{"id":3209589,"date":"2025-03-24T12:00:10","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T12:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/uncategorized\/ipad-11th-gen-review-great-if-you-keep-it-basic\/"},"modified":"2025-03-24T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T16:00:00","slug":"ipad-11th-gen-review-great-if-you-keep-it-basic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/tech\/computing\/ipad-11th-gen-review-great-if-you-keep-it-basic\/","title":{"rendered":"iPad 11th Gen Review: Great if You Keep It Basic"},"content":{"rendered":"<div\n\t\tclass=\"zd-product-review\"\n\tdata-object-type=\"cap\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"zd-product-review-card\">\n\n\t<div class=\"zd-product-review-card__top-row\">\n\n\t\t<div\n\tclass=\"zd-product-gallery__image-gallery\"\n\tdata-images=\"[{&quot;id&quot;:76230,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.cnet.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/55b2551b-cc54-4d24-a401-b403edcb3ff5.jpg&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;iPad standing up on 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2.9597C75.3539 2.81692 75.1041 2.71308 74.812 2.64818C74.5265 2.58329 74.215 2.55084 73.8775 2.55084H73.858C73.553 2.55084 73.2739 2.58004 73.0208 2.63845C72.7677 2.69037 72.5503 2.77149 72.3686 2.88182C72.1869 2.99215 72.0441 3.13493 71.9403 3.31015C71.8429 3.47889 71.7942 3.68008 71.7942 3.91371V4.25443C71.7942 4.47509 71.8234 4.67627 71.8819 4.85799C71.9403 5.0397 72.0408 5.19546 72.1836 5.32526C72.3264 5.45506 72.5081 5.56214 72.7288 5.64651C72.9494 5.73088 73.222 5.79253 73.5465 5.83147L75.8439 6.11378C76.5059 6.19166 77.0802 6.3247 77.567 6.51291C78.0602 6.70111 78.4723 6.95746 78.8033 7.28196C79.1343 7.59996 79.3809 7.9926 79.5432 8.45987C79.7119 8.92714 79.7963 9.47554 79.7963 10.1051V10.5042C79.7963 11.1662 79.6632 11.7567 79.3971 12.2759C79.131 12.7886 78.7546 13.2234 78.2679 13.5804C77.7876 13.9308 77.21 14.1969 76.5351 14.3786C75.8666 14.5668 75.1235 14.661 74.3058 14.661H74.2864Z\" fill=\"#E71D1D\"><\/path><path d=\"M87.2726 14.661C86.3575 14.661 85.5528 14.5539 84.8584 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9.76434 84.8324 10.1602 84.9362 10.5042C85.0401 10.8417 85.1958 11.1272 85.4035 11.3608C85.6112 11.588 85.8708 11.76 86.1823 11.8768C86.4938 11.9936 86.8572 12.052 87.2726 12.052H87.3018C87.7172 12.052 88.0806 11.9936 88.3921 11.8768C88.7036 11.76 88.9632 11.588 89.1709 11.3608C89.3786 11.1272 89.5343 10.8417 89.6382 10.5042C89.742 10.1602 89.7939 9.76434 89.7939 9.31653V8.86873H92.8312V9.73513C92.8312 10.5399 92.7144 11.2505 92.4807 11.8671C92.2536 12.4771 91.9064 12.9898 91.4391 13.4052C90.9783 13.8205 90.404 14.1353 89.716 14.3494C89.0281 14.5571 88.2234 14.661 87.3018 14.661H87.2726Z\" fill=\"#E71D1D\"><\/path><path d=\"M100.512 14.661C99.5969 14.661 98.7921 14.5539 98.0977 14.3397C97.4033 14.119 96.8257 13.7978 96.3649 13.376C95.9041 12.9541 95.5569 12.4349 95.3233 11.8184C95.0897 11.1954 94.9728 10.4815 94.9728 9.67672V4.98454C94.9728 4.1798 95.0897 3.46915 95.3233 2.85262C95.5569 2.22959 95.9041 1.70715 96.3649 1.28531C96.8257 0.863468 97.4033 0.545464 98.0977 0.331298C98.7921 0.110642 99.5969 0.000314026 100.512 0.000314026H100.541C101.463 0.000314026 102.267 0.110642 102.955 0.331298C103.643 0.545464 104.218 0.863468 104.678 1.28531C105.146 1.70715 105.493 2.22959 105.72 2.85262C105.954 3.46915 106.071 4.1798 106.071 4.98454V9.67672C106.071 10.4815 105.954 11.1954 105.72 11.8184C105.493 12.4349 105.146 12.9541 104.678 13.376C104.218 13.7978 103.643 14.119 102.955 14.3397C102.267 14.5539 101.463 14.661 100.541 14.661H100.512ZM100.512 12.052H100.541C100.957 12.052 101.32 11.9936 101.631 11.8768C101.943 11.76 102.203 11.588 102.41 11.3608C102.618 11.1272 102.774 10.8417 102.878 10.5042C102.981 10.1602 103.033 9.76434 103.033 9.31653V5.34473C103.033 4.89044 102.981 4.49456 102.878 4.15708C102.774 3.81961 102.618 3.5373 102.41 3.31015C102.203 3.07652 101.943 2.90129 101.631 2.78447C101.32 2.66765 100.957 2.60925 