Best iPad for kids 2025: iPad vs iPad mini vs iPad Air

Whereas the iPad mini is likely to be the smallest member of the household, don’t let that idiot you, there’s loads of energy and options packed into the diminutive body. The one detrimental is the value, which is just a little greater than the larger iPad, so it’s not fairly as a lot of a discount for teenagers.

The 8.3-inch Liquid Retina show is attractive. Like all the fashionable iPads, there isn’t any House button – Apple ditched {that a} era in the past and as a substitute put a Contact ID sensor within the Energy button on the facet. 

Beneath the hood, there’s an A17 Professional driving factors, this processor is the bottom spec required to run Apple Intelligence options. If you’re selecting between the iPad mini and cheaper iPad and are interested in Apple Intelligence, solely the iPad mini, iPad Air and Professional will assist it).

Even when Apple Intelligence doesn’t peek your curiosity, the A17 Professional chip means there’s no lack of energy on this smaller iPad, making certain the newest video games and apps will completely fly on this machine. It additionally has assist for the Apple Pencil (USB C) or the Apple Pencil Professional, which means your little one can use if for doodling, creating artwork or note-taking at college once they get a bit older. 

The compact dimensions of 195.4mm x 134.8mm x 6.3mm at 297g make it small and light-weight, which could be simpler for little ones to carry. There are additionally 4 completely different colours to select from, together with tender shades of Purple and Blue.  Oh, and there are 5G variations if you wish to add a quick knowledge connection for streaming and messaging on the go. 

The iPad mini is out there in these configurations:

• iPad mini (A17 Professional) 128GB – $499/£499
• iPad mini (A17 Professional) 256GB – $599/£599
• iPad mini (A17 Professional) 512GB – $799/£799
• iPad mini (A17 Professional, mobile) prices $150/£150 greater than the non-cellular variations.

Verify our information to the most effective iPad mini offers to see if you will get one for a cheaper price. 

We mentioned within the introduction that the iPad Air might be overkill for teenagers, however that does rely a bit on the age of the kid. For some there might be a number of seem within the 11-inch iPad Air (M2), with its 11-inch show, trendy design, low weight (462g), nice cameras, and massively highly effective processor, and as we suggest in our spherical up of the Finest iPads for College students – it’s a nice alternative for college students.

Sadly, it’s a bit on the dear facet, beginning at $599/£599 (greater schooling college students get a reduction however not college aged kids). That’s nonetheless solely $100/£100 greater than the iPad mini although, and it has much more to supply. Not least the M2 chip than makes it the proper mixture of energy, storage and options.

The M2 processor is similar chip that powered the earlier era of iPad Professional fashions, to not point out a number of Macs. In case your child enjoys gaming on their iPad then the iPad Air will doubtless meet their wants (for anybody else then there’s at all times the iPad Professional, which has an M4 and the addition of ProMotion for quicker display refreshes, however that basically is overkill for teenagers!)

The digicam is a 12MP Broad lens (additionally like on the iPad Professional) and the front-facing digicam is a 12MP Extremely-Broad that’s positioned on the longer facet of the chassis to permit panorama views throughout FaceTime calls.

There are some good colours to select from together with pale Purple and Blue shades (which might be much like these on the iPad mini). There’s additionally the usual Starlight and Area Gray.

You should utilize the Apple Pencil Professional ($129/£129) and Apple Pencil USB-C ($79/£79) with the iPad Air. See: Apple Pencils in contrast: Which Apple Pencil works together with your iPad?

The iPad Air (M2) is out there in these configurations:

• 11-inch iPad Air (M2) 128GB – $599/£599
• 11-inch iPad Air (M2) 256GB – $699/£699
• 11-inch iPad Air (M2) 512GB – $899/£899
• 11-inch iPad Air (M2) 1TB – $1,099/£1,099
• 11-inch iPad Air (M2), mobile) prices $150/£150 greater than the non-cellular variations.

If they need a bigger show, there’s additionally the 13-inch iPad Air (M2) that comes with all the identical specs and options. It begins at $799/£799.

Learn iPad Air (M2) vs iPad Professional (M4) to learn the way the iPad Air compares to the iPad Professional.

Learn our roundup of the most effective iPad Air offers.

In 2022, Apple gave its normal iPad a makeover when it launched this Tenth-generation mannequin, changing the basic House button design with the mini/Air strategy of gesture-based controls. There’s nonetheless Contact ID out there, however now you’ll discover the sensor embedded within the energy button on the highest edge. This implies there’s more room for the show, which will increase from the ten.2-inch panel within the ninth era iPad to 10.9-inch on this Tenth era mannequin.

As with the earlier normal iPad fashions, the show isn’t laminated, which means there’s a slight air hole between the glass and the show beneath. This can be a minor factor and possibly received’t even be one thing you discover, until you utilize an Apple Pencil typically, by which case you’ll in all probability expertise a slight lag as you write. It’s all good although, and after no time in any respect, you’ll be capable to incorporate that into your approach and scribble away with the most effective of them. This mannequin helps the first era Apple Pencil or the Apple Pencil (USB C).

Apple matches the Tenth-gen iPad with an A14 Bionic processor, which is similar tech that powered the iPhone 12 vary (together with the Execs). That processor is just a little on the outdated facet now, and doesn’t assist Apple Intelligence, of which Apple is making a giant deal proper now. Apple Intelligence has some options which may attraction to college students, so it might be a profit, then once more it would lead your little one to cheat on their homework…

That mentioned, the A14 chip will nonetheless present enough efficiency for taking part in primary video games, streaming content material, and working instructional apps. One other notable characteristic is the inclusion of a USB-C port somewhat than Lightning. This opens up a world of peripherals that you need to use with the iPad, and you may even join it to a appropriate monitor in case your little one wants a desktop-style expertise.

After all, you’ll be able to at all times pair it with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse to create the proper, compact laptop computer for homework and any inventive endeavors your little one needs to attempt. The iPad is available in 4 vivid, daring colours (Blue, Pink, Yellow, and Silver), so your little one can decide one which displays their character or simply the one with the hues they like probably the most.

Among the best options of the Tenth era iPad is its low value. You’ll be able to decide them up for the next costs:

• iPad (Tenth gen) 64GB – $349/£329
• iPad (Tenth gen) 256GB – $499/£479
• iPad (Tenth gen, mobile) prices $150/£150 greater than the non-cellular variations.

We suggest choosing the 256GB storage variant, as 64GB can refill fairly rapidly when you’re downloading video games, massive apps, or TV/film content material. At this level you is likely to be higher served by the iPad mini (A17 Professional) 128GB at $499/£499 although, which is why this iPad isn’t our best choice proper now, however that will change when Apple will get round to updating it in 2025. Learn: New iPad eleventh era rumours.

Verify our information to the most effective iPad Tenth-gen offers to see if you will get one for a cheaper price.