Apple's tablet debuted in 2010. Since the original version, it's expanded into multiple screen sizes and Pro and non-Pro options.
The iPad is Apple’s base tablet model. In its ninth generation, the iPad focuses on being the perfect tool for education and people who seek a bigger screen to read and surface the web compared to the iPhone. With Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support, the iPad has never been better.
The iPad is a line of tablets designed and developed by Apple. It was originally announced in 2010, three years after the first iPhone was introduced. With a 9.7-inch screen and with iPhone OS 3.2 the iPad was a success, hitting 1 million tablets sold in over three months, half the time the first iPhone took to reach this mark.
Steve Jobs then unveiled the iPad 2 in March of 2011. About 33% thinner than its predecessor and 15% lighter, the second generation used the A5 chip, twice as faster as its predecessor. The iPad 2 also introduced front and back cameras that supported FaceTime video calls.
The successor of the iPad 2 wasn’t a success at all. The third generation was introduced in March of 2012 with a Retina display and the A5X processor. The problem with this tablet it was too heavy and the battery didn’t last long enough. In October of the same year, Apple announced the fourth generation with the A6X processor, HD FaceTime camera, improved LTE capabilities, and the Lightning connector.
At this October event, Apple also introduced the first iPad mini. In 2013, Apple went with the first iPad Air and the iPad mini 2. In 2015, the company introduced the first Pro model, with two different sizes.
In March of 2017, Apple announced the fifth-generation iPad with the A9 processor. It was a budget option compared to the other tablets. It was in 2018 that the company brought expressive news to the base iPad line. The sixth-generation had the A10 Fusion processor and fully supports the first-generation Apple Pencil.
A year later, the seventh generation was announced with a larger 10.2-inch display and support for the Smart Keyboard as well. It retained most of the specs of the previous model.
In September of 2020, the eighth generation was introduced alongside the fourth-generation iPad Air model. The eighth generation received an upgraded processor, now with the A12 Bionic, while keeping the same storage options: 32GB and 128GB.
In September of 2021, the ninth generation was introduced alongside a redesigned iPad mini. This iPad now features the A13 Bionic processor, True Tone support, and new storage options: 64GB and 256GB while keeping the same price.
iPad 9 Specs
The ninth-generation iPad launched in September of 2021. Available in two colors, Silver and Space Gray, this tablet is made of 100% recyclable aluminum, and supports the first-generation Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard.
With thinner bezels, the product comes with a 10.2-inch Retina display with a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, and True Tone support for the first time, which adjusts screen content to the color temperature of a room.
This tablet uses the A13 Bionic chip, the same available on the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max. It has an “all-day” battery with up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi or watching videos.
The iPad also comes in 64GB and 256GB storage options and Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular versions.
Revamped cameras
For the first time, this iPad shares the same FaceTime camera as the M1 iPad Pro with the Center Stage experience. With a new 12MP Ultra Wide front camera and Neural Engine, users can enjoy even more engaging video calls.
As users move around, Center Stage automatically pans the camera to keep them in view. When others join in, the camera detects them too, and smoothly zooms out to include them in the conversation. Center Stage makes video calls more natural in FaceTime as well as third-party video-calling apps.
Its main camera is the same: 8MP, f/2.4 aperture, and digital zoom up to 5x.
iPadOS 15
The ninth-generation iPad comes with the iPadOS 15. Previewed during the WWDC21 keynote, the new operating system brings a redesigned Home Screen with widgets and App Library support.
On iPadOS 15, FaceTime group calls can finally appear in a grid, so it’s easier to see everyone. It’s also possible to share your screen, listen to Apple Music songs together, or watch Apple TV+, HBO Max, Disney+, and others while in a call.
In the productivity section, Apple, unfortunately, didn’t bring all the features pro users wanted to take full advantage of their new M1 iPad Pro, even though Apple made it easier to rely on multitasking features.
There’s a new multitasking menu on the top of the screen. When you click there, it’s possible to see what configurations you can use on Split View or just go to Slide Over with just a tap.
The experience with an external keyboard allows users to get more done with all-new keyboard shortcuts and a redesign of the menu bar.
With the Quick Note feature, users can use the Apple Pencil to add a quick note. They just need to slide the pencil through the bottom right corner to the center of the screen and start writing.
One month after releasing iPadOS 15, Apple released iPadOS 15.1 More notable, the company finally brought SharePlay support for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Unfortunately, Universal Control wasn’t one of the features added with this new version. Here’s what else is new:
Translate
Mandarin Chinese (Taiwan) support in the Translate app and for system-wide translation
Home
New automation triggers based on the current reading of a HomeKit-enabled humidity, air quality, or light level sensor
Shortcuts
New pre-built actions let you overlay text on images or gifs, plus a new collection of games lets you pass the time with Siri
iPadOS 15.2 features
Five weeks after releasing iPadOS 15.1, Apple is releasing iPadOS 15.2. It brings more features that were expected to launch alongside iPadOS 15 but, unfortunately, Universal Control is still nowhere to be seen. Here are the top features of this version:
Apple Music Voice Plan is a new subscription tier that gives you access to all songs, playlists, and stations in Apple Music using Siri
App Privacy Report in Settings lets you see how often apps have accessed your location, photos, camera, microphone, contacts, and more during the last seven days, as well as their network activity
Communication safety setting gives parents the ability to enable warnings for children when they receive or send photos that contain nudity
Digital Legacy allows you to designate people as Legacy Contacts so they can access your iCloud account and personal information in the event of your death
Apple TV app: Store tab lets you browse, buy, and rent movies and TV Shows all in one place
iPadOS 15.3 features
Six weeks after releasing iPadOS 15.2, Apple is releasing iPadOS 15.3. This update foregoes new features in favor of under-the-hood bug fixes and improvements. One of the most notable changes here is a fix for a Safari vulnerability that may have been leaking your browsing history and Google ID data to the websites you visited.
