ipad pro 128 vs 256

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 people will wind up paying for more storage one way or another. So either you'll 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.

2020 iPad Pro Storage Options

Apple and its retail partners 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.

The 512GB iPad Pro is $300 more expensive than the base model while the 1TB iPad Pro is whopping $500 more than the 128GB iPad Pro.

If you don't want to pay full price, you can save money if you're able to trade in an eligible tablet. We also expect some nice price cuts in the weeks ahead, especially if Apple launches new iPad Pro models in March, so keep an eye out for potential announcements.

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.

Don't expect Apple to add new storage options later. Apple typically sticks with storage options for a full year or more.

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 $100 for the extra 128GB of space, even if it's just for the peace of mind that comes with having extra 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.

4 Reasons Not to Install iOS 14.8.1 & 11 Reasons You Should

Install iOS 14.8.1 for Better Security

If security is important to you, think about installing iOS 14.8.1 right away.

The iOS 14.8.1 update brings 12 new security patches to the iPhone. You can read about all of them over on Apple's site.

If you want to better protect your iPhone and its data, you'll want to install the iOS 14.8.1 update in the near future.

If you missed iOS 14.8, you'll get its security patches with your upgrade. You can learn more about them right here.

If you missed iOS 14.7.1, you'll get its patch with your upgrade. If you want to learn more about iOS 14.7.1's security update, check out its support page.

If you missed iOS 14.7, you'll get its 31 security patches with your upgrade. You can learn more about those on Apple's website.

If you skipped iOS 14.6, you'll get the update's 38 security patches with your iOS 14.8.1 update. If you're curious about the particulars, you can read about them right here.

If you skipped iOS 14.5.1, you get the update's two security patches on board. You can read about them over on Apple's website. Both are related to WebKit.

If you missed iOS 14.5 you'll get its patches with your upgrade. You can read more about those changes over on Apple's website.

iOS 14.5 also brought Apple's new App Tracking Transparency which lets you control which apps are allowed to track your activity across other companies' apps and websites for ads or sharing with data brokers.

If you skipped iOS 14.4.2, you get its security patch with iOS 14.8.1. You can learn more about that patch over on Apple's website as well.

If you missed iOS 14.4.1, you get its patch with your upgrade to iOS 14.8.1. You can read about that patch right here.

If you skipped iOS 14.4, you get the update's patches with your upgrade. You can learn more about iOS 14.4's security patches right here.

If you skipped iOS 14.3 you'll get its nine security updates with your upgrade. You can read more about them on its security site.

iOS 14.3 also included a new privacy information section on App Store pages that includes a developer-reported summary of the app's privacy practices.

If you skipped iOS 14.2, your iOS 14.8.1 update includes 24 additional security patches. You can learn more about the patches on Apple's security website.

If you're still running iOS 13, iOS 14.8.1 includes iOS 14.0's security updates.

iOS 14.0 brought 11 new security patches to the iPhone. If you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's website.

In addition to those patches, iOS 14 comes with some security and privacy upgrades including improvements to Home/HomeKit and Safari.

For instance in Safari, you can now tap the Privacy Report button to better understand how websites handle your privacy.

With iOS 14 on board you can now get information on the App Store that will help you understand the privacy practices of apps before you download them.

There is also a new recording indicator that will appear at the top of your screen whenever an app is using your microphone or camera. You can see if an app has used them recently in Control Center.

Researchers also discovered that Apple brought a new "BlastDoor" sandbox security system to iOS 14. The system is meant to prevent attacks from occurring via the Messages app.

You can read more about "BlastDoor" right here.