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iPad Q&A

Update Published November 18, 2021

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How much internal storage do the iPad and iPad Air models have? Is it possible to add external storage? Which external storage option is best for my needs?

Each iPad and iPad Air model has a fixed amount of internal storage offered at the time of purchase and this internal storage cannot be expanded or upgraded subsequently.

No iPad models have a SD Card or a MicroSD card slot, but it is quite possible to add external storage to modern iPad and and all iPad Air devices either via the Lightning connector or wirelessly.

Default Internal iPad & iPad Air Storage (Skip)

The amount of default storage is listed on the specs page for each iPad and iPad Air tablet, but also follows:

iPad (30-Pin Connector)

Model No

Internal Storage

Wi-Fi (Original/1st Gen)

A1219

16, 32, 64 GB

Wi-Fi/3G/GPS (Original/1st Gen)

A1337

16, 32, 64 GB

2 (Wi-Fi Only)

A1395

16, 32, 64 GB

2 (Wi-Fi/GSM/GPS)

A1396

16, 32, 64 GB

2 (Wi-Fi/CDMA/GPS)

A1397

16, 32, 64 GB

2 (Wi-Fi Only, iPad2,4)

A1395

16 GB

3rd Gen (Wi-Fi Only)

A1416

16, 32, 64 GB

3rd Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular AT&T/GPS)

A1430

16, 32, 64 GB

3rd Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular Verizon/GPS)

A1403

16, 32, 64 GB

 

 

 

iPad (Lightning Connector)

 

 

4th Gen (Wi-Fi Only)

A1458

16, 32, 64, 128 GB

4th Gen (Wi-Fi/AT&T/GPS)

A1459

16, 32, 64, 128 GB

4th Gen (Wi-Fi/Verizon & Sprint/GPS)

A1460

16, 32, 64, 128 GB

9.7" 5th Gen (Wi-Fi Only)

A1822

32, 128 GB

9.7" 5th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular)

A1823

32, 128 GB

9.7" 6th Gen (Wi-Fi Only)

A1893

32, 128 GB

9.7" 6th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular)

A1954

32, 128 GB

10.2" 7th Gen (Wi-Fi Only)

A2197

32, 128 GB

10.2" 7th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular, US/CA)

A2200

32, 128 GB

10.2" 7th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular, Global)

A2198

32, 128 GB

10.2" 7th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular, China)

A2199

32, 128 GB

10.2" 8th Gen (Wi-Fi Only)

A2270

32, 128 GB

10.2" 8th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular, US/CA)

A2428

32, 128 GB

10.2" 8th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular, Global)

A2429

32, 128 GB

10.2" 8th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular, China)

A2430

32, 128 GB

10.2" 9th Gen (Wi-Fi Only)

A2602

32, 256 GB

10.2" 9th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular, US/CA)

A2603

32, 256 GB

10.2" 9th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular, Global)

A2604

32, 256 GB

10.2" 9th Gen (Wi-Fi/Cellular, China)

A2605

32, 256 GB

 

 

 

iPad Air (Lightning Connector)

 

 

Air (Wi-Fi Only)

A1474

16, 32, 64, 128 GB

Air (Wi-Fi/Cellular)

A1475

16, 32, 64, 128 GB

Air (Wi-Fi/TD-LTE - China)

A1476

16, 32, 64, 128 GB

Air 2 (Wi-Fi Only)

A1566

16, 32, 64, 128 GB

Air 2 (Wi-Fi/Cellular)

A1567

16, 32, 64, 128 GB

Air 3rd Gen (Wi-Fi+Cell US/CA)

A2153

64, 256 GB

Air 3rd Gen (Wi-Fi+Cell Global)

A2123

64, 256 GB

Air 3rd Gen (Wi-Fi+Cell China)

A2154

64, 256 GB

 

 

 

iPad Air (USB-C Connector)

 

 

4th Gen (Wi-Fi Only)

A2316

64, 256 GB

4th Gen (Wi-Fi+Cell US/CA)

A2324

64, 256 GB

4th Gen (Wi-Fi+Cell Global)

A2072

64, 256 GB

4th Gen (Wi-Fi+Cell China)

A2325

64, 256 GB


Because there are significant differences, EveryiPad.com covers default storage and external storage options for the iPhone, iPad mini, and iPad Pro models separately.

