Apple iPad 10th generation sports new design, USB-C port and new keyboard accessory
Apple iPad 10th generation
The standard iPad isn’t all that standard anymore as Apple make an unusual decision to retain the 9th generation iPad in the lineup. I’m all for choice and since the latter is still a powerhouse for a ‘basic’ tablet, users can choose between the latest and greatest or settle for something more affordable.
I’ve been using the 10th generation iPad since its launch and I think the new design, upgraded hardware and software features more than justify the price hike.
The new iPad inherits the same design language as the iPad Air and Pro models with a slightly larger display and USB type-C instead of the legacy Lightning port. The home button is gone and the Touch ID sensor has been moved to the power button. The bezels are now even all the way around but are slightly bigger than the iPad Air. It’s also a little thicker and the corners are more rounded including the screen corners.
The larger screen, which increases from 10.2 inches to 10.9 inches, is a welcome upgrade too. A small, but significant improvement is the volume up and down buttons, which now intelligently work as they should. While in landscape mode, the left button is volume down and the right is volume up. Switch to portrait mode and the top button is volume up as you’d expect regardless of whether the buttons are on the right or the left.
The Touch ID on the power buttons works well and you only have to rest your finger on it to unlock the iPad. I find the home button on the 9th gen iPad is a little easier to find, but the improvements to the design are well worth this minor inconvenience.
The upgrade to USB-C is a major one and Apple includes a rather stylish braided USB-C to USB-C cable along with a 20w charger in the box. However, it comes with a minor flaw in how you charge and pair the first-generation Apple Pencil with the iPad. Apple includes a special adaptor that connects to the Apple Pencil on one end and the USB-C cable on the other. You can’t plug the Apple Pencil directly into the iPad anymore to charge and pair it since the Apple Pencil uses Lightning. I’ve never been a fan of the previous method for charging the original Apple Pencil, so I think this is a slightly better solution albeit a little convoluted. An even better solution would have been the method used on the iPad Air, which uses the second-generation Apple Pencil, but this would have increased the cost of the iPad significantly. Once paired using the cable and adapter I often charge the Pencil by plugging it into my iPhone. I’m not sure Apple would recommend it but it works just fine all the same.
The new iPads now come in a range of four colours — Blue, Pink, Silver and Yellow.
I often read comments such as ‘don’t be that guy who takes photos with your iPad’ but it’s such a fantastic display to use as a viewfinder why wouldn’t you? It’s easy to hold for stability and the image quality from the iPad’s rear 12 MP camera is excellent for both video and stills. Also, a good rear camera is more useful as augmented reality becomes more widespread.
The 12MP ultra-wide front-facing camera has moved from the short to the long edge of the iPad. I use my iPad in landscape mode for productivity tasks and when docked in the new Magic Keyboard Folio. The new front-facing camera location is ideal for video calls in landscape mode. Your eyes are now much closer to the camera's lens, which results in a considerably smoother appearance than before the camera was off to the left. You still get the excellent Centre Stage feature, which uses software to keep subjects in the middle of the frame.
The ninth-generation iPad was fast, powered by the Apple A13 Bionic chip and the new iPad gets a bump up to the A14 Bionic which is noticeably faster and supports WiFi 6 and 5G on the cellular models.
For most users, the 9th generation iPad is still fast enough for most tasks, but there is a noticeable performance boost in the new iPad — games run smoother, apps load a little faster and if you have a WiFi 6 router, you’ll also see an improvement in network speeds.
The storage options are the same as before — 64GB or 256GB. It’s a pity there’s no 128GB version, which I think would be a sweet spot for most people.
I’m sure most users will be happy with a standard cover but Apple has introduced a new Magic Keyboard Folio that features a fully articulating kickstand with a separate keyboard that magnetically attaches to the bottom edge.
There’s no charging required as the keyboard uses three pogo pins to connect the keyboard to the iPad. It features a decent trackpad and tactile keys, but unfortunately, there’s no backlighting. The inclusion of a top row of function keys is awesome and something you don’t get on the more expensive Magic Keyboard. The keys are really nice to type on but unlike the latter, it does get fairly wobbly if you’re using it on your lap.
I also like that the keyboard and back cover are separate making it lighter if you don’t need the keys. The kickstand is brilliant and offers a lot of flexibility on the amount of screen tilt you want as well as being far more stable than the Folio case.
For some reason, you can’t buy a matching colour for your iPad as the Magic Keyboard Folio is only available in white.
While the new iPad uses the original Apple Pencil I’m still a massive fan. In my opinion, it works better than any other tablet out there with the exception of iPads that support the Apple Pencil 2. It feels so natural in apps like Procreate where you have a large display to draw, paint or animate your latest masterpiece. Or use it with Apple’s new Freeform app which is designed for creative brainstorming and collaboration.
For most users, the 9th generation iPad is still a great option and while the new 10th generation iPad costs €150 more, the newer design, the performance boost in processor and network speeds, 5G support, USB-C all combine to justify the price hike. If you need some of the M1 iPad exclusive features you’ll need an additional €200 to get the iPad Air M1. This has a better screen, supports Stage Manager and has full external display support.
I love the new Keyboard Folio case including the top row of function keys but adding this to your cart along with the Apple Pencil will add an additional €418.
Even with its new, higher starting price, this is the biggest upgrade the standard iPad has ever seen, making it the best value tablet from Apple.
Apple iPad 10th generation from €599
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