iPadOS 15.4 features
iPadOS 15.4 finally brings one of the most important features expected from iPadOS 15 and that got delayed: Universal Control. Here’s everything new with iPadOS 15.4:
Universal Control: This feature allows you to control your Mac and iPad using the same keyboard and mouse/trackpad. Universal Control needs iPadOS 15.4 and macOS Monterey 12.3;
New Siri voice: Siri has a fifth American voice. Apple says a member of the LGBTQ+ community recorded the voice and it’s non-binary;
More emoji: iPadOS 15.4 also brings new emojis. You can discover all of the new characters here;
Shortcuts automation: Adds support for running Personal Automations in the background without requiring a pesky banner notification.
Different from other software updates, iPadOS 15.5 only improves the Podcast app experience, as Apple focused on Wallet changes for the iPhone this time:
Apple Podcasts includes a new setting to limit episodes stored on your iPhone and automatically delete older ones
iPadOS 15.6 features
iPadOS 15.6 is yet another small update for iPad users. Here’s what’s news:
TV app adds the option to restart a live sports game already in progress and pause, rewind, or fast-forward.
Fixes an issue where Settings may continue to display that device storage is full even if it is available.
Fixes an issue that may cause Braille devices to slow down or stop responding when navigating text in Mail.
Fixes an issue in Safari where a tab may revert to a previous page.
iPadOS 15.7 features
iPadOS 15.7 only brings bug fixes and some security improvements as the company readies the iPadOS 16 release.
Education
Apple describes this iPad as the go-to tablet for education. For several years the company discounts this tablet up to 10%.
The company says the “App Store is the best place to discover apps” for education purposes:
“Let your curiosity run wild with iPad. The App Store is the best place to discover apps that let you get a leg up in geometry, learn a new language, and attend virtual classes. You can even use augmented reality to learn something exciting, like watching the history of spaceflight unfold in your living room or making characters from your favorite book literally leap off the page.“
Release date: When Apple will launch the ninth-generation iPad?
Apple launched the iPad 9 on September 24, 2021.
Pricing
iPad (2021) pricing starts at $329 for the 32GB storage option with Wi-Fi only. The prices can go up to $559 with the 128GB storage option and WI-Fi + Cellular. Here are the full prices of the ninth-generation tablet:
32GB with Wi-Fi: $329
32GB with Wi-Fi + Cellular: $459
128GB with Wi-Fi: $429
128GB with Wi-Fi + Cellular: $559
Apple Pencil (1st generation): $99
Smart Keyboard: $159
Lower prices may be available from Apple’s official Amazon store.
“The iPad 8 was never meant to be a huge update. But even still, I think this is easily the best value tablet you can buy. For $329, this tablet has so much to offer: The performance, the great battery life, and the Apple pencil functionality. I’d highly recommend you pick up this tablet if you simply need an inexpensive tablet today that’s going to last you for three to four years with no trouble.”
iPad Deals
Over at 9to5Toys, you can find the best deals on the iPad and other Apple products. Download the 9to5Toys iPhone app to receive push notifications for new deals as well.
Rumors
As of now, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman said in his Power On newsletter by the end of 2021 that Apple plans a new entry-level iPad for 2022. In June 2022, 9to5Mac exclusively reported the details of the tenth-generation iPad model.
According to Filipe Espósito, this new entry-level tablet will pack the A14 Bionic chip, 5G compatibility, and, for the first time, USB-C connectivity, unlocking new experiences with the second-generation Apple Pencil. Its display will also increase, although it’s unclear whether it will have the same design as the M1 iPad Air.
Back in October Facebook added the ability to edit posts and comments and also view all of your changes. However, at the time the feature was only available to iPhone users. Today iPad users can finally edit posts too with an update to the Facebook iOS app that just rolled out on the App Store.
Also new in version 6.7 of the app is new languages for icons, but Facebook doesn’t list the specific languages in its release notes.
• Now in additional languages: Use icons to share how you’re feeling and what you’re doing
• Now on iPad: Edit your posts and tap to see all your changes
• Bug fixes
Research firm IHS, which previously dismantled the iPhone 5s and 5c to calculate component costs, has now done the same with the iPad Air.
It concludes that while the technology in the iPad Air is significantly more advanced than in the iPad 3 (for some reason the company skipped the iPad 4), the total production cost is actually lower, reports AllThingsD.
The firm says Apple’s iPad Air […] costs between $274 and $361 to build depending on model. The […] total component cost of the base model, at $274, is still $42 cheaper than the entry-level third-generation iPad …
The popular free password manager app LastPass has been given a revamped user-interface across iOS app, Android app and browser add-on, aimed at both a cleaner look and greater ease of use.
