Apple iPad (10th gen) review

iPad 10th Gen Review: A Modern Leap with Caveats

At about Dhs. 1,649, the iPad 10th Gen represents a radical step up in Apple's series of entry-level tablets. One where this generation breaks away from the archaic design of its predecessors, embracing a more contemporary look and a slew of new features to get it back in line with today's expectations. With its bigger 10.9-inch screen, USB-C charging, and more svelte and lighter design, the iPad 10th Gen feels like a product designed for today.

These improvements, though, come with a higher price compared to the immediate forerunner. Starting retail at Dhs 1,649, this is a significantly higher entry point for a device that is already quite pricey and pushes it further out of reach for more budget-sensitive consumers. With these upgrades, this device still works with the first generation Apple Pencil—