Apple iPad Apple - 11-inch iPad A16 chip with Wi-Fi - 128GB - Review

So, Apple's new 11-inch iPad. It's the one that's supposed to be the sweet spot, right? You get the modern design, that great Liquid Retina screen, and now they've dropped the A16 chip from the iPhone 15 Pro into it. That's a serious move. It's not the M-series power of the Pro, but for most people just browsing, streaming, and maybe playing a few games, it's way more than enough.

This iPad is really for the person who wants a premium-feeling tablet without the Pro price tag. Think students taking notes, someone reading comics or books in bed, or a family sharing it for videos and casual games. The benchmarks confirm it's a fantastic entertainment device, scoring over 61 out of 100 in that category. It feels fast, the screen is bright and sharp, and it's super portable at under 500 grams.

What makes it interesting, and maybe a little confusing, is where it sits. It's got pro-level chip architecture from last year in a decidedly non-pro body. You don't get the ProMotion 120Hz screen, the Thunderbolt port, or the fancy Face ID system. But you do get that A16 muscle, which means this thing will stay smooth and supported for years. It's Apple's play to make the 'regular' iPad feel future-proof.

Let's talk about those numbers. The A16 chip lands in the 60th percentile for CPU performance and 59th for GPU. That sounds middle-of-the-road, but context is everything. We're comparing it against everything, including high-end Windows tablets and dedicated gaming handhelds. For iPadOS and the tasks this tablet is built for, it's blisteringly fast. Apps open instantly, and you can have a dozen Safari tabs, a video playing, and a game paused in the background with zero stutter. The 6GB of RAM helps a ton here, sitting in the 52nd percentile.

The real-world takeaway is simple: you will not feel this iPad slowing down. Ever. Gaming is great for titles like Genshin Impact or Divinity: Original Sin 2 at high settings. The 4-core GPU handles them easily. Where the performance story gets a bit thin is in pro workflows. That 41.2/100 productivity score tells the tale. It can run Lightroom or LumaFusion, but complex multi-app workflows, heavy file management, or connecting to multiple external displays? That's where you hit the limits of iPadOS and the hardware's more consumer-focused design.

Here's the tricky part: the price. Looking across vendors, it seems to hover right around $329 to $349. For that money, you are getting an incredible chip and a lovely screen in a great body. The value is in longevity and that premium Apple feel.

But, you have to be honest about what you're buying. It's a fantastic entertainment slate and a capable casual device. If your needs stop there, it's a great deal. The moment you start thinking about it as a laptop replacement for real work, the value proposition gets shaky. You'd need to add a keyboard and pencil, pushing the total cost much higher, and you'd still be working within iPadOS's constraints.

This iPad sits in a crowded field. The obvious competitor is the iPad Pro with the M5 chip. The Pro is in another league for performance and has a sublime 120Hz screen, but it costs more than twice as much. For pure media consumption and light tasks, the A16 iPad gets you 90% of the way there for half the price.

Then you have the Windows side, like the Microsoft Surface Pro 11. That's a full Windows PC. Its productivity score will dwarf this iPad's. If you need to run desktop Photoshop, Excel, or any x86 software, the Surface is the only choice. But as a pure, lean-back tablet experience? iPadOS is much more intuitive and fun. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is another Android alternative with a stunning OLED screen and great multitasking, but its app ecosystem for tablets still lags behind Apple's. You're choosing between a better pure tablet (iPad) and devices that are better at being computers (Surface, maybe the Tab with Dex).

If you want the best simple tablet money can buy for watching shows, reading, browsing the web, and playing mobile games, this 11-inch iPad is an easy recommendation. The A16 chip ensures it won't feel old anytime soon, and the overall package is polished and delightful to use.

However, if you're looking at this as a primary device for getting serious work done, you should pause. The low productivity score is a real warning. Consider spending more for an iPad Pro if you're locked into Apple's ecosystem, or look seriously at a Windows 2-in-1 like the Surface Pro. This iPad excels as a secondary device, not a primary workhorse.