Apple iPad 11-inch A16 (2025) review

Introduction

It’s the most popular tablet in the whole world. It’s the OG tablet reimagined. It’s the 11th Gen iPad. We were unsure of the best way to refer to this model, as it goes by several names - the iPad 11-inch, the iPad (A16), or the iPad (2025) - so we ultimately opted to use all of these terms collectively and interchangeably.

But regardless of the name you use, the new Apple iPad (2025) looks just like the previous one, only faster and with more storage. And that about sums this review. Thank you for your attention. Feel free to skip to other areas of our website. Okay, we're joking (clearly!), but this old joke still hasn’t lost its appeal.

The mainstream iPad models have never been about cutting-edge hardware, but about offering a nice overall experience at a lower price point (which is not that low in universal terms). But since we are dealing with an Apple device here, we’d say the new iPad is getting the best from Apple’s iPad OS capabilities at a very reasonable price. There is support for Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard, Center Stage calling, and just enough oomph for a good gaming experience on the go.

The only differences between the new iPad and the previous 2022 iPad model are the chip and the memory – it’s now the Apple A16 Bionic with 6GB RAM, up from the A14 Bionic with 4GB RAM. The base storage has now been doubled to 128 GB.

Okay, technically, the screen has grown from 10.9 to 11 inches (hence one of the monikers) but it's still an IPS LCD screen with 1640 x 2360 pixels and 60Hz refresh rate.

The rest of the hardware package hasn’t budged this year – a 12MP rear camera, 12MP front camera, a large battery (about 29Wh) with charging that's supposed to be fast on paper. The slate ships with iPadOS 18 with multi-tasking and pencil support.

Apple iPad (2025) specs at a glance:

• Body: 248.6x179.5x7.0mm, 477g; Glass front, aluminum back, aluminum frame; Stylus support.
• Display: 11.00" Liquid Retina IPS LCD, 500 nits (typ), 1640x2360px resolution, 12.95:9 aspect ratio, 264ppi.
• Chipset: Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm): 5-core; Apple GPU (4-core graphics).
• Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM.
• OS/Software: iPadOS 18.3.2, upgradable to iPadOS 18.5.
• Rear camera: 12 MP, f/1.8, (wide), PDAF.
• Front camera: 12 MP, f/2.4, 122˚ (ultrawide).
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@25/30/60fps, gyro-EIS.
• Battery: 28.93Wh capacity; 45W wired charging, USB-PD.
• Connectivity: 5G and eSIM and GPS (Cellular model only); Wi-Fi 6; BT 5.3.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (top-mounted); stereo speakers, DisplayPort output over USB‑C.

And since we're living in Apple Intelligence times, we'll point out it's odd to see a brand new device release without any support for their AI system. Oh well, it is what it is. That has to be the only notable omission from the iPad’s specs sheet. We don't suggest this tablet is perfect, but everything else is par for the course, so to speak.

We admit we may be a bit late with this review, but better late than never, as they say.

Unboxing the iPad 11 (2025)

The iPad ships inside a thin white box that contains the tablet itself and a braided USB cable. That’s it.

There is no charger inside, at least not in Europe.