iPad mini (A17 Pro) vs iPad (A16)

Apple Intelligence is Apple's set of AI features: writing help that rewrites or proofreads your text, short summaries of long notifications and emails, Clean Up for removing unwanted things from photos, and the new Siri AI.

On iPad it needs an M1 chip or later, or the A17 Pro chip in iPad mini. Older iPads cannot get it through a software update. Which features you see also depends on your country and language.

Matters most if: You want the AI writing, photo and Siri features.

The price Apple charged in the US on launch day for the Wi-Fi model with the lowest storage, before tax.

This is not what the iPad costs today. Cellular models, more storage, Apple Pencil and keyboards all cost extra. Older models drop in price over time, so check the used and refurbished links for current prices.

Screen size measured corner to corner, in inches. One inch is 2.54 cm. Newer iPads have rounded corners, so Apple measures them as if they were a plain rectangle; the area you can see is slightly smaller.

A bigger screen fits two apps side by side more comfortably and shows more of a page or a drawing at once. A smaller iPad is lighter to hold in one hand and fits more bags. Going from about 11 to 13 inches makes the screen roughly 40% larger in area.

The cover glass, the touch layer and the screen are bonded together into one piece, with no air gap between them.

The picture looks like it sits right on the surface of the glass instead of slightly below it. When you write with Apple Pencil, the line appears directly under the tip, which makes writing and drawing feel more natural.

Matters most if: You use Apple Pencil for notes or drawing.

A thin coating on the glass that cuts down how much light bounces off the screen.

Windows, ceiling lights and the sun show up less as bright reflections, so the screen is easier to read in a bright room or outdoors.

Weight in grams for the Wi-Fi model. 100 grams is about 3.5 ounces. Cellular models are a few grams heavier.

A difference of 50 to 100 grams is noticeable when you hold the iPad up in one hand to read for a long time. A keyboard case often weighs about as much as the iPad itself.

How thick the iPad is, in millimeters. 1 mm is about 0.04 inch.

A difference under 1 mm is hard to notice in the hand, and a case adds more than that. Thinner iPads feel lighter to hold and slide more easily into a bag.

Where the front camera sits. Portrait: on the short edge, at the top when you hold the iPad upright. Landscape: on the long edge, at the top when the iPad lies sideways in a keyboard case.

In video calls with the iPad sideways, a landscape camera looks at you straight on. With a portrait-edge camera, the camera ends up on the left or right side, so you seem to be looking away from the person you are talking to.

Matters most if: You make video calls with the iPad on a stand or in a keyboard case.

Which Apple Pencil works with this iPad. Shown is the most capable one it supports. The 1st generation charges through a plug, the 2nd generation snaps to the side of the iPad and charges there, the USB-C model charges through a cable, and Apple Pencil Pro adds squeeze controls and a feel-back vibration.

Each iPad works only with certain Apple Pencil models, so an Apple Pencil you already own may not work with a new iPad. Apple Pencil (USB-C) does not sense how hard you press, so line thickness does not change with pressure. Check Apple's compatibility list before buying.

Matters most if: You already own an Apple Pencil, or want to draw or take handwritten notes.

The best Apple keyboard case made for this iPad. Smart Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio are thin fabric keyboards without a trackpad. Magic Keyboard Folio and Magic Keyboard add a trackpad; Magic Keyboard holds the iPad above the keys at an adjustable angle.

With a trackpad, you can move a pointer and select text much as on a laptop. Keyboards made for one iPad size and generation usually do not fit others, so an old keyboard may not fit a new iPad.

Matters most if: You plan to type a lot, or want to use the iPad like a laptop.

How fast files move over a cable. Mb/s is megabits per second, Gb/s is gigabits per second (1 Gb/s = 1,000 Mb/s). USB 3 at 10 Gb/s is about 20 times faster than USB 2 at 480 Mb/s. Thunderbolt goes up to 40 Gb/s.

Only matters when you copy large files, like photo libraries or long videos, to or from a drive or computer with a cable, or connect a large external display. A video that takes several minutes to copy at USB 2 speed takes seconds over Thunderbolt. "Not published by Apple" means Apple's spec page for that model does not state a speed.

Matters most if: You edit photos or video, or connect external drives.

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Wi-Fi generations. Each new one handles more devices at once and higher speeds: Wi-Fi 4 (2009), Wi-Fi 5 (2014), Wi-Fi 6 (2019), Wi-Fi 6E adds a new, less crowded radio band, Wi-Fi 7 is the newest.

You only get the extra speed if your router supports the same generation. With an older router, the difference is small.

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The chip is the iPad's brain. It runs every app, processes photos and video, and handles the AI features.

A newer chip makes the iPad faster, keeps it fast for more years, and decides which new features it can get. Apple Intelligence, for example, needs an M1 chip or later, or the A17 Pro.