Keepers Updated October 19, 2026
iPad (A16)

Is it worth it?

iPad (A16)

Apple · Tablet · Mar 12, 2025

45Not yet

Not a Keeper. It scores 45 and a Keeper needs 80. The weakest part is how hard it is to repair.

Where the 45 comes from

Reviews17/30

CNET 8.2 of 10, PCMag 4 of 5, Tom's Guide 4 of 5, TechRadar 4.5 of 5. That averages 83 out of 100; a 60 earns nothing and a 100 earns all 30.

Updates18/25

Apple publishes no update period. iPadOS 27 dropped the 2020 iPad after five years of updates.

Repairable4/20

The newest base iPad iFixit has scored got 2 of 10, and a battery swap on this one means heating the glued screen off.

Timing6/25

It came out March 12, 2025. MacRumors rates it Don't Buy, with a new model expected early in 2027. The price went up in June.

17 + 18 + 4 + 6 = 45

Image: apple.com

Reviews: CNET, PCMag, Tom's Guide, TechRadar. Updates: MacRumors. Repair: iFixit. Timing: MacRumors. Numbers checked September 29, 2026; timing is worked out again every day.

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How the score works

Tech

  • Reviews, 30. The average of the published scores from outlets that score, like Engadget, CNET, PCMag, Tom's Guide and TechRadar. A 60 earns nothing and a 100 earns all 30.
  • Updates, 25. Years of software updates, from the maker's promise or, where there isn't one, what its last comparable model got. Seven years earns all 25.
  • Repairable, 20. iFixit's repairability score, doubled. Where iFixit hasn't scored it, we read the parts and guides.
  • Timing, 25. Where it is in its line's usual refresh cycle, the MacRumors question. Full points for the first half; nothing once the next model is due.

A Keeper is our bet on what lasts. Some releases show it right away: the reviews, the players and the people behind them all point the same way, the way they did for Elden Ring. For albums, games, films, shows and books, 85 or above is a Keeper and 75 to 84 is worth your time. Things and tech need 80. We score everything again as time goes by, and a Keeper that fades loses the label. Nobody pays to be here or pays for a score. Every score links to where its numbers came from. Each one has a link to find it on Amazon, and as an Amazon Associate, Keepers earns from qualifying purchases.

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