iPad 11: Wonderful worth from a funds pill [Review]

Don’t underestimate the essential iPad. The 2025 model, newly up to date with an Apple A16 processor, is an virtually shockingly good laptop when one considers it prices solely $349.

I put Apple’s newest low-cost pill to the take a look at and got here away reminded that one doesn’t want an iPad Professional to be productive. Or have enjoyable.

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2025 iPad 11 (A16) evaluate

I’m an iPad Professional consumer — it’s my main laptop. I’m accustomed to utilizing Apple’s newest M4 processor and a 13-inch display screen, so I felt some trepidation stepping again to an 11-inch iPad with an A16. I shouldn’t have apprehensive.

Most of what we do with our computer systems merely isn’t that demanding. On-line buying, social media and watching movies don’t require cutting-edge expertise. As my time with the brand new iPad 11 reveals, its A16 processor is as much as the job.

Whether or not the 11-inch display screen is giant sufficient is a private determination. But it surely definitely makes the pill very snug to carry and simpler to hold round — two areas the place it beats a MacBook each time.

Finest funds pill

Apple iPad 11-inch (2025 mannequin with A16 chip)

Apple’s entry-level pill will get a strong improve, with a fine addition to the bottom mannequin’s storage. It is a terrific choice for watching movies, checking emails, browsing the net and extra.

Execs:

• A16 processor
• Extremely Huge 12MP entrance digicam helps Heart Stage
• Storage begins at 128GB

Cons:

• Doesn’t assist Apple Intelligence.

Desk of contents:

11-inch display screen beats the heck out of 9.7 inches

When you’re contemplating upgrading to the 2025 iPad from a a lot older mannequin, the very first thing you’ll discover is the a lot bigger show. It’s not precisely edge-to-edge, nevertheless it’s a lot nearer to that purpose now that the outdated Dwelling button has been kicked to the curb. The outcome: an 11-inch display screen.

Loads of individuals are nonetheless utilizing a 9.7-inch iPad. The brand new show is 23% greater. Sure, virtually 1 / 4 bigger — and the change is unquestionably noticeable.

Even should you’re shifting from the newer 10.2-inch model, a bigger show improves watching movies and taking part in video games. However extra display screen area advantages the whole lot you do, whether or not it’s Instagram or e mail, Temu or FaceTime.

Plus, extra space to work in enhances the side-by-side multitasking capabilities that Apple constructed into iPadOS. You possibly can open two functions subsequent to one another, making it a snap to share info between them. You possibly can even drag-and-drop textual content and pictures throughout.

To be clear, I can get much more performed on my 13-inch iPad. That display screen is 40% bigger, in spite of everything. However these tablets value a minimum of $450 extra.

Display specs

Forgive me for getting technical for a second, however some folks like specs. The display screen is 1640 by 2360 pixels, which works out to be 264 pixels per inch. And the backlight on the LCD hits 500 nits of brightness.

In non-technical phrases, the whole lot on the iPad 11 display screen seems very crisp, together with the textual content – that’s the place the excessive variety of pixels per inch issues. And the colours are sharp, not in in the slightest degree muddy. There’s nothing concerning the look of the show to recommend “low-end pill.”

Particularly as that is the primary within the funds iPad line to boast a completely laminated show. Which means there’s no hole between the glass and the LCD panel.

So very moveable

One of many iPad 11 benefits that’s simple to miss is how very moveable it’s. Even a slim and light-weight MacBook Air appears gargantuan compared.

The pill is a mere 9.8 inches by 7.0 inches by 0.3 inches. That’s smaller than {a magazine}. Even in a protecting case, it’s nonetheless simple to hold round — you gained’t even discover its 1-pound weight in a backpack.

I spent hours studying ebooks and internet pages on the brand new iPad. It’s undoubtedly snug to carry whereas mendacity again on a sofa.

When you’re utilizing an older iPad, don’t be involved that the 11-inch display screen made the brand new mannequin greater or heavier. It didn’t occur. This pill household continues to carry on to roughly the identical dimensions for years and years.

