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Apple iPad (A16): One-Minute Evaluation
Selecting the most effective iPad today could be difficult. Not solely are there a number of fashions to select from, however all of these fashions are additionally fairly well-specced, they usually more and more look related.
I’ve spent a number of weeks testing the most recent iteration of Apple‘s entry-level pill, which for the needs of this evaluation we’ll principally consult with because the Eleventh-gen iPad. You might also have seen it known as the iPad (A16), or the iPad 2025. It’s not noticeably completely different from the Tenth-gen mannequin that arrived in 2022, and which ushered in a big redesign that introduced loads of modernization.
As a substitute, it is a extra under-the-hood improve that retains Apple’s most inexpensive iPad ever-so-modern and ensures that it will nonetheless be kicking for a few years to come back. The most important change is a soar in processing energy to the Apple-made A16 – it isn’t a light-years-ahead improve from the A14 Bionic within the Tenth-gen iPad, nevertheless it’s nonetheless zippy-fast for opening apps and finishing most duties you’d wish to do on an iPad.
These duties embody taking part in video games, shopping the online, multitasking with two apps, utilizing handwriting recognition with the Apple Pencil, or doing any of the above whereas on a FaceTime name, with out slowing issues down or unduly draining the battery life. Whereas testing this iPad alongside an iPad Pro with M4 and the 11-inch iPad Air with M3, I did not at all times discover myself reaching for these to carry out extra demanding duties, due to the efficiency on supply right here.
This iPad nonetheless boasts a large 10.9-inch Liquid Retina show, providing a pleasant expertise for watching virtually something; nevertheless, the shiny end does make it tougher to make use of in very vibrant environments. Nonetheless, there are not any points with shade accuracy or the copy of visuals right here. Apple’s nonetheless tucking the front-facing cameras alongside the highest right here, which makes the Magic Keyboard Folio, or no less than a Sensible Folio, a pleasant addition. The Magic Keyboard for this iPad nonetheless splits into two, which I fairly like, nevertheless it’s not a free improve.
Out of the field, this iPad is operating iPadOS 18, and it runs rather well right here, due to the A16 chip, nevertheless it’s not sufficient energy to assist Apple Intelligence. That is likely to be a deal breaker for some, however I do not see it as a serious shortcoming based mostly on my testing. Bear in mind, you may obtain ChatGPT from the App Retailer and it will work simply positive right here.
One piece of wonderful information is that there shall be no value improve for the brand new entry-level iPad, which implies no premium for the A16 chip, and Apple can also be doubling the beginning storage to 128GB.
Whereas the Eleventh Gen iPad is sticking with extra inexpensive costs at $349 / £329 / AU$599, it is nonetheless costlier than the 9th Gen iPad as soon as was – with hindsight, that pill was a wonderful deal. Even so, I believe many individuals will discover themselves at house with the Eleventh-gen iPad, they only want a primary mannequin or somebody who desires to get a bit extra out of an older iPad, just like the Ninth Gen.
Apple iPad Eleventh-gen: Specs
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
iPad (A16) |
|
Beginning value |
$349 / £329 / AU$599 |
|
Working System |
iPadOS 18 |
|
Chipset |
A16 |
|
Reminiscence (RAM) |
6GB |
|
Storage |
128GB / 256GB / 512GB |
|
Show |
11-inch LED Backlit (2360 x 1640) IPS LCD |
|
Cameras |
12MP large essential, 12MP ultrawide entrance |
|
Battery |
28.93Wh |
|
Connectivity |
Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3. 5G Sub-6Ghz and Gigabit LTE on Mobile fashions. |
|
Weight |
1.05lbs / 0.475kg with out mobile and 1.06lbs / 0.48kg with |
|
Dimensions |
9.79 x 7.07 x 0.28 inches / 24.9 x 17.95 x 0.7mm (L x W x D) |
Apple iPad A16: Pricing and Availability
- The Eleventh-gen iPad begins at $349 / £329 / AU$599
- One main change: it now begins with 128GB of storage
- It is available in Pink, Yellow, Blue, and Silver
Apple’s Eleventh Gen iPad – often known as the iPad A16 or the 2025 iPad – is on sale now with a beginning value of $349 / £329 / AU$599. That beginning value will get you 128GB of storage, which is double the beginning storage of the Eleventh-gen iPad with no value improve.
