As expected, the company Apple has updated its line of tablets without a separate presentation, presenting the 10th generation iPad, which received a new design, a larger screen and finally a USB Type-C port. But let’s talk about everything in turn.

The appearance of the new “basic” Apple tablet has become closer to the older models of the line, such as the iPad Air and Pro. The company abandoned the traditional TouchID fingerprint scanner button under the screen and moved it to the upper edge of the case. The latter is still made of aluminum, but now it is presented in four colors – gray, blue, pink, and yellow.

Apple introduced a new "basic" iPad with a larger screen and USB-C

The dimensions of the tablet are 246.8×179.5 mm, but it turned out to be very thin – only 7 mm. The weight varies slightly depending on the connectivity options, for the version with Wi-Fi only it reaches 477 grams, and for Wi-Fi + 5G it is slightly larger – 481 grams.

The 10th generation iPad is equipped with a larger 10.9-inch Liquid Retina IPS screen with a resolution of 2360×1640 pixels, a maximum brightness of 500 nits, True Tone, and support for the first generation Apple Pencil. A very funny thing is connected with this, by the way, because to charge this stylus, you need a Lightning port, so when you buy the first Apple Pencil, Apple now includes a USB-C to Lightning adapter with it. But if the user already has a stylus, then such an adapter will have to be purchased separately, and it costs $9 in the US and 10 euros in the EU.

As a platform for the new iPad, Apple used the 5-nanometer A14 Bionic chip, which was first introduced with the iPhone 12 line in 2020. It’s a slight upgrade over the 9th generation iPad, which runs on the A13 Bionic chip and still retails for $329 in the US.

The new tablet also received an updated main camera, now it is a 12-megapixel wide-angle module with an aperture of f/1.8 and autofocus, which is capable of recording video in 4K at 60 frames per second.

The front camera of the iPad has finally moved, now it is located above the display not in portrait, but in landscape position, which is much more convenient for video calls. The specifications of the camera have not changed, it is still the same 12-megapixel FaceTime ultra-wide-angle module with a viewing angle of 122°, an aperture of f/2.4, and the ability to record Full HD video at 60 frames per second.

Another important innovation in the iPad is the stereo speakers, which are located on the side faces, and not just on one as in the previous generation.

Along with the platform update, Apple added faster 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 to the new tablet. The version of the module for mobile Internet now supports not only LTE, but also 5G.

It is interesting that the iPad of the 10th generation received a battery smaller than that of the 9th, at 28.6 Wh, but Apple promises the same level of battery life: up to 10 hours of work in the browser or watching videos. When using LTE or 5G, it is claimed to be slightly lower – up to 9 hours of browsing. Charges the new iPad through the USB Type-C port, like older models. Separately, there is a magnetic Smart Connector on the side of the tablet, which is used to connect the new Magic Keyboard Folio keyboard cover.

Traditionally for the “basic” iPad, Apple offers buyers models with 64 GB and 256 GB of built-in memory, as well as Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi + 5G. Thus, the most affordable iPad in the US starts at $449 excluding taxes, and the most expensive will cost $749. If you add accessories like the first-generation Apple Pencil for $99 and the Magic Keyboard Folio for $249, the most expensive “basic” iPad is even slightly more expensive than MacBook Air M1.