Apple’s latest update to the entry-level iPad doesn’t add much, sits in a strange spot in the lineup, and is not powerful to join the company’s Apple Intelligence push.
The entry-level iPad has always filled the role of the default cheap tablet for consumers. It’s always been a staple of the iPad lineup, but it doesn’t tend to get as many updates as others in the range.
The 11th-generation iPad replaces the late 2022 model, and a lot has changed in Apple’s world since then. However, for the iPad itself, there’s not really that much change this time around to consider.
The 2022 release was more expensive than the previous ninth-gen version, while also introducing an updated design. The changes meant the release at that time was a confused one, as it wasn’t the cheapest model on the roster, and you could do better with a tiny bit more outlay on an iPad Air.
A few years later, the progression of the rest of the iPad catalog has reversed things. The 2025 model is back to being the cheapest and most basic option on the roster.
My thoughts are complex on the matter. It’s a great iPad for schools and education as a whole. It’s powerful enough, durable enough, and obviously leverages the vast amount of software that’s been building for almost 20 years for iPhone and iPad to do just about anything you want or need to do.
There’s just a better choice for about the same price for the home user.
2025 iPad 11 review: An all too familiar form
Apple likes to stick with a core design for about four years. This means that in-between, any refreshes of the device are largely internal, with little else changing in the design or functionality.
The new iPad is the very definition of a spec-bump upgrade. It’s actually astounding how much hasn’t changed.
For a start, it has exactly the same enclosure as the tenth-gen model, with a large edge-to-edge display, thin bezels, flat sides, and a single small camera bump on the rear.
This also extends to the dimensions, which are an unchanged 9.79 inches by 7.07 inches. The depth of 0.28 inches (7mm) is still a delightfully thin measurement, but it’s not thinner than last time, it’s the same.
Oddly, this comparison even goes down to the weight, with the Wi-Fi model at 1.05 pounds and the Cellular edition at 1.06 pounds. In short, the existing lineup of cases will fit.
2025 iPad 11 review: Touch ID is hidden in the sleep/wake button
Security is provided by Touch ID, again embedded in the top button of the iPad. Even the color options of Blue, Pink, Yellow, and Silver are unchanged for the model.
This all certainly makes sense when you consider how Apple updates its hardware designs. To get the most out of the resources it uses, it tends to stick to the same design of hardware for a few generations, and this is the second iPad generation in this cycle.
Indeed, one of the fewest external changes applies only to the Cellular model. With Apple moving to an eSIM-only existence in its products in the United States, the previous support for the physical Nano-SIM has been removed.
2025 iPad 11 review: Smart Connector is used to connect to accessories, like the Smart Keyboard Folio
It’s a bit of a disappointment, but with everything else in Apple’s catalog shifting away from physical SIM cards in favor of eSIMs, it was inevitable.
Of course, the lack of changes does not stop there. Not in the slightest.
2025 iPad 11 review: Displays, cameras, audio
One area that people may think is new year-over-year is the display. Apple has not only named the model the iPad 11 for its generation, but also for its display measuring 11 inches.
This, at first glance, may be seen as an improvement, because 11 inches is ever so marginally larger than the 10.9-inch display Apple used before.
The official technical specs for the iPad 11 say it has a diagonal measurement of 10.86 inches between the rounded corners. In effect, Apple is simply rounding up the measurement to 11 inches because it’s close enough and sounds better.
iPad 11 review: The iPad still has an 11-inch screen, technically 10.9 inches.
A diagonal measurement alone is not the only evidence that the screen is the same. With a resolution of 2,360 by 1,640, it’s got the same resolution as the previous model, and an unchanged 264 pixels per inch density.
The Liquid Retina screen is still LED-backlit, uses IPS panels, and can kick out 500 nits of brightness for standard definition content. There’s no change either in its support for sRGB, True Tone, or its oleophobic coating, which is as standard nowadays.
Even the Apple Pencil support is static, with the first-gen model and USB-C usable on it.
Audio is still provided by landscape stereo speakers, along with a pair of microphones for audio capture. This is serviceable enough for everyday use, but Bluetooth headphones is probably a better pick.
Speaking of that, the wireless connectivity is still Wi-Fi 6 support and Bluetooth 5.3, as well as sub-6GHz 5G for the cellular-equipped model. We’re not expecting bleeding-edge technology in the base model here, but it would’ve been nice to see an advancement to Wi-Fi 6e at least.
As it is, there’s little real need outside of the Pro or Air models for Apple to go wild with Wi-Fi. What the iPad 11 has works well enough for users who may not have as high expectations of their hardware purchases.
iPad 11 review: The camera on iPad 11 is still 12MP
The camera tech continues to be stagnant in the iPad 11, too. Around the back is a 12MP Wide camera with an f/1.8 aperture and a 5x digital zoom.
The spec list for the camera is also pretty much unchanged, with it capable of 4K video at 60fps, 1080p slo-mo at 240fps, and features like time-lapse video with stabilization. The only noted change is a move from Smart HDR 3 for Photos to Smart HDR 4 for Photos, which isn’t a seismic update, really.
The front 12MP Landscape Center Stage camera is also identical to last time, save the Smart HDR 4 upgrade. An f/2.4 aperture, 2x zoom out, and 1080p 60fps video are good enough specs for the model.
iPad 11 review: The front-facing camera supports Center Stage when on video calls
Anyone caring about camera features will be looking elsewhere anyway. Arguably there are accessibility reasons to use an iPad as a camera, but most users shouldn’t bother and have a better camera on their iPhone anyway.
