With its slightly larger screen and the introduction of the new iPadOS 13 operating system, the 2019 iPad is the safe, familiar and affordable iPad option. It lacks some of the speed and design points of the higher-end models, but that's why this is the perfect iPad option for many – as there's...

Affordable price point; Apple Pencil support (1st Gen); IPad OS great for multi-tasking apps; Smart Connector means keyboard and accessories support; Ideal performance for media consumption and apps

Bezels a bit chunky; Processor is fairly old in Apple terms; No FaceID; Not an anti-reflective screen; No True Tone screen technology

You probably won't be surprised to discover that the price has risen in line with the iPad's new-found capabilities. It's only gone up by 20, though, from 329 to 349 for the 32GB model, with the 128GB model costing 449.

Great battery life; iPadOS is outstanding for work; Great value

Official Smart Keyboard is expensive; No True Tone display; Uninspiring performance

Apple iPad 10.2: ... but only if you don’t spend £160 on Apple’s Smart Keyboard

Thin and light; IPadOS is a huge improvement; Powerful enough

Has the same chip as an iPhone 7; Smart Keyboard is way too expensive

Is the iPad 7 2019 fun to use? In our opinion, yes, but a large part of that is because of the new iPadOS, rather than any significant hardware changes that Apple has made this year. In short, the new iPad is a slightly larger version of the iPad 6 that supports the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard.

good battery life; high-quality aluminium chassis; decent cameras; Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support; bright and colour accurate display; decent performance

thick display bezels; pricier than its predecessor; comparatively slow Wi-Fi

“The iPad with iPadOS is a great 2-in-1 at a great price.”

Good performance; iPadOS greatly improves productivity; Solid battery life; Large screen; 100% recycled aluminum enclosure

Same design; same 32GB base storage; Smart Keyboard is expensive

There is very little surprise or mystery left when it comes to Apple's iPad lineup. The tablets are a staple of Apple's hardware range -- an experience that's similar to your iPhone, only bigger, and in many ways more versatile.

Battery life; Apple ecosystem and App Store; iPadOS; Affordably priced

USB-C would have been nice; 32GB of base storage

With its larger display, support for Apple's Smart Keyboard, and iPadOS, the least-expensive iPad is a terrific tablet and potentially even a laptop replacement.

Larger display for better multitasking; Smart Connector lets you use Apple's keyboard cover or third-party option; iPadOS brings many software improvements.

Mediocre cameras; Large bezels.

There’s only one major change over last year’s iPad, but it’s one that really matters: the A12 ensures this iPad will last.

The A12 is a powerhouse at this price-point; The screen is big and bright; App ambition Android can only dream of; Strong accessories ecosystem

Reflective screen and no True Tone; Entry level 32GB storage is miserly; Dated bezel-heavy design; Speaker positioning remains irksome

The eighth-generation iPad for 2020 isn’t a radical upgrade from the previous few versions of Apple’s cheapest tablet. But the company has done enough with new chips and software to keep it head and shoulders above the competition at a price point of about £300.

good performance; good battery life; good screen; iPadOS; plenty of apps; good speakers; long support; recycled aluminium.

older design; no USB-C; fairly slow charging; no Fornite or cloud game streaming; no multi-user support; low storage on the starting model with no way to add more.

Apple’s latest iPad opts for evolution over revolution – and modest evolution at that. But it’s easier to accept when the end product is this good

Excellent; decent-sized screen; Useful iPadOS 14 features; Keyboard support

Few upgrades; Limited stereo speakers