

To finish ouriPad comparison and knowing which one to choose, we advise you to limit yourself to three main criteria. The first is obviously theprix: depending on your means and the budget you allow for your purchase, you will not be able to afford the same iPad. Thus, the classic model and the iPad mini are very good deals at Apple, where the iPad Pro and the iPad Air will be too expensive for some potential customers.

The second criterion is performance: do you need an iPad just for binge-watching, making FaceTime calls with family and reading to control your smarthome? In that case, the iPad should be right for you. But if you are more demanding, whether for work or just for passion, then the higher ranges will be more effective,the iPad Pro winning with its 6 GB of RAM.

Finally, we can only recommend you againthe iPad mini if ​​you like compact formatsand space-saving: it is a great alternative to competitors running Android, but with iPadOS 14 inside.