100.541 2.60925H100.512C100.097 2.60925 99.7332 2.66765 99.4217 2.78447C99.1101 2.90129 98.8505 3.07652 98.6429 3.31015C98.4352 3.5373 98.2794 3.81961 98.1756 4.15708C98.0718 4.49456 98.0198 4.89044 98.0198 5.34473V9.31653C98.0198 9.76434 98.0718 10.1602 98.1756 10.5042C98.2794 10.8417 98.4352 11.1272 98.6429 11.3608C98.8505 11.588 99.1101 11.76 99.4217 11.8768C99.7332 11.9936 100.097 12.052 100.512 12.052Z\" fill=\"#E71D1D\"><\/path><path d=\"M108.641 14.3592V0.302093H114.053C114.832 0.302093 115.517 0.379972 116.107 0.535729C116.698 0.684996 117.191 0.915387 117.587 1.2269C117.989 1.53842 118.291 1.93754 118.492 2.42428C118.693 2.90453 118.794 3.47564 118.794 4.13761V4.78011C118.794 5.18897 118.752 5.56214 118.667 5.89961C118.59 6.2306 118.473 6.52913 118.317 6.79522C118.168 7.05481 117.986 7.28196 117.772 7.47666C117.558 7.66486 117.321 7.82386 117.061 7.95366C116.802 8.08346 116.519 8.18081 116.214 8.24571C115.916 8.3106 115.604 8.3463 115.28 8.35279H115.221L120.39 14.3592H116.72L111.824 8.62536H111.688V14.3592H108.641ZM111.688 6.09431H113.965C114.258 6.09431 114.511 6.06835 114.725 6.01643C114.945 5.95802 115.127 5.87365 115.27 5.76333C115.413 5.653 115.517 5.51022 115.581 5.33499C115.653 5.15977 115.689 4.95209 115.689 4.71197V4.20576C115.689 3.97212 115.653 3.76769 115.581 3.59246C115.517 3.41724 115.413 3.27446 115.27 3.16413C115.127 3.0538 114.945 2.97268 114.725 2.92076C114.511 2.86235 114.258 2.83315 113.965 2.83315H111.688V6.09431Z\" fill=\"#E71D1D\"><\/path><path d=\"M121.588 14.3592V0.302093H130.466V2.92076H124.635V5.82174H130.466V8.4404H124.635V11.7405H130.748V14.3592H121.588Z\" fill=\"#E71D1D\"><\/path><line x1=\"130\" y1=\"17.3308\" x2=\"1\" y2=\"17.3308\" stroke=\"#E71D1D\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-dasharray=\"0 4\"><\/line><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"zd-product-review-card__divider\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"zd-product-review-card__button-frame\">\n\t\t\t<a data-wp-interactive=\"zd\/analytics\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.trackClick\" data-zd-otc=\"1\" data-zd-track-action-outcome=\"outbound_click\" data-zd-track-element=\"UNCOLLAPSED\" data-zd-track-item-list-index=\"0\" data-zd-track-location-id=\"BODY\" data-zd-track-outbound-url=\"https:\/\/cc.cnet.com\/v1\/otc\/04Yxjj1rHOmYAxbnVDhvKNn?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fshop%2Fbuy-ipad%2Fipad&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnet.com%2Ftech%2Fcomputing%2Fipad-11th-gen-review-great-if-you-keep-it-basic%2F\" data-zd-track-page-uuid=\"3209589|2\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"zd-product-review-card__button zd-product-review-card__button--primary\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/cc.cnet.com\/v1\/otc\/04Yxjj1rHOmYAxbnVDhvKNn?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fshop%2Fbuy-ipad%2Fipad&#038;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnet.com%2Ftech%2Fcomputing%2Fipad-11th-gen-review-great-if-you-keep-it-basic%2F\"\n\t\t\trel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\"\n\t\t\ttarget=\"_blank\"\n\t\t\tdata-zd-track-event=\"select_item,view_item\" data-zd-track-item-id=\"\" data-zd-track-item-name=\"iPad (11th-gen, 2025)\" data-zd-track-item-brand=\"\" data-zd-track-item-category=\"MANUAL-OFFER-NO-PRODUCT-CATALOG-ENTRY\" data-zd-track-index=\"1\" data-zd-track-price=\"349.00\" data-zd-track-element-label=\"$349 at Apple\" data-zd-track-product-sku=\"\" data-zd-track-product-upc=\"\" data-zd-track-vendor=\"Apple\" data-zd-track-module=\"BUTTON\" data-zd-track-monetization-status=\"on\" data-zd-track-use-monetization=\"true\" data-zd-track-monetization-intent=\"opted_in\" data-zd-track-raw-outbound-url=\"https:\/\/cc.cnet.com\/v1\/otc\/04Yxjj1rHOmYAxbnVDhvKNn?