Apple iPad (10th generation) review: Mixed emotions

The essential iPad is, maybe, probably the most recognizable pill ever made. It stayed the course over 9 generations, clinging to prime and backside bezels and its Contact ID residence button whereas the remainder of the iPad lineup grew and advanced. Apple launched greater choices, smaller choices, and loads of sooner choices, but the bottom pill remained nearly the identical. Now, the Cupertino design staff has come for the iPad that began all of it. How a lot can it change in a single technology? Discover out in our Apple iPad (tenth technology) evaluate.

• Apple iPad (64GB, Wi-Fi): $449 / £499 / €579
• Apple iPad (64GB, Mobile): $599 / £679 / €779
• Apple iPad (256GB, Wi-Fi): $599 / £679 / €779
• Apple iPad (256GB, Mobile): $749 / £859 / €979

Apple launched its newest iPad (tenth technology) in the midst of October 2022. As a substitute of pairing it with the pomp and circumstance loved by the iPhone 14 collection and Apple Watch Collection 8 simply over a month earlier, the pill arrived alongside a barely-refreshed iPad Professional with all of the ceremony of a weblog submit. Whereas the announcement itself was as low-key as could be, the design modifications for the newest iPad are something however.

For starters, the iPad (tenth technology) seems nothing like the bottom iPads that got here earlier than it. It now sports activities flat aluminum edges and equal bezels round its 10.9-inch glass show. The Contact ID fingerprint scanner has shifted from the traditional residence button to the edge-mounted energy button, and the headphone jack has gone the best way of the Dodo. Maybe crucial shift within the iPad’s new design is that the Lightning port isn’t any extra — all iPads now carry USB-C ports for charging and information switch with common USB-C equipment.

That is additionally probably the most colourful base iPads, with Silver, Pink, Yellow, and Blue frames to select from. All 4 variations characteristic Apple logos on the again with delicate tints to match their colorways. The 12MP rear corner-mounted digital camera has a wider aperture than the ninth technology iPad however no different important modifications. Apple’s 12MP selfie digital camera is similar on paper, too, although it’s shifted from a portrait orientation to a panorama place alongside the lengthy edge — a primary for an iPad.

Beneath the hood, you’ll discover two storage tiers — 64GB and 256GB — and choices for Wi-Fi or 5G mobile connectivity. When you decide the mobile model, you’ll discover a SIM tray on the identical edge as the quantity buttons. Irrespective of your configuration, you’ll get Apple’s 5nm A14 Bionic chipset.

As normal, Apple is fairly tight-lipped about its battery capability, merely providing that the iPad (tenth technology) is able to as much as 10 hours of browsing the net or watching video. The mobile mannequin presents barely worse returns, topping out at 9 hours. Each variations cost through the bottom-mounted USB-C port, and also you get a braided USB-C cable and a 20W charging adapter within the field.

Maybe probably the most controversial change to Apple’s tenth technology iPad is the value. The bottom 64GB Wi-Fi-only mannequin now begins at $449 — a pointy $120 improve over its predecessor. When you select to improve your storage and connectivity for a grand whole of $749, you’re then a price ticket that’s solely $50 shy of the bottom M2 iPad Professional with Wi-Fi. Add within the potential accent prices if you’d like an Apple Pencil and/or an official keyboard case, and also you’re in MacBook Air territory. A funds pill, this isn’t.

You should buy the Apple iPad (tenth technology) direct from Apple and through main third-party retailers around the globe.

The iPad’s top-to-bottom redesign has been a very long time coming. It’s the primary mannequin to ditch the traditional chunky chin and brow, and it’s a welcome change. The evened-out bezels look way more fashionable, and the aluminum building is powerful, but it nonetheless feels mild in hand. It’s nearly equivalent to the refreshed iPad Air, which helped to kickstart Apple’s redesign part. Apple’s penchant for vivid colours works properly on the iPad (tenth technology), too. The brilliant yellow model I examined would really feel totally misplaced in a boardroom, however it’s proper at residence as a Netflix-streaming, Asphalt 9-playing pill, too.

As we’ve seen on different redesigned iPads, the flattened aluminum sides deliver a bunch of modifications. There are actually stereo audio system — two on every of the shorter sides — changing the outdated mono speaker setup. I’ve had no issues with quantity or readability, although the iPad (tenth technology) appears to desire the underside audio system to the highest. The revamped design additionally strikes the Contact ID sensor into the place beforehand held by the ability button, one thing I’d positive wish to see on an iPhone. It’s fast and correct, although it may be a little bit of a attain relying on the way you maintain your pill.

That is the primary base iPad to shift away from Apple’s famed 4:3 side ratio. The just about-square setup was the desire for years, because it was deemed one of the best ways to learn a webpage. Nevertheless, webpages have grow to be such a small slice of what the iPad can deal with, so Apple adopted the 23:16 ratio for its iPad Air collection, and now has adopted swimsuit for the tenth gen iPad. The shift additionally cements the usual iPad as a pill meant for use in panorama. It’s far more comfy for video streaming and writing in apps like Google Docs.