You may select to improve that storage to 256GB or 512GB, however it is going to value you. Storage apart, all fashions have the identical specs, together with the A16 chip inside. The Eleventh-gen iPad is available in 4 colours: Blue, Pink, Yellow, or Silver.
Apple iPad Eleventh Gen: Design
- The Eleventh-gen iPad retains the extra fashionable design that the Tenth-gen mannequin ushered in
- It not says ‘iPad’ on the again, now matching the remainder of the lineup
- This iPad nonetheless feels fairly high-end, with an aluminum construct, and is well moveable
As I hinted at above, my favourite a part of the iPad A16 – except for the worth proposition it gives – can be the design, and particularly the colours, as the remainder of it’s principally unchanged. My evaluation mannequin is a beautiful shade of Pink that’s vibrant and enjoyable.
Like most different iPads, and completely different from the likes of a Samsung Galaxy Tab or an Amazon Fire HD tablet, the entry-level iPad A16 is generally a slice of aluminum. It’s efficient at hiding fingerprints on the edges and rear, due to its principally matte end. This additionally permits the shade of Pink to differ right here, relying on how the sunshine hits it – both bouncing off with a spotlight or trying a bit extra muted.
The one shiny and fingerprint-prone space on the rear can be the Apple emblem. Similar to the up to date iPad Air with M3 within the 11-inch or 13-inch dimension, this iPad not says iPad on the again. It’s a easy beauty change that offers this iPad a extra minimalist end.
If pink isn’t your factor, Apple additionally presents the iPad A16 in Yellow, Blue, or Silver – all crafted from that single piece of aluminum.
The remainder of the story with the design is principally bezels and buttons. Apple reserves Face ID and the True Depth Sensor stack for the iPad Professional, which means that to unlock or authenticate securely with out getting into a pin, you place a finger on the ability and sleep button, due to it being completed with a bit of glass.
That crucial materials permits Contact ID, and it really works properly – I simply advocate organising one finger from every of your arms so to higher unlock your iPad, no matter the way you’re holding it. The facility/sleep button, positioned on the prime, is accessible while you maintain the pill vertically or on the left-hand facet when held horizontally, making both place handy. The amount up and quantity down buttons are proper subsequent to it.
The one different input-output ingredient is the USB-C port on the underside, which stays unchanged from the previous-generation 10.9-inch entry-level iPad. In truth, virtually each a part of the design is unchanged right here.
There are stereo audio system that push sound out on the prime and backside when the pill is vertical or left and proper when it’s held horizontally. There’s a essential 12-megapixel digicam centered alongside the longer facet of the iPad – that’s on the highest when held horizontally or on the best facet when held vertically – and it delivers glorious efficiency for video calls. Apple has additionally saved a 12-megapixel digicam on the rear as properly.
Whereas Apple didn’t redesign something right here, the ten.9-inch iPad stays a well-crafted pill, and its fashionable appear and feel complement its efficiency. It has almost equivalent appears to be like to the higher-priced iPad Air and feels at house subsequent to an iPad mini and even an iPad Professional. It nonetheless is available in only one display dimension, and as I’ll element under, the ten.9-inch dimension, which Apple markets as 11-inch, is good for a variety of duties.
It’s simply moveable, weighing in at simply 1.06lbs / 0.48kg in case you go for mobile connectivity, or 1.05lbs / 0.475kg with a normal Wi-Fi-only connection. In the event you’re upgrading from the earlier technology, it retains the precise dimensions – 9.79 x 7.07 x 0.28 inches / 24.9 x 17.95 x 0.7mm – which implies your current Sensible Cowl Folio or Magic Keyboard Folio will work simply positive.
