r/ipad

Hi guys,

I’m thinking of buying the iPad Pro M5 Wi-Fi 256GB model.

I don’t want the cellular version since I probably won’t use it much.

My main usage will be:

Watching movies and anime

Gaming

General entertainment/content consumption

I’m choosing the M5 mainly for long-term usage and future-proofing. I’m hoping it will comfortably last at least 6 years.

Would love to hear your opinions and experiences.

I genuinely can’t decide between the iPad A16 (256GB) and the Xiaomi Pad 8.

This will be my MAIN device for around 4–5 years. My current phone is just a Samsung A12 and I’ll probably keep a cheap phone only for hotspot/calls, so the tablet will handle most of my daily use.

My usage:

- studying / PDFs / notes

- anime / YouTube / media

- MLBB on high settings

- Terraria / Stardew Valley

- casual multitasking

What keeps pulling me toward the Xiaomi:

- 144Hz looks AMAZING to me

- stronger hardware/value for the money

- feels more modern

- cheaper than the iPad in my area

What keeps pulling me toward the iPad:

- iPadOS looks cleaner and more reliable

- better app optimization

- feels safer long-term

- I want something dependable for years

I’m NOT a professional creator/editor, just a student who wants a good long-term main device.

For people who actually owned either of these:

Which one would you honestly choose in 2026 and why?

... is so stupid. What do you mean it works with the normal A16 and Pro, yet due to the fact that I own the Air, have to either go for the USB-C which won't charge via the magnetics OR pay more for the Pro.

It's so dumb lol

Kindly Share your Experience in Ipad pro m5, as I am thinking to get 512 Gb version of m5

i'm planning to brand new ipad, but apple products are so expensive here in the philippines. so i'm thinking of buying a 2nd hand ipad. that being said, which model should i get if i'm going to use it for:

- studying, i'm an upcoming 4th year college student and i'm gonna need a device to help me with my board review next year

- digital calligraphy, i want to open art commissions for this

- video editing, for my side hustle as an affiliate

i never had any apple products before, so any insight is appreciated. thank you!

Hello everyone,

I just graduated from college and will soon be starting my career as a professional in architecture. I recently bought an iPad Air M4 along with the Apple Pencil Pro mainly for sketching, creating diagrams, reading articles, and taking notes.

What apps would you guys recommend for drawing and sketching? Also, what are the best apps for writing notes and reading books/articles?

Thanks!

The ability to just pop it on and use your iPad in this completely different way is so cool. Similar to how buying a pencil turns the iPad into a writing surface, the MK turns the iPad into MacBook "light" (I haven't turned on my MacBook Air after getting the MK)

The device is so versatile and can adapt to so many different use cases now. Done in laptop mode? Just pop it off and you got your tablet again. It requires no charging or bluetooth or whatever.

It feels as if I now have a laptop, a writing and drawing surface, a tablet, and a big iPhone all in a single device that can be used in whichever way I want seamlessly.

There's no doubt it is expensive, but I don't know what I'd do without it now that I have one!

Before I had no problem with clicking on a epub file and it automatically go straight to Books, but recently anytime I click a epub file in my files app it will say copy to books and I will have to click on it again, for it to go to Books. I even look up other methods such as, long press on epub file, then get info, for always open with. However, Books is not listed as an option to pick as a default.

I just got an 11in M2 Pro and I love it, a case would break my heart cause of how beautiful it looks but this is instead breaking my hands lol.

Here’s the thing tho:

- I’m not looking for a stand.

- I’m not looking for something to prop the iPad in.

- I’d love to use it laying down not sitting, holding it with my hands in bed without it falling in my face or killing my hands.

Am I out of luck?

I could just lean it on a pillow or use it in my desk, that’s why I’ve got no use for a stand type case, I just want something that will make holding it more comfortable and easier in bed, but so far I’ve found nothing. I understand iPads were not thought of as handhelds as an iPhone but…

Extra points if the case doesn’t look or is as thick as a war tank.

Planning to buy the iPad A16 soon and I’m debating whether to get the 128GB or 256GB version 😭

It’ll mainly be for my final year of university, so except for a huge amount of studying/notes for final oral exams, I probably won’t be doing nearly as many presentations or papers as in previous years.

My usage is honestly pretty basic:

• GoodNotes for notes/studying
• YouTube/Netflix/streaming
• mails/internet browsing
• games (mostly normal-sized ones + Genshin)

I also pay monthly for iCloud storage (photos/videos/files), which is something I almost never see people mention in these storage discussions, even though I feel like it matters?

My current 7th gen iPad has 128GB and I still have around 40GB free, so logically I do feel like 128GB should still be enough for me. But at the same time I’m wondering whether newer iOS/iPadOS versions take up significantly more storage nowadays and if 128GB would start feeling much tighter in the future.

So yeah, I’d love other people’s opinions — what would you personally choose in this situation? Would you still go for 128GB or do you think 256GB is more worth it long-term even for a relatively non-hardcore user?

Thank you! 😄

I’m currently on the lookout for an iPad, as I mainly use it for schoolwork. That means Goodnotes, PDFs, and maybe the odd Excel or PowerPoint file. I won’t be using it for personal purposes, but mainly for school.

However, I don’t want a high-end tablet that I feel like I could use to play Forza 6 on, so I’d be happy to buy a second-hand, older model, as I really don’t fancy wasting a lot of money on it.

My budget is actually 160 euros (I know that’s not much, really), but when I think about the fact that I only need this iPad for my studies anyway, I reckon it’ll do the job somehow.

Do you have any recommendations, or am I completely dreaming with that price in mind?

Is that too much to ask for?

Every iPad conversation seems to end up on the same questions: can it replace a laptop, does it have "real" multitasking, is Stage Manager good enough? My take is simple: it shines when you stop forcing it into that role.

I commute from the suburbs into the city and I'm always grabbing tiny pockets of time: standing on a packed train, waiting for a transfer, or sitting in a lobby for 12 minutes before a meeting. In those moments the iPad is unbeatable. It wakes instantly, stays focused, and lets me read and mark up a PDF, knock out a few emails, check my calendar, sketch a quick idea, or unwind with a game without the whole laptop ritual of finding a surface and booting up.

The minute I try to use it like a laptop for real work I hit friction. Window juggling becomes a small project. File handling is fine until it is not. And when I need to switch between several apps, reference material, and a bunch of browser tabs, I spend more energy managing the interface than doing the work.

So for me the iPad is not a laptop substitute. It's an in-between device that turns dead time into useful time and makes long days feel lighter.

How do you think about it: do you judge the iPad by how close it gets to a laptop, or by how well it fills the gaps a laptop is bad at?