Also: How to turn your old Fire tablet into an Echo Show
You should buy an Apple iPad if…
1. Your tablet doubles as your computer
Though a tablet tends to be the perfect mix between a phone or a computer, if you’re looking for one that offers the power of a small computer with the portability of a tablet, then the iPad is the better choice. The 2022 iPad Pro in particular is the not only the fastest iPad to date, thanks to the M2 chip, but you can also choose from storage options of 125GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB, and it supports the hover feature of the Apple Pencil (2nd generation). Also: How to take notes on your iPad with an Apple Pencil – 3 very simple ways This upgrade from previous models translates into up to 35% faster graphics performance, letting you edit anything from photos in Photoshop, to videos using DaVinci Resolve. All of these features come with a price tag to match, however, with the price of the iPad Pro starting at $1049. Review: iPad Pro (2022) Though the top Fire tablet model, the Fire HD 10 Plus, only comes with 32GB or 64GB of storage, it can be extended by up to 1TB. Even so, its octa-core 2.0 GHz processor and 4GB of RAM are not as powerful as the iPad Pro’s performance.
2. You prefer a more beautiful display
Also: The best large-screen tablets money can buy If you’ll be using your tablet to watch movies or videos, and a great resolution retina display is more your preference, any of the iPad models will be a good choice.
3. You enjoy the Apple ecosystem
Having an iPhone doesn’t mean you have to get an iPad when you’re shopping for a tablet. But having the two can make for a smoother, even more enjoyable experience. Also: iPhone or Android slow or buggy? Do this one simple thing every week When you have more than one Apple device using the same Apple ID, you begin your journey into what Apple likes to call its “ecosystem.” Inside, two or more Apple devices interact with you and each other, making for a seamless experience in transferring data from one to the other, like media, and beginning work in one and finishing in the other. Though I have my gripes with Apple – ahem, Siri – I admit working seamlessly with my MacBook, iPhone, iPad, and iMac is pretty remarkable. Also: How to use Siri to take photos with your iPhone Taking photos and videos with my iPhone that will be immediately available to edit in my iMac certainly makes for an easier workflow, for example.
1. You want wireless charging
Also: The 5 best wireless charging pads: Never fumble with cables again
2. You want a more affordable tablet
The biggest differences in features between the iPad and Fire tablets result in the latter having a significantly lower price than the entire lineup of Apple’s iPads, by a lot. The most expensive Fire Tablet, the Fire HD Plus, without lockscreen ads and with the highest internal storage of 64GB is priced at $195, while the most inexpensive iPad, the 9th Generation iPad, starts at $330 (though discounted often). Also: Looking for a cheap tablet? Our top picks are under $400
3. You don’t want to worry about kids breaking it
I can’t tell you how many times my kids’ Fire tablets have withstood them literally standing on them or stepping on them when they’re on the floor, while my iPad’s screen was completely shattered after using a cheap keyboard case for a couple months. Also: The best tablets for kids, according to actual parents and parenting experts Sure, you can get your kid a 9th Generation iPad with a protective kids case, but the screen replacement through Apple could end up costing the same as the price of a Fire tablet.
Alternatives to consider
For more performance power with high portability, the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is an alternative to a laptop for the price of the iPad Pro 12.9 inches. More of a mid-range option between the S6 Lite and the Microsoft Surface Pro 9, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra has a beautiful AMOLED display and comes with an S Pen.
