Tablets sit in kind of a weird middle ground. They're bigger than smartphones with most of the same capabilities, and they're smaller than laptops with not quite the same computing power.
But a dedicated non-phone device for browsing the web, doing art, or sharing with the kids still has a place in the digital ecosystem -- the trick is just figuring out exactly what you want it for. Do you just want a bigger screen to browse the web, stream movies or use as an e-reader? Or do you need a tablet that comes with a stylus that allows you to illustrate, take notes or sign documents?
After you know what you want to use the tablet for, you then need to decide what type of tablet you want to buy — aka what ecosystem do you want to live in. For example, do you want a tablet that works seamlessly with your other other Apple or Samsung devices?
Finally, then you need to decide how much you're willing to spend as well as how small or large of a tablet you want to buy — these two factors go hand-in-hand. You might also need to consider that most tablets don't come with a lot of accessories, such as a case, keyboard, mouse or even stylus; so you might plan on spending extra for those.
The newest iPad mini ditches the old design of its predecessors and adopts the fuller-screen and squared off sides of the higher-end iPad Air — in fact, the iPad mini is effectively a shrunk-down version of the iPad Air. It has Touch ID integrated into the power button, supports the newest Apple Pencil and has a USB-C port for fast-charging and fast data transfer. It's a more expensive than the entry-level iPad, but you get so much more and it's a form-factor that will stay cool for years to come. The only real downside (other than price) is that, because of its size, the new iPad mini is not compatible with Apple's fancy Magic Keyboard.
The iPad Pro is primarily designed for creative professionals, but it's across-the-board upgrades in display and processing power make it a good upgrade pick even for the non-artistically-inclined. It's available in two different models, 11-inch and 12.9-inch, which are identical except for their size and displays. Both are decked out with Apple's M1 chip, a new Thunderbolt USB-C port and they support 5G. The big difference is the 12.9-inch model has a significantly nicer display; specifically, it's a Liquid Retina XDR display that's made of over 10,000 mini-LEDs, and it promises a significantly better (read: brighter, more vibrant and with contrast) picture. Like the 2020 models, the new iPad Pros have a 120Hz display to help draw more accurately with the Apple Pencil (the iPad Air's display maxes out at 60Hz). It also has a dual-camera system and a LiDAR sensor, which helps the iPad Pro shoot improved low-light photos and have enhanced AR capabilities; and it has a similar front-facing system as the latest iPhones, meaning you can unlock the device via Face ID.
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