Apple

Which 2020 iPad Pro Storage Size Should You Buy?

Published

1 year ago

05/09/2023

Picking the right 2020 iPad Pro storage size for your needs and budget can be tricky so we want to help you decide between the cheapest option (128GB), the two middle options (256GB and 512GB) and Apple’s most expensive 2020 iPad Pro, the 1TB model.

While you might be tempted to go with Apple’s cheapest 2020 iPad Pro or shell out for the most storage, a lot of you will find that you’re probably better off going with something in between.

One thing to remember is that many of you will wind up paying for more storage one way or another. You’ll either spend the money up front or you’ll pay a monthly fee for additional storage via Apple’s iCloud service.

There are several important factors to consider before you settle on one storage size or another and we’ll break down all of the things you need to consider in this guide.

Table of Contents

2020 iPad Pro Storage Options

Retailers sell four 2020 iPad Pro storage options at different price points.

Both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros come in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB formats. The cheapest model is the 11-inch iPad Pro with 128GB while the most expensive option is Apple’s 12.9-inch model with 1TB and cellular data.

There’s only a $100 difference between the 128GB and 256GB models. However, there’s a massive leap between the 128GB and 512GB and 1TB options.

If you don’t want to pay full price, keep an eye out for price cuts. We’ve seen some superb deals emerge and we should see more as the months go on.

While you can add additional storage to some Android tablets, the iPad Pro doesn’t come with a microSD card slot. If you want to add additional storage you’ll need to use iCloud or buy a Lightning-compatible drive.

Pay for Storage Today or Pay Later

If you plan to shoot 4K video, download a bunch of movies for travel, or play a ton of games on your iPad Pro, you’ll need quite a bit of space.

While 128GB might seem like enough, there’s a good chance it’ll fill up quickly and you’ll be forced to continuously delete files you no longer need and/or pay for iCloud storage.

Fortunately, iCloud is fairly inexpensive. You can get 50GB of cloud storage for as little as a dollar a month:

50GB: $0.99
200GB: $2.99
2TB: $9.99

Remember, you can share iCloud storage with your family members.

Who Should Buy the 128GB iPad Pro?

The 128GB iPad Pro is the cheapest option and definitely worthy of consideration if you don’t plan on using your iPad Pro for intense work. Here are a few reasons to consider buying the 128GB model:

You stream most of your movies and music.
You don’t plan to shoot a lot of 4K content.
You plan to store your photos in iCloud Photo Library or on a computer.
You come nowhere close to using 128GB of storage on your current devices.

Who Should Buy the 256GB iPad Pro?

Some of you might want to spend the extra money for the extra 128GB of space, even if it’s just for the peace of mind that comes with having said storage.

Here are a few reasons to go with the 256GB iPad Pro:

You like to store some of movies and music locally.
You need or prefer to keep your photos stored locally.
You plan to shoot 4K content.
You’re close to using 128GB of space on your current devices.
You can’t stand having to constantly manage the data on your devices.

The 256GB is an excellent middle-of-the-road option that can work with or without iCloud.

Who Should Buy the 512GB iPad Pro?

The 512GB iPad Pro is a solid option for those that want a bunch of local storage. It should provide enough space for photography buffs, avid gamers, and those who plan to tackle work projects on the go.

Here are a few reasons to consider shelling out for the 512GB model:

You store a most of your movies and music locally.
You need or prefer to keep photos stored locally.
You plan to shoot tons of 4K content.
You plan to do a lot of work from your iPad Pro.

Who Should Buy the 1TBGB iPad Pro?

As for the most expensive option, there are probably only a few people that truly need a 1TB iPad Pro. This model is aimed at developers who need the extra space for creating apps and those in creative fields like graphic design or music engineering.

If you are an average person, you don’t need 1TB of storage space and you’re much better off going with one of the other three iPad Pro models.

How to Check Your Current Storage

If you’re currently using an iPad, you should check your current storage before you decide. You should be able to gather some great insight into your habits. Here’s how to do this:

Tap on your Settings app.
Tap on General.
Tap on iPad Storage.

This will show you how much free storage you currently have and how much you are using. It’ll also tell you exactly what’s taking up the most storage. For many of you, it’ll be photos and videos, apps, and messages.

If your iPad is around a year old, you should still have around 50% of your storage left. If you are within 10-15% of its capacity, you probably need more storage.

If you’re using iCloud, you should also check on your iCloud storage usage:

Open Settings.
Tap on your Name at the top of the screen.
Tap on iCloud.

This screen shows your iCloud storage use and your current plan. If you tap on Manage Storage you’ll get a better breakdown of how you use cloud storage.

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iOS 16.7.7 has two security patches on board. If you want to protect your device from harm, you should install the upgrade sooner rather than later.

If you missed older versions of iOS 16, you'll get the fixes and features from updates you missed when you upgrade to iOS 16.7.7.

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iOS 16.7.3 delivered several security patches including one that patches up an issue with the Find My app.

iOS 16.7.2 brought several security patches to iPhone models still running iOS 16. Learn more about them here.

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iOS 16.6.1 brought two important security patches to iPhone. If you're interested in what they patch up, here's Apple's guide.

The iOS 16.6 update featured 16 security patches. For more information about the changes, check out Apple's rundown.

iOS 16.5.1 brought two security patches to iPhone users If you want to learn more, head on over to Apple's website.

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iOS 16.3 brought 10+ new security patches with it and you can learn more about all of those right here.

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