You’ll nonetheless run into black bars above and beneath most reveals and films, however they’re slimmer than on earlier iPads. Many apps additionally default to the panorama orientation, as seen in CBS Sports activities down beneath. However the greatest telltale signal that Apple is pondering horizontally is the iPad’s selfie digital camera, which now sits reverse the keyboard sensible connectors, performing as a “this facet up” indicator. Why landscape-centered cameras haven’t been adopted by different iPads is a query for an additional time, however the benefit is that you simply now not appear like you’re staring into house on a video name. So far as high quality goes, it’s satisfactory sufficient for FaceTime wants and the occasional selfie, however you in all probability received’t need to use it for far more.

The iPad’s rear 12MP shooter can be tremendous — it’s the identical sensor you’d discover on the iPhone SE (2022). It shouldn’t be your first alternative for pictures, however it’ll do in a pinch. You may get respectable particulars in good lighting, however portrait mode isn’t an choice. Simply please, please don’t deliver it to your child’s recital. Different folks need to see too.

Apple’s iPadOS 16 operates very similar to Android 12L, providing key iOS options with some big-screen extras. The taskbar makes life so much simpler, maintaining just a few of your favourite apps inside attain always, in addition to others you’ve used not too long ago. There are a handful of useful widgets to dive into — even when the shapes aren’t all that thrilling — and the App Library provides you the choice of an almost-clean residence display screen. You would possibly want that App Library, too, given the in depth listing of apps optimized for iPadOS 16. Most apps appear to play higher with the iPad than they do with comparable Android tablets resulting from years of devoted work from Apple and third-party builders. One exception is Instagram, which sits in a nook and screams like a toddler left behind in a Walmart regardless of which massive display screen platform you select.

The iPad additionally advantages from Apple’s unmatched ecosystem integration. It feels immediately at residence utilized in tandem with an iPhone and/or Apple Watch, and it will probably act as a succesful second display screen for a Mac. Common Management, for instance, permits you to seamlessly share one keyboard and mouse throughout your trusty Mac and your iPad.

Though Apple’s A14 Bionic processor is now not positioned to set the world on hearth, it feels properly matched to the iPad (tenth technology). That’s to not say it has any scarcity of energy, however true hardcore customers seeking to showcase their benchmark totals would possibly desire an M1- or M2-equipped various. For the remainder of us with on a regular basis wants, there’s no have to concern. I had no issues bouncing between information and video games, nor did I discover any lag with a number of apps open. The A14 Bionic doesn’t run into thermal points, both — the iPad (tenth technology) remained a cool buyer even after an hour or two of use. Though the beefed-up iPad Air or iPad Professional could possibly be sufficient to tempt, there’s not a lot want for extra energy than this because it already outmatches primarily each different sub-$500 pill you should buy.

Mentioning battery life, the iPad (tenth technology) has no drawback assembly expectations. Apple pegged it at 10 hours on a single cost, and I simply matched that mark with blended utilization. After all, I didn’t sit down for 10 hours on the bounce, as a substitute letting my display screen time add up over just a few days. You would possibly worsen outcomes in case you lean closely on video streaming, however you shouldn’t have any points in case you break up your time.

Fortunately, the stable battery life means you received’t should hunt for a charger every single day. Tablets aren’t recognized for his or her blistering charging speeds, however it’s powerful to complain concerning the iPad (tenth technology). As soon as I lastly managed to empty the cell, it took about two hours plugged in with the included 20W charger (a rarity today) and USB-C cable to get again to full velocity — fairly truthful for the value level. Apple’s braided USB-C cable can be nicer than what most OEMs toss within the field.

The iPad (tenth technology) is a traditional case of two steps ahead, one step again. It options so many shiny, surface-level enhancements, but it’s loaded with head-scratching quirks. For starters, the headphone jack is gone. That is the primary time we’ve seen a base iPad with no headphone jack, and it’s arduous to just accept that there isn’t house for one. It’s nonetheless a standard characteristic on different low-to-mid-tier non-Apple tablets, even these with slim bezels. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 nonetheless has one, for instance, and it’s tucked rigorously into the nook of the body.

Apple’s bigger show is nice for watching reveals and enjoying video games, however the high quality leaves a bit to be desired. The iPad (tenth technology) doesn’t have a laminated show like most of Apple’s different premium choices. This makes it nice for bulk circumstances like faculties as a result of it’s simpler to restore, however it ends in a extra reflective show. It’s an comprehensible alternative from a enterprise perspective, however it makes private use worse, particularly in direct daylight.

Then there’s the USB-C port. Sure, we’re blissful it’s right here — one much less Lightning cable to fret about — however not all USB-C ports are created equal. The iPad (tenth technology) incorporates a USB-C port restricted to USB 2.0 information speeds, or 480Mbps. If that sounds acquainted, it’s as a result of 480Mbps is similar velocity that Lightning transfers at. The opposite iPads provide sooner USB-C information speeds, with the iPad Professional transferring at 40Gbps, the Air hitting 10Gbps, and even the Mini reaching 5Gbps.