The default internal storage in all of these models cannot be upgraded beyond the amount that was installed at the time of purchase.

External iPad and iPad Air Storage Solutions

If you would like to add storage to your iPad to hold photos and video, it is possible to add an external storage drive to modern iPad models using its Lightning port (on all iPad 4th Gen and newer models and iPad Air, iPad Air 2nd Gen, and iPad Air 3rd Gen models) as well as wirelessly. Because the iPad Air 4th Gen

Best Lightning External iPad Storage

Effectively any external storage that works with the iPhone also will work with Lightning-equipped iPad and iPad Air models. Small storage devices that plug into the Lightning port like the LEEF iBridge 3 and SanDisk iXpand Drive are good options.

Leef iBridge 3 and SanDisk iXpand
Photo Credit: Leef (Left), SanDisk (Right)

Both of these devices use a convenient "wrap around" design and have a USB 3.0 port on one end for use with a "traditional" computer and a Lightning port on the other end to connect it to a Lightning-equipped iPad. Capacity options range between 16 GB and 128 GB for the LEEF and 32 GB and 256 GB for the SanDisk.

Best Wireless External iPad Storage

For the iPhone, it seems logical that you could place particular importance on the physical size of the external storage as you might want to carry it in a pocket along with your iPhone.

For the iPad or iPad Air, though, the physical size of the storage probably is less important to you as you will carry it in a bag along with your tablet, and for this reason, physically larger, but much higher capacity wireless storage might be preferable.

A well regarded high capacity option is the Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro with up to 4 TB of storage. It is around five inches tall.

Seagate Wireless Plus, Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro
Photo Credit: Western Digital

The Western Digital is a powerful option with full fledged Plex Media Server capability for media organization and streaming, but it is more complex to setup and use than the simple "plug in" USB 3.0 options, as well. The Western Digital also has an SD card slot to use with a digital camera and a built-in 6,400 mAh power bank to recharge your iPad, iPad Air, or other portable device while on the go.

Best USB-C External iPad Air 4th Gen Storage

Wireless storage also will work for the iPad Air 4th Gen, but because these devices have a USB-C port, the ideal option is to use directly connected storage. In general, USB-C storage should be straightforward, faster, and more reliable.

Two good options include the small, waterproof SanDisk Extreme Portable External SSD and the physically bigger, but inexpensive Mercury Elite Pro mini or Mercury Elite Pro Dual mini from site sponsor OWC.

SanDisk Extreme and OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual mini (USB-C)
Photo Credit: SanDisk (Left), OWC (Right)

At about 4 inches by 2 inches and 0.35 of an inch thin, the SanDisk Extreme is tiny and enclosed in a rugged case designed to not only resist dust and water but also survive a drop of up to 2 meters. It is a good option to carry around in a backpack. It is available in capacities ranging from 250 GB to 2 TB.

The OWC Mercury Elite Pro mini and OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual mini are comparatively hefty, but the single drive option still is compact enough to carry in a bag or backpack without much difficulty. The dual drive option is comparatively heavy and best suited for use in an office.

These OWC Mercury options support faster transfer speeds than the SanDisk Extreme and are available in capacities between 480 GB and 4 TB. You even can just buy either a single or dual drive box and install your own hard drives or SSDs, if you prefer, or upgrade the original storage with higher capacity or faster drives later.

iPad and iPad Air Storage Summary

Whether you use your iPad or iPad Air to listen to music and watch movies or edit your own photos and videos, or both, it seems far too easy to run out of storage space.

However, by adding external Lightning or wireless storage to your iPad or iPad Air, you can eliminate this capacity problem and get much more out of your tablet.


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