The best tablet is the iPad. Period.

Pencil is fast to react; Speedy performance; Affordable; Good display; Long battery life

Dull design; Speakers are a little weak

Apple's bare minimum still beats everybody else

It's an iPad; It's fast; Supports Apple Pencil

No smart connector; Speakers only on the bottom; Not quite ready to replace your laptop

There's a lot to like about Apple's new tablet offering. It's more affordable than ever, it works with the Apple Pencil and, with a more school- and teacher-focused software offering, it will have greater appeal to educators than before.

Apple's sixth generation iPad is a notable update over the model it replaces and makes even more sense as the most affordable iPad now geared more towards education and creative users.

The best iPad for most people – if you want a versatile tablet for work and play, this is it

Powerful enough to handle most tasks, Has way more apps than other tablets, Pencil support gives it new versatility

Still no anti-reflective screen coating, Small gap between screen and glass, No multi-user support

Last year, Apple introduced its cheapest iPad (non-Mini, at least) – the £339 iPad 5th generation . It came with no bells, and absolutely no whistles – its case even copied 2013's iPad Air, rather than the thinner, slicker look of the iPad Pro 10.5-inch or iPad Pro 12.9-inch.

Great battery life; Good screen; Sufficiently powerful; Great value

Weak speakers; No TrueTone screen; Camera isn't very strong

Apple's newest 2018 iPad is basically the 2017 model with a faster processor and support for the Apple Pencil , a pricey stylus that lets you draw on the screen with remarkable accuracy. It's the same price as last year's model, too, starting at $329, £319 or AU$469 for the 32GB model.

The 2018 entry-level iPad supports the Apple Pencil for art work and annotation, and adds a faster A10 processor; iOS continues to offer the best overall selection of free and paid apps on affordable tablets

Lacks the bigger, better screen, quad speakers and Smart Connector found on pricier iPad Pros; The Pencil, case and keyboard add-ons will bring the price up to laptop level

The 2018 entry-level iPad doesn't add much, but it makes an already excellent tablet a better buy than ever.

The 2018 entry-level iPad supports the Apple Pencil for art work and annotation, and adds a faster A10 processor. iOS continues to offer the best overall selection of free and paid apps on affordable tablets.

Lacks the bigger, better screen, quad speakers and Smart Connector found on pricier iPad Pros. The Pencil, case and keyboard add-ons will bring the price up to laptop level.

The new iPad 2018 is the cheapest tablet in Apple's range, and it looks just like any other iPad from the past five years. It should be boring. But it isn't. It packs the powerful A10 Fusion processor, costs just £319/$329 (for the entry-level 32GB Wi-Fi model) and it supports the Apple Pencil.

Great value; Slim and light; yet powerful; Apple Pencil compatible; iOS is the best tablet operating system

Reflective screen; Average rear camera

Apple has only itself to blame for this: the sixth generation of the iPad is a cheap iPad, or at least cheap by Apple's standards. You get the sense that it was cheaply produced around almost every corner, and yet Apple has still produced an enormously good tablet with its 2018 edition.

Strong performance; High-quality apps

Display isn't exceptional; Slow fingerprint reader