In this guide, we will focus on the storage capacity of the iPad. We will see how important the storage (or the size of it) is depending on the intended use of the iPad. After that, we will answer the question about the base storage variant i.e., is 64GB enough for iPad?
A Brief Note On Apple iPad
Apple launched the iPad in 2010. Since then, they continued to improve the hardware and software experience of the iPad. With the success of the iPad, Apple made a smaller version and called it the iPad Mini. The screen size of this series was 7.9 inches for the first 5 generations and 8.3 inches for the 6th generation. The iPad Air, similar to the MacBook Air, is a thin and lightweight version of the iPad. Then we have the top-of-the-line, professional, and flagship model in the iPad series, the iPad Pro. All the models of iPad are available in two connectivity configurations. One with Wi-Fi only and one with Wi-Fi and cellular (4G or 5G, depending on the SoC).
Storage In iPad
Initially, 16GB was the base storage variant. But thankfully, Apple ditched this and made 64GB as the base variant. If we take a look at the current (and upcoming) models of the iPad Tablets, the regular iPad, iPad Mini, and iPad Air are available with only two storage options. They are 64GB and 256GB. But if you look at the iPad Pro model, then it is available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB storage options. There is no 64GB Storage option in the Pro lineup.
What Do You Need Storage For?
The first thing to remember is that the operating system (iPadOS) occupies a part of the storage on the iPad. So, if you purchase a 64GB variant, note that you will never get the full 64GB free space. All the applications and games we install on our iPads will take up some storage. First, they occupy a certain amount of storage for installation. As we use the application, the storage occupied by the application increases (depending on the application) to accommodate files (temporary or downloaded). The cameras in iPads can take beautiful photos and record high-quality 4K videos. Naturally, all these photos and videos take up some space from the iPad’s Storage. Even with advanced compression formats such as HEIF (for images) and HEVC (for videos), you will soon run out of storage if you capture a lot of photos and record 4K videos. Another thing that occupies a significant amount of storage is media. While most of the media content nowadays is online or streaming-based, if we want to download some music, movies, or TV Shows for offline viewing, then they occupy a lot of storage. For example, if you download a Full HD movie from any popular streaming service (Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Prime Video, Hulu, etc.) that allows offline content, it would occupy anywhere between 4GB to 6GB (or more). If you download a couple of such files, then it quickly eats up the storage.
Is 64GB Enough For iPad?
From the previous section, it is clear that 64GB is the smallest possible storage size for iPad, iPad Mini, and iPad Air models. Coming to the iPad Pro, the smallest possible storage option bumps up to 128GB. With all the latest models in mind, if you are planning to buy an iPad (iPad, iPad Mini, or iPad Air models) in 2022 (or later), is 64GB enough for iPad? We will try to answer this with respect to the typical application or use-case scenario of the iPad and also the price.
1. Browsing The Internet, Emails
If your main purpose for purchasing an iPad is to browse the internet (read news or articles), read and reply to emails, and do other similar lightweight tasks, then 64GB storage is more than enough. Even if you take a couple of snaps every now and then or record some random videos, it will hardly take up any storage. You can even download and play games if you are into that.
2. Consume Media
As we mentioned in the previous section, TV Shows, Movies, and Music are all now available as “Streaming” content. Just download the OTT App, subscribe to a plan, and watch the content. It is that simple. Your iPad needs to have a stable and reliable internet connection to watch streaming content. The large screen of the iPad (larger than an iPhone but smaller than a MacBook) is suitable for watching movies and TV Shows. Hence, many people buy iPad for consuming media. Coming to storage, if your main choice of media consumption is only online streaming with very less offline downloads, then a 64GB iPad is enough. But if offline downloads are your main requirement, then you will quickly run out of storage if you choose the 64GB variant. We highly recommend the 256GB variant.
3. Gamers
Are you a hardcore gamer? Do you have a handful of games that you like to play on your iPad? 64GB will be nowhere sufficient for you. A good game with decent graphics can occupy a couple of gigabytes or more. The game downloads can take up additional space. If you have 10 such games, then you will soon throttle your storage. Hence, for serious gamers, the 256GB model is more suitable.
4. Photos And Videos
The camera quality of the Apple iPad has improved tremendously over the years. As a result, people often use it as a temporary camera, if they don’t have access to an iPhone. Sometimes, the iPad becomes the main camera. If you take a lot of photos with your iPad and even record Full HD or 4K Videos, then you know that a 64GB Storage model is not the one for you. Even though there are several cloud storage solutions for photos such as iCloud or Google Photos, many like to keep all their family photos and videos in the iPad’s storage. In either case, your best bet is the 256GB Storage option.
5. Artists
The high-end hardware on the iPad allows users to install all kinds of design applications such as Photoshop, Illustrator, or other similar ones. If you are looking to buy an iPad for this purpose and are considering one among iPad or iPad Air, then the 256GB variant should be the best option.
6. Professional Photography
If anyone knows about the struggles with storage, then they are definitely professional photographers. They don’t use smartphones to take snaps but shoot on high-end DSLRs or Mirrorless Cameras. The size of RAW images with these cameras can be a few tens of megabytes. Transferring all these RAW images and editing them on the go requires a lot of storage. You should not even consider the 64GB variant as the 256GB storage should be the bare minimum. If you are seriously looking for an iPad for your professional work (graphic artists, photography, or even light video editing), then we highly recommend the iPad Pro model.
What About iPad Pro?
All the models we talked about until now are the iPad, iPad Mini, and iPad Air. As these three models are available with either 64GB or 256GB Storage options. The iPad Pro with its upcoming M2 SoC (at the time of writing this guide), makes it one of the most powerful iPads till this point. With its powerful processor and large screen size, the iPad Pro is ideal for professionals such as developers, photographers, and people who use advanced tools (Photoshop, etc.). As the base storage of the iPad Pro starts at 128GB, this is suitable for developers, gamers, etc. But for professional photographers, designers (graphic, image), or those who edit videos, larger storage such as 512GB or 1TB is the minimum requirement. You can even go all the way and get the 2TB model but the price makes an important deciding factor.
What About The Price?
Speaking of price, we haven’t included any information about the price of the iPad in answering the “Is 64GB enough for iPad?” question. Let us discuss this now. At the time of writing this guide, the price of all the latest versions of different iPad models is as shown in the following table. From the above table, you can compare the variant along with the price per gigabyte of different models. For instance, take the iPad Wi-Fi and Cellular Models. The cost of the 64GB variant is $599 while it is $749 for the 256GB variant. If we translate this into the price per gigabyte, then the 64GB variant costs $9.36 and the 256GB variant costs $2.92. So, if we take the storage capacities as the deciding factor, then the 256GB variant is three times cheaper than the 64GB variant.
Conclusion
The iPad is undoubtedly one of the best tablet computers on the market. Be it for browsing, consuming media, or even for professional applications such as arts and photography, the iPad can do it all. In this guide, we saw the basics of the Apple iPad. After that, we saw different storage options available with different models of iPad. Finally, we answered the popular question “Is 64GB enough for iPad?” with performance and price as the key factors. Comment * Name * Email * Website
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