Apple’s iPad Lineup Decoded: Pricing, Specs, Apple Pencil, Smart Keyboard Support

Posted by Rajesh Pandey on Mar 19, 2019 in Comparison, iPad Air, iPad mini 5, iPad Pro

Apple’s iPad lineup has become a confusing mess. What started as a simple iPad has now evolved into a lineup consisting of the iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, and the iPad Pro. The lineup can easily confuse any potential buyer who is looking to buy an iPad but is unsure as to which model is right for him. Worry not as we are here to help you. I have decoded Apple’s iPad lineup below to help you understand which tablet is right for you.

Apple’s expansive iPad lineup now covers almost every screen size possible. Right from 7.9-inch with the iPad mini 5 to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. But these tablets also differ from each other in other aspects. The best way to look and understand Apple’s iPad lineup is from their naming.

Decoding Apple’s iPad Lineup

iPad Pro vs iPad Air vs iPad mini vs iPad

Basis of Difference	iPad Pro	iPad Air	iPad	iPad mini 5
Available since	2018	2019	2017	2019
Display sizes	11-inch and 12.9-inch	10.5-inch	9.7-inch	7.9-inch
Resolution	12.9-inch – 2732 x 2048, 264 ppi	2224 x 1668, 264 ppi	2048 x 1536, 264 ppi	2048 x 1536, 326 ppi
	11-inch – 2388 x 1668, 264 ppi
	ProMotion Display	–	–	–
	True Tone Display	True Tone Display	–	True Tone Display
	Wide Color Display	Wide Color Display	–	Wide Color Display
	Fully Laminated Display	Fully Laminated Display	–	Fully Laminated Display
	Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating	Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating	–	Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
	Anti-reflective coating	Anti-reflective coating	–	Anti-reflective coating
Dimensions	12.9-inch – 280.6 x 214.9 x 5.9 mm	250.6 x 174.1 x 6.1 mm	240 x 169.5 x 7.5 mm	203.2 x 134.8 x 6.1 mm
	11-inch – 247.6 x 178.5 x 5.9 mm
Weight	631gms/468gms	456gms	469gms	300.5gms
Chip	A12X Bionic	A12 Bionic	A10 Fusion	A12 Bionic
	Neural Engine	Neural Engine	–	Neural Engine
	M12 Coprocessor	M12 Coprocessor	M10 Coprocessor	M12 Coprocessor
RAM	4/6GB	3GB	2GB	3GB
Storage	64GB/256GB/512GB/1TB	64/256GB	32/128GB	64/256GB
Camera	12MP f/1.8 aperture	8MP f/2.4 aperture	8MP f/2.4 aperture	8MP f/2.4 aperture
	Quad-LED flash	–	–	–
	Smart HDR	HDR	HDR	HDR
	4K@60fps video recording	Full HD Video recording	Full HD Video recording	Full HD Video recording
Front Camera	7MP TrueDepth Camera	7MP FaceTime HD camera	1.2MP FaceTime HD Camera	7MP FaceTime HD camera
	Portrait Photos	–	–	–
Audio	Four speakers	Two speakers	Two speakers	Two speakers
Biometric Authentication	Face ID	Touch ID	Touch ID	Touch ID
Connectivity	Wi-Fi ac	Wi-Fi ac	Wi-Fi ac	Wi-Fi ac
	Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 4.2	Bluetooth 5.0
	Gigabit LTE (Up to 29 bands)	Gigabit LTE (Up to 28 bands)	LTE	Gigabit LTE (Up to 28 bands)
	GPS, Galileo, QZSS	GPS	GPS	GPS
	Nano-SIM, eSIM	Nano-SIM, eSIM	Nano-SIM, Apple SIM	Nano-SIM, eSIM
	No headphone jack	Headphone jack	Headphone jack	Headphone jack
	USB-C	Lightning Connector	Lightning Connector	Lightning Connector
Sensors	Gyroscope	Gyroscope	Gyroscope	Gyroscope
	Accelerometer	Accelerometer	Accelerometer	Accelerometer
	Light sensor	Light sensor	Light sensor	Light sensor
	Barometer	Barometer	Barometer	Barometer
Battery	Up to 10 hours	Up to 10 hours	Up to 10 hours	Up to 10 hours
Apple Pencil Support	2nd gen Apple Pencil	1st gen Apple Pencil Support	1st gen Apple Pencil Support	1st gen Apple Pencil Support
Smart Keyboard Support	Smart Keyboard Folio support	Smart Keyboard support	–	–
Colors	Silver, Space Gray	Silver, Space Gray, Gold	Silver, Space Gray, Gold	Silver, Space Gray, Gold
Price	Starts from $799	Starts from $499	Starts from $329	Starts from $399

iPad Pro

Apple’s iPad lineup consists of the 11-inch iPad Pro and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. These devices are aimed at professional and hardcore power users who are looking at a proper PC replacement. These devices are meant for content creation rather than just content consumption. The combination of slim bezels and a newer design means the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro are more compact than what their screen sizes would suggest.

While extremely powerful, these tablets are also extremely expensive.

iPad Air

Apple is bringing back its iPad Air lineup with the 10.5-inch iPad Air. It is a tablet meant for power users who are on a budget. These users will primarily use the iPad for content consumption and for some light content creation work. The 10.50-inch iPad Air packs a powerful A12 Bionic chip but it is not as powerful as the A12X Bionic chip found inside the iPad Pro lineup. It also makes a few other compromises to reach its lower $499 price tag.

iPad mini 5

Always wanted a small and portable iPad that’s easy to carry around with speedy internals? That’s what the iPad mini 5 is for. While I don’t think a tablet with a 7.9-inch display makes sense anymore, the iPad mini 5 is exactly what many people are looking for. The combination of small display size, powerful internals, and oodles of storage make it a perfect traveling companion for many.

iPad

The 9.7-inch iPad is currently the cheapest tablet in Apple’s iPad lineup. It is also the oldest and the slowest featuring an A10 Bionic chip. For most students looking for light creative work though, the 9.7-inch iPad is going to serve just fine.

Which iPad is your favorite and which one are you considering buying? Do you need all the extra horsepower offered by the iPad Pro? Or the 10.5-inch iPad Air is going to be good enough for all your needs? Drop a comment and let us know!

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Apple’s iPad Lineup Decoded: Pricing, Specs, Apple Pencil, Smart Keyboard Support

Apple’s iPad Lineup Decoded: Pricing, Specs, Apple Pencil, Smart Keyboard Support

Decoding Apple’s iPad Lineup