Paid users also get access to a new Shared Family Folder, allowing up to five users to get shared access to joint logins. The LastPass blog highlights the new features in version 3.0 as:
Revamped user experience and user interface
Field icon menus for easy access to logins and LastPass tools
A Shared Family Folder for up to 5 users
Expanded Shared Folder features for LastPass Enterprise
A revamped LastPass for Applications
Secure Note history, to track changes to your notes
Xfinity TV’s iOS app now allows subscribers to stream live TV channels as well as access on-demand content. The app has also been renamed from Xfinity TV Player to Xfinity TV Go.
Early reviewers, though, seem more interested in Air Play functionality, which has not yet been added.
Tracking data from Fiksu suggests that iPad Air adoption may be outpacing both the iPad 4 and the iPad Mini by around four to one. The numbers are as yet very small, but three days in, iPad Air usage hit 0.8 percent of active devices versus less than 0.2 percent for the iPad 4 by the same time …
Update: In a back and forth with a reporter over Twitter last night (below), Legere confirmed what many of us had found out through the website and online: You need to be a T-Mobile customer to get the 200mb of free data.
Back on the announcement date of the new iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display, many potential iPad with Cellular users were excited to see that “un-carrier” T-Mobile USA would be offering 200MB of data per month at no charge.
However, several readers and tipsters today noted that when trying to purchase a T-Mobile-optimized iPad Air, the carrier would actually charge $10 per month for that 200MB of data. The exception was apparently for subscribers to voice smartphone plans on T-Mobile; these customers would be credited back the $10 of data each month.
Now, T-Mobile CEO John Legere has responded to this mixup by noting that there are “no strings attached.” He calls the charges an “executional mistake” and notes that the situation will be corrected…
After an all-new Tweetbot Twitter client from developer Tapbots arrived last week as version 3, it wasn’t long before the app became the top paid app in many countries around the world. As with any redesign of a popular app, some users have been asking about what features that were removed during the redesign could possibly return in future updates. Today Tapbots shared a couple new features that will be arriving in version 3.1, including the ability to use lists as your timeline and swipe to reply, favorite, or RT:
https://vine.co/v/hjWvzTeU2v0
https://vine.co/v/hjWnMPUva0x
https://vine.co/v/hjWvViVYpnx
While there is no timeframe on when version 3.1 might be arriving other than “coming soon”, the developers previously said that new adjustable font settings (pictured in the screenshot above), a nighttime theme, an iPad redesign, and new swiping gestures are all in the plans for future releases.
If you want to see how those impressive benchmark scores translate into real-life usage, this brief Mashable video compares start-up, shut-down, web-browsing and video on all five generations of iPad.
iFixit has done its usual trick of hopping over to Australia to get its hands on an iPad Air in the first time-zone to open its doors for business to bring us a look at the innards of the new device. The device is now on sale in the U.S. too, with supplies expected to be good.
No surprise that the company found little prospect of success for DIY repair, reporting that even opening the casing was a challenge: when you pack that much technology into so small a space, there’s going to be a lot of glue involved.
Some details of what the company found and more photos below the fold … Expand Expanding Close
Update: See bottom of the piece for JD Power’s partial explanation
“Samsung Ranks Highest in Owner Satisfaction with Tablet Devices” was the headline on JD Power’s latest U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Survey, with the above table showing that Samsung taking the lead from Apple by two points.
Yet when you look at the ratings that make up the individual scores, as Fortune did, that isn’t what they show at all. The six scoring categories are Overall Satisfaction, Performance, Ease of Use, Physical Design, Tablet Features and Cost. Samsung beats Apple in exactly one of those categories: cost … Expand Expanding Close
Alongside the launch of the iPad Air tomorrow, Best Buy is holding some special price promotions for some MacBook and older iPad models. The company says that it will provide $100 discounts on all MacBook Air models on Friday and Saturday. The offer will be available both via the company’s online store and in its chain of physical retail stores. If you don’t absolutely need one of these devices this week it is best to hold tight and watch 9to5Toys (on Twitter too!) as we expect even heavier discounts throughout the holiday season.
The company will also offer a discount on the non-Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro. Currently, the Best Buy Online Store offers the $1499 configuration with 8GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive for $1349, but the company will take off an extra $150 ($1249) for Friday and Saturday. Like with the MacBook Air deal, this offer is applicable both in-store and online. Keep in mind, that for $50 more, you can get a thinner, lighter Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro, but that will come with substantially less storage and half the RAM.
In addition to the price cuts on Macs, buyers of the fourth-generation iPad with Retina display at Best Buy stores will get a $25 gift card. With the iPad Air coming in at $499, this older iPad model will cost $449 before the gift card. Also, the wireless Jawbone Jambox speaker system will be cut from $149 to $199. The speaker deal will run from Friday until Saturday this weekend, and the iPad 4 deal is already live.
For example, depending on the store and market size, a few dozen to several dozen units of each model in every color and internet-connectivity option will be allocated for purchases before 12 noon.
Once the store-specific sales number for morning purchases is hit, some stores will not offer those models until later in the day or via Personal Pickup…
Just hours after going live for sale in several countries in the Asia-Pacific, all models of the iPad Air have become “currently unavailable” at the Hong Kong store. The store opened up with a quote for 1-2 week shipping times, which was substantially longer than the 24 hour shipping times seen in countries such as Australia. Overall, at least in the United States and Europe, iPad Air supplies are expected to be plentiful.
