With a choice of four different iPads, choosing between the iPad mini, iPad 2, 'new' iPad 3 and the even newer iPad 4 with Retina display is a tricky proposition. We offer a helping hand with our expert buying advice.
iPad 2 vs iPad Retina vs iPad mini
If you were in the market for an iPad just a couple of weeks ago, the choice was pretty clear cut. You either went for the cheaper, non-Retina iPad 2 or the newer iPad 3 with its better-than-full-HD display, faster processor and higher-quality cameras.
However, now that Apple has thrown two new spanners in the works (the iPad mini and confusingly named iPad with Retina display) there's a bewildering choice.
Which iPad is best: 3G, 4G or Wi-Fi only?
First up, decide on the basics. Do you need mobile data or not? If you want to use Facebook, email or YouTube in the car or on the train, you're going to want a 3G version (or 4G if you're buying one of the two newest iPads).
Stick with a Wi-Fi only iPad if you'll mainly use your tablet at home on your wireless network or when connected to your office Wi-Fi.
If you're after an internet connection when abroad, it will typically be cheaper to find a Wi-Fi hotspot in a café or hotel than roaming on a UK SIM. However, buying a pre-paid foreign SIM from a supplier such as Dataroam can also work out fairly cheap.
One important factor to bear in mind is that Wi-Fi only iPads do not have a GPS receiver (a fact which has always annoyed us), so can only approximate your location using Wi-Fi hotspots.
Which iPad is best: 7.9in or 9.7in?
The iPad mini is the first to have a screen smaller than 9.7in. Although the difference is less than 2in, it has a bigger effect than you might think. For one thing, you can hold an iPad mini in one hand - you can only balance a 9.7in iPad on one hand, or struggle to hold it at one edge.
The iPad mini has the same resolution as an iPad 2, so everything is the same but in miniature. The iPad 3 (no longer sold on Apple's website) and iPad 4 (now called the iPad with Retina display) both have the same 2048 x 1536 screen which makes everything look amazingly smooth, even up close.
The good news is that you have the same choice of apps regardless of which iPad you choose - currently, they all run the same set of apps.
Which iPad is best: isn't the iPad 2 old hat now?
Some people say they can't tell much of a difference between the iPad 2's 1024 x 768 screen and the iPad 3 and 4's Retina display. We'd beg to differ, but if you're happy to settle for a quarter of the new model's pixels, the iPad 2 is certainly cheaper.
The 16GB Wi-Fi only version costs £329, saving £80 off the cost of an iPad 4. However, we'd argue that it's well worth spending the extra (if you can afford it) since the iPad 4 is hugely better.
It's four times faster, has vastly better front and rear cameras and (if you're going for the cellular version) has 4G that works in the UK. It also has Siri, which the iPad 2 lacks, even when upgraded to iOS 6.
The iPad 2's other enemy is the iPad mini. Not only is it £60 cheaper for the base model, but it's twice as fast and has the same cameras as the iPad 4. Again, it also supports 4G in the UK if you're after mobile data and, again, benefits from Siri.
Our take on it is that the iPad 2 is only a good deal if you're on a tight budget, don't want the smaller 7.9in screen of an iPad mini and can find a good one second-hand at a low price.
Which iPad is best: what about the iPad 3?
Although it was a great upgrade on the iPad 2 seven months ago, the iPad 3 has been quickly side-lined by the introduction of the iPad 4. You'll struggle to find a new iPad 3 (or new iPad as Apple called it) for sale now, but interestingly, they're popping up on Apple's website in the Special Deals section at decent prices.
Although stock varies all the time, if you act quick you can pick up the 32GB Wi-Fi model for £369, a saving of £110 over the equivalent iPad 4. The 16GB Wi-Fi model is £319, making it cheaper than the equivalent iPad 2 - a great deal.
Refurbished models look like new, have a new battery and come with a one-year warranty, so there really isn't a reason to avoid them.
Apart from the price, the iPad 3 is still a great performer (there's really no need for the extra performance of the iPad 4 - for now at least). Also, the iPad 3 has the older 30-pin connector which means there's a wide array of cheap accessories. The same can't be said for the Lightning connector on the iPad 4 (and iPad mini).
The iPad 3 might have a pretty dismal front-facing camera, but the rear one is a gem. It shoots sharp 1080p video and great photos.
A very slight disadvantage is that the 4G version doesn't support the 4G network in the UK, so can only be used at 3G speeds.
Which iPad is best: is the iPad mini a bargain or overpriced?
At £269, the mini is the cheapest-ever iPad. It's £130 cheaper than the equivalent iPad 4, which is a lot. However, it's also £70 more expensive than Google's Nexus 7, which has a higher-resolution screen and built-in NFC.
Near-field communication might not be a big deal now, but next year it could become much more prevalent, not just in other devices, but also in shops to allow you to pay for goods. Admittedly, that means NFC is probably more desirable in a smartphone rather than a tablet, but it's something to consider.
There are plenty of other 7in tablets which are cheaper still, such as Amazon's Kindle Fire HD.
However, none can compete with the breadth of apps on offer through the iPad mini's App Store. You can also argue that the iOS 6 interface is the slickest around and, apart from the dodgy Apple Maps app, beats Android in most areas.
Which iPad is best: surely the iPad 4 is the obvious choice?
If you're happy to pay top whack for a tablet, and want a 10in screen, the fourth-generation iPad is definitely the one to go for. It's comfortably faster than any of its rivals - third-generation iPad included - and is naturally the most future-proof.
It has updated cameras, including a 720p-capable front camera, and a slightly-better-than-the-iPad-3's rear camera.
Where the iPad 2 and iPad 3 will be left out of future updates at some point, the iPad 4 will get the most new features in iOS. It's also the model that's going to be able to run the most demanding new apps. Anyone who bought an original iPad will understand the frustration of not being able to get new apps (iMovie was released as an iPad 2-only app).
Plus, the iPad 4 will be compatible with the next generation of accessories using the new Lightning connector.
If you're really flush with cash, you'll benefit from the 4G support of the cellular version.
Naturally, there's always going to be another iPad in the pipeline, and there's no telling whether an iPad 5 will be launched in spring 2013, but investing in an iPad 4 is a pretty safe bet.
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