iPad (2025) review: When little upgrades make a big difference

So today I have Apple's 2025 iPad in for review. I know this thing doesn't look all that different compared to the iPad 10th Generation from 2022... but there are exactly two things that make it so special.

• The first one is that it now has 128GB of base storage instead of just 64GB.
• And the second, more important thing is that iPad 2025 is actually cheaper than its predecessor.

That's right. While the 10th Gen iPad started at USD 449 for the 64GB model, its 128GB variant costs exactly USD 100 less! The 11th Gen iPad is launching soon in Nepal, so I don't know the official price right now — but considering the older one went for NPR 78,000 — I'm expecting it to retail at around NPR 60,000. And for that price, there are just so many things to love about the 2025 iPad.

iPad (2025) review: Specifications

• Design and Build: 248.6 x 179.5 x 7 mm, 471 – 481 gm
• Display: 11-inch IPS panel, 60 Hz refresh rate, 500 nits peak brightness
• Chipset: Apple A16 (4nm mobile platform)
• Memory: 6GB RAM, 128/256/512GB storage
• Software and UI: iPadOS 18
• Cameras: 12MP rear, 12MP front (with Center Stage)
• Security: Touch ID (fingerprint sensor)
• Connectivity: WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C, Optional cellular connectivity
• Sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient light, Barometer, Three-axis gyro
• Battery: 28.93 Wh battery with 20W charging (20W adapter in box)
• Price in Nepal: launching soon (Starts at INR 34,900 in India)
• Check the full specifications of the iPad 11 here

iPad (2025) review:

Design and build

• 248.6 x 179.5 x 7 mm, 471 – 481 grams
• Glass front, aluminum back/frames
• No IP rating

Starting with the design, the new iPad doesn't really look any different from its predecessor. That's nothing to worry about though, since even the base model iPads have had a premium all-metal design for years now.

And I love how the 2025 iPad is still more lightweight than most 11-inch Android tablets out there. It's also available in a couple of really fun color options, while you even get a fingerprint reader here for security. So yeah... I don't really have any complaints about its design.

Display

• 11-inch IPS panel
• 60Hz refresh rate, 500 nits peak brightness
• True Tone support

The 2025 iPad's display is also pretty great, actually. Apple didn't go with an OLED panel here like on the M4 iPad Pro (review), but you're still looking at a really good IPS panel. It measures 11 inches diagonally... and everything from colors to sharpness is perfect on this iPad. And since it can kick up to 500 nits of full-screen brightness, I didn't have much problem with visibility when I was indoors either. Apple has also given a set of stereo speakers to complement the multimedia experience. And although it's not the loudest or the most detailed speaker I've heard on an 11-inch tablet, it's perfectly fine for watching shows and movies.

But the fact that the 2025 iPad still has a slow 60Hz refresh rate is quite disappointing. As it makes the scrolling experience noticeably slow everywhere. This iPad also weirdly misses out on Dolby Vision certification, and maybe Apple could've trimmed down the bezels a bit as well. I'm actually 100% fine with those last two things, but man... 60Hz refresh rate on a big-screen device like this is such a pain!

Cameras

• 12MP rear, 12MP selfie camera
• Supports Center Stage

At least its cameras are pretty great. Especially the one on the front. I like that it's placed in a landscape orientation to make video calls easier, while that 12MP sensor itself has a wide field of view, and it can capture plenty of details. And of course, Apple's "Center Stage" magic that automatically follows me around to keep me in the frame is a party trick that will never fail to amaze me.

Battery

• 28.93 Wh battery (20W charging)
• 20W adapter in the box

Likewise, I'm also quite fond of its battery life.

You get a 29Wh battery here — and on my regular, everyday work — I was getting roughly 8 – 9 hours of screen time on average. That's like a perfect "A" battery life. And unlike iPhones, Apple still ships a power brick with its iPads. But since it's a pretty slow 20W charger, expect around 2.5 hours of wait time for a complete refill.

Performance

• Apple A16 chip (4nm)
• 6GB RAM, Up to 512GB storage (non-expandable)
• iPadOS 18, No Apple Intelligence

Finally, let's talk about performance. And among the few upgrades that you get on the 2025 iPad is definitely on this front. 'Cause apart from that storage thing I mentioned in the very beginning, Apple also went with a more powerful A16 chip for the 11th Gen iPad. The "same" A16 chip that you get on the iPhone 15 (review) and the iPhone 15 Plus. But the reason I'm keeping "same" inside quotation marks is because you're actually getting a low-binned version of the A16 chip on the 2025 iPad.

What's "binning"?

So, without going too much into detail, "binning" is basically a process of sorting chips based on their quality. Some imperfections in the manufacturing process mean not all chips on a wafer will be 100% up to the specifications. But instead of throwing the defective ones entirely, manufacturers try to salvage them by physically disabling the defective part of the chip. Which is why this iPad's A16 chip has exactly one less CPU core and one less GPU core versus the iPhone 15. I thought that would compromise its performance by quite a bit, but turns out... I was wrong.

So I compared its performance with the iPhone 15 Plus — and while their single-core CPU performance is pretty much the same — the iPhone was only 7% ahead in multi-core work. And the iPhone has about 13% better GPU performance only. Even in my everyday work, I never felt the need to complain as far as the performance is concerned, 'cause everything just felt smooth as can be. Yes, that 60Hz refresh rate spoils the fun every once in a while, but everything from multitasking to gaming is fantastic on the 2025 iPad.

The software woes

But man... iPadOS needs to be much better than this. I know it looks nice and pairs nicely with my other Apple devices, although productivity-wise, iPadOS 18 is quite a bit behind most Android software.

For example, even though Apple has included some basic multitasking features like split screen and floating window, some other equally "basic" stuff like app pairing is still nowhere to be found. What I mean is that I wish I could launch two apps at once on an iPad like on Samsung, Xiaomi, and OnePlus tablets. Apple also got rid of the split keyboard feature for some reason, there's no Apple Intelligence on Apple's most affordable iPad, whereas the lack of a universal back gesture on iPadOS can get quite annoying too. Some rumors suggest that Apple is borrowing a bunch of macOS inspiration for the upcoming iPadOS 19 update in terms of things like productivity, multitasking, and app window management so... fingers crossed!

iPad (2025) review: Conclusion

So, wrapping up this review, I guess it's pretty clear that the 2025 iPad is a solid entry-level tablet. It's really not much of an upgrade over the 10th Generation iPad but better performance and more storage for less money? That's always a good thing in my books! The one dilemma you always had with base iPads on previous models was how they had laughably low storage on the cheapest configuration. So if you've been looking to buy an affordable iPad, I don't think it gets better than this.

Although you don't care about iPads and just want a reliable midrange tablet for everything, I think you should wait for the Xiaomi Pad 7 (review) instead. That thing has an equally premium design and powerful performance on top of a smoother 144Hz display and also arguably better software experience. Even the accessories, like a stylus and a keyboard, are much more affordable for the Xiaomi Pad 7 versus the iPad.

• Our video review of the 2025 iPad is coming pretty soon

iPad (2025) review: Pros and cons

Pros	Cons
• Great value for money	• 60Hz display
• All-metal design	• Slow 20W charging
• Good battery backup	• iPadOS needs to be better
• Pretty smooth performance
• Excellent for video calls