An innovative approach to solar charging revealed in an Apple patent application published today (via Patently Apple) could make it more practical to power both MacBooks and iOS devices from the sun.
The voltage and power generated by a solar panel varies with the amount of sunlight. To turn the power supply into something that can safely be used by an electronic device, you need a converter or regulator to deliver the correct specs to the device, adding cost and bulk to the panel.
What the Apple patent describes is building the necessary power management circuitry into the MacBook, iPad or iPhone so that it can accept whatever power the panel supplies. This potentially allows for cheaper and more portable panels … Expand Expanding Close
Asymco’s Horace Dediu has put together a couple of charts showing that while the number of visitors to Apple’s retail stores continues to climb, the rate of growth is flattening off.
The underlying reason appears to be a slow-down in the rate at which Apple is opening new stores, as the average number of visitors per store has remained stable for the past three years … Expand Expanding Close
iPad Air units have begun arriving at Apple Stores and resellers across the world ahead of this Friday’s official launch, according to several sources. Additionally, a reader has spotted iPad Airs arriving at Walmart locations (see images above and below) and the device seems to have already been placed inside one store’s glass casing for iPads. The special $479 price point can be seen on the sticker in the photo above.
At Apple Stores, we’ve heard that multiple large stores across the United States have already received upwards of 500-1000 units, indicating that the supply of the new tablet will likely be plentiful at launch. We’ve heard similar from international iPad resellers, with some chains indicating that they will have a solid number of iPad Airs on tap for Friday. These stores say even more supply is promised for the next couple of weeks…
In IDC’s report released today covering worldwide tablet market for the third quarter, the research firm notes that the market as a whole continues to grow thanks to strong growth from Android tablets. Apple shipments remained steady during the quarter compared to last year at 14 million units in Q3, but its share of the market drops from 40.2% last year to just 29.6% this year as Samsung, Asus, Lenovo, and Acer all post significant growth for the quarter compared to the same quarter last year.
Samsung is up from 12.4% last year to 20.4% of the tablet market in Q3 2013 (a 123% increase), while Asus is up 53.9% to 3.5 million units, Lenovo sold 2.3m (up 420.7%), and Acer recorded 1.2M (up 346.3%): Expand Expanding Close
Apple’s claims that the iPad Air is around twice as fast as the iPad 4 have been validated by Geekbench scores posted by Primate Labs. The iPad’s multi-core performance score increased by 88 percent, while the single-core performance jumped by 90 percent … Expand Expanding Close
Apple has opened up a secondary dedicated AppleCare repairs warehouse in the United States in recent days, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the new center. The new warehouse is located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and public records indicate that the facility comes in at just under 200,000 square-feet with an additional 2500 square-feet of space available for offices.
Apple will use this facility to conduct repairs and replacements and to manage, package, and ship repaired Apple devices to both customer’s homes and Apple Store Genius Bars across the country. When an Apple customer of a Mac computer, for example, needs aspects of their device replaced and fixed, their product is typically shipped to a similar warehouse in Elk Grove, California…
Following Apple’s earnings results for Q4 2013, which includes a record iPhone sales number for the September quarter, Apple CEO Tim Cook has emailed employees to congratulate them on the results. Cook says that Apple “has never been stronger,” and highlights the products being released this fall. “I am happy to report that Apple’s business has never been stronger, and we are heading into the holidays within amazing lineup led by the new iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, the stunning iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display,” Cook says in the memo…
<a href="http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Peter+Oppenheimer+Tim+Cook+Discusses+Tax+Code+EFIrcwcsO7Cx.jpg">Image</a> of CFO Oppenheimer and CEO Cook
Apple has announced its earnings for Q4 2013, including $37.5 billion in revenue and sales of 33.8 million iPhones, 14.1 million iPads, and 4.6 million Macs. As usual, Apple will be holding a conference call to discuss the results, provide some additional information, and take questions from analysts. Below, we’ll be holding a live blog of the proceedings:
<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/apple-iphone-5s-5c-line-around-the-world-132626546.html">Photo of iPhone line</a>
As planned, Apple today announced its financial results for Q4 2013. This is a quarter highlighted by iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c sales and is the quarter preceding the launches of several new Macs and the new iPads:
In contrast to the supply constrained launch of the iPhone 5s, Apple will offer Personal Pickup for the iPad Air beginning on the November 1st launch date, we’re hearing from sources. MacRumors is reporting the same. When the Apple Online Store goes live on November 1st at midnight Pacific Time (3 AM EST), customers will be able to order iPad Airs to be shipped to their addresses…
Earlier this year we reported that SACEM, the French society of authors, composers, and music publishers, noted Apple was ordered to pay around 5 million Euro in unpaid taxes for iPads sold in 2011. SACEM distributes the copie privée royalties, which are paid to Copie France for all devices capable of transferring and displaying copyrighted material. Today, PC INpact (via igen.fr) notes that a court in Paris has once again ordered Apple to pay for unpaid iPad taxes, this time around 12 million Euros for iPads sold between March and December of 2012. Some think Apple’s recent price increases in France could be to compensate for the copie privee taxes it hasn’t had success with avoiding. When asked about the price increases, French authorities were recently quoted as saying Apple has has yet to pay a penny towards the unpaid taxes. Expand Expanding Close
iPad (2021)
Apple's tablet debuted in 2010. Since the original version, it's expanded into multiple screen sizes and Pro and non-Pro options.