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fshop%2Fbuy-ipad%2Fipad&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnet.com%2Ftech%2Fcomputing%2Fipad-11th-gen-review-great-if-you-keep-it-basic%2F\" data-zd-track-raw-url=\"https:\/\/www.apple.com\/shop\/buy-ipad\/ipad\" data-zd-track-short-code=\"\" \t\t>\n\t\t\t$349 at Apple\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"zd-product-review-card__divider\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"zd-product-review-card__pros-cons\">\n\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"zd-product-review-card__pros-cons-title\">\n\t\t\t\tPros &amp; Cons\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"zd-product-review-card__pros-cons-grid\">\n\t\t\t<ul class=\"zd-product-review-card__pros\" aria-label=\"Pros\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"svg-icon-plus-circle\" id=\"svg-icon-plus-circle\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 18\" fill=\"none\"><circle cx=\"9\" cy=\"9\" r=\"8.25\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/circle><line x1=\"9\" y1=\"5.5\" x2=\"9\" y2=\"12.5\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"><\/line><line x1=\"5.5\" y1=\"9\" x2=\"12.5\" y2=\"9\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"><\/line><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tLow price\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"svg-icon-plus-circle\" id=\"svg-icon-plus-circle\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 18\" fill=\"none\"><circle cx=\"9\" cy=\"9\" r=\"8.25\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/circle><line x1=\"9\" y1=\"5.5\" x2=\"9\" y2=\"12.5\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"><\/line><line x1=\"5.5\" y1=\"9\" x2=\"12.5\" y2=\"9\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"><\/line><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t128GB storage included on base model\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"svg-icon-plus-circle\" id=\"svg-icon-plus-circle\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 18\" fill=\"none\"><circle cx=\"9\" cy=\"9\" r=\"8.25\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/circle><line x1=\"9\" y1=\"5.5\" x2=\"9\" y2=\"12.5\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"><\/line><line x1=\"5.5\" y1=\"9\" x2=\"12.5\" y2=\"9\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"><\/line><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSolid front video camera\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"svg-icon-plus-circle\" id=\"svg-icon-plus-circle\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 18\" fill=\"none\"><circle cx=\"9\" cy=\"9\" r=\"8.25\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/circle><line x1=\"9\" y1=\"5.5\" x2=\"9\" y2=\"12.5\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"><\/line><line x1=\"5.5\" y1=\"9\" x2=\"12.5\" y2=\"9\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"><\/line><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tBetter A16 processor\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\n\t\t\t<ul class=\"zd-product-review-card__cons\" aria-label=\"Cons\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"svg-icon-minus-circle\" id=\"svg-icon-minus-circle\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 18\" fill=\"none\"><circle cx=\"9\" cy=\"9\" r=\"8.25\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/circle><line x1=\"5.5\" y1=\"9\" x2=\"12.5\" y2=\"9\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"><\/line><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tNo support for Apple Intelligence\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"svg-icon-minus-circle\" id=\"svg-icon-minus-circle\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 18\" fill=\"none\"><circle cx=\"9\" cy=\"9\" r=\"8.25\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/circle><line x1=\"5.5\" y1=\"9\" x2=\"12.5\" y2=\"9\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"><\/line><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWon&#039;t work with newer Pencil Pro or Pencil 2 stylus\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"svg-icon-minus-circle\" id=\"svg-icon-minus-circle\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 