Apple iPad Eleventh Gen: Show
- The ten.9-inch Liquid Retina show is nice for many duties
- The shiny show could make it tougher to make use of in very vibrant situations
- The Eleventh-gen iPad helps two Apple Pencils
In the event you’re on the lookout for an iPad to browse the online, use numerous apps, stream films or TV reveals, play some video games, and even perform a little work, you’ll haven’t any drawback with the iPad in virtually any state of affairs.
That’s a testomony to the upgrades Apple rolled out in 2022, when it launched this up to date search for essentially the most inexpensive iPad. The iPad A16 nonetheless boasts a ten.9-inch show, though, as Apple has performed with the iPad Air and iPad Professional, it rounds that as much as 11 inches within the advertising and marketing blurb – you’ll see in a footnote on Apple’s tech specs web page for the iPad A16 saying it has a ten.86-inch show, which we’ve discovered to be the identical as the ten.9-inch dimension of the earlier technology.
Apple continues to be choosing its Liquid Retina show expertise, and the Eleventh-gen iPad has an LED IPS display that gives a decision of 2360 x 1640 pixels. In my testing, I’ve discovered that it’s nice for watching Severance on Apple TV+ or Nobody Wants This on Netflix, in addition to for shopping the online, working inside TechRadar’s CMS, or typing in a doc. I’ve discovered that it will possibly get punchy with colours. It’s a fantastic display to make use of typically.
The one points are that it has a shiny, reflective end, which makes it difficult to make use of the iPad A16 in actually vibrant situations, and that fingerprints simply present on this show. The 11-inch iPad Air with M3 most definitely has the iPad A16 beat right here, because it options an extra coating to dam reflections, and it will possibly produce much more vibrant colours. Then once more, it is a little more costly.
I additionally had no points with writing or sketching utilizing both the Apple Pencil (first technology) or the Apple Pencil with USB-C on the iPad A16. Utilizing each fashions right here felt fairly near writing with an precise pencil or pen on a sheet of paper, in that there wasn’t a noticeable lag.
Apple iPad Eleventh Gen: Cameras
- The digicam setup on the Eleventh-gen iPad stays unchanged from that of the Tenth-gen
- That is positive, although, because the selfie digicam is superior, primarily due to its CenterStage tech
- There’s nonetheless a rear 12-megapixel digicam with no flash as properly
The previous-generation iPad (Tenth-generation, often known as the ten.9-inch or 2022) noticed Apple correcting its placement of the selfie digicam on its iPads, and the iPad A16 doesn’t make waves by transferring it once more.
As I discussed above, the 12-megapixel CenterStage digicam lives on the longside of the iPad A16, so when you have it positioned within the Magic Keyboard Folio or the Sensible Cowl and have it laying horizontally, it’ll be in the best spot so that you can document a video – perhaps a monologue or an audition tape – or to take a video name.
The latter is basically the place this digicam excels. Positive, it’s positive for snapping a selfie, however the CenterStage tech makes use of some onboard software program tips to at all times maintain you within the body. So, in case you’re susceptible to pacing on video calls, the A16 processor inside will do the work to maintain you within the shot. It’ll work in tandem with the stereo microphones to choose up your voice as properly.
In the event you soar up, crouch down, transfer to the left, or the best, the digicam will slowly however certainly pan to maintain you within the body. Bear in mind, although, that it will possibly solely comply with you thus far, because the digicam itself isn’t transferring. The 12-megapixel digicam itself helps as much as 1080p HD recording, and is identical one which’s used on the Tenth-gen and Ninth-gen iPads.
If you wish to take pictures or document video together with your iPad, this mannequin once more has a 12-megapixel digicam on the rear that works simply positive. Don’t count on it to rival the digicam constructed into your cellphone, or a devoted digicam, although.
