iPad (10th Generation)
Apple (Hacker News):
Apple today introduced the new iPad with an all-screen design featuring a large 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display. The new iPad is powered by the A14 Bionic chip, which delivers even faster performance with incredible power efficiency for demanding tasks while still providing all-day battery life. Updated cameras include an Ultra Wide 12MP front camera located along the landscape edge of iPad for an even better video calling experience, and an updated 12MP back camera to capture sharp, vivid photos and 4K video. A USB-C port supports a wide range of accessories, Wi-Fi 6 brings even faster connections, and cellular models feature superfast 5G so users can stay connected on the go. Designed specifically for the new iPad, the all-new Magic Keyboard Folio features an incredible typing experience, a click-anywhere trackpad, and a versatile two-piece design.
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Wi-Fi models of the new iPad are available with a starting price of $449 (US), and Wi-Fi + Cellular models start at $599 (US).
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Apple Pencil (1st generation) is compatible with the new iPad. A new USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter is required for pairing and charging and is included in the box with a new version of Apple Pencil (1st generation) for $99 (US).
The 10th-generation iPad features an all-new design with flat sides and a larger, 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display like the iPad Air. The device now features a Touch ID side button and comes in Blue, Pink, Silver, and Yellow.
The redesign of the iPad—I hesitate to call it the “base-level iPad” for reasons that will be shortly apparent—makes it very similar to the iPad Air, including a USB-C port, Touch ID on the power button, and the same 12MP wide camera. It’s also very slightly larger than the iPad Air in every dimension by about a millimeter, and weighs in at 16 grams heavier. So I guess the “Air” is still earning its moniker there. Sort of.
Where the tenth-generation mainly differs are in a lot of little niceties: it lacks the fully-laminated display, wider P3 color gamut, and antireflective coating of the iPad Air; can’t work with accessories like second-generation Apple Pencil or the Magic Keyboard; and of course has a slower A14 Bionic chip, rather than the current generation iPad Air’s M1.
The Magic Keyboard Folio brings the full-size keys, travel, and responsive feel of the Magic Keyboard to the entry-level iPad for the first time. The function row comes to an Apple iPad keyboard for the first time, providing easy access to shortcuts and making everyday tasks like adjusting volume or display brightness easier. The accessory also features a two-piece design, allowing users to magnetically detatch the keyboard, but continue to use the kickstand and keep the back of the iPad protected.
That answers that: the regular iPad, despite growing to 11” and getting a trackpad accessory, does not get Stage Manager. You have to pay a premium if you want that experience.
Wait, so they’ve redesigned the base iPad to have flat sides like all the other iPads which hold the 2nd gen Pencil magnetically on those sides, but it still only supports the old Pencil?
The new iPad has no magnetic wireless charger on the side to connect to the second-generation Apple Pencil. Only the first-generation Apple Pencil is supported by the device, which normally needs to be plugged into a Lightning port to charge. The iPad now has a USB-C port, meaning that the Apple Pencil can no longer be charged directly via the iPad.
This is a mess. It seems that every iPad user needs the new adapter to pair the Pencil, though it may be possible to charge it via existing Lightning cables. Sure, there’s a large installed base of old iPads and old Pencils, but today’s announcements do nothing to transition them. There’s no USB-C version of the Pencil 1 that can directly connect to the new iPad. Nor can you use a Pencil 2 with it. They’re just going to make millions more legacy Lightning Pencils and dongles.
The Logitech Crayon works with iPads and iPad Pros.
Apple bumps up the price on the base iPad by over [$120] but keeps the flash storage at 64GB?
IMO Price was the most compelling thing about the base iPad. Buying the last gen at $270 on Amazon feels like a much better deal and you can still get that one in Space Gray.
The 64GB and 256GB ninth-generation iPad models continue to be available for $329 and $479, respectively. They are still offered in the same Silver and Space Gray color options, meaning that there has been no change to the pricing or available configurations of the device.
