The days when an iPad would essentially just feel like a really large-screened iPhone are long gone. Now, many iPad models have been built very much with productivity in mind — and their processors are capable of handling intense workloads of graphic designers.
iPads are also easy to transport, while the touchscreen makes it quick and easy for graphic designers to zoom in on aspects of their work. Then, of course, there’s the Apple Pencil, which is compatible with all of the iPad models detailed below.
iPad Pro (5th generation)
Originally released in May 2021, this particular iPad has been colloquially referred to as the ‘M1 iPad Pro’ due to its headline inclusion of the new Apple M1 processor.
However, compared to its pandemic-era predecessor, the latest iPad Pro also throws in Thunderbolt 3 and USB4 connectivity options.
While you might be happy enough with the 11-inch model, the 12.9-inch unit’s display is a Liquid Retina XDR affair that would let you see your designs in especially stunning clarity.
iPad (9th generation)
At least in terms of name, but also — in many respects — with its features, this iPad is a descendent of the very first iPad officially unveiled by then-Apple CEO Steve Jobs in 2010.
The 9th-generation iPad is positioned as something of a ‘budget’ offering, and features a 10.2-inch screen as well as the A13 Bionic chip that debuted in Apple’s iPhone 11 series in 2019. This iPad can make a good starter tablet for novice graphic designers.
iPad (10th generation)
Though this is technically the successor of the 9th-generation iPad described above, the new generation has somewhat stepped away from the previous one’s focus on affordability.
The 10th-generation iPad has much in common with the latest iteration of the iPad Air — with, in both instances, a flatter-edge design, a 10.9-inch display and a USB-C port among the major inclusions.
However, given that the 10th-generation iPad and the 5th-generation iPad Air are close in price, you might be willing to plump for the latter if you would prefer more power.
iPad Air (5th generation)
We have already described much of what this Air, which launched in March 2022, offers. However, one major incentive for you to choose this tablet over the 10th-generation iPad is that, while that iPad gets the two-year-old A14 chip, the latest Air boasts the M1 processor.
The latter is a Mac-grade SoC (system-on-a-chip) — and, since Macs are often used as standard for high-end graphic design projects, you can certainly be confident of getting a lot of work done on the lightweight slate that is the 5th-generation iPad Air.
iPad Pro (6th generation)
Since the iPad Pro models of this generation house the Apple M2 chip unveiled as recently as June 2022, you know what to consider if you want as unfettered an experience as possible when undertaking graphic design projects on an iPad.
However, given the high prices of these 11-inch and 12.9-inch units, you might prefer to outsource graphic design duties to our experienced team based here at Webahead.