Apple iPad Eleventh Gen: Software program
- Followers of iPadOS will really feel proper at house on the Eleventh-gen iPad, as it is the traditional expertise
- With iPadOS 18, you may nonetheless break up the display between two apps and in addition use picture-in-picture
- Apple Intelligence is not supported right here, however Math Notes does work
Ever since Apple break up the iPad’s operating system off from iOS into iPadOS, its tablets have been more and more treading the road between being leisure gadgets and productiveness machines. The Eleventh-gen iPad is equally multi-talented, and the leap to Apple’s A16 chip over the A14 Bionic in the 10th Gen or the A13 Bionic in the 9th Gen ensures that the whole lot runs easily right here.
I threw a variety of duties on the iPad A16, and it didn’t let me down, though it might need made me wait a bit longer for some issues. iPadOS 18 right here, although, runs very properly and didn’t exhibit any noticeable slowdowns when doing the issues most individuals will use the iPad for. I might open almost each app in what felt just like the blink of a watch, from Safari, Messages, video games and streaming providers to extra demanding ones like iMovie or Last Minimize Professional. I might additionally break up the display with out slowing issues down and run a video in picture-in-picture, or a FaceTime name whereas having two different purposes open.
The iPad A16 is a really competent gadget for many duties – you may simply use it at school or school, splitting the display to take notes with an Apple Pencil on one facet and viewing a slide deck or highlighting traces in a digital textbook on the opposite. I might use it for work, responding to emails and Slack, then switching to Safari or Google Chrome to edit or write tales on the internet. I additionally edited a number of pictures in Pixelmator Pro with out a hitch.
One thing you received’t discover supported right here, although, is Apple Intelligence. The A16 will not be one of many chips that Apple says can deal with it, so these options aren’t right here, nor will they arrive sooner or later. Which means the Eleventh-gen iPad won’t obtain the brand new AI-powered Siri at any time when it ships and, at present, doesn’t assist options like Writing Tools, Genmoji, Imagic Playground, the brand new search for Siri, or – certainly one of my favorites – Clean Up in Photos.
In the event you’re on the lookout for an iPad that may run Apple Intelligence, the iPad A16 isn’t the mannequin for you, and also you’ll want to think about the iPad mini, Air, or Professional. Nonetheless, I don’t assume this shall be a deal-breaker for the kind of person this pill is geared toward. In the event you’re merely after an iPad on which you’ll browse the online, work with almost any app on the App Retailer, and revel in some gaming, FaceTime with buddies, or Netflix streaming, with some productiveness instruments thrown in and Apple Pencil assist, you’ll be proper at house.
Moreover, you will get AI options operating on the iPad A16 by downloading Google Gemini, ChatGPT, or any variety of providers. I’ve examined these first two right here, plus Copilot, they usually work simply positive. And one of many standout machine studying options from Apple, MathNotes within the Calculator or Notes app, additionally works simply positive right here.
One final be aware on software program – whereas the iPad A16 with iPadOS 18 can’t run StageManager, Apple’s extra superior multitasking answer for iPads, it is going to assist iPadOS 26 and obtain an entire host of upgrades when that arrives later this 12 months, doubtless in September or October 2025. And sure, that does imply true to the iPad windowing of apps, a menu bar, and the flexibility to position folders within the dock. I believe it is going to stretch the mileage even additional right here, and the Apple silicon inside ought to maintain it operating for a few years.
Apple iPad Eleventh Gen: Efficiency
- The A16 chip retains issues operating promptly, even when it isn’t a night-and-day improve over the earlier technology
- Much more power-hungry duties like inventive edits run properly right here, however will take a while
Now let’s break down the specifics of the Apple-made A16 chip that powers the Eleventh-generation iPad. The A16 consists of a 5-core CPU, a 4-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine, and stays comparatively fashionable even in 2025, regardless of being launched with the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max.
