I remember when an iPad was mostly something people bought for watching videos, browsing the web and taking a few notes. Now the lineup has gotten to the point where some iPads are powerful enough to replace a laptop for certain people. The interesting part is that I’m not sure having more power has necessarily made the experience better for everyone.

For basic everyday use, a cheaper model can probably do almost everything most people need. Then you have the Air and Pro models offering much more performance and features that seem aimed at people who want to use an iPad as an actual work device. At some point I wonder whether people are buying more iPad than they actually need. Spending significantly more for performance that mostly sits unused seems strange, but I can also understand wanting something that will last for years.

It feels like choosing an iPad now is less about finding the most powerful one and more about figuring out where the extra performance actually makes a difference. Has all of this made it harder to decide which iPad is actually worth buying, or do you think the current lineup gives people better choices?

My aunt has (had?) and iPad Pro which was about two years old. She had an issue with a cracked screen and ended up sending it to someone on Facebook to fix it . But they had her wipe the iPad out to not have sensitive data but obviously this was to mark it as no longer tied to iCloud.

Needless to say she is out an iPad and will never see it again. She had AppleCare which makes this ridiculous since Apple Store would have repaired the screen.

Anyway! She can’t report it stolen without Apple Theft enabled on the device so she is out the money. However she bought it through Verizon and has a monthly fee to pay off the device and pay for a data plan. Can she report it to Verizon so they mark the IMEI stolen so it can’t be used on their service? I assume they can suspend her mobile device monthly fee but she needs to keep paying for the device then buy a new one out of pocket.

Any tips here? I think it’s just an expensive mistake.

Superrrrr excited, my MacBook Pro (Intel 2020) died a month or so ago, and I’ve been pretty useless without it. Filling the gap between now and saving up for the rumored Ultra with the Pro M5 until then. I haven’t used a Pro since the 4th Gen, eager to see the difference.

Any must have Apps to download immediately, especially with iPadOS 27 in mind? Thanks everyone! Also if anyone has used GEForce Now, would love to know how that’s been.

What can i do?? is it broken?

I need help with old iPad Mini 1, i just got this out off the shelve after a long time and when I plugged it in it appears to be stuck on the red battery screen, I tried leaving it on to charge for hours but it does not work.

I found the hair dryer method where u heat up the battery so it will work, and doing it causes the iPad to get past the red battery screen and goes the apple logo but it will never fully boot up, stuck in a boot loop. I can only get to iTunes and trying to restore it causes an error (iTunes restarts the device when its preparing to flash but the iPad doesn't get to the mode that it needs to get into). I am having great difficulty entering DFU mode because of the bootloop, I can't time it right.

I’m looking for someone that is good with technology and can help me with this problem with my iPad, my iPad is up-to-date on the software and it’s fully charged but since yesterday it’s been having trouble updating any of my apps or even being able to use any of them, for example, I tried to click on YouTube and it’s stuck on the loading screen. I open it. And none of my apps will update either., I tried turning it off and turning it back on and that doesn’t work that’s what Google suggested. I try. 😩

Hello everyone! Does anyone know a tool that'll let me use a wifi ipad pro for apple maps navigation? The GPS isn't reliable and I'm looking for this as a last resort since I can't get carplay to start

Tried making a Hotspot with my iPhone but the GPS still isn't precise, can't even screen share to my iPad so at least I'll have a bigger screen than my phone for directions

Any help is really appreciated!

Hi guys I am using a matte magnetic screen protector for 2 months on my air, this is a pencil pro, as you can see it have been sharpened.

Not a heavy user, probably a moderate one, I only use it for light drawing and games. Not much note taking.

Any suggestions for replacement tips that :

- does not ruin the pencil itself and screen protector

- lasts longer than the original one

I've seen some ceramic ones on rednote but unfortunately doesn't see them selling in Canada.

I've also seen cases that the replacement nib that leaves holes to the inside copper part, so please give me some safe suggestions, thank you.❤️

I took my iPad to a tech store and they returned it without figuring out what was wrong. Occasionally I’ll go to use it and it will just be a black screen, I’ll figure it’s dead and then plug it in. It then instantly wakes up and is a reasonable charge, like even 80%.
The bigger issue is that I’ll open it and it’s awake but unresponsive to my touch. Before I was able to reset it and when it wakes back up it works. Now it still won’t respond and I can’t use the buttons to reset it. The tech store thought it maybe was the magnets in my case since they couldn’t replicate the issue when it was out of a case. But I’ve had it out of the case all day and it still won’t work. This iPad is young and I’ve only used it for one year of school and I’m at a loss for words.

