It’s Christmas Day, and should you have been particularly good this 12 months, you will have simply discovered a brand new iPad beneath your tree. Apple’s tablets are capable of do unbelievable issues proper out of the field, however they’re additionally simply broken, and there are equipment that basically assist to broaden their capabilities. If you wish to be sure that your iPad performs at its full potential, it’s a good suggestion to guard it and decorate immediately.
That’s why we’ve put collectively this information to assist new iPad homeowners select the very best equipment throughout a wide range of completely different classes. Our prime picks vary from stands and circumstances to audio system, keyboards, sport controllers, and far more. We additionally clarify what’s near-mandatory, what’s non-compulsory, and what you may safely skip. Learn on!
Query 1: What Does A New iPad Proprietor Want?
The one most essential factor that’s not included with iPads is a stand, adopted carefully by a protecting case. We’ve assembled a complete guide to iPad stands here, going by way of a big assortment of choices, however our three prime picks are:
Belkin’s FlipBlade Adjust, a $30 moveable stand;
Just Mobile’s Encore, a $60 desktop stand;
And any of ZeroChroma’s circumstances with superior built-in stands for iPad mini and iPad Air; the Vario-SC is the least costly (round $50), with Folio-Slide (proven) as a dearer and protecting various.
Sadly, there’s not but a model of both ZeroChroma case for the iPad Air 2; our prime present stand/case for the thinnest iPad is SwitchEasy’s $50 Rave (above). In case you’re shopping for a case to maintain a small iPad protected for children, we’d advocate the OtterBox Defender for iPad mini ($38-70, color-dependent) or Griffin Survivor for iPad mini ($54-$60). Both one will probably be just about impervious to typical child drops, spills, and different mishaps; they’re nice insurance coverage insurance policies in opposition to accidents.
Query 2: What May A New iPad Proprietor Need?
You most likely gained’t wish to dock your iPad for listening to music or watching movies, nevertheless it has wonderful wi-fi streaming talents. We’ve got a full guide to the year’s best Bluetooth speakers here, with JBL’s $150 Charge 2 (above) because the 12 months’s prime decide, and Apple’s $300 Beats Pill XL as one in all a number of higher-priced runners-up.
For wi-fi video streaming, your finest and solely possibility is the sub-$100 Apple TV, which connects to your HDTV and streams iPad, iPhone, and iPod contact video easily over your Wi-Fi community. The Apple TV additionally has a big assortment of quite a few built-in apps taken from community TV, cable TV, and Web video channels. In case you’re shopping for one now, be sure to get the current-generation Apple TV, not an older mannequin, since Apple is now not supporting earlier Apple TVs with software program updates. Refurbished current-generation units are selling for a discount.
Wish to get work executed on the iPad? When you’ve got an iPad Air or iPad Air 2, the simplest (however priciest) possibility is to go together with Belkin’s $150 Qode Ultimate Keyboard Case Pro, offered in several fashions for the thicker and thinner iPads. However as iPads proceed to shrink in dimension, making iPad-sized keyboards really feel overly cramped, an arguably smarter various is to simply purchase Logitech’s awesome $80 Easy-Switch Keyboard, which is rechargeable and really moveable. iPad mini customers will discover it to be twice as usable as any iPad mini keyboard case; iPad Air customers will see at the very least a 20% enchancment over the very best Air-sized keyboards. A battery-powered stylus reminiscent of The Joy Factory’s $60 Pinpoint X1 will dramatically enhance your on-screen writing and sketching potential.
In case you’re a gamer, significantly in case you have an iPad Air/Air 2 or mini 2/3, you’ll actually take pleasure in enjoying iOS video games with the very best wi-fi sport controllers we’ve examined. The $60 Mad Catz C.T.R.L.i is just about equivalent to an Xbox One controller in dimension, options, and efficiency, whereas the $50 Micro C.T.R.L.i is smaller however in any other case equivalent. Each are offered in 5 colours.
Utilizing an iPad within the automobile tends to be extra of a again seat (learn: for teenagers) than a entrance seat (adults) affair. In both case, be sure to have a 2.1-Amp charger reminiscent of Just Mobile’s $30 Highway Max, which incorporates USB ports able to full-speed iPad and iPhone charging. A six-foot-long Lightning cable such as Amazon’s will attain into the again seats. When you’ve got a ZeroChroma Folio-Slide case, you may add a headrest mount for $30; if not, Griffin’s roughly $20 CinemaSeat mounts for iPad Air or iPad mini are different choices.
Spare wall chargers additionally come in useful for iPad homeowners. We actually like RAVPower’s value-packed two-, four-, and six-port chargers, which every can deal with at the very least two iPads at full recharging pace; the four-port one may also cost two iPhones, whereas the six-port mannequin handles three iPads and three iPhones. The twin-port model is currently $13, the four-port model is currently $17, and the six-port model is currently $27.
Query 3: What Can A New iPad Proprietor Skip?
iPad-docking audio system and alarm clocks have largely been a bust. Stands and iPad-ready wall chargers ship sufficient of the identical expertise to get rid of alarm clocks. If you really want a clock, Bluetooth wireless options such as iHome’s $120 iBN10 (above) and Soundfreaq’s latest $80 Sound Rise are typically higher decisions for pure audio high quality.
In case you acquired an iPhone or iPod, we’ve got a separate 9to5 Information for you here!
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