How fast is the iPad 9th Gen (2021) compared to the iPad 8th Gen (2020) that it replaced? How fast is it compared to earlier iPads? How fast is it compared to the iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro?

In the company press release for the iPad 9th Gen (2021), Apple's headline boasts "even more performance" but makes the more specific, and modest, statement that:

The new iPad comes equipped with the powerful A13 Bionic chip, delivering a 20 percent performance boost over the previous generation. This makes the new iPad up to 3x faster than the best-selling Chromebook, and up to a whopping 6x faster than the best-selling Android tablet.

With a particular performance claim, albeit a modest one, it is a safe assumption that the iPad 9th Gen is in the neighborhood of 20% faster than the iPad 8th Gen (2020) that it replaced.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (iPad 9th Gen)

However, Apple doesn't compare the performance of the iPad 9 to earlier entry-level iPad models or to the higher-end, more expensive iPad mini, iPad Air, or iPad Pro. Accordingly, a more detailed comparison of the iPad 9 to other current and recent iPad models also can be rather helpful.

Benchmark Performance Overview

For a useful general overview of the performance differences between the iPad 9 (2021) and other iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch devices, Everyi.com's own Ultimate iComparison makes it quick to compare side-by-side Geekbench 5 benchmark averages for hundreds of possible performance comparisons.

Compared to other recent iOS devices, the iPad 9th Gen performs accordingly:

iPad 9th Gen Compared To:	Percent Faster (Single Core)	Percent Faster (Multicore)
iPad (6th Gen)	75%	133%
iPad (7th Gen)	76%	134%
iPad (8th Gen)	20%	54%
iPad mini (5th Gen)	20%	17%
iPad mini (6th Gen)	-17%	-27%
iPad Air 3rd Gen	20%	18%
iPad Air 4th Gen	-16%	-21%
iPad Pro 11" (2nd Gen)	-16%	-29%
iPad Pro 11" (3rd Gen)	-22%	-54%
iPhone 11	=	1%
iPhone 12	-16%	-17%
iPhone 13	-23%	-27%
iPod touch 7	135%	203%

With a review of the above benchmark results, you can clearly see that the Geekbench 5 benchmark demonstrates that Apple's claim that the iPad 9th Gen is 20% faster than its predecessor actually is conservative, because it is even faster than that in multicore tasks.

However, Geekbench 5 also shows that the iPad 9th Gen is substantially slower than current iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro models. The iPad 9th Gen is much cheaper than these other iPads, though.

Performance Summary

Ultimately, the iPad 9th Gen is at least 20% faster than the iPad 8th Gen it replaced, but it is not a high performance tablet. It is the slowest model that Apple sells, but it also costs the least.

For those who want a capable, inexpensive tablet, the iPad 9th Gen is a solid choice. For those who want a faster tablet, though, the iPad Air 4th Gen, iPad mini 6th Gen, or iPad Pro would be a better option.

For those on a tight budget, recently discontinued iPad, iPad mini, or iPad Air models also remain well worth consideration. Performance often is similar and the savings can be significant.

In the US, site sponsor Adorama sells new iPad models with free shipping for all. OWC sells a wide variety of used iPad models at bargain prices.

In the UK, site sponsor Hoxton Macs has a large number of used and refurbished iPad models with a one-year warranty and free next day delivery throughout the UK. Delivery across Europe also is available starting at just £9.99 for two-day delivery to France and Germany.

Also see: What are all the differences between the iPad 9th Gen (2021) and the iPad 8th Gen (2020) replaced?