18\" fill=\"none\"><circle cx=\"9\" cy=\"9\" r=\"8.25\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/circle><line x1=\"5.5\" y1=\"9\" x2=\"12.5\" y2=\"9\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"><\/line><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"zd-product-review-card__pro-con-text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAccessories still too expensive\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Editor&#8217;s note, Nov. 24:<\/strong> This iPad received a CNET Editors&#8217; Choice award for its price-to-performance appeal for families. While this iPad doesn&#8217;t have the higher performance or more advanced Pencil Pro compatibility of other iPads, it&#8217;s also a perfect way to use Apple apps for families, and costs far less than Apple&#8217;s other iOS and iPadOS products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>What is an iPad? This isn&#8217;t a trick question. To some, it&#8217;s just a good big screen for creative use or entertainment, a larger <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/tech\/mobile\/best-iphone\/\">iPhone<\/a> or a useful, versatile gaming-video-check-messages-and-look-at-photos tablet. The iPad can be more than that, but it doesn&#8217;t have to. And if you don&#8217;t need the bells and whistles, then Apple&#8217;s basic iPad &#8212; still called the &#8220;iPad&#8221; &#8212; is your pick. For most people, I think that&#8217;s exactly what the iPad should be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For years, the entry-level <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/tech\/computing\/best-ipad\/\">iPad as been my top pick for best iPad<\/a>, and that&#8217;s not because fancier iPads aren&#8217;t better. They are better, faster, nicer and have gorgeous displays. But at $349 (\u00a3329, AU$599) for the basic iPad, which now has\u00a0<a data-link-uuid=\"c4e14fe9-b11b-4816-9b26-82873b3ad87c\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/tech\/computing\/apple-upgrades-ipad-air-to-m3-and-improves-basic-ipad-for-same-price\/\">128GB of storage and an A16 processor<\/a>, that sounds just right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, are you considering turning your iPad into a laptop? Adding a keyboard, or picking up a Pencil for art or graphics work? If so, pick a higher-level iPad. Accessories add up fast, and you&#8217;re better off going with the new <a data-link-uuid=\"83b6a640-2e92-4ac7-9be7-96463b8f5191\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/tech\/computing\/ipad-air-m3-review-once-again-the-pro-ipad-for-most\/\">M3-equipped iPad Air<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What do I use an iPad for? Mostly playing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/tech\/gaming\/7-tips-and-strategies-to-beat-your-first-balatro-run\/\">Balatro<\/a>, Catan and Retro Bowl Plus until my eyes fall out. Watching random shows and movies when the TV is taken. Looking at documents. Reading over stuff. Sometimes writing if I have a keyboard case. Looking at photos. Doomscrolling. Video chats with friends and family. Aspirational big creative multitasking things aren&#8217;t actually in my personal everyday life. For me, really, a basic iPad is more than enough.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"576\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/23c0a564-64ce-4414-9184-f295cecb3fed.jpg?resize=1200,675\" alt=\"Back of yellow iPad resting on a blue background\" class=\"wp-image-4516764\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/23c0a564-64ce-4414-9184-f295cecb3fed.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/23c0a564-64ce-4414-9184-f295cecb3fed.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/23c0a564-64ce-4414-9184-f295cecb3fed.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/23c0a564-64ce-4414-9184-f295cecb3fed.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/23c0a564-64ce-4414-9184-f295cecb3fed.