Previously:
- iPad Pro (6th Generation)
- Surface Pro 9
- Reduced Stage Manager iPad Requirements
- iPad Air (5th Generation)
- EU Passes Law to Switch iPhone to USB-C
- iPad (9th Generation)
Update (2022-11-02): Hartley Charlton:
As expected according to rumors, the new iPad’s front-facing camera is now located in the middle of the right bezel of the device. This means that when held in landscape or connected to accessories like the Magic Keyboard Folio, the camera is directly in the center of a user’s eyeline.
As rumored, the new tenth-generation iPad comes without a headphone jack.
Apple’s new 10th-generation iPad is equipped with a slower USB-C port compared to the latest iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini models.
Apple today started selling a new version of the Logitech Crayon with a USB-C port for charging. The original model with a Lightning connector remains available.
So it is bizarre when it appears the teams digging through this bin are not on speaking terms. The flat-sided iPad hardware design feels like it was made to go hand-in-glove with the second-generation Apple Pencil. But the tenth-generation iPad does not support that four year old accessory. The iPad Air is within millimetres of the same size as the tenth-generation iPad, but does not support the new Magic Keyboard Folio accessory because the keyboard relies on a smart connector along the edge instead of on the back.
I just feel like, if your tablet lineup requires you to have six different keyboard models with names like “Smart Keyboard Folio for iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation) and iPad Air (5th generation) - US English” you’ve probably made a wrong turn somewhere
The launch of a new iPad Pro and entry-level iPad means that Apple’s iPad lineup is the largest it has been in recent memory. The wide range of choices, inconsistent features, and confusing compatibility with accessories may be a source of confusion for customers looking for a new iPad.
The new 10th-gen iPads do not replace the home-button/square-corner-display 9th-gen iPads, because the new iPads cost $450 for 64 GB and $600 for 256 GB. Thus the 9th-gen iPads remain, unchanged in price at $330 for 64 GB and $480 for 256 GB. It makes sense if you now think of the 9th-gen iPad as the iPad SE — just without the “SE” name.
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So the iPad lineup as of this week — including accessories — isn’t where anyone would want it to be.
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The one that I just don’t get, though, is the keyboard accessory schism. I don’t see why the new iPads couldn’t have been designed to work with the Magic Keyboard. And if there’s a market for the new two-piece Magic Keyboard Folio in addition to the cantilever-hinged Magic Keyboard, why couldn’t it have been designed as an option that worked with the iPad Air and 11-inch iPad Pro, too?
Since the iPad is not floating and is not attached to a back cover that is part of the keyboard structure itself (Apple’s so-called cantilever design), the Magic Keyboard Folio is harder to use on your lap than a regular Magic Keyboard. You have to carefully balance both the keyboard and the adjustable kickstand that holds the iPad, which doesn’t grant the same flexibility or comfort as the Magic Keyboard.
The part that connects the keyboard to the keyboard attachment is made of soft rubber material, so it slightly wobbles around when you’re typing on your lap. If you’re like me and often use the Magic Keyboard while relaxing on your couch with your knees up in front of you, you’ll want to be extra careful when trying to do so with a Magic Keyboard Folio unless you want to slap yourself in the face with an iPad. You can use the Magic Keyboard Folio on your lap, but the Magic Keyboard’s unified design gives you more flexibility and a sturdier structure as far as lap usage goes.
That puts this iPad in a weird spot — it’s certainly better than the ninth-gen model (which is still great), but it costs considerably more and is not as good as an iPad Air.
Unfortunately, if you’re a fan of the Apple Pencil, I don’t think I can really recommend this iPad. The 10th-generation iPad only supports the first-generation Apple Pencil, which was supplanted four years ago by the Apple Pencil 2.
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If you don’t care about the Apple Pencil and aren’t someone who pushes the iPad to its limits, this is a really good iPad. Getting rid of the home button improves this product just as it did the iPad Air. If you never want to attach a keyboard to an iPad or draw on it but just want to use it in its basic state as a touchscreen tablet, I think you’ll be more than satisfied with the 10th-generation iPad.