The iPad is Apple’s base tablet model. In its ninth generation, the iPad focuses on being the perfect tool for education and people who seek a bigger screen to read and surface the web compared to the iPhone. With Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support, the iPad has never been better.
Table of contents
History
The iPad is a line of tablets designed and developed by Apple. It was originally announced in 2010, three years after the first iPhone was introduced. With a 9.7-inch screen and with iPhone OS 3.2 the iPad was a success, hitting 1 million tablets sold in over three months, half the time the first iPhone took to reach this mark.
Steve Jobs then unveiled the iPad 2 in March of 2011. About 33% thinner than its predecessor and 15% lighter, the second generation used the A5 chip, twice as faster as its predecessor. The iPad 2 also introduced front and back cameras that supported FaceTime video calls.
The successor of the iPad 2 wasn’t a success at all. The third generation was introduced in March of 2012 with a Retina display and the A5X processor. The problem with this tablet it was too heavy and the battery didn’t last long enough. In October of the same year, Apple announced the fourth generation with the A6X processor, HD FaceTime camera, improved LTE capabilities, and the Lightning connector.
At this October event, Apple also introduced the first iPad mini. In 2013, Apple went with the first iPad Air and the iPad mini 2. In 2015, the company introduced the first Pro model, with two different sizes.
In March of 2017, Apple announced the fifth-generation iPad with the A9 processor. It was a budget option compared to the other tablets. It was in 2018 that the company brought expressive news to the base iPad line. The sixth-generation had the A10 Fusion processor and fully supports the first-generation Apple Pencil.
A year later, the seventh generation was announced with a larger 10.2-inch display and support for the Smart Keyboard as well. It retained most of the specs of the previous model.
In September of 2020, the eighth generation was introduced alongside the fourth-generation iPad Air model. The eighth generation received an upgraded processor, now with the A12 Bionic, while keeping the same storage options: 32GB and 128GB.
In September of 2021, the ninth generation was introduced alongside a redesigned iPad mini. This iPad now features the A13 Bionic processor, True Tone support, and new storage options: 64GB and 256GB while keeping the same price.
iPad 9 Specs
The ninth-generation iPad launched in September of 2021. Available in two colors, Silver and Space Gray, this tablet is made of 100% recyclable aluminum, and supports the first-generation Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard.
With thinner bezels, the product comes with a 10.2-inch Retina display with a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, and True Tone support for the first time, which adjusts screen content to the color temperature of a room.
This tablet uses the A13 Bionic chip, the same available on the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max. It has an “all-day” battery with up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi or watching videos.
The iPad also comes in 64GB and 256GB storage options and Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular versions.
Revamped cameras
For the first time, this iPad shares the same FaceTime camera as the M1 iPad Pro with the Center Stage experience. With a new 12MP Ultra Wide front camera and Neural Engine, users can enjoy even more engaging video calls.
As users move around, Center Stage automatically pans the camera to keep them in view. When others join in, the camera detects them too, and smoothly zooms out to include them in the conversation. Center Stage makes video calls more natural in FaceTime as well as third-party video-calling apps.
Its main camera is the same: 8MP, f/2.4 aperture, and digital zoom up to 5x.
iPadOS 15
The ninth-generation iPad comes with the iPadOS 15. Previewed during the WWDC21 keynote, the new operating system brings a redesigned Home Screen with widgets and App Library support.
On iPadOS 15, FaceTime group calls can finally appear in a grid, so it’s easier to see everyone. It’s also possible to share your screen, listen to Apple Music songs together, or watch Apple TV+, HBO Max, Disney+, and others while in a call.
In the productivity section, Apple, unfortunately, didn’t bring all the features pro users wanted to take full advantage of their new M1 iPad Pro, even though Apple made it easier to rely on multitasking features.
There’s a new multitasking menu on the top of the screen. When you click there, it’s possible to see what configurations you can use on Split View or just go to Slide Over with just a tap.
The experience with an external keyboard allows users to get more done with all-new keyboard shortcuts and a redesign of the menu bar.
With the Quick Note feature, users can use the Apple Pencil to add a quick note. They just need to slide the pencil through the bottom right corner to the center of the screen and start writing.
iPadOS 15 launched on September 20. Learn more about it here.
iPadOS 15.1 features
One month after releasing iPadOS 15, Apple released iPadOS 15.1 More notable, the company finally brought SharePlay support for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Unfortunately, Universal Control wasn’t one of the features added with this new version. Here’s what else is new:
Translate
Home
Shortcuts
iPadOS 15.2 features
Five weeks after releasing iPadOS 15.1, Apple is releasing iPadOS 15.2. It brings more features that were expected to launch alongside iPadOS 15 but, unfortunately, Universal Control is still nowhere to be seen. Here are the top features of this version:
iPadOS 15.3 features
Six weeks after releasing iPadOS 15.2, Apple is releasing iPadOS 15.3. This update foregoes new features in favor of under-the-hood bug fixes and improvements. One of the most notable changes here is a fix for a Safari vulnerability that may have been leaking your browsing history and Google ID data to the websites you visited.
iPadOS 15.4 features
iPadOS 15.4 finally brings one of the most important features expected from iPadOS 15 and that got delayed: Universal Control. Here’s everything new with iPadOS 15.4:
You can learn everything new with this update here.
iPadOS 15.5 features
Different from other software updates, iPadOS 15.5 only improves the Podcast app experience, as Apple focused on Wallet changes for the iPhone this time:
iPadOS 15.6 features
iPadOS 15.6 is yet another small update for iPad users. Here’s what’s news:
iPadOS 15.7 features
iPadOS 15.7 only brings bug fixes and some security improvements as the company readies the iPadOS 16 release.