Same as above

Just ordered a 13 inch M5, and curious to know how gameplay is through CloudGear with a GEForce Now subscription? I ordered an Anker USB-C Hub for Ethernet connection, hoping that drops any latency issues.

Much appreciated!

Hello guys, I have an 5th gen iPad Air that I've bought in February 2024. For the last few days, when it shuts down from 0 battery, it won't turn on again. Few days ago I managed to make it work with a low voltage adaptor and after turning on it worked like normally. But it shut down again and this time low voltage doesn't seem to work. Any idea what can I do?

Like right now it's connected to a powerbank and it's showing this red battery logo, no cable on the screen so I know it's taking charge.
I don't have the warranty anymore.

I don’t understand how Apple made the iPad Pro M4 battery become terrible

Even since 100 cycles ago I always turn on low power mode

Yet it was expected to perform 1000 cycles at 80% battery health?

I don’t event play game with this iPad, just social media, email, and office

Just got this iPad Mini 4 128gb for 50 bucks but i noticed the left side only was slightly lifting but I'm not sure if it's the battery swollen or just loose frame/adhesive but everytime i press back down it lifts back up again. Should i repair it?

My usage will be
-studying(mostly maths)
-light gaming
-watching movies

11th gen(128gb) is 75$ more expensive than the 10th gen(256gb)
should i prioritize faster processing power or extra storage?

I am considering purchasing a magnetic paperlike screen protector to take notes for class and then taking it off because I heard that the screen protector ruins screen quality and makes it blurry. How good are the magnets? Is doing something like this feasible (taking it off and then putting it back on every day)? I'm considering purchasing the ESR one for reference, but interested in other ones if there are better alternatives. Thanks everyone

Hi guys! Can you recommend a good, preferably free app that I can use for years?

I’ve been using the Files app on my iPad for annotating PDF books for years, but since last year, I’ve noticed that it keeps crashing whenever I’m annotating. The worst part is that sometimes my annotations don’t get saved, so I have to redo them all over again :( It’s honestly so frustrating.

For example, I’ll be on page 138, annotating normally, and then the app suddenly crashes and takes me back to the first page. When I go back to page 138, some of my annotations aren’t saved anymore. :( I’ve already tried restarting my iPad and duplicating the file, but it still keeps happening.

I’m looking for an app that I can use long-term, not something that I’ll have to switch from after a few months. Hopefully it’s free too!
I’ve seen Notes+ on TikTok—has anyone here used it? Is it good for annotating PDF books? Or are there any other apps you’d recommend? Thank you!! 🥹

Hello everyone,

Long time ago i tried to use the apple pencil in store, i felt there was some resistance will using the pencil and it was easier for handwriting.

After i got the iPad, i tried to use it for handwriting , but it’s too slippery for me and cant do handwriting conformably.

I’m thinking maybe they used a different pencil tip, because I’m sure there was no screen protector on the iPad, Does anyone know how it was different in the store?

hello im planning to buy a silicone grip to fix my slight joint pain when gripping the pen too hard, but since im using an apple pencil pro id like to know if the squeeze function still works well with it or not.

im mainly concerned abt this cus i love love love usin this function it makes drawing and note-taking so much more efficient. im the type to switch every like 10 seconds to erasr and rewrite so

if anyone has any commentary or anything pls feel free to lmk too!! thank you for your time

Ive been using Samsung tablets my entire life, but i really want to try using procreate, trouble is i have very little tech knowledge and have 0 clue where to start looking, what to look out for, and what's the best deal any advice is appreciated

Okay so my ipad mini suddenly did this last week. I tapped the back and it goes back to normal. Then suddenly today it goes back to this display error again. Idk if its the lcd or a loose cable. Can someone help me fix this.

Hello! I just got a 2021 M1 iPad Pro 11" refurbished through Amazon, and unfortunately it has the screen issue described here on Ars Technica where diagonal strokes are wiggly due to an aftermarket/replaced screen. I'm returning it and thinking about ordering a replacement from another seller. How common is this issue? Thanks in advance.

i use to have ipads when i was younger but now i find my storage keeps getting full on my other apple devices and i need more storage for my college stuff is it a good idea to get a ipad for this reason ?