I’ll throw in the brand-new 11-inch iPad Pro and the 9th-gen iPad to boot for a price comparison of all the 11-ish-inch iPads in the lineup today[…]
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But in terms of the fundamental question facing would-be buyers — “Which iPad should I get?” — I don’t think this lineup is confusing. I’d argue, in fact, that it’s less confusing, because the lineup is more complete. Prior to last week, there was a significant gap between the 9th-generation iPad (which remains in the lineup, unchanged in price) and the iPad Air. The 10th-gen iPad fills that gap.
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Unless you need pressure sensitivity or dislike the feel of a carpenter’s pencil in your hand, Logitech’s new 2nd-gen Crayon is a clear winner compared to Apple’s Pencil 1.
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My biggest gripe is that the key layout mimics a baffling design decision from the 11-inch Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio: the left bracket key is full-width, but the right bracket key is half-width.
iPad decision flowchart.
We have rounded up written and video reviews of the new iPad below.
Update (2024-05-07): Joe Rossignol:
Apple today discontinued the ninth-generation iPad, which was the final iPad model that it sold with a Lightning port. In addition, Apple lowered the price of the tenth-generation iPad, which now starts at $349 in the U.S. instead of $449.
Previously:
11 Comments RSS · Twitter
My big takeaway is that in hardware vision the Microsoft Surface got literally everything right a full decade ago, and Apple is still struggling to copy it.
The second takeaway is that the iPad lineup is a complete mess, a random mishmash of old and new features, designs, and leftover components, and that it's been that way for so long that that must somewhy be intentional.
This sounds like the most idiotic iPad in a long time. Apple Pencil v1? When did that come out, 5 years ago?!? This sounds like something Microsoft would do.
The way these were quietly snuck out without much warning does how little Apple care about them.
Bet all the cool kids are doing cars and AR, and the tablets are left for the interns to sort out.
> They’re just going to make millions more legacy Lightning Pencils and dongles.
This is just the tip of the iceberg for this forced transition to USB-C by the EU.
Apple warned about the waste it would create, but it was decided this was a fair price to pay to be able to charge iPhone and iPad without an extra cable.
@Ben The Pencil v1 is actually from 2015! Even Pencil v2 is from 2018.
@Jean-Daniel It shows that Apple doesn’t really care about the waste because they stubbornly delayed switching even though this was entirely foreseeable, and now that they’re being forced to switch they’re doing it in a way that creates more waste.
They’re also creating waste by not shipping a Pencil that can work with all iPads, which we know is possible because Logitech is doing it.
Macrumors is reporting that this new iPad also has a worse display and no headphone jack. What is Apple doing?
Ben G: Worse display that the Air, but still better than the 9th gen. I think some of Apple's decisions on the 10th gen are poor, like with the Pencil, but the display is what you'd expect for an iPad with a price between the 9th gen and Air, right?
It feels that this is a transitional year for iPads and iPads Pro. Hopefully Apple will address all those inconsistencies next year, probably starting with iPad mini (M1 too).
Some of the improvements seem to be a relatively low hanging fruits and making it available on all models will make it a good base.
Landscape cameras, support for new folio keyboards, Pencil 2 support - are all should be there on all models.
Pro and Air have plenty of differentiation like better chips, better screens, better cameras, more RAM, magic keyboard support, thunderbolt etc.
And if Apple would manage to bring Dynamic Island to Pro, Air and mini would be just awesome.
The Washington Post's headline take on the new iPad?
"Apple’s new entry-level iPad just got more expensive"
As a few people have mentioned, discounted 2021 iPad models just became more interesting. I like the idea of a 10.2" iPad with a Home button and a headphone jack for under $300.
And now the 10th iPad has USB-C that is limited to USB-2.0 speeds. Wtf? Is Apple trying to piss people off just to save 10 cents of their manufacturing costs? This reeks of Performa-era Apple.