The opposite {hardware} change, alongside the A16 chip, is the doubling of the storage to 128GB from the beginning, which implies loads of room for apps, movies, and anything you’d wish to retailer on the iPad. It definitely punches up the worth of the gadget as properly.
Inside this iPad, the A16 provides you an incredible runway – consider it as a efficiency superhighway – for actually any conceivable process you would possibly wish to run right here. No, it doesn’t basically get rid of load occasions, as is the case with the M3-powered iPad Air or the M4-powered iPad Pro, however you’ll be laborious pressed to make issues decelerate right here.
I primarily encountered slowdowns when utilizing extra creativity-focused purposes, corresponding to Pixelmator Professional, Final Cut Pro, or any Adobe Suite product, together with Premiere Rush or Photoshop for iPad. Most video games, whether or not Apple Arcade titles or simply bought from the App Retailer, ran simply positive right here, and multitasking with picture-in-picture on prime didn’t appear to trigger a lot of a difficulty.
I additionally ran the iPad A16 by way of Geekbench 6, which runs the gadget by way of a collection of assessments in a stress-test trend, and listed here are the outcomes: 2,577 on single-core and 5,408 on multi-core. Whereas these scores do not beat these of the iPad Air with M3 – and we wouldn’t count on them to – they present that the most recent entry-level iPad isn’t any slouch. It matches up fairly clearly with out on a regular basis use.
It’s additionally a extremely environment friendly chip, and it’s paired with a 28.93Wh rechargeable battery inside, which is the same-size cell as within the 11-inch iPad Air with M3. Apple guarantees as much as 10 hours of video playback or browsing the online over Wi-Fi, and as much as 9 hours on mobile. A greater benchmark is that the iPad A16 can final for a full workday of use, relying on the apps you are utilizing. It ships with a USB-C to USB-C cable and an influence brick within the field, permitting you to recharge when wanted.
- Efficiency rating: 4.5 / 5
Apple iPad Eleventh Gen: Must you purchase it?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Ranking |
|
Worth |
With double the beginning storage and the identical beginning costs in addition to the A16 chip and promised future software program updates, the entry-level iPad strikes a fantastic worth posistion. |
4.5/5 |
|
Design |
The entry-level nonetheless appears to be like like a contemporary pill with a higher-end design over rivals and assist for Contact ID. |
4/5 |
|
Show |
All the things from streaming films to shopping the online with calls, video games, and enhancing in between appears to be like nice, I simply want it bought a bit brighter to fight utilizing it exterior on sunny days. |
4/5 |
|
Cameras |
The CenterStage performance of the front-facing digicam makes this a fantastic gadget for calls. |
4/5 |
|
Software program |
iPadOS 16 runs rather well right here and offers you primary multitasking and helps the Apple Pencil. |
4/5 |
|
Efficiency |
The A16 is not an enormous leap over the A14 Bionic and does not assist Apple Intelligence, nevertheless it retains issues operating very easily and allows you to use the iPad for actually any conceivable process. |
4.5/5 |
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Additionally Think about
Apple iPad Eleventh Gen: How I Examined
I spent a number of weeks with the Eleventh Gen iPad (A16) in Pink, utilizing it with a number of Apple-made equipment, together with the Magic Keyboard Folio, a Sensible Folio, a first-generation Apple Pencil, and the Apple Pencil USB-C. I first unboxed the iPad after which set it up as a brand new pill, earlier than starting to put in my ordinary apps to begin utilizing it.
I examined the brand new, entry-level iPad alongside the brand new iPad Air with M3 for a number of days, conducting comparability testing to see how the 2 related iPads, by way of construct, maintain up.
I additionally tried to make use of the iPad A16 as my main gadget for testing. I take advantage of the iPad for a broad vary of duties, together with a lot of my job, like responding to Slack, emails, enhancing pictures or movies, and writing and enhancing tales. I additionally streamed hours of content material from a number of the finest streaming providers and performed a number of video games on the pill.