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/23c0a564-64ce-4414-9184-f295cecb3fed.jpg?resize=2048,1152 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p>The yellow iPad, or gold iPad&#8230; it looks more yellow to me.<\/p><span class=\"zd-image-credit\">Scott Stein\/CNET<\/span><\/figcaption><button type=\"button\" class=\"zd-image-zoom\" data-action=\"enlarge-image\" aria-label=\"Enlarge image: Back of yellow iPad resting on a blue background\"><\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More storage for that entry price, at last<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Apple gives you ridiculously little storage on the base models of its gadgets. The 10th-gen iPad, for example, came with only 64GB of storage on the $349 entry-level model, which is still available online. That isn&#8217;t enough; you&#8217;ll likely run out of room after downloading a handful of movies. I always recommend jumping up to more storage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a tiny thing, but starting with 128GB this time for $349 is exactly where this thing should have been in the first place. It&#8217;s still not enough for power users, but if you&#8217;re considering adding more storage, ask yourself: Is it because I&#8217;m working with graphics apps, or making art? Then go with the iPad Air, which has better accessories and a more powerful M3 processor. But you&#8217;ll pay more (at least $599, likely a lot more).<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ziff-davis-exco-video\"\n\tid=\"exco-video-block-23a1c83d-b702-4d27-ab1c-a563d736f7b1-3209589-1\"\n\tdata-exco-video-id=\"23a1c83d-b702-4d27-ab1c-a563d736f7b1\"\n\tdata-exco-playlist-id=\"\"\n\tdata-exco-video-title=\"Why Are There So Many iPads? - Tech Therapy\"\n\tdata-exco-video-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ex.co\/transformations-account\/production\/bf6379df-047b-4e0a-b804-89ce1cc89281\/23a1c83d-b702-4d27-ab1c-a563d736f7b1\/master.m3u8\"\n\tdata-exco-video-duration=\"396.916667\"\n\tdata-exco-video-poster=\"https:\/\/cdn.ex.co\/transformations-account\/production\/bf6379df-047b-4e0a-b804-89ce1cc89281\/23a1c83d-b702-4d27-ab1c-a563d736f7b1\/thumbnail-720.webp\"\n\tdata-exco-suppress-ads=\"0\"\n\tdata-exco-autoplay=\"0\"\n\tdata-exco-sticky=\"1\">\n\t\t<div class=\"exco-video-player\" id=\"exco-player-23a1c83d-b702-4d27-ab1c-a563d736f7b1-3209589-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img class=\"exco-video-player__poster\"\n\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/cdn.ex.co\/transformations-account\/production\/bf6379df-047b-4e0a-b804-89ce1cc89281\/23a1c83d-b702-4d27-ab1c-a563d736f7b1\/thumbnail-720.webp\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"Why Are There So Many iPads? - Tech Therapy\"\n\t\t\t\tloading=\"lazy\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Faster A16 chip, but not that fast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This new iPad has a minor speed bump to an A16 chip, which is also used in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15. It&#8217;s better than the A14 on the 10th-gen iPad, but it&#8217;s hardly a speed demon. Geekbench 6&#8217;s multicore test result was 6,186, which is nearly half the speed of the M3 iPad Air&#8217;s benchmark score of 11,643. But the single-core speed is 2,589, which is about the score result of an M2-level iPad Pro. This is an iPad you&#8217;ll be single-tasking on most of the time, I&#8217;d guess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do I notice the speed difference when I&#8217;m using everyday apps like I do most of the time, streaming videos, playing silly basic games and reading stuff? Absolutely not.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"576\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/059601c4-a346-4e3a-a04c-82d08ae8f781.jpg?resize=1200,675\" alt=\"Playing Catan on an iPad 11th-gen\" class=\"wp-image-4516765\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/059601c4-a346-4e3a-a04c-82d08ae8f781.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/059601c4-a346-4e3a-a04c-82d08ae8f781.