Like its predecessor, the 2025 iPad 11 is available in blue, pink, yellow or silver.

2025 iPad 11 gives acceptable efficiency

This isn’t Apple’s strongest pill. It’s really the slowest. However that’s a bit like speaking concerning the slowest automobile within the Components 1 race — it’s nonetheless fairly quick.

As beforehand famous, I exploit an M4 iPad Professional, which is Apple’s quickest pill. However after my time with the 2025 iPad, I’m beginning to marvel why. The A16 in Apple’s newest is sufficient to give the iPad snappy efficiency with the software program I run day-after-day — streaming video, listening to podcasts, studying e mail and accessing the net.

There’s a notable exception that can not be missed: the A16 can’t totally make the most of a second display screen. True, you possibly can join the 2025 iPad to a TV and watch video, and even mirror the pill display screen on a bigger one. However you can’t double your work space by opening extra functions on a second show. That requires an iPad Air or iPad Professional with an M-series processor.

Benchmarks

I perceive common feedback on efficiency are too obscure for some readers, so let’s carry on the benchmarks. Within the Geekbench 6 CPU take a look at, multi-core efficiency got here in at 5493. Which means the iPad 11 is 42% quicker than the iPad 9, it’s 96% faster than the iPad 8, and its efficiency is 297% higher than the iPad 7.

I intentionally ignored the iPad 10 — there’s little cause to improve from that mannequin. However extra on that in a bit.

For one more perspective, my M4 iPad Professional is 2.5X quicker than the iPad 11… based on Geekbench 6. However that doesn’t carry by means of into the on a regular basis expertise. It’s solely essential when operating functions that pressure the processor. What I’m attempting to say is, the funds iPad gives respectable efficiency to common customers.

Apple Intelligence

The iPad 11 doesn’t assist Apple Intelligence, which suggests it should by no means have the ability to make use of Apple’s suite of AI instruments that tweak customers’ grammar and pictures or generate cutesy footage based mostly on consumer prompts. The {hardware} simply isn’t there. The AI instruments require a minimum of an Apple 17 processor and 8GB of RAM, whereas the brand new pill makes use of an A16 and 6GB.

At the moment, Apple Intelligence is… underwhelming. But it surely has the potential to get extra helpful as enhancements roll out. Sadly, customers of the 2025 iPad is not going to ever get to make the most of these enhancements.

Extra storage = much less issues

The bottom mannequin 2025 iPad 11 comes with 128GB of storage. That’s twice the beginning capability of the iPad 10. Alternatively, you possibly can configure the iPad 11 with 256GB or 512GB at buy.

Nobody ever had an excessive amount of storage. Particularly in a world the place picture file sizes preserve getting greater and larger.

Seize an Apple Pencil

Need to draw in your iPad? Simply choose up an Apple Pencil.

For babies, an iPad with a stylus can substitute crayons. It’s additionally a good way to study to jot down. For adults, a pill and stylus like Apple’s generally is a first step into changing into a digital artist.

The iPad 11 helps Apple Pencil (USB-C), launched in 2024. I examined it with that stylus, and it labored completely. Whereas the pill additionally helps the unique Apple Pencil from 2015, that’s actually for the advantage of college programs that way back purchased a great deal of them. When you’re out there for a brand new stylus, get the one from 2024.

USB-C trounces Lightning

Fortunately, Apple stopped hobbling its tablets with the outdated Lightning port. The 2025 iPad features a USB-C port as a substitute. At its most simple, this implies you should utilize the identical cable to cost a MacBook, iPad and iPhone.

Going above and past that, the change to USB-C opens the iPad to a complete world of equipment. It’s now simple to make use of flash drives, exterior SSDs, reminiscence card readers, Ethernet adapters, even many exterior displays. Simply plug them in.

Contact ID: Higher than typing in passwords

When Apple kicked out the outdated Dwelling button, it didn’t quit on Contact ID. Now you place your finger on the aspect button of the iPad 11 for it to scan your fingerprint and unlock the pill.

It additionally offers fast and easy accessibility to the password supervisor bundled with iPadOS. You possibly can cease attempting to recollect all of your myriad passwords — the pill does it for you.