Education
Apple describes this iPad as the go-to tablet for education. For several years the company discounts this tablet up to 10%.
Apple is always promoting ways students can use the iPad to learn new things: using Augmented Reality, the Apple Pencil, and how to code with Playgrounds.
The company says the “App Store is the best place to discover apps” for education purposes:
Release date: When Apple will launch the ninth-generation iPad?
Apple launched the iPad 9 on September 24, 2021.
Pricing
iPad (2021) pricing starts at $329 for the 32GB storage option with Wi-Fi only. The prices can go up to $559 with the 128GB storage option and WI-Fi + Cellular. Here are the full prices of the ninth-generation tablet:
Lower prices may be available from Apple’s official Amazon store.
iPad (2021) Review
Soon, we’ll review the ninth-generation iPad. As for now, you can watch our video review of the eighth-generation iPad, as we described it as the “best value tablet you can buy:”
iPad Deals
Over at 9to5Toys, you can find the best deals on the iPad and other Apple products. Download the 9to5Toys iPhone app to receive push notifications for new deals as well.
Rumors
As of now, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman said in his Power On newsletter by the end of 2021 that Apple plans a new entry-level iPad for 2022. In June 2022, 9to5Mac exclusively reported the details of the tenth-generation iPad model.
According to Filipe Espósito, this new entry-level tablet will pack the A14 Bionic chip, 5G compatibility, and, for the first time, USB-C connectivity, unlocking new experiences with the second-generation Apple Pencil. Its display will also increase, although it’s unclear whether it will have the same design as the M1 iPad Air.
This iPad could be released in October of 2022.
Facebook iOS app now lets iPad users edit posts
Back in October Facebook added the ability to edit posts and comments and also view all of your changes. However, at the time the feature was only available to iPhone users. Today iPad users can finally edit posts too with an update to the Facebook iOS app that just rolled out on the App Store.
Also new in version 6.7 of the app is new languages for icons, but Facebook doesn’t list the specific languages in its release notes.
The Facebook app is available on the App Store for free.
What’s New in Version 6.7
• Now in additional languages: Use icons to share how you’re feeling and what you’re doing
• Now on iPad: Edit your posts and tap to see all your changes
• Bug fixes
iPad Air higher-tech but actually cheaper to produce than iPad 3, says research firm
Research firm IHS, which previously dismantled the iPhone 5s and 5c to calculate component costs, has now done the same with the iPad Air.
It concludes that while the technology in the iPad Air is significantly more advanced than in the iPad 3 (for some reason the company skipped the iPad 4), the total production cost is actually lower, reports AllThingsD.
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LastPass password manager iOS app gets simplified UI & family logins
The popular free password manager app LastPass has been given a revamped user-interface across iOS app, Android app and browser add-on, aimed at both a cleaner look and greater ease of use.
Paid users also get access to a new Shared Family Folder, allowing up to five users to get shared access to joint logins. The LastPass blog highlights the new features in version 3.0 as:
LastPass is a free download, and we have a detailed tutorial on how to use it.
Updated Xfinity TV Go iOS app adds live streaming
Xfinity TV’s iOS app now allows subscribers to stream live TV channels as well as access on-demand content. The app has also been renamed from Xfinity TV Player to Xfinity TV Go.
Early reviewers, though, seem more interested in Air Play functionality, which has not yet been added.
The app is a free download from iTunes.
iPad Air off to a good start as early usage outpaces previous models 4-to-1
Tracking data from Fiksu suggests that iPad Air adoption may be outpacing both the iPad 4 and the iPad Mini by around four to one. The numbers are as yet very small, but three days in, iPad Air usage hit 0.8 percent of active devices versus less than 0.2 percent for the iPad 4 by the same time …
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T-Mobile CEO says free 200MB of iPad data has ‘no exceptions/strings attached’ unless already being a T-Mobile customer is considered a string
Update: In a back and forth with a reporter over Twitter last night (below), Legere confirmed what many of us had found out through the website and online: You need to be a T-Mobile customer to get the 200mb of free data.
Back on the announcement date of the new iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display, many potential iPad with Cellular users were excited to see that “un-carrier” T-Mobile USA would be offering 200MB of data per month at no charge.
However, several readers and tipsters today noted that when trying to purchase a T-Mobile-optimized iPad Air, the carrier would actually charge $10 per month for that 200MB of data. The exception was apparently for subscribers to voice smartphone plans on T-Mobile; these customers would be credited back the $10 of data each month.
