Educational devices evolve every year, and choosing the best device is not an easy task, since there are many variables to take into account. For instance, the age of the educatee, the type of education, the place, the educational agent (the educator), etc…
Without delving into that too much (yet), it is safe to assure that tablets are one of the preferred devices amongst many educators in many settings.
Sometimes, tablets do not only improve the educational setting drastically, but they can become almost indispensable. For instance, tablets are used for kids with low-functioning autism low spectrum disorder, to facilitate communication in case there are speech difficulties by using graphic aid.
In this post we focus on the tablets produced by Apple: ipad. Why? Because, and that is an opinion, Apple can be questionable in many aspects but ipad’s reputation is to be praised.
In general, ipads are particularly sought by those who are attending formal education such as schools. Are you a student at university looking for the best iPad for your needs? Are you a parent who wants a device that runs nice educational software for your child? Check out which iPad is the best for you!
1. iPad Air 5 (2022)
The iPad Air 5 is our favorite in this category, because we consider it the most price efficient: you get a lot, for… not too much (between 700 and 800€ the base model of 64 GB).
iPad Air 5 (2022), with 11 inches of screen display, offers a wide range of functionalities that 99% of people would not miss. It packs the M1 processor, capable of most of the creative applications for designers and video editors, with 8GB of RAM. The raw power can handle pretty much everything and it will not become obsolete anytime soon. It also has nice features like Stage Manager (help multitasking) and its very lightweight.
Furthermore, like its predecessor iPad Air 4, it supports the fantastic Apple Pen 2nd generation and it has a laminated display so the distance between your finger and the visible screen is reduced. That makes it for more accurate drawing experiene and note taking, which are crucial in educational settings.
On the downside, it has 60hz of refresh rate unlike the Pro model, but some people would not notice it. Another downside is that the storage expansion from 64GB to 256GB is very expensive, which reflects Apple’s strategy to make consumers aim for Pro models.
2. iPad Pro 3 11” (2021)
The second place in our rating goes to iPad Pro 3, with 11 inches display, from 2021. And some may ask, why this one and not the iPad Pro 4 11” (2022), the latest model?
As explained before, we are ranking based on price efficiency, not only on quality of the device. Sure, the iPad Pro 4 from 2022 has the M2 processor and is the latest to be released, so the device is objectively better than any other iPad. However, the iPad Pro 3 11” with its M1 can run almost the same apps with a very similar efficacy. The M2 has more raw power but for most consumers the performance of the M1 is almost the same, with a cheaper price tag.
iPad Pro 3 11” (2021) is comparable to the iPad Air 5 from above. Same display size, similar weight, same processor, same pen, laminated display… However, the Pro model has some little upgrades such as a 120HZ display and a better sound system, that make it slightly better than the iPad Air 5. Furthermore, the base storage option is 128GB, double the base one from the Air.
However, the price tag is also higher (in some refurbished stores it can be comparable), especially when comparing models with the same storage size, and it is slightly older than the Air. These are the reasons why it’s in the second place, although very close to the first.
3. iPad 9 (2021)
Laslty, the iPad 9 comes in the third position. The raw performance with its Apple’s A13 Bionic processor is a bit worse than the M1, so educatees that want to learn advanced creative software might need more power. Furthermore, the screen is non-laminated and it supports the Apple Pen 1st generation, which provides a slightly worse drawing experience compared to the first two iPads. Again, we hold drawing as an important activity in educational settings, thus we also think the experience provided by iPad should be ideally good (iPad is actually good for drawing,we are just comparing it with the top tier models).
If everything is wrong, why is this iPad in the Top 3 then?
The answer is, again, price efficiency. This iPad offers 85% of what the other two provide. It is an iPad after all, so it comes with all the advantages of it: portable size, nice display of 10,4 inches easy to use, reliable and clean system, drawing and taking notes is good, etc… And all this, at a price tag that can go as low as 350€. The value of this iPad is incredible, which is why it is still an excellent option for students in a budget and for schools to provide to the young learners.
So, price-quality, iPad 9 is the best out of all of them, because it offers the most value for the money.
Devices that are not on the ranking and why
- iPad Mini: arguably a great device for those who want portability and a complement next to their main laptop or desktop. However, while it has great uses for education, the smaller size is a big con for students and educatees that might need to use it for extended periods of time, as well as those whose educational needs require something easy to be accessed and read.
- iPads Pro 12,9 inches: a great device and, like the Pro 11inches 2022, the best device in this category. However, there are some reasons why we did not include it in the list: the bigger size makes it harder to transport to educational settings such as school, playground, etc. The weight can also make it harder for the little ones to hold. Lastly, the price tag of this (great) device is too high for us to consider it enough price-efficient for students.
- iPad 10 (2022): the next one after the base iPad 9th generation. The main reason is that its price tag can go up to 570 € approx and its performance and overall specs are not very different from iPad 9, so it is not as price-efficient.
Do you agree with this list? Do you think there is an ipad that should be in the list? Leave it in the comment section below!