Apple iPad (A16) Review: The Cheapest iPad, and What $649 Leaves Out

What $649 buys in Apple's current iPad line

The iPad (A16) is the cheapest tablet in Apple's current line. Apple Canada listed the 128GB Wi-Fi model at $649 on October 15, 2026, with 256GB at $799 and 512GB at $1,079; the Wi-Fi + Cellular version starts at $849. The iPad mini starts at $849, the iPad Air at $999 and the iPad Pro at $1,699. Amazon.ca sold the Silver 128GB Wi-Fi model at the same $649, shipped and sold by Amazon.ca, so there is no retailer discount to chase.

The chip is an A16 with a five-core CPU, four-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine, and the 11-inch Liquid Retina screen runs 2360x1640 at 264 ppi with True Tone and 500 nits. At 477 grams and 7 millimetres thick, the Wi-Fi model is a one-hand tablet, sold in Silver, Pink, Blue and Yellow.

sRGB colour, where the Air and Pro list P3

Apple's specification page for the iPad (A16) lists an 11-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone, 500 nits and a fingerprint-resistant coating. Its buy page fills in what that leaves out. In the module that compares the models, the iPad Air and iPad Pro rows carry 'P3 wide colour' while the iPad row carries 'sRGB colour' and 'No ProMotion technology'.

Read together, Apple's two pages put the $649 panel a step below the Air's, and the Air adds anti-reflective coating as well, where the buy page's comparison lists this iPad with 'No Anti-reflective coating'. Colour accuracy and glare under a window are where that gap shows up, so the panel is worth a look in person if either matters more to you than the $350.

Two Apple Pencils fit, and the Pro is not listed

Apple's buy page answers the compatibility question directly: "Both Apple Pencil (USB-C) and Apple Pencil (1st generation) are compatible with this iPad." The same page attaches a condition: a USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter is required for pairing and charging the first-generation Pencil.

The Apple Pencil (USB-C) costs $109 and the first-generation Pencil $129, with the adapter included in that $129 purchase. Apple Pencil Pro, at $169 on the iPad Air's page, appears on Apple's compatibility list for the Air, the Pro and the mini but not for this iPad, so one bought for another iPad cannot be reused here.

Apple lists this iPad as having no Apple Intelligence

Apple's support article on Apple Intelligence names the iPads that qualify, among them the iPad mini (A17 Pro) and "iPad models with M1 or later." The A16 is neither an M-series chip nor the A17 Pro, and the buy page's own column lists 'No Apple Intelligence' for this model where the iPad Pro and iPad Air rows carry an Apple Intelligence line.

That places a currently sold iPad outside the feature set Apple promotes across its newer hardware. The A16 remains fine for streaming, browsing and note-taking. Anyone set on those features should read that column before ordering.

USB-C that runs at USB 2.0, plus Wi-Fi 6

The USB-C port does more than charge: it carries DisplayPort and supports one external display up to 4K at 60Hz. Data moves at USB 2.0, up to 480Mb/s, which makes cable transfers of large photo or video libraries the weakest number on the tablet's spec sheet.

Wireless is Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO and Bluetooth 5.3, where the iPad Air steps up to Wi-Fi 7. Battery capacity is 28.93 Wh, rated up to 10 hours of web browsing or video over Wi-Fi and up to 9 hours on cellular data, an up-to figure rather than a floor.

The $350 step up to the iPad Air

The iPad Air 11-inch starts at $999 and spans 128GB to 1TB; the 13-inch begins at $1,299. Its specification page lists what the A16's does not: P3 wide colour, a fully laminated panel, antireflective coating and support for Apple Pencil Pro. Wireless is Wi-Fi 7.

Physically the Air is close, at 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1 millimetres against the A16's 248.6 x 179.5 x 7, and 464 grams against 477. The $350 therefore buys screen quality, Pencil headroom and connectivity rather than a smaller body. If work depends on colour accuracy or Pencil Pro, that $350 is the deciding difference; for a shared streaming and browsing tablet it is not required.

A keyboard and Pencil widen the gap to the Air

The keyboard that fits is the Magic Keyboard Folio at $329, listed for the iPad (A16) and the 10th-generation iPad; Apple's keyboard page names no other Apple keyboard for it. Pairing the Folio with a $109 Apple Pencil (USB-C) puts the accessories at $438.

That takes the $649 iPad to $1,087. The Air's own Magic Keyboard starts at $379, $50 more than the Folio, so the same keyboard-and-Pencil setup on a $999 Air comes to $1,487, and the gap grows from $350 to $400. A loaded A16 does cost $88 more than a bare Air, which matters only to a buyer who would use the Air without a keyboard.

In the box, warranty, returns and school pricing

Both of Apple Canada's pages agree on the box: the iPad, a USB-C charge cable (1 metre on the specifications page) and a 20W USB-C power adapter. Apple's one-year limited warranty, issued by Apple Canada Inc., covers defects in materials and workmanship from the date of original retail purchase and is remedied by repair or replacement at Apple's option.

For returns, Apple's Canadian retail policy asks that an undamaged product go back with its accessories, packaging and receipt within 15 days of receiving it, for an exchange or a refund to the original payment method. The store page shows free shipping.

AppleCare+ is quoted at $5.49 a month or $54.99 a year, with an excess fee of $39 for screen repair and $129 for other accidental damage on iPad models launched after 1 May 2024. The education store priced the same 128GB model from $619, with the cellular version from $819, a $30 step below the standard $649 and $849 for eligible buyers.