At this point, iPads can do (almost) anything your laptop can do thanks to iPadOS 26. Not to mention, the iPad Air with M4 just got a memory boost up to 12GB, putting it a tier above some laptops. Whether you want to stream, browse the internet, illustrate, or edit videos, you can do it on the iPad.
The rapid pace of Apple’s update schedule makes shopping for a tablet all the more difficult. So, we tested every model to help you find the best iPad for you.
2026 iPad price increases
With the global memory crisis, iPad pricing took a hit. Apple raised prices across the board. Here’s a breakdown of the price increases.
Credit: Mashable
How much will iPads cost during Prime Big Deal Days?
Since we can’t predict the future, we can only rely on past data to know how cheap iPads will be during Prime Big Deal Days (running Oct. 6 and 7). We rounded up the all-time low prices on every iPad model to get an idea of what to expect during Amazon’s October Prime Day.
Credit: Mashable
Unfortunately, I don’t suspect any of the iPads will reach new all-time lows during Prime Big Deal Days, simply because all of Apple’s tablets increased in price this year. That being said, I would like to see solid deals on iPads for this upcoming sale. In an ideal world, sale prices on iPads would fall below the prices of these models before they were increased.
Which iPad model should I buy?
The right iPad for you depends purely on your needs. Do you want something that has enough storage and speed for streaming? Do you want to use it to read? Do you want to use a tablet as your primary workstation? Your answers should factor into your decision.
To get you started, we believe the best iPad for most people is the M4 iPad Air (2026). It has exceptional performance but is also in the middle range for both price and capability.
