Apple iPad 11-inch (A16)

Product overview

What reviewers found: a solid value iPad with a few deliberate compromises

This is Apple's standard 11-inch iPad, refreshed for 2025 with an A16 chip (a 5-core CPU/4-core GPU variant of the chip Apple previously used in iPhones), 128GB of starting storage, Wi-Fi 6, a 12MP front camera and 12MP rear camera, Touch ID, and Apple's usual all-day battery claim. It's positioned as the accessible entry point into the iPad lineup, sitting below the iPad Air and iPad Pro.

GSMArena's full review frames it as a device built to deliver a nice overall iPadOS experience at a lower price rather than to compete on specs: it supports Apple Pencil (first-generation and USB-C Pencil, though not Pencil Pro or 2nd-gen), works with the Magic Keyboard, and its rear camera records excellent 4K video with accurate color and strong stabilization. The matte aluminum unibody was also called out as looking fresh and smudge-resistant across the color options.

The same review is direct about the trade-offs Apple made to hit this price. The display was called the biggest shortcoming, described as underwhelming compared to what the Air and Pro offer, and the 6GB of RAM (up from 4GB in the prior base model) was called mediocre for a 2025 device. A GSMArena reader-comment thread also raised battery-life concerns for some units, though this is user-reported feedback rather than a lab measurement from that outlet.

One functional limitation worth knowing before buying: this A16 model is the only current iPad that does not support Apple Intelligence, since Apple's on-device AI features require at least an A17 Pro or M-series chip. If Apple's AI features are a purchase driver for you, this specific iPad will not deliver them regardless of software updates.

On pricing, retailer listings put the 128GB Wi-Fi model in the roughly $329 to $349 range depending on retailer and promotions at the time of research, positioning it well below the iPad Air while still carrying Apple's build quality and long software-support track record, historically five-plus years of iPadOS updates for base models.

Overall, this iPad is best understood as an incremental but real upgrade over its predecessor (faster chip, more RAM, double the storage) rather than a redesign, and professional reviews are consistent that its value proposition rests on iPadOS software polish and accessory compatibility rather than best-in-class hardware specs at this price.

Key Listed Features