You may perhaps offset the weaker information switch speeds if Apple tried to make up for them in a roundabout way. In spite of everything, the USB-C port ought to imply that the iPad performs good with the second-generation Apple Pencil now that the awkward technique of jamming the first-gen Pencil into the Lightning port is now not an choice… proper? Nope. As a substitute, it’s solely appropriate with the first-generation Apple Pencil. You’ll want a USB-C to Lightning dongle to attach the 2, and it prices $9 as a substitute of coming free within the field.

That’s alright. No less than the iPad remains to be an excellent, budget-friendly worth, proper? Properly, not as a lot of that anymore, both. You’ll now should shell out $449 for the bottom iPad with simply 64GB of storage, a far cry from the traditional $329 worth. It’s nonetheless probably the most inexpensive iPad — barely — however the 64GB of base storage simply isn’t an inexpensive quantity whenever you’re spending over $400. Shifting to the next tier comes at much more of a value. Leaping to 256GB prices $599, which you can spend on a base iPad Air (fifth technology) as a substitute to get the M1 chipset and second-gen Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard assist. You may additionally drop $499 on the iPad Mini (sixth technology), which has a more moderen A15 Bionic chipset inside and in addition helps the newest Apple Pencil.

Oh, and if you wish to decorate, count on to spend so much more cash alongside the best way. The brand new Magic Keyboard Folio, which is just appropriate with the tenth technology iPad, prices a whopping $249. When you select to go all-in on the 256GB, cellular-enabled mannequin with the folio, you’re $1,000 when it’s all stated and finished. At that time, you’re dropping the identical amount of money as a MacBook Air (M1). Likewise, whereas pairing the iPad as much as a elaborate keyboard case for laptop-like performance completely viable, for no matter arbitrary cause the iPad (tenth technology) doesn’t assist iOS 16’s Stage Supervisor characteristic for improved multitasking.

Judged in full isolation, Apple’s tenth technology iPad is a superb pill. It feels extra like a contemporary member of the iPad household than a funds afterthought due to its flattened edges, revamped Contact ID sensor, and 4 equal bezels. The efficiency is the whole lot you can ask for from an on a regular basis pill with an enormous show, and the battery life is nothing to scoff at. Anybody with expertise within the Apple ecosystem can decide up iPadOS 16 and know the place the whole lot is and the way it operates inside minutes.

The issue is that the iPad (tenth technology) doesn’t exist inside a vacuum. As a substitute, it needs to be put into context in opposition to its predecessor and the remainder of Apple’s lineup. The $120 worth improve takes the pill from a slam-dunk worth to a barely underpowered various inside placing distance of the iPad Air (fifth technology) ($559 at Amazon) and iPad Mini (sixth technology) ($399.99 at Amazon). When you think about that Apple nonetheless presents the earlier ninth-generation iPad ($298 at Amazon), it additional hurts the worth proposition.

Outdoors of iPadOS, there are just a few funds Android choices you can take into account, too. We’ve already talked about the Galaxy Tab A8 ($229.99 at Amazon), which follows a number of of the identical design cues for nearly half the value. It presents a good wider side ratio, which is even higher for widescreen content material. Nevertheless, it positively can’t match Apple for efficiency. Amazon’s Fireplace HD 10 Plus ($219) is one other inexpensive choice, once more with a landscape-oriented selfie digital camera. It does require you to surrender on Google providers and cope with some poor audio system, however Amazon’s largest pill helps wi-fi charging and is mostly nice worth for the cash, particularly for Amazon Prime subscribers.

If it had been solely the elevated asking worth that was holding the iPad (tenth technology) again that may be one factor, however there are some head-scratching decisions elsewhere, too. The headphone jack is a casualty of the brand new design, and the USB-C port isn’t a lot better than the Lightning port it replaces if you wish to switch information to and from different storage units. Then, there’s the complicated Apple Pencil compatibility — did we actually have to get to a degree the place it’s important to purchase a dongle as a substitute of Apple merely making the iPad appropriate with the second-gen Pencil? You’ll additionally should spend an arm and a leg to spherical out your setup with the flamboyant new Magic Keyboard Folio case.

Finally, the iPad (tenth technology) is an efficient pill, however I’m unsure who to advocate it to. If you would like a pill to your children, I’d purchase the predecessor and save the $120. I’d advocate the identical for consumers in Europe — the value hike is even steeper than within the UK or the US. In the meantime, the iPad Mini is a greater wager for portability, whereas the iPad Air is extra highly effective and feature-rich (together with Stage Supervisor assist) with out costing an excessive amount of extra. It’s an equally odd match for the schooling market and plenty of companies, as college students, academics, and staff must muddle with easy-to-lose adapters in the event that they need to use Apple’s stylus.

Whilst you in all probability wouldn’t ever remorse truly shopping for one, Apple’s long-standing pill for nearly all people has lastly reached some extent (and a worth) the place it doesn’t take advantage of sense for nearly anyone.