Apple’s iPhone is the main product it sells. Mac and iPad are accessories to that iPhone for the most part.
2025 iPad 11 review: Limited internal changes
The real meat of a spec-bump update is in performance, and the iPad 11 certainly improves things here. Whether it’s improved enough is another matter.
The old A14 Bionic has been switched out for the A16 in the iPad 11. This is a chip that somehow has a five-core CPU and a four-core GPU, one less CPU core than the previous generation.
It also has the usual 16-core Neural Engine, which can be used for tasks that benefit from machine learning.
2025 iPad 11 review Single-core Geekbench results
A two generation chip jump is generally not a bad thing. Geekbench benchmarks for the A16 puts the single-core result at 2,535, with multi-core at 6,293.
Obviously, against a chip that’s two years older, the A16 is much better than the A14. That certainly can’t be questioned.
The problem starts when you compare it to other very capable tablets. For example, the M3 iPad Air announced at the same time has single-core and multi-core scores of over 3,000 and 11,000 respectively, absolutely dwarfing the new iPad’s chip.
2025 iPad 11 review Multi-core Geekbench results
That performance jump is barely justifiable for people who need on-the-go processing power, and are willing to pay another $250 to get it and other spec benefits. But it’s less important for what is to be taken as a token standard tablet.
The main problem with the chip choice is, despite a year of rumors to the contrary, it doesn’t provide Apple Intelligence. The choice to use the A16 means that the base iPad is the only Mac, iPhone, or iPad that will not benefit from the generative AI and LLM-based future Apple is pursuing.
This is a considerable oddity, as all Apple Silicon Mac models and all current-gen iPhones can use it. Even the brand new iPhone 16e, and that’s supposed to be the iPhone line’s new entry-level option.
Apple could have included the A17 Pro, the earliest chip to support Apple Intelligence. The A18 would be better, since the iPad won’t see an update for another few years based on previous update timescales.
2025 iPad 11 review: Playing Rollercoaster Tycoon on iPad 11
It could’ve done that, but it did not. That feels like a real missed opportunity, given how Apple is trying to make Apple Intelligence a big thing.
One of the better internal upgrades is storage, as Apple has shifted away from the two-tier offering of 64GB or 256GB in favor of three options. The new low is 128GB, with 256GB becoming the midpoint, and 512GB the new maximum.
This is at least Apple understanding that storage needs have grown over time. It’s a shame that it didn’t think processing needs grew enough to match.
iPad 11 review: Better, but just by a bit
It’s obvious that the iPad 11 is a textbook example of a spec-bump update. Externally, there’s no real material difference, but inside there are many different changes.
That said, those changes don’t seem like enough to be that useful. Going for a chip just short of the barrier for Apple Intelligence feels like a really bad move to make in 2025, especially when Apple Intelligence is being so heavily promoted.
Ultimately, the base iPad is bought for people who need a cheap and usable tablet, and the iPad has been in that position for so long. It’s not certain that folks in the market for the cheapest iPad possible care about Apple Intelligence.
Even the battery life is at the standard ten hours for web surfing over Wi-Fi or nine hours using cellular data. Good, enough, right?
2025 iPad 11 review: The new iPad 11 is a solid choice, if unexciting
Anyone who actually cares about Apple Intelligence and therefore performance will probably go for an iPad Air instead, or even an iPad mini (check discounted prices). For those who want an iPad for consumption needs, to stream shows to their children or for low-pressure tasks such as note taking and web browsing, it can certainly do all of that.
It is, ultimately, what an iPad is for the average consumer. It’s also a shame that, with a bit more ambition with the chip, it isn’t the entryway to Apple Intelligence it could’ve been to consumers.
Education pricing makes it appeal more to the market segment that can take advantage of that, but it’s hard to recommend the 11th generation iPad to others versus more attractive options.
There’s no point in upgrading from a 10th generation iPad, and it’s even not a great solution for folks still using a ninth generation model. In almost every case, for the average user, the M1 iPad Air from 2022 is a better choice than the 11th generation iPad, for about the same cost.
2025 iPad 11 review – Pros
- Better A16 chip
- More storage, for the same starting prices
- Least expensive iPad in the lineup
2025 iPad 11 review – Cons
- Could have had a better chip
- Design remains the same as last time
- Few actual updates
Score: 3.5 out of 5
The 11th generation 2025 iPad is a conundrum. It’s a solid tablet, performs well enough, and will do very well in the market. Education customers will buy it, like they always do, paired with AppleCare and educational materials, in more than enough volume to justify the product’s existence.
Home customers who have anything that supports iPadOS 18 now should probably stick with what they have. Or, if they’re really pressed for something better, the street price on a M1 iPad Air is about $350 to $400, depending on condition and configuration.
And above that, is the new M3 iPad Air, which is the iPad model that nearly everybody here at AppleInsider recommends to most consumers. You can find discounts on both screen sizes in our 11-inch iPad Air M3 Price Guide and 13-inch iPad Air M3 Price Guide.
Where to buy the iPad 11
Apple’s iPad 11 is on sale now, with every model eligible for exclusive pricing at Apple Premier Partner Expercom when you shop through this activation link. Just look for the special AppleInsider price above the Add to Cart button on Expercom’s product pages.
Amazon and B&H are also running sales on the 2025 models. You can compare prices across these retailers and more in our iPad 11 Price Guide — and find the best iPad deals across Apple’s entire lineup in our dedicated roundup.