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/059601c4-a346-4e3a-a04c-82d08ae8f781.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/059601c4-a346-4e3a-a04c-82d08ae8f781.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/059601c4-a346-4e3a-a04c-82d08ae8f781.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/059601c4-a346-4e3a-a04c-82d08ae8f781.jpg?resize=2048,1152 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p>Catan is one of my most-used iPad apps. I don&#8217;t need high performance for this.<\/p><span class=\"zd-image-credit\">Scott Stein\/CNET<\/span><\/figcaption><button type=\"button\" class=\"zd-image-zoom\" data-action=\"enlarge-image\" aria-label=\"Enlarge image: Playing Catan on an iPad 11th-gen\"><\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>Do I like the higher-end iPads? Absolutely. I love a faster processor, and the better the processor, the more futureproof your iPad, so it can last years and years. But the gains for the M-series chips don&#8217;t translate into a ton of everyday uses. The added multitasking modes are on M-series iPad Airs and Pros, but they&#8217;re limited to four apps open at once and are still not something I use daily. <a data-link-uuid=\"c95d1462-7f1e-4d7e-b5ac-cc73f7876c98\" href=\"https:\/\/cms.cnet.com\/content\/video\/c95d1462-7f1e-4d7e-b5ac-cc73f7876c98\/version\/us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apple Intelligence<\/a>? It&#8217;s a mess right now, and not useful at all in my life. But Apple&#8217;s going to knit those Apple Intelligence AI features into future versions of iPadOS, most likely. And this 11th-gen iPad, with its A16 chip, is left out of those updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don&#8217;t mind that Apple Intelligence isn&#8217;t on this basic iPad right now. I&#8217;m fine with it. But ask me again in a year, and I might change my mind. I don&#8217;t know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Still love the camera<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The camera didn&#8217;t change, but that&#8217;s fine: Apple fixed it (and the rest of the iPad&#8217;s design) last time with the 10th-gen upgrade. This is the 10th-gen model, basically, with more storage and a faster chip. But the landscape-oriented front camera is positioned right to prop up the iPad on a table with a kickstand case and make video calls where everyone in the family will look perfectly centered, clear and crisp.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"576\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/6dea8af7-71ab-4da3-943a-d79e67fc4026.jpg?resize=1200,675\" alt=\"iPad in a keyboard case by Apple, with a text document open\" class=\"wp-image-4516766\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/6dea8af7-71ab-4da3-943a-d79e67fc4026.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/6dea8af7-71ab-4da3-943a-d79e67fc4026.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/6dea8af7-71ab-4da3-943a-d79e67fc4026.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/6dea8af7-71ab-4da3-943a-d79e67fc4026.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/6dea8af7-71ab-4da3-943a-d79e67fc4026.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/6dea8af7-71ab-4da3-943a-d79e67fc4026.jpg?resize=2048,1152 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p>The Magic Keyboard Folio, sold separately, is just OK. And it&#8217;s too expensive.<\/p><span class=\"zd-image-credit\">Scott Stein\/CNET<\/span><\/figcaption><button type=\"button\" class=\"zd-image-zoom\" data-action=\"enlarge-image\" aria-label=\"Enlarge image: iPad in a keyboard case by Apple, with a text document open\"><\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why didn&#8217;t this basic iPad get what the iPad Mini got?