The “basic” version of iPad it is completely renewed, changes its appearance, becomes more modern than in the past… but with modernity also comes some compromises, albeit with good intentions. iPad 10 (or tenth generation if you prefer) has been defined by many as a “strange” tablet. Personally I prefer to call it RATIONAL. In this review I’ll explain why.
iPad 10… strange? Maybe, or maybe not.
Well yes, iPad 10 changes its look, finally a breath of fresh air changes the design, the touch ID key disappears, the frames are clearly reduced to ledges, we definitively lose the lightening input. What about the Apple Pencil? Do you remember that it slips directly into the iPad for charging? Here, this is precisely the critical point of the matter. But one step at a time.
Let’s start by saying that iPad 9 was the best buy, the iPad to buy if you don’t have special needs and its heir is no less even if it costs a little more.
Il the basic list price of the iPad 10 starts from 589 euros for the 64 gigabyte while 439 euros is the starting price for the 9th generation model.
Does that sound strange to you? You are right! At the beginning the starting price was 389 euros but the Apple comparator now tells me 439 euros so yes, there was an increase of 50 euros. If the calculator doesn’t deceive me, there’s a difference of 150 euros. In short, we go from an “almost cheap” product by Apple standards to a product of a certain value.
We know that choosing an iPad is not exactly a very simple undertakingfor this reason below you will find all the reviews of the iPads we have tried, maybe it helps you!
What the hell happened at this juncture? Why did all the prices go up? I’ll try to give you the explanation I gave myself.
Let’s start with the explanation on top of everything: I’m talking about the current geopolitical situation, all tech products have increased in price (as well as cars but also power supplies). And unfortunately it is often the final consumer who pays for it. Furthermore, iPad 10, compared to the previous model, offers some more features (not too many) and therefore this too could have affected the price increase. I state that they are all hypotheses, because I, like you, cannot have the truth in my pocket.
iPad 10 is rational
The 10th generation iPad wants to be rational even if it is perhaps strange: let’s say it wants to make the jump to users who already owned an entry level iPad … without however making them change the Apple Pencil (which presumably they had already purchased) because otherwise they would have to add more money to buy the second generation one .. So, they left compatibility with the 1st generation Apple Pencil, so as not to upset your wallet, while still offering you a modern product. Also because let’s face it… the old one was by now dated especially in design.
All available colors of iPad 10th generation
At first glance, however, the new iPad 10 is indistinguishable from the iPad Air 2022 if not for the pins for attaching the cover with keyboard and for the position of the 12 MP front camera with center stage function which has now been moved to the long side while on the Air it’s still on the short side. Apple justified this by saying that in web calls it is more normal to have it on the long side so as not to seem to be looking into space… and I must admit that it is right.
Ah the other thing that distinguishes them are the colors: on iPad 10 they are more pop and flashy like the pink we tried or the yellow which I think is really cool.
So how do I connect Apple Pencil 1?
However now the question is only one: how do I connect Apple Pencil 1 with lightning to iPad 10 which FINALLY has Type C? Simple, Apple gives you a small adapter inside the box that I haven’t lost yet but which I will lose very soon. Also because there are no slots for the adapter. Then on the end of the Apple Pencil insert the adapter and at the adapter insert the USB-C cable and the USB-C cable into the iPad. It seems cumbersome, but in the end it is doable.
Here is not the apotheosis of comfort, I am aware of this and we all agree. Especially since it’s still not magnetic even though the body of our new iPad 10 would allow it to do so. If out of curiosity you try to connect an Apple Pencil 2, the body of the iPad will reject it because the magnetic poles have been reversed.
How’s iPad 10 doing?
In terms of performance, this iPad 10 has nothing to envy to the higher models. Under the body we find the A14 Bionic processor (which is the same as the iPhone 12) which replaces the old A13 bionic. The processor performs very well and allows you to do all the daily actions that are usually done with a tablet: like watching streaming videos, taking notes, reading and replying to emails.
It’s not an M1 or an M2, we all agree, but an iPad Pro, in addition to costing over 1000 euros, is designed for very specific uses (from MRI rendering for doctors to DaVinci Resolve for video editing and color correction. Which hasn’t arrived yet but is coming).
iPad 10 with its Magic Keyboard Folio keyboard/cover
To change we also find the display which is now a liquid retina, always an IPS LCD of excellent quality and with excellent brightness. Be careful because again we don’t have the anti-reflection treatment that the more premium iPads have. This feature can be useful when you use it outdoors, although it certainly doesn’t affect the user experience that much.
The audio is also good while watching video content. The battery remains unchanged, which stands at 10 hours of total use.
Now you will tell me, ok but in the field, does it always behave the same? Well … yes. The 1 generation Apple Pencil (which I remind you cost 119 euros) looks good at all: the latency is really imperceptible and as always you will have the perception of working on pen and paper.
In general, for ordinary use, you will not perceive lag or anything else, in short, you do not have the feeling of having an “entry level” product in your hands.
To enrich the possibilities of using the new iPad 10 we also have the pins that allow you to connect the Magic Keyboard Folio which I state is not among my favorites: it costs 299 euros and is divided into two pieces with keyboard and back cover with stand. It is practical to use, with the keys having a good stroke but really very bulky and a little heavy. It takes up a lot of space in the backpack. If one day you don’t really need a pc but you just have to answer some emails that’s fine but the ipad really thickens a lot.
Which iPad to choose?
Now the time has come to sum up: which iPad should I choose if I have little budget to invest? Let’s assume that the 9th generation iPad is still on sale on the Apple website, when we reviewed it it cost 389 but for the reasons mentioned above, the basic model now being offered to the public is 439. Increased by a round 50 euros. The new 10-generation model has a starting price of 589 euros instead.
If I had to buy an iPad right now, perhaps I would very rationally choose the 10th generation model for my needs. To choose a product, I always start by asking myself a question (and you should too): what use do I make of the tablet? My personal use is BASIC because I usually use the PC to do everything else.
With my use, the 9th generation is a product that is perhaps a little too dated and that could age and certainly does not reflect my aesthetic taste. There is a small compromise to be made with the pen and the cable but never mind.
If, on the other hand, I wanted to get an Air… I would have to shell out 789 euros which is 200 euros more and an M1 at this moment would be unnecessarily oversized for my workload.
If your question is “should you make the transition from iPad 9 to iPad 10?”… my answer as usual is NO, if it works well and doesn’t give you any problems, the change isn’t worth the candle.