The iPad Professional fashions embody Face ID, so merely trying on the laptop is sufficient to unlock them. That’s much more handy, however getting the function requires spending fairly a bit extra cash.

Wonderful and meh cameras

Video calls are a significant use for this kind of iPad. And it’s totally excellent at them — each bit pretty much as good as any of the pricier fashions. The 12MP front-facing digicam is situated so calls look finest with the pill in panorama orientation. And it helps Apple’s sensible Heart Stage, so it routinely tries to maintain you targeted in your video even should you transfer a bit.

The digicam on the again is… additionally a digicam. It’s 12MP and is able to taking nice-looking photos in good lighting circumstances,  however struggles when circumstances are tougher.

Actually, the constraints mustn’t shock anybody. Rear pill cameras typically don’t get loads of use, so there’s no level in placing a elaborate one in a low-cost product like this one.

Lengthy battery life

Apple says the 2025 iPad goes for 10 hours of typical use — “browsing the net on Wi‐Fi or watching video“ — on a single cost. My testing bears that out.

In an peculiar day for me entails utilizing the pill for about eight hours, which drains the battery roughly 70%. That further 30% can simply stored the system going one other couple of hours, if I ever want it. Clearly, the system can totally fulfill all however essentially the most demanding of customers… who needs to be buying round for an influence financial institution.

Recharges go shortly. My exams present the pc can soak up as much as 26W, and the battery stage goes up 30% in half an hour of charging. Observe that that is within the vary from 30% to 80%, whereas charging slows because the battery stage approaches 100%.

Think about a keyboard

An iPad will be all the pc you want in your private life. Do your buying, learn your e mail, participate in social media… the whole lot. However if you wish to forgo a Mac, you most likely want a bodily keyboard for the pill. The iPadOS onscreen one is ok for tapping out quick messages, however when the time involves enter a lot of textual content, you’ll need a keyboard.

You possibly can set the pill on a desk and join a Bluetooth or USB keyboard to it. Or get a keyboard case so you possibly can kind wherever you go.

Must you improve?

To reiterate what our purchasing information says, those that have an iPad 10 shouldn’t have their eye on an iPad 11. The A16 processor within the newer mannequin is about 20% quicker than the A14 within the older one, however that’s the one vital change — that is largely a easy “chip and ship” improve.

In case your iPad 10 already feels underwhelming, it’s potential you’ve outgrown Apple’s funds tablets. It might be time to improve to an iPad Air and even an iPad Professional.

These with an iPad 9, iPad 8, and so on., ought to severely take into consideration a brand new pill. If nothing else, the battery in your present one is neatly worn out. And wouldn’t or not it’s good to have a brand new pill with extra pep?

2025 iPad 11 closing ideas

Regardless of its modest specs, there’s probability that is all of the pill you want. It simply handles the kind of issues we typically want our computer systems to do, like social media and on-line buying. And a pill is less complicated to make use of whereas lounging on a sofa than a pocket book will ever be.

Apple velocity boosted the 2025 iPad 11 with an A16 processor, making an already good pill only a bit higher. But it surely didn’t go far sufficient to let the pc make use of Apple Intelligence, a puzzling failure.

★★★★☆

Nonetheless, this can be a sensible product for the value.

Pricing

Whereas the iPad 10 launched at $449, the brand new model begins at $349. If I haven’t mentioned this sufficient, it’s an excellent worth.

Purchase it from: Amazon

Apple didn’t supplied Cult of Mac with the evaluate unit for this text. See our critiques coverage, and take a look at extra in-depth critiques of Apple-related gadgets. 

Finest funds pill

Apple iPad 11-inch (2025 mannequin with A16 chip)

Apple’s entry-level pill will get a strong improve, with a fine addition to the bottom mannequin’s storage. It is a terrific choice for watching movies, checking emails, browsing the net and extra.

Execs:

• A16 processor
• Extremely Huge 12MP entrance digicam helps Heart Stage
• Storage begins at 128GB

Cons:

• Doesn’t assist Apple Intelligence.