As a techie, it’s easy to get caught up in the trap of buying the most expensive devices with the most features. And, for the most part, it’s still a problem. That said, I recently made the decision to switch to Apple’s cheapest iPad, the budget model with an A16 chip. I’m pleasantly surprised with how incredibly useful it truly is – while costing less than a third of an iPad Pro.
iPadOS 26
I’ve mentioned it in passing before, but iPadOS 26 sort of ruined how I use my iPad. I liked how using my iPad felt different from using my Mac. I did regularly run jokes about the iPad being a fake computer, but that was exactly what made it special to me.
To be more specific, I really liked having an app in full screen, then quickly flicking my cursor over to the right side to pull in an app on Slide Over. Typically, this setup would consist of having Safari full screen, and an additional app like Gmail or Slack on the side.
If I were on a flight, sitting on the couch, or otherwise lounging with my iPad – this was my #1 way of working on the iPad. I even favored writing articles on my iPad over my Mac after a while, simply because it was easier to focus – even though iPadOS RAM management was never perfect. My Safari tabs would often need to reload if I switched between them, but I was willing to deal with that.
Now, iPadOS has a full blown Mac-style windowing system. Some people might be a big fan of that, but to me, this adds more complexity to the iPad than I’m willing to deal with. So, I switched away from my iPad Pro.
Switching to iPad (A16)
For a while, I had switched to mostly using my iPad purely as a tablet, and less of a hybrid laptop. I was never able to get into the new windowing system – it always felt clunky. Really, the main turning point for the downgrade was the fact that a close friend of mine was in the market for an M4 11-inch iPad Pro, so selling mine to him was quite convenient.
Afterwards, I bought an iPad (A16). Direct from Apple it’ll be $349, or $329 for students. Or, if you check out third party deals like those from Amazon, you can score one for just $299. As referenced earlier, thats a third of the cost of an M4 11-inch iPad Pro.
For $600-700 less, what do you give up with the A16 iPad?
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