iPad reviews have landed for Apple’s 10th-generation entry-level model, and they are somewhat mixed. The main feeling is that the price means the new model sits somewhat uncomfortably between the 9th generation – which Apple still sells – and the iPad Air.
Whether it’s worth the money is something on which reviewers don’t agree, some saying that this is the new default iPad, while others think you should go for the older model or the Air, depending on the features you want …
The Verge says it’s an excellent tablet, and welcomes the larger screen and USB-C charging, but says it’s hard to justify the price in the lineup.
The 10th-gen iPad brings the squared-off, even-bezel, home-button-less design Apple introduced on the iPad Pro way back in 2018 to the sub-$500 price point. It’s very nearly a clone of the last two iPad Air models […]
But unlike the screens on the iPad Air or Pro, this is not a laminated display, and it has an inferior anti-glare coating to those models. That results in a screen that’s just not as nice to look at, with more reflections, a noticeable gap between the glass and the LCD panel, and shifts in brightness when you view it off-axis. These issues are much more forgivable at $329, but it’s a lot tougher to excuse this display at $449 […]
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. And since you can find a current iPad Air on sale fairly easily at this point, this new iPad is not the iPad to buy right now despite the fact that it has a lot going for it.
Wired’s Brenda Stoylar says she initially loved it, but don’t buy it.
I can’t pinpoint exactly why I was so easily enamored with the new 10th-generation iPad. Maybe it was the array of candy colors, or the more modern design sans the classic Home button. Maybe it was the new placement for the front-facing camera, which meant I no longer had to stare awkwardly to the side during video calls. Or the support for the floaty Magic Keyboard Folio with a detachable keyboard and a kickstand.
But it wasn’t long before the bubble burst. When you crunch the numbers, reality sets in. The affordable and plenty-capable iPad that used to start at $329 has now been hiked up to $449. That’s without the added cost of accessories (Apple charges $249 for the Keyboard Folio). It‘s tough to justify a $120 price hike over its predecessor—especially when one of the “upgrades” is the removal of the headphone jack. It doesn’t help that Apple is continuing to sell the ninth-gen iPad for $329, and you can typically find the iPad Air for roughly $519 at retailers like Amazon. The 10th-gen tablet sits in an odd spot […]
There are a handful of alternatives that’ll give you more bang for your buck than the 10th-gen iPad. Want to spend as little as possible? You’ll get nearly the same experience with the ninth-generation iPad, which regularly sells for $299 on Amazon. You should also go with the Logitech Combo Touch ($148), an excellent keyboard case that’ll bring your total to $447. If you don’t mind spending more, the M1-powered iPad Air usually is $519 at Amazon. You’ll get support for the second-generation Apple Pencil and a fully laminated display with an anti-reflective coating. Tack on the Zagg Pro Keys keyboard case for $150 and you’re at $669—$39 less than the iPad and Magic Keyboard Folio combo.
Stuff says it’s a much-needed overhaul, and is more positive overall.
A much-needed and predictably excellent re-work of the entry-level iPad but pricing is high compared to the 9th generation.
Apple’s new iPad, then, is predictably good. But it’s also disappointingly expensive and it’s a shame this model doesn’t use the 2nd gen Apple Pencil. But there’s much more positive than negative here – this is a big upgrade over the 9th generation model with various welcome enhancements, such as the landscape camera and the more powerful processor. The move to USB-C for the standard iPad range is, of course, welcome.
The similarities to the 2020 iPad Air are striking (even if the screen tech is different) and it’s great that the newer iPad design has finally moved down to the ‘standard’ iPad range. It’s a sensible option if you don’t want Apple Pencil support at all, want that bigger display or don’t want to or need to stretch to the iPad Air. And it’s always worth remembering that despite Apple’s more premium iPads, this is all the iPad most buyers will ever need.
Pocket Lint decries the lack of 2nd-gen Apple Pencil support, 64GB base storage, and lack of laminated and anti-reflective screen, but still sees it as the go-to model.
The Apple iPad (10th generation) is an excellent tablet. It doesn’t have all the features and power of some of the other models within Apple’s portfolio, but it offers an upgraded and improved design, a lovely big display and more than enough power for most tasks.
Sure, you could spend more (£170/$150) and get the iPad Air (2022) with a better display and more power, or you could go all out and invest in the iPad Pro. But if you’re after an everyday tablet to watch movies on, do some work, make some video calls and surf the web, the iPad (10th generation) is a fantastic option.
The iPad (10th generation) is a perfect blend of features and value for money, and with its upgraded design, it’s likely to become the new go-to iPad for most people.
Tech Radar expresses the usual screen and Apple Pencil support complaints, but still sees it as good enough to make it into its Best Tablets list.
There’s much to love about the new iPad (and all its cool colors). It now features the aesthetic first introduced with the 2018 iPad Pro. Gone are the curved edges and wide white bezels, replaced with a perfectly flat back and flat edge running around the perimeter of the device. It’s the most significant design change for the line since the introduction of the iPad Air in 2013 […]
Apple has successfully migrated the base iPad from its classic, first-gen Air looks to an iPad Pro-influenced design, and the result is a high-quality, versatile tablet that will satisfy the broadest set of users, from fun-lovers and content-consumers to those looking to get some work done (with the addition of a separately purchased keyboard cover). While the price hike is dismaying, and the lack of Pencil 2 support is just plain wrong, the iPad 10.9 more than earns its keep, and is a worthy addition to our Best Tablets list.
Slashgear says it’s the new minimum, and you should probably choose this over the still-available 9th-gen model.
Farewell, physical home button; you served us well, but with the arrival of Apple’s 10th-generation iPad (2022), you receive your much-deserved retirement papers. Only, not quite, because Apple is keeping the 9th-generation iPad around as a value play. Still, if we’re talking new-new hardware, the 10th-generation iPad catches up with its tablet and smartphone siblings by ditching the physical in favor of swipes.
It’s a sensible decision, not least because it frees the iPad’s display to stretch like a luxuriating kitten out closer to the edges of the slate. There are still bezels, of course, but since you need somewhere to grip the tablet, I’ll not begrudge them. The 10.9-inch Liquid Retina panel is, on paper at least, much the same as that on the most recent iPad Air, though it’s not identical […]
As a package, then, Apple’s offer this year really does feel well suited to its target audience. I suspect a lot of people who might consider an M1 MacBook Air would be just as much at home doing the same tasks on the new iPad with the Magic Keyboard Folio. I wish the latter was $50 to $100 less expensive, but it’s still a pairing that starts at $698 — or $848 with the useful integrated 5G that Apple continues to withhold from its laptop range […]
While you could go cheaper, you probably shouldn’t.
What’s your take? Please let us know in the comments.
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