Apple sells four iPads in the UK, and the names alone say little about which one fits. The iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air and iPad Pro differ on chip, screen, Apple Intelligence, Touch ID or Face ID, which Apple Pencil and keyboard they take, and how they handle a second screen. This guide takes each difference from Apple's own UK pages, sets out which older accessories still fit, and covers Apple's Certified Refurbished store as a cheaper route.
For most people the iPad Air (M4) is the one to buy: Apple lists the M4 chip, Apple Intelligence, Apple Pencil Pro, Touch ID and extended displays, in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes. The iPad (A16) costs less, but Apple does not list it for Apple Intelligence or Apple Pencil Pro. Choose the iPad mini (A17 Pro) for an 8.3-inch screen and the iPad Pro (M5) for its Ultra Retina XDR display and Face ID.
Key Takeaways
- Apple's compare page lists four current iPads, the iPad (A16), iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPad Air (M4) and iPad Pro (M5), with the Air and Pro sold in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes.
- Apple's Apple Intelligence page lists the iPad Pro and iPad Air with M1 or later and the iPad mini (A17 Pro), and does not list the iPad (A16).
- Apple's Pencil compatibility page lists Apple Pencil (USB-C) for all four current iPads, Apple Pencil Pro for all but the iPad (A16), and the Apple Pencil (2nd generation) for none of them.
- Apple's specs pages say every current Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad uses eSIM only and is not compatible with physical SIM cards.
- Apple's iPad User Guide lists the iPad Air (M4) and iPad Pro (M5) among models that support extended displays, and leaves out the iPad (A16) and iPad mini (A17 Pro).
Four iPads Make Up Apple's Current Range
Apple's UK compare page lists four current iPads, two of them in two sizes. The iPad (A16) has an 11-inch screen and the iPad mini (A17 Pro) an 8.3-inch one, while the iPad Air (M4) and iPad Pro (M5) each come in 11-inch and 13-inch versions. Apple's specs page calls the base model the iPad 11-inch (A16), and the compare page no longer counts the iPad (10th generation) among its current models.
Screens split two ways. The compare page lists a Liquid Retina display, an LED-backlit panel with IPS technology, on the iPad, iPad mini and iPad Air, and an Ultra Retina XDR display on the iPad Pro, which Apple's specs page describes as tandem OLED with ProMotion from 10Hz to 120Hz. The compare page also gives the iPad sRGB colour where the other three have P3 wide colour, and leaves the anti-reflective coating off it. Unlocking differs as well: the compare page puts Touch ID in the top button on the iPad, iPad mini and iPad Air, and gives Face ID only to the iPad Pro.
Apple Intelligence Leaves Out the Base iPad
Apple's Apple Intelligence page lists three kinds of compatible iPad: iPad Pro (M1 and later), iPad Air (M1 and later) and iPad mini (A17 Pro). The iPad (A16) is not among them. On Apple's compare page the Apple Intelligence row is blank for that model and filled for the other current iPads, and its tech specs page does not mention Apple Intelligence at all. Anyone who wants Apple's writing help or the Apple Intelligence version of Siri should skip the base model.
Apple's support page on getting Apple Intelligence sets the conditions. It needs iPadOS 27, the iPad and Siri set to the same supported language, and free space: up to 8 GB on most supported iPads, and up to 14 GB on iPads with M4 or later and at least 12GB of unified memory. Apple's specs pages give the iPad Air (M4) 12GB and the iPad Pro (M5) 12GB or 16GB, so both fall in the larger group. Those specs pages still footnote Apple Intelligence as available in beta, with some features not offered in every region or language.
Apple Pencil Pro Fits Every Current iPad Except the Base Model
Apple's Apple Pencil compatibility page lists Apple Pencil Pro for the iPad Pro (M4 and M5), iPad Air (M2, M3 and M4) and iPad mini (A17 Pro), but not for the iPad (A16). Apple Pencil (USB-C) appears against all four current models. Apple's Pencil page gives only the Pro pressure sensitivity, double-tap, squeeze, barrel roll, haptic feedback and Find My, and says it pairs, charges and stores magnetically on the side of the iPad, where the USB-C model pairs and charges through a cable. Apple lists hover on the iPad Pro, iPad Air and iPad mini, and the compare page leaves it off the iPad (A16).
Older Pencils are hit and miss. Apple's compatibility page lists the Apple Pencil (2nd generation) only for older models such as the iPad mini (6th generation), the iPad Air (4th and 5th generation) and earlier iPad Pro models, so it suits none of the current four. The Apple Pencil (1st generation) still works with the iPad (A16), although Apple says it needs the USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter to pair and charge.