Now, T-Mobile CEO John Legere has responded to this mixup by noting that there are “no strings attached.” He calls the charges an “executional mistake” and notes that the situation will be corrected…
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Here’s a look at Tweetbot 3.1, coming soon w/ swipe to reply/fav/RT & lists as timelines
After an all-new Tweetbot Twitter client from developer Tapbots arrived last week as version 3, it wasn’t long before the app became the top paid app in many countries around the world. As with any redesign of a popular app, some users have been asking about what features that were removed during the redesign could possibly return in future updates. Today Tapbots shared a couple new features that will be arriving in version 3.1, including the ability to use lists as your timeline and swipe to reply, favorite, or RT:
https://vine.co/v/hjWvzTeU2v0
https://vine.co/v/hjWnMPUva0x
https://vine.co/v/hjWvViVYpnx
While there is no timeframe on when version 3.1 might be arriving other than “coming soon”, the developers previously said that new adjustable font settings (pictured in the screenshot above), a nighttime theme, an iPad redesign, and new swiping gestures are all in the plans for future releases.
You can read our full review of Tweetbot 3.0 for iPhone here.
Want to see how the iPad Air benchmarks translate to real-life use? Here’s the video
If you want to see how those impressive benchmark scores translate into real-life usage, this brief Mashable video compares start-up, shut-down, web-browsing and video on all five generations of iPad.
iPad Air teardown: never mind the repairability, feel the tech
iFixit has done its usual trick of hopping over to Australia to get its hands on an iPad Air in the first time-zone to open its doors for business to bring us a look at the innards of the new device. The device is now on sale in the U.S. too, with supplies expected to be good.
No surprise that the company found little prospect of success for DIY repair, reporting that even opening the casing was a challenge: when you pack that much technology into so small a space, there’s going to be a lot of glue involved.
Some details of what the company found and more photos below the fold …
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Did JD Power botch its tablet rankings, giving Apple’s crown to a lower scoring Samsung? (See update)
Update: See bottom of the piece for JD Power’s partial explanation
“Samsung Ranks Highest in Owner Satisfaction with Tablet Devices” was the headline on JD Power’s latest U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Survey, with the above table showing that Samsung taking the lead from Apple by two points.
Yet when you look at the ratings that make up the individual scores, as Fortune did, that isn’t what they show at all. The six scoring categories are Overall Satisfaction, Performance, Ease of Use, Physical Design, Tablet Features and Cost. Samsung beats Apple in exactly one of those categories: cost …
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Best Buy offering $100 discount on MacBook Airs this weekend, $25 gift card with iPad 4
Alongside the launch of the iPad Air tomorrow, Best Buy is holding some special price promotions for some MacBook and older iPad models. The company says that it will provide $100 discounts on all MacBook Air models on Friday and Saturday. The offer will be available both via the company’s online store and in its chain of physical retail stores. If you don’t absolutely need one of these devices this week it is best to hold tight and watch 9to5Toys (on Twitter too!) as we expect even heavier discounts throughout the holiday season.
The company will also offer a discount on the non-Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro. Currently, the Best Buy Online Store offers the $1499 configuration with 8GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive for $1349, but the company will take off an extra $150 ($1249) for Friday and Saturday. Like with the MacBook Air deal, this offer is applicable both in-store and online. Keep in mind, that for $50 more, you can get a thinner, lighter Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro, but that will come with substantially less storage and half the RAM.
In addition to the price cuts on Macs, buyers of the fourth-generation iPad with Retina display at Best Buy stores will get a $25 gift card. With the iPad Air coming in at $499, this older iPad model will cost $449 before the gift card. Also, the wireless Jawbone Jambox speaker system will be cut from $149 to $199. The speaker deal will run from Friday until Saturday this weekend, and the iPad 4 deal is already live.
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At least some Apple Stores will hold back some iPad Air inventory for Personal Pickup, later purchases
While Apple Stores across the United States are expected to have significant supplies of the iPad Air, some Apple Stores have been told to allocate a smaller number of devices for purchases handled in the early morning.
For example, depending on the store and market size, a few dozen to several dozen units of each model in every color and internet-connectivity option will be allocated for purchases before 12 noon.
Once the store-specific sales number for morning purchases is hit, some stores will not offer those models until later in the day or via Personal Pickup…
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iPad Air already sold out at Hong Kong Apple Online Store
Just hours after going live for sale in several countries in the Asia-Pacific, all models of the iPad Air have become “currently unavailable” at the Hong Kong store. The store opened up with a quote for 1-2 week shipping times, which was substantially longer than the 24 hour shipping times seen in countries such as Australia. Overall, at least in the United States and Europe, iPad Air supplies are expected to be plentiful.
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Apple working on innovative solar charging system for MacBooks, iPads and iPhones
An innovative approach to solar charging revealed in an Apple patent application published today (via Patently Apple) could make it more practical to power both MacBooks and iOS devices from the sun.
The voltage and power generated by a solar panel varies with the amount of sunlight. To turn the power supply into something that can safely be used by an electronic device, you need a converter or regulator to deliver the correct specs to the device, adding cost and bulk to the panel.
What the Apple patent describes is building the necessary power management circuitry into the MacBook, iPad or iPhone so that it can accept whatever power the panel supplies. This potentially allows for cheaper and more portable panels …
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Apple Store visits continue to climb, though growth flattening
Asymco’s Horace Dediu has put together a couple of charts showing that while the number of visitors to Apple’s retail stores continues to climb, the rate of growth is flattening off.
