iPad 10 vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Is the $150 Difference Worth It? - MacRumors

With the aforesaid design, show size, camera systems, and more, the entry-level iPad is present person than ever to the iPad Air. With conscionable $150 betwixt the 2 devices, precisely however antithetic are they and which should you buy?

Now starting astatine $449, the 10th-generation ‌iPad‌ is much costly than its predecessor, which remains connected sale for the aforesaid $329 starting price. This means that the 10th-generation ‌iPad‌ is conscionable $150 little than the $599 starting terms of the ‌iPad Air‌ that Apple released earlier this year, efficaciously becoming a caller instrumentality successful the mediate of the ninth-generation ‌iPad‌ and the ‌iPad Air‌, with a premix of features from some devices.

The 10th-generation exemplary completes the translation of the ‌iPad‌ merchandise lineup toward a level look with squared-off edges, nary location button, and an all-screen plan with curved corners. With the nonstop aforesaid show size and identical features similar a Touch ID apical button, USB-C port, and 5G connectivity, galore prospective customers whitethorn present beryllium considering a acquisition of the modular ‌iPad‌ alternatively of the ‌iPad Air‌ – but determination are much differences betwixt the devices than instantly meets the eye.

The M1 spot and treble the magnitude of representation marque the ‌iPad Air‌ overmuch much almighty than the 10th-generation ‌iPad‌. Combined with a much precocious display, enactment for the second-generation Apple Pencil, a thinner and lighter design, and adjacent a antithetic enactment of colour options, galore users inactive person bully reasons to penchant the ‌iPad Air‌.

So should you see buying the 10th-generation ‌iPad‌ to prevention money, oregon bash you request the ‌iPad Air‌ instead? This breakdown serves arsenic a wide mode to spot each the similarities and differences betwixt the 2 devices.

Similarities

Beyond their designs, the 2 iPads stock the bulk of their cardinal features, adjacent including retention options:

• Apple silicon spot with 16-core Neural Engine, fabricated with 5nm process
• 10.9-inch Liquid Retina show (2360‑by‑1640 solution astatine 264 ppi) with True Tone and 500 nits max brightness (typical)
• Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
• 12MP Wide rear camera with ƒ/1.8 aperture, integer zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 3 for photos, 4K video signaling astatine 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, oregon 60 fps, Extended dynamic scope for video up to 30 fps, 3x video zoom, Slo-mo video enactment for 1080p astatine 120 fps oregon 240 fps, and Time-lapse video with stabilization
• 12MP Ultra Wide front-facing camera with ƒ/2.4 aperture, 2x zoom out, Center Stage, Retina Flash, Smart HDR 3 for photos, Extended dynamic scope for video up to 30 fps, Cinematic video stabilization
• ‌Touch ID‌ apical button
• Landscape two-speaker audio
• USB-C port
• 5G connectivity connected cellular models
• Up to 10 hours of artillery life
• 64GB and 256GB retention options

Differences

The main quality betwixt the devices is their chips and magnitude of memory, truthful if you program connected utilizing your ‌iPad‌ for much demanding tasks similar 3D graphic design, precocious photograph editing, and gaming, the ‌iPad Air‌ volition beryllium the amended prime by far. The ‌M1‌ chip's dedicated media motor volition besides beryllium peculiarly adjuvant erstwhile video editing, and supports ‌Stage Manager‌, Apple's caller multitasking strategy for the ‌iPad‌.

The 10th-generation ‌iPad‌'s show lacks P3 wide color, afloat lamination, and an anti-reflective coating. While these aspects are improbable to beryllium large reasons to penchant the ‌iPad Air‌, they are worthy bearing successful caput erstwhile trying to warrant the $150 leap to the much costly device.

The ‌iPad Air‌ is marginally thinner and lighter, with differences that are truthful insignificant arsenic to beryllium unimportant to astir customers, but the much muted tones of its colour options whitethorn marque it much oregon little appealing based connected your idiosyncratic preferences.

The lone consciousness successful which the ‌iPad‌ is materially amended than the ‌iPad Air‌ is Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, but this is simply a precise insignificant difference. The scenery front-facing camera whitethorn supply a amended video-calling experience, but the camera hardware itself is identical.

‌Apple Pencil‌ enactment is besides a cardinal consideration. Support for the first-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ is simply a large disadvantage for the 10th-generation ‌iPad‌, not slightest owed to the information that an adapter is needed to brace and complaint it. The first-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ is besides longer and heavier, has a headdress that needs to beryllium removed for charging, and cannot magnetically drawback to the broadside of the ‌iPad‌ for storage, which could beryllium important factors for those prone to losing things. People who program to usage the ‌Apple Pencil‌ heavy for tasks similar note-taking and illustration volition undoubtedly person a importantly amended acquisition with the ‌iPad Air‌.

While some devices enactment outer keyboards, they person antithetic strengths. The 10th-generation ‌iPad‌'s Magic Keyboard Folio volition beryllium amended for table-typers, those who similar relation keys, and those who privation to easy detatch the keyboard but support the ‌iPad‌ propped up connected a surface, portion the ‌iPad Air‌'s Magic Keyboard is amended for lap-typers and those who privation backlighting.

In theory, the ‌iPad Air‌ is simply a much compelling bundle with the ‌M1‌ chip, 4GB of further memory, a dedicated media engine, ‌Stage Manager‌ for multitasking, a amended display, and a overmuch amended ‌Apple Pencil‌ experience, but successful practice, users are improbable to announcement overmuch quality betwixt the devices. Unless you person circumstantial needs for the ‌iPad Air‌'s added features, it volition beryllium worthy redeeming the $150 and buying the 10th-generation ‌iPad‌.

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