iPad 11th Gen (A16) Review by a Student
I got my iPad A16 128GB from Flipkart in big billion days sale (BBD sale 2025) for 30999 rupees. After using it for a month I am writing my honest review. I am a student and mostly using this device for reading, note taking and multimedia like watching YouTube and social media.
Why I Chose an iPad over Android Tab?
Simple answer – for the software and performance. The Xiaomi pad 7 and OnePlus pad were there offering 120Hz displays around similar pricing but I went for the iPad a16 which has a 60Hz display, but trust me after using, it felt so smooth i can’t even tell the difference, and I already use a 120Hz smartphone, so i know what I am saying. It is super smooth and the performance is top notch, bionic a16 is powerful even with one core missing
Design and build
Mine is Silver variant, it looks and feels premium, it is slim 7mm thickness. The frame and back panel is of aluminum, has flat edges and a finger print sensor on top (vertically)
Is it heavy?
- iPad 11 Gen – 477g
- Xiaomi Pad 7 – 500g
- OnePlus Pad 2 – 584g
Compared to other tablets it is not heavy, you can easily hold it with 2 hands. at first it was a bit unusual but i got used to it. I mostly use it placing on my desk or on the cover/stand. I have a flip cover that can be used as a stand.
Display and Touch
The 11′ liquid retina IPS display is very bright and sharp, it doesn’t have promotion but it is smooth like butter. I didn’t feel a single lag compared to my 120Hz android phone. Color accuracy is good, max resolution of the display is 1640P. According to Apple the brightness is 500nits, but it goes very bright at full brightness as you can see below –
Big display, as a result reading text and pdfs on it is very comfortable, I use pages and WPS office app for pdf and writing, Microsoft apps are also available but you have to pay to use them. I’m using free apps and all the features are available there too.
Writing and productivity
iPad A16 supports apple pencil but that one costs around 7000 so I got the Digiroot pencil for 1200 rupees which works fine on the iPad, it supports palm rejection has no latency and its accurate. I got 3 extra tips for the pen and a USB type C charging cable. For me the Digiroot pen works perfectly. The pages app automatically convert handwriting to text. You can also draw and animate on this tab , it has premium paid apps like Procreate and Procreate dreams. As for now I have not tried these apps but in future I might
For video editing there are apps like Luma fusion which is a paid one but Da Vinci resolve is free. I have tried VN for basic video editing it can export 4k videos. Basically you can do premium video editing on the iPad if you pay for these apps.
Performance
The primary reason for buying this iPad is its performance, the A16 is a beast in this price range, it is so well optimized, i guess that why it gives a smooth user experience. I didn’t find any lag or stutter in the UI (I’m running iPad OS 18)
I have also tried gaming on it , I played PUBG, on PUBG it supports 60 FPS Smooth + extreme graphics. It gives consistent frame rates, i noticed no frame drops, that’s why IOS is better than android. You can even record gameplays without compromising on frame drops. The performance is simply outstanding, you can multitask easily. I use split screen all the time to watch video lectures and take notes simultaneously.
Battery life
Battery life on the 11 gen iPad is on the good side, I got 4 Hours 11 Min of screen time with 43% battery consumed, that too with heavy usage as you can see I played PUBG for almost 2 Hrs. With normal use it will give you more battery life. Approximately 9-10 hours if it is 80% charged. I hope you have got the idea.
Does the iPad 11 gen A16 heat?
It has good thermal management, doesn’t heat up easily. Tablets have advantage because of its larger body, there is more space to distribute the heat. The question is does it heat, Yes, if you use heavy apps like PUBG for long hours like 1+ hours it will heat slightly, but you can enjoy long gaming session using a fan or cooler on the back. For normal apps like YouTube, productivity apps, multimedia it doesn’t heat easily.
Charging Speed?
It takes around 100 minutes to fully charge the battery I tested and found out it takes 1 minute to charge 1% with the 20W apple adapter that comes with the box, it will be faster if you use a 45w apple adapter.
Camera and Video
It has 12MP sensors on both back and front. The back camera can record videos in 4k60fps and front can do 1080p60fps. The front has ultrawide for group video call/ facetime. Both cameras are decent on daylight on low light the picture quality decreases a bit, but I guess it is a tablet and not intended for night photography.
Sound
Sound quality of the iPad is also decent, it has two speakers on both side and it is really loud and crispy in high volume. I really like it, no complaints.
iPad OS software
Software and performance is the USP of Apple devices as I have said earlier. My experience with iPad OS is extremely good. I did not expect it to be so fluid, and Apple usually gives long term software support, I hope this one will get too.
I am currently on iPad OS 18, soon I will upgrade to iPad OS 26. So far I have not witnessed any bugs or glitches.
iPad 11 Gen A16 Pros & Cons
Pros
- Decent screen
- Excellent Performance
- Good for multitasking
- Excellent software support
Cons
- Expensive accessories, but affordable alternatives available
- Okayish camera
- 60Hz is very smooth, but 120 Hz would be better
Is the iPad 11 gen A16 for you?
It is absolutely a yes, if you are a student like me, professional or anyone who need a tablet with powerful performance and amazing software. Best for students who wants a tablet for reading, note taking and watching lectures. It will last long.
That’s it for now guys, let me know if you are getting the iPad 11 or waiting for the iPad 12 gen which is coming in March 2026.
also let me know in the comments if you want to know anything else about the iPad 11. thank You.
Related Posts