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>What&#8217;s annoying to me, though, is that Apple did all the right upgrades with the <a data-link-uuid=\"a7cee85c-24b7-4095-8488-fd8bc7470cea\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/tech\/computing\/ipad-mini-2024-review-good-and-bad-apple-intelligence\/\">latest iPad Mini<\/a>. That little 8-inch iPad, released last fall, has an A17 processor that <em>can<\/em> run Apple Intelligence. And it works with the Pencil Pro stylus, which magnetically snaps right on the side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The basic iPad, meanwhile, just misses the Apple Intelligence cutoff. And it still only works with the simple USB-C Pencil or the first-gen Pencil (with a USB-C-to-Lightning adapter). These Pencils don&#8217;t snap onto the iPad; you&#8217;ll have to carry them around some other way or get a case with a Pencil-holding loop. The USB-C Pencil can work with many art apps, but it lacks pressure sensitivity, any of the new hover features or clickable-tappable shortcuts in the stylus itself. Some of those features are gimmicky, and some are useful. I&#8217;d rather this iPad work with the Pencil Pro like every other iPad &#8212; let people choose level of Pencil features they want &#8212; but so be it. And, hey, I barely use the Pencil in my own life. If I were a serious artist, again, I&#8217;d get an iPad Air or a Pro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And this iPad also has a different keyboard case, same as last time. The Magic Keyboard Folio that Apple sells for $249 costs way too much, is bulky, and needs a lot of flat table space compared to the Magic Keyboard on the Air and Pro. There are other keyboard case options that are cheaper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But that&#8217;s life in iPad-land in 2025. At least Apple has kept a great affordable option in the mix for kids and people who just want something straightforward, and by skipping some of those extras, likely kept the price from creeping up. I appreciate that. Next time, though, Apple better stick a better chip onboard and give this Pencil Pro-equivalent support.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Editor&#8217;s note, Nov. 24: This iPad received a CNET Editors&#8217; Choice award for its price-to-performance appeal for families. While this iPad doesn&#8217;t have the higher performance or more advanced Pencil Pro compatibility of other iPads, it&#8217;s also a perfect way to use Apple apps for families, and costs far less than Apple&#8217;s other iOS and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1290,"featured_media":4516767,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","zd_disclosure__hide":false,"zd_disclosure__custom_text":"","zd_display_date":"2025-03-24 16:00:00","zd_display_date_auto_update":false,"_zd_suppress_exco_video":false,"zd_dek":"What do you actually want from an iPad? If you're keeping it simple, this is the Apple tablet to get.","zd_promo_hed":"","zd_promo_dek":"","zd_liveblog__start_date":"","zd_liveblog__end_date":"","zd_post_footer_pattern":0,"zd_post_redirect_id":0,"zd_post_redirect_status":410,"zd_post_redirect_enabled":false,"_offer_group_id":0,"zd_update_timeline":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","zd_hero__type":"","zd_hero__image_id":0,"zd_hero__image_caption":"","zd_hero__image_credit":"","zd_hero__image_alt":"","zd_hero__video_data":[],"zd_toc__enabled":false,"zd_toc__override":false,"zd_toc__title":"Table of Contents","zd_toc__list":"[]","zd_post_flag__disable_featured_image":true,"zd_post_flag__hide_from_discovery":false,"zd_post_flag__disable_image_zoom":false},"categories":[647],"tags":[444,409],"zd_collection":[1121],"zd_type":[53],"zd_post_attributes":[],"zd_product":[],"zd_internal":[],"class_list":["post-3209589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tablets","zd_collection-ipad-update","zd_type-review"],"acf":[],"authorship":[1290],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/cnet.com\/tech\/computing\/ipad-11th-gen-review-great-if-you-keep-it-basic\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"iPad 11th Gen Review: Great if You Keep It 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