Keyboards Are Matched to Each Model
Keyboards follow the same pattern as Pencils. Apple's keyboards page lists the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro only for the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro (M4 and M5). The Magic Keyboard for iPad Air fits the iPad Air (M2, M3 and M4) and also the iPad Air (4th and 5th generation), and the Magic Keyboard Folio fits the iPad (A16) and the iPad (10th generation), so those two carry over from older tablets. Apple's compare page lists a 14-key function row and a trackpad on all three, backlit keys only on the iPad Pro version, and USB-C pass-through charging on the Pro and Air versions.
The iPad mini is the odd one out. Apple's compare page lists no Apple keyboard for it, only Bluetooth keyboards, and Apple's keyboards page says iPad works with Bluetooth keyboards from Apple and third parties. The wireless keyboard and mouse guide includes Bluetooth models that list iPadOS support.
Storage, WiFi and Cellular Are Separate Choices
Apple's compare page starts storage at 128GB on the iPad, iPad mini and iPad Air, and at 256GB on the iPad Pro. The iPad and iPad mini top out at 512GB, the iPad Air at 1TB and the iPad Pro at 2TB. On the Pro, Apple's specs page says the 1TB and 2TB models get a 10-core CPU and 16GB of memory against a 9-core CPU and 12GB below that. With Apple Intelligence taking up to 14 GB by Apple's figures, a 128GB iPad fills faster than the number suggests.
Every model comes as Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + Cellular. Apple's specs pages list Wi-Fi 6 on the iPad, Wi-Fi 6E on the iPad mini and Wi-Fi 7 on the iPad Air and iPad Pro. The cellular versions add 5G and GPS/GNSS, and the same pages say they use eSIM only and are not compatible with physical SIM cards, with a footnote that not all network providers support eSIM. Apple quotes up to 10 hours of web browsing on WiFi and up to 9 hours on mobile data.
External Displays and Stage Manager Favour the Air and Pro
Apple's specs pages list one external display at up to 4K and 60Hz for the iPad and iPad mini, up to 6K at 60Hz for the iPad Air, and up to 6K at 60Hz or 4K at 120Hz for the iPad Pro. Apple's iPad User Guide lists the models that support extended displays, where apps and windows move between screens, and the current ones on it are the iPad Air (M4) and iPad Pro (M5). Apple's Stage Manager page lists the iPad (A16) and iPad mini (A17 Pro) as running Stage Manager, but not as moving apps to an external display.
Apple's guide says a USB-C iPad may plug straight into a display's USB or Thunderbolt 3 port, or else needs a USB-C display adapter and an HDMI cable, as the USB-C to HDMI adapter guide explains. Port speed matters for a USB-C hub: Apple lists USB 2.0 at up to 480Mb/s on the iPad, USB 3 at up to 10Gb/s on the mini and Air, and Thunderbolt / USB 4 at up to 40Gb/s on the Pro.
Four iPads and One Pencil for Different Buyers
Two caveats come first. Apple does not list the iPad (A16) for Apple Intelligence or Apple Pencil Pro. And Apple's UK iPad Pro specs page lists no charge cable in the box, while the iPad, iPad mini and iPad Air pages each list a 1-metre USB-C Charge Cable; none lists a power adapter, so check for a USB-C charger.
The iPad Air (M4) 11-inch is the all-round pick, covering Apple Intelligence, Apple Pencil Pro and extended displays. The iPad (A16) is the budget choice. The iPad mini (A17 Pro) is the one-handed option at 293 g by Apple's figures, though for books the Kindle guide covers e-readers. The iPad Pro (M5) brings the Ultra Retina XDR screen and Face ID, and the listing here is the 512GB Wi-Fi model. Apple Pencil (USB-C) fits all four.
Apple's Certified Refurbished page promises full functional testing, genuine Apple replacement parts as needed, all accessories and cables, a new box and a one-year limited warranty. Its iPad listings include older models such as the iPad (9th generation), which Apple's Apple Intelligence list leaves out.
| Product | Best for | Key specs | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | iPad Air 11-inch (M4) 128GB Wi-Fi, Space Grey Our pick | Most people, with Apple Intelligence and Pencil Pro | M4, 11-inch Liquid Retina, Touch ID, Wi-Fi 7 | Check price → |
 | iPad 11-inch (A16) 128GB Wi-Fi, Silver Budget | Video, browsing and schoolwork on a budget | A16, 11-inch Liquid Retina, Touch ID, Wi-Fi 6 | Check price → |
 | iPad mini (A17 Pro) 128GB Wi-Fi, Blue Compact | One-handed reading, travel and note-taking | A17 Pro, 8.3-inch Liquid Retina, Touch ID, 293 g | Check price → |
 | iPad Pro 11-inch (M5) 512GB Wi-Fi, Space Black Top end | HDR video, creative work and a 4K 120Hz monitor | M5, Ultra Retina XDR tandem OLED, Face ID | Check price → |
 | Apple Pencil (USB-C) Any iPad | Notes and sketching on any current iPad | Pairs and charges via USB-C, no pressure sensitivity | Check price → |