The underlying reason appears to be a slow-down in the rate at which Apple is opening new stores, as the average number of visitors per store has remained stable for the past three years …
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iPad Airs start arriving at Apple Stores and resellers as supply expected to be plentiful
iPad Air units have begun arriving at Apple Stores and resellers across the world ahead of this Friday’s official launch, according to several sources. Additionally, a reader has spotted iPad Airs arriving at Walmart locations (see images above and below) and the device seems to have already been placed inside one store’s glass casing for iPads. The special $479 price point can be seen on the sticker in the photo above.
At Apple Stores, we’ve heard that multiple large stores across the United States have already received upwards of 500-1000 units, indicating that the supply of the new tablet will likely be plentiful at launch. We’ve heard similar from international iPad resellers, with some chains indicating that they will have a solid number of iPad Airs on tap for Friday. These stores say even more supply is promised for the next couple of weeks…
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Growth of Android tablet sales in Q3 cut Apple’s market share to less than 30%
In IDC’s report released today covering worldwide tablet market for the third quarter, the research firm notes that the market as a whole continues to grow thanks to strong growth from Android tablets. Apple shipments remained steady during the quarter compared to last year at 14 million units in Q3, but its share of the market drops from 40.2% last year to just 29.6% this year as Samsung, Asus, Lenovo, and Acer all post significant growth for the quarter compared to the same quarter last year.
Samsung is up from 12.4% last year to 20.4% of the tablet market in Q3 2013 (a 123% increase), while Asus is up 53.9% to 3.5 million units, Lenovo sold 2.3m (up 420.7%), and Acer recorded 1.2M (up 346.3%):
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iPad benchmarks confirm Apple claims, Intel joins the ARM party, Macs next?
Apple’s claims that the iPad Air is around twice as fast as the iPad 4 have been validated by Geekbench scores posted by Primate Labs. The iPad’s multi-core performance score increased by 88 percent, while the single-core performance jumped by 90 percent …
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Apple opens up new East Coast U.S. AppleCare center to speed up repairs
Apple’s new repair center (via Google Earth)
Apple has opened up a secondary dedicated AppleCare repairs warehouse in the United States in recent days, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the new center. The new warehouse is located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and public records indicate that the facility comes in at just under 200,000 square-feet with an additional 2500 square-feet of space available for offices.
Apple will use this facility to conduct repairs and replacements and to manage, package, and ship repaired Apple devices to both customer’s homes and Apple Store Genius Bars across the country. When an Apple customer of a Mac computer, for example, needs aspects of their device replaced and fixed, their product is typically shipped to a similar warehouse in Elk Grove, California…
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Cook tells employees Apple ‘has never been stronger,’ plans to address company tomorrow
Following Apple’s earnings results for Q4 2013, which includes a record iPhone sales number for the September quarter, Apple CEO Tim Cook has emailed employees to congratulate them on the results. Cook says that Apple “has never been stronger,” and highlights the products being released this fall. “I am happy to report that Apple’s business has never been stronger, and we are heading into the holidays within amazing lineup led by the new iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, the stunning iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display,” Cook says in the memo…
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Live blog: Apple’s Q4 2013 earnings call
<a href="http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Peter+Oppenheimer+Tim+Cook+Discusses+Tax+Code+EFIrcwcsO7Cx.jpg">Image</a> of CFO Oppenheimer and CEO Cook
Apple has announced its earnings for Q4 2013, including $37.5 billion in revenue and sales of 33.8 million iPhones, 14.1 million iPads, and 4.6 million Macs. As usual, Apple will be holding a conference call to discuss the results, provide some additional information, and take questions from analysts. Below, we’ll be holding a live blog of the proceedings:
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Apple reports $37.5b revenue for Q4 2013: 33.8m iPhones, 14.1m iPads, 4.6m Macs
<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/apple-iphone-5s-5c-line-around-the-world-132626546.html">Photo of iPhone line</a>
As planned, Apple today announced its financial results for Q4 2013. This is a quarter highlighted by iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c sales and is the quarter preceding the launches of several new Macs and the new iPads:
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Apple to start offering Personal Pickup for iPad Air on Nov. 1 launch date
In contrast to the supply constrained launch of the iPhone 5s, Apple will offer Personal Pickup for the iPad Air beginning on the November 1st launch date, we’re hearing from sources. MacRumors is reporting the same. When the Apple Online Store goes live on November 1st at midnight Pacific Time (3 AM EST), customers will be able to order iPad Airs to be shipped to their addresses…
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Apple ordered to pay 12 million euros in France for unpaid iPad taxes
Earlier this year we reported that SACEM, the French society of authors, composers, and music publishers, noted Apple was ordered to pay around 5 million Euro in unpaid taxes for iPads sold in 2011. SACEM distributes the copie privée royalties, which are paid to Copie France for all devices capable of transferring and displaying copyrighted material. Today, PC INpact (via igen.fr) notes that a court in Paris has once again ordered Apple to pay for unpaid iPad taxes, this time around 12 million Euros for iPads sold between March and December of 2012. Some think Apple’s recent price increases in France could be to compensate for the copie privee taxes it hasn’t had success with avoiding. When asked about the price increases, French authorities were recently quoted as saying Apple has has yet to pay a penny towards the unpaid taxes.
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