This iPad Is The Best Pick In 2025 - And It's The Most Affordable In Apple's Lineup

Soon after Apple released the iPadOS 26 update in September, I installed it on the entry-level 11th Gen iPad, the most affordable tablet in the company's line-up. I was surprised to see it now offers Stage Manager, a multi-tasking feature that was once limited to the pricey iPads with a desktop-class M-series processor. The base-level iPad, despite its older mobile-class A16 processor, got the full OS overhaul treatment, down to the macOS-inspired Menu Bar. Save for Apple Intelligence, the iPadOS 26 experience on the $349 tablet looks and feels eerily similar to the $1,299 iPad Pro.

The attention that Apple has paid to its cheapest tablet is something you won't find in the Android tablet segment. In fact, if I were to recommend an Apple tablet to casual users, I'd recommend the entry-level iPad, based on its great pound-for-pound value. The iPad (A16) gets a lot right and, in its current shape, can handle everything from streaming and gaming to educational needs. I often take it out for a spin as my stop-gap workhorse, and rarely feel the need for more firepower to handle my web and app-based tasks.

Now, unless you want an even more pocketable tablet (read: iPad mini), or something even bigger (like a 13-inch panel on the iPad Air or Pro), the baseline iPad offers terrific value for money. And thanks to Apple's long software update commitment, the iPad A16 will serve you just fine for the next few years.

The base 11th Gen iPad is one of the rare few tablets in its price bracket that offers an all-metal build. The aluminum casing on this one feels quite premium, and you'd be hard-pressed to find any signs of typical budget segment cost-cutting. You also get a fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button that performs reliably. Display-wise, you get an 11-inch screen with a 2360 x 1640 resolution and 500 nits of peak brightness. 

The panel is fairly sharp and won't disappoint if all you need is a slate to handle Netflix sessions, casual games, basic document work, or college duties. The screen does have problems with glare due to its reflective top layer, although a cheap matte screen protector easily solves that problem while protecting the screen from scratches and scuffs.

Apple's A16 silicon is also fairly performant, and thanks to the boost in RAM and storage capacity, it's an even better value than its predecessor. Aside from the usual browsing and streaming, it can easily handle light editing workloads in Photoshop Express and Filmora. It can even game smoothly at moderate graphics settings, running "Diablo Immortal" and "Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat" at their 60fps presets without getting overly warm. It also maintained an impressive 87.7% stability in the demanding 3DMark Wild Life Extreme stress test.

The iPad's battery doesn't disappoint. It can easily last eight to nine hours watching videos and still manages a respectable seven hours or so while juggling between half a dozen apps with a keyboard attached. As far as the software goes, iPadOS 26 is the most refined experience you will get on a tablet, and by a healthy margin. The level of hardware-software optimization that is at play here is simply unmatched. If you want a fluid experience, the iPad will exceed your expectations. 

But there are a few caveats. Apple's iPadOS won't let you sideload apps, for one, unless you live in the EU. Additionally, you'll have to pay the Apple tax for productivity accessories. The company's Magic Keyboard Folio is fantastic, but also outrageously expensive, and it's a similar situation with the Apple Pencil. Alternatively, you can invest in cases and styluses offered by brands like ESR. These are significantly more affordable and fairly reliable, though they may not look as sleek as Apple's in-house accessories. 

Another minor hiccup is the absence of Apple Intelligence, primarily because there isn't enough memory and silicon firepower. You can make up for that gap by installing third-party AI tools such as Gemini and ChatGPT, which offer more than what iPadOS natively delivers. Not many people care about on-device AI chops, and certainly not on a $349 tablet, but if you're among the rare few, your AI productivity won't exactly get stonewalled. Despite these minor issues, though, the 11th Gen iPad is the most rewarding tablet that Apple currently offers.