Which iPad should I buy?

Apple has changed the catalog of iPads that it offers to its customers. The return of the iPad 4 replacing the outdated iPad 2 makes deciding which model to buy a bit more difficult. Retina display or not? Only 16Gb or more capacity? Only WiFi or also with data connection? We show you the different options that Apple offers, with their prices, and we help you decide which is the model that best suits your needs.

9,7-inch Retina display

We start with the larger models. Both with Retina display but with size differences to take into account despite the fact that both enjoy the same screen size and the same resolution. The iPad Air (right) is just 0,75cm thick, compared to 0,94cm for the iPad Retina (or iPad 4). The weight is also less in the iPad Air, with 469gr (WiFi) and 478gr (WiFi + Data) compared to 652gr (WiFi) and 662gr (WiFi + Data) of the iPad Retina. These differences may seem minimal on paper, but it shows when you have both models in your hand. The iPad Air is much more comfortable because of its thinness and because it is lighter. Playing with it in your hands, surfing the internet or reading a book is much more bearable on the iPad Air than on the iPad Retina.

Obviously there are more differences between the two models. The iPad Air is the latest model released by Apple, and that means it has a more powerful A7 processor, so its performance with iOS 7 and with the latest applications released to the App Store, especially games, is impeccable. But the iPad 4 is the immediately previous model, with an A6x processor, also very powerful. Currently I doubt that anyone can find an app or game that performs worse on the iPad 4 than the iPad Air, but in a matter of time it is logical that the iPad 4 has some problems with certain very demanding applications that will work well on the iPad. Air.

The rest of the specifications are practically identical in both models. The front and rear cameras are the same on both iPads, the autonomy and the connections available too, except for the compatibility of the iPad Air with MIMO technology that improves WiFi reception and therefore the data transfer rate. In principle, they are not details that influence the election too much..

7,9 screen inches

Now we look at the small model, the iPad Mini. Here the opposite happens with respect to the 9,7-inch model: aesthetically the two Mini iPads are identical, almost impossible to differentiate, but the specifications of both are very different. While the original model, the old iPad Mini does not have a Retina display, the new iPad Mini Retina does (hence its name). Not only on the screen there are differences, the processor of the iPad Mini Retina is the almighty A7 of the iPad Air, that of the original iPad Mini is the A5, much lower in performance. These differences are much more important than those between the 9,7-inch models. Let's say the original iPad Mini will be a model that will soon suffer from demanding applications, while the iPad Mini Retina still has a lot of life ahead of it.

The rest of the specifications of both models is practically the same. The new iPad Mini Retina slightly thicker (0,75cm vs 0,72cm for the original model), but faint. The same happens with its weight (331gr vs. 308gr).

A matter of size and price

¿Which model to choose? The first thing to choose is the size that best suits what we need. The size differences are not large (7,9 inches versus 9,7 inches) but can be noticed depending on how the iPad will be used: playing videos or browsing web pages is much more pleasant on a larger screen. size, although the iPad Mini is much lighter than the iPad Retina, not so much when it comes to the iPad Air.

The usual question is how much do we want to spend? Are we going to go for the top of the range or for the cheapest? If you are looking for something inexpensive, but you think that 9,7 inches are essential for you, the iPad Retina 16Gb may be your choice, but maybe you should consider buying the iPad Mini Retina for € 10 more, with a little less screen but more power, and much lighter and smaller. Do you need more than 16Gb? Then you will have to discard the cheap models (iPad Retina and original iPad Mini) since they are only available in 16Gb. Do you really need it to have 3G connectivity? Maybe that extra money you can invest in buying a better model or with more capacity.

Which model do you prefer?