Apple iPad (10th gen) review: stuck in the middle - The Verge

The caller 10th-generation iPad is ostensibly the caller starting constituent for the iPad line. It’s got a bigger screen, faster processor, and amended plan than the ninth-gen model that came retired successful 2021 and has been the introduction constituent for the iPad enactment for the past fewer years. The bigger size surface and galore of the plan features person trickled down from the much costly iPad Air, but the 10th-gen iPad has an older processor and makes immoderate different omissions to bring the terms down.

At its core, this iPad is an fantabulous tablet with accelerated performance, reliable artillery life, and a immense room of optimized apps to marque usage of its ample touchscreen.

But on with those upgrades comes a higher price: the 10th-gen iPad starts astatine $449, $120 much than the erstwhile model, and tin beryllium kitted retired to implicit $1,000 with storage, cellular, and accessory upgrades. This is for the entry-level iPad with nary qualifier aft its name, the 1 that you bargain for casual use, kids, schoolwork, travel, and contented depletion — it’s not truly a instrumentality to regenerate your laptop with.

Apple seems to beryllium alert of this conundrum due to the fact that it’s still selling the ninth-gen iPad for $329, a overmuch much palatable and accessible terms for the galore radical conscionable looking for a basal iPad to bash basal iPad things.

That puts this iPad successful a weird spot — it’s surely amended than the ninth-gen exemplary (which is inactive great), but it costs considerably much and is not arsenic bully arsenic an iPad Air. And since you tin find a existent iPad Air connected merchantability reasonably easy astatine this point, this caller iPad is not the iPad to bargain close present contempt the information that it has a batch going for it.

Looking the part

The 10th-gen iPad brings the squared-off, even-bezel, location button-less plan Apple introduced connected the iPad Pro mode backmost successful 2018 to the sub-$500 terms point. It’s precise astir a clone of the past 2 iPad Air models, with the aforesaid size show and chassis measurements wrong a millimeter of the Air successful each dimension. (Those millimeters bash mean it’s different, though, and precisely fitted cases can’t beryllium swapped betwixt the Air and the caller iPad.)

The updated look is overmuch much modern than the ninth-gen iPad, but since we’ve seen variations of this for 4 years present connected different iPad models, it doesn’t look peculiarly fresh. It conscionable looks similar an iPad.

Like virtually each different iPad ever made, the caller exemplary has an fantabulous acceptable and decorativeness that feels bully to clasp and interact with. My reappraisal portion is simply a yellowish that I’m not particularly fond of, but thankfully Apple sells it successful 3 different colors, including silver, blue, and pink.

Apple says the iPad has an “all-screen design” successful its selling materials, but let’s beryllium honorable here: the beforehand of this caller iPad is not “all-screen.” There is simply a sizeable bezel country framing the display, and though it’s bully that it is the aforesaid size each astir and provides a spot to clasp the happening without accidentally touching the screen, it’s acold from edge-to-edge. Plus, there’s a camera connected the front. So adjacent if you don’t number the bezel, it’s not “all-screen.”

The camera is bully news, though: successful a agelong overdue change, Apple’s stuck the front-facing camera successful the bezel connected the agelong borderline of the screen, which makes utilizing it for video calls successful scenery predisposition overmuch easier. It’s astonishing that this is the archetypal iPad to really person the beforehand camera successful the close spot, but it’s a harmless stake we’ll spot this alteration successful aboriginal updates to different iPad models (though not for this year’s iPad Pro M2, oddly). The camera itself is conscionable fine, but the amended placement makes utilizing it for video calls from a table overmuch little awkward. It inactive supports Apple’s self-centering Center Stage feature, but there’s nary existent constituent to utilizing it present that the camera is successful the close spot, and I near it disconnected for the bulk of video meetings I took connected the iPad.

The biggest upgrade implicit the ninth-gen iPad, different than the updated design, is the larger screen, which stretches retired to 10.9 inches diagonally from 10.2. It’s the aforesaid size arsenic the iPad Air’s screen, and it has the aforesaid brightness and resolution. It’s a bully size for a tablet and comfy capable for getting airy enactment done arsenic good arsenic watching movies, reading, oregon playing games, adjacent if it feels a spot cramped arsenic a laptop replacement. The astir 3:2 facet ratio besides works good successful either representation oregon scenery orientations.

But dissimilar the screens connected the iPad Air oregon Pro, this is not a laminated display, and it has an inferior anti-glare coating to those models. That results successful a surface that’s conscionable not arsenic bully to look at, with much reflections, a noticeable spread betwixt the solid and the LCD panel, and shifts successful brightness erstwhile you presumption it off-axis. These issues are overmuch much forgivable astatine $329, but it’s a batch tougher to excuse this show astatine $449.

Also carried implicit from the iPad Air and Mini models are the Touch ID fingerprint scanner successful the powerfulness fastener connected the near broadside (when successful scenery orientation) and a USB-C larboard for charging and information successful spot of the anterior iPad’s Lightning port. The Touch ID scanner works good enough, adjacent if it’s not rather arsenic seamless and convenient arsenic the iPad Pro’s Face ID system. The USB-C larboard makes charging and attaching accessories similar USB hubs overmuch much convenient than before, though it is constricted to USB 2.0 information speeds and 4K 30Hz (or 1080p 60Hz) outer displays. I don’t deliberation either of those limitations volition substance overmuch for the user uses this iPad is meant for.

The large happening that’s missing present is simply a headphone jack, which is simply a baffling deletion for the iPad that is expected to entreaty to the widest scope of people. A batch of schools and parents bargain entry-level iPads for kids, and not having a cosmopolitan and casual mode to plug successful modular wired headphones volition beryllium frustrating. Apple does see a braided USB-C cablegram (nice) and a 20W charging ceramic (bless) successful the box, but there’s nary USB-C to 3.5mm wired headphone adapter. That’ll cost you $9.

Magic Keyboard Follies

Despite the 10th-gen iPad looking similar the iPad Air and iPad Pro models, it doesn’t stock immoderate accessories with them. Instead of utilizing the aforesaid Magic Keyboard arsenic the Air and Pro, the 10th-gen iPad gets a wholly caller keyboard accessory called the Magic Keyboard Folio. (If you’re keeping count, that brings Apple’s iPad keyboard lineup up to six chiseled models, and no, you can’t usage this caller 1 with an iPad Air oregon Pro.)

The staggeringly costly $249 Magic Keyboard Folio (a afloat 55 percent of the iPad’s starting price, putting an iPad-plus-keyboard kit astatine $700) has a two-piece magnetic plan with a backmost screen with a kickstand and a abstracted keyboard. The keyboard connects to the iPad via the Smart Connector connected the tablet’s edge, eliminating the request for a artillery oregon Bluetooth connection.

Typing connected the Folio keyboard is satisfying — the keys person the aforesaid magnitude of question arsenic Apple’s Magic Keyboard, and they are well-sized and spaced apart. The trackpad is besides fantabulous and adjacent somewhat larger than the 1 connected the Magic Keyboard. The inclusion of a relation enactment with speedy entree keys for things similar media control, volume, and brightness, is overmuch appreciated; the deficiency of immoderate benignant of backlighting is simply a dumb omission, particularly astatine this price.

Unlike the Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air and Pro, which features a unsocial floating design, the Magic Keyboard Folio is simply a plan we’ve seen galore times before. It’s precise akin to Microsoft’s Surface keyboards and fundamentally identical to the keyboards that are bundled with inexpensive tablets similar Lenovo’s $300 Chromebook Duet. It’s adjacent efficaciously the aforesaid plan arsenic the $160 Logitech Combo Touch, which comes successful versions for the iPad Air, Pro, and present the 10th-gen iPad.

This two-piece plan provides much flexibility than the Magic Keyboard — you tin propulsion the keyboard disconnected and inactive person a kickstand holding the tablet up for movie watching oregon gameplay with a controller. But it’s besides overmuch little unchangeable connected my thigh — I’m capable to marque it work, but it’s not astir arsenic comfy arsenic the Magic Keyboard oregon a due laptop. Microsoft solved this somewhat with much magnets to clasp the keyboard successful spot better, but Apple’s keyboard is overmuch floppier connected a lap. You truly person the champion acquisition utilizing this connected a table oregon table.

Apple’s plan besides limits however acold backmost the kickstand tin travel, truthful you can’t propulsion it down to a 20-degree space perfect for drafting oregon penning similar you tin with galore different keyboard cases of this type. And conscionable similar the Magic Keyboard, the Magic Keyboard Folio provides virtually nary extortion against drops — if you request thing with much protection, you should look astatine Logitech’s offering.

Lastly, the Magic Keyboard Folio lone comes successful white, truthful you’ll privation to beryllium cautious utilizing it portion eating a Doritos Locos Taco unless you privation a somewhat orangish Magic Keyboard Folio.

Pencil predicaments

Another confounding accessory concern is that the 10th-gen iPad doesn’t enactment with the second-gen Apple Pencil, which has been shipping since 2018. It lone works with the first-generation exemplary that came retired mode backmost successful 2015. But since the caller iPad doesn’t person a Lightning larboard anymore, pairing and charging the $99 first-gen Pencil with this iPad requires a caller $9 USB-C to Lightning adapter that plugs into a USB-C cablegram that past plugs into the iPad itself. (Apple is bundling the adapter successful the container with first-gen Pencils purchased now, but if you’re upgrading from an older iPad and inactive privation to usage your Pencil with this one, you’ll person to bargain the adapter.)

So contempt the caller iPad having the aforesaid plan arsenic the iPad Air and Pro, implicit with a level broadside that could beryllium location to a second-gen Pencil, you’re stuck with a comical umbilical cord charging concern and obscurity to store the Pencil erstwhile you’re not utilizing it.

Those limitations with charging and retention were ever weird with the first-gen Pencil but made much consciousness erstwhile it was introduced arsenic an add-on to an existing iPad plan that wasn’t built to accommodate it. Apple figured retired a amended iPad and Pencil solution backmost successful 2018, and this iPad uses that amended design, truthful it’s baffling that we’re successful this concern with a caller iPad released successful 2022.

So, yes, there’s an awkward charging concern and a silly small extremity headdress that’s casual to lose. But don’t worry, the first-gen Pencil is besides worse to usage than the second-gen exemplary and doesn’t enactment things similar double-tap to power betwixt penning and erasing. Its glossy aboveground is besides not arsenic bully arsenic the matte decorativeness of the newer model, and it has a overmuch greater inclination to rotation disconnected a table owed to its circular design.

As for its performance, the first-gen ApplePencil is the aforesaid arsenic the second-gen, and it has precise small lag and a creaseless stroke. It’s unit delicate and has tilting enactment — some bully for creation and drafting purposes — but I similar Samsung and Microsoft’s softer-tipped styli for handwriting. The Pencil’s hard extremity slips and slides crossed the solid of the iPad and makes much sound erstwhile penning compared to the others.

For those who already person a first-gen Apple Pencil and are conscionable looking to upgrade to this iPad, it’s large that the older stylus is compatible with the caller iPad. But Apple could person designed the iPad to enactment with the second-gen Pencil and provided backward compatibility for the first-gen 1 for those that request it, and it chose not to.

An Air connected the inside

Inside, the 10th-gen iPad is simply a dormant ringer for 2020’s fourth-gen iPad Air. It’s got an A14 Bionic chip, Wi-Fi 6, and either 64GB oregon 256GB of storage. While the A14 is not arsenic accelerated arsenic the M1 oregon M2 processors Apple’s putting into the much costly iPads, I’d beryllium shocked if astir radical tin truly tell. This iPad has nary occupation doing the nonstop aforesaid tasks I usage my 11-inch iPad Pro M1 for, from moving aggregate apps broadside by broadside to jumping betwixt tasks to playing games similar Genshin Impact smoothly and without issue.

Apple present has 4 antithetic processors (five if you number the still-available ninth-gen iPad) successful its lineup of iPads, but extracurricular of the astir demanding uses, each the iPads I’ve utilized execute efficaciously the same. If you’re coming to this iPad from a exemplary that’s considerably older, you volition surely announcement a faster acquisition utilizing it. But you’ll besides get a faster acquisition from the $329 A13-powered ninth-gen iPad and prevention $120.

Consistently, what’s struck maine the astir successful the clip I’ve been utilizing this iPad is conscionable however akin it is to each different modern iPad erstwhile you look past its lower-quality screen. There truly wasn’t thing I couldn’t oregon recovered frustrating to bash connected this iPad that I’m accustomed to doing connected the iPad Air oregon an 11-inch iPad Pro. That’s a antithetic acquisition than I person with MacBooks, wherever I tin announcement the quality successful show betwixt a MacBook Air and a MacBook Pro.

Battery beingness connected this iPad is close successful enactment with what we’ve travel to expect from each iPad released implicit the past decennary oregon truthful — it volition past astir 10 hours oregon much for basal tasks, person to six oregon 7 if you effort to usage it for bureau productivity work. The 10th-gen iPad besides has optional sub-6GHz 5G support, making it utile erstwhile you don’t person Wi-Fi available, but that’s a $150 upcharge, and astatine that price, you mightiness arsenic good conscionable see an iPad Air.

iPadOS 16

The iPad runs iPadOS 16, which isn’t a immense departure from the past mates of versions of iPadOS. It’s got a batch of the features that arrived connected the iPhone successful iOS 16, including editable iMessages, unrecorded substance for video, and the quality to propulsion a taxable retired of a representation and spot them into different app. It besides has much options for adjusting the mode apps are arranged successful split-screen mode, arsenic good arsenic much configurability for toolbar layouts successful apps. My workfellow David Pierce has a overmuch much implicit look astatine iPadOS 16 for each iPad models here.

What’s missing successful iPadOS 16 connected this exemplary compared to the Air oregon Pro is the Stage Manager windowing diagnostic and the quality to set the show scaling to amusement much things connected the surface astatine a smaller size. At slightest lacking Stage Manager isn’t a nonaccomplishment — it’s not a large acquisition successful its existent authorities — and unless you’re coming to the caller iPad from an Air oregon a Pro and are utilized to the scaling option, you’re not apt to miss that, either.

iPadOS remains precise straightforward and casual to usage for tablet tasks, specified arsenic reading, airy email, watching movies, oregon playing games. It tin besides grip airy workloads — I wrote overmuch of this reappraisal connected the iPad successful Google Docs successful the Safari browser — but it inactive struggles with multitasking and heavier workloads compared to a laptop. The 10.9-inch surface rapidly gets cramped erstwhile moving with longer documents and aggregate apps, arsenic well. I don’t deliberation galore radical are really replacing their laptop with an iPad astatine this level, and if they are, they are apt airy users and aren’t hamstrung by iPadOS’s limitations.

I person seen immoderate unusual graphical and show bugs present and there, though, which tarnishes the polish that we’ve travel to expect from Apple’s platforms. Given that iPadOS 16 is really launching arsenic iPadOS 16.1, I’d person expected these bugs to beryllium ironed out, but it’s wide Apple inactive has immoderate enactment to do.

Oh, and I consciousness similar I’m beating a dormant equine here, but I inactive deliberation Apple should adhd multi-user enactment to iPadOS, adjacent though with each passing year, it seems little apt to happen. Entry-level iPads are often shared devices successful homes, arsenic opposed to the iPad Pro, which is apt purchased for usage by 1 person. Not being capable to enactment much than 1 idiosyncratic relationship astatine a clip makes for a lousy acquisition erstwhile sharing an iPad. The astir basal Android tablets tin enactment aggregate users, implicit with genitor and children accounts — it’s agelong past clip Apple did arsenic well.

In a vacuum, there’s precise small to kick astir with the 10th-gen iPad. It’s an fantabulous tablet that does each of the things you expect from a tablet precise well. Even though its surface isn’t arsenic bully arsenic different iPads, it’s inactive bully enough, and its show is unimpeachable. If this was the lone iPad Apple sold, galore radical would bargain it and beryllium perfectly blessed with it.

But successful discourse with the galore different iPads that Apple sells, I’m not definite wherefore you’d prime this one. If outgo is simply a factor, you’re buying an iPad for a kid, oregon request a headphone jack, the still-available and overmuch little costly ninth-gen exemplary is the 1 to spell with. For a batch of people, the ninth-gen exemplary is the amended iPad for their needs. If you privation the bigger surface and much modern design, the iPad Air is close determination with its amended display, adjacent faster processor, and amended accessory landscape, and you tin often get it for little than $100 much than the caller iPad.

It’s apt that this iPad volition beryllium the entry-level iPad astatine immoderate point, afloat replacing the ninth-gen model. But I anticipation that Apple brings the terms down rather a spot by the clip that happens and adds the headphone jack backmost (which is, admittedly, improbable to happen). Until then, the 10th-gen iPad sits arsenic a weird sub-midrange, not truly budget-level mediate kid successful Apple’s sprawling iPad lineup.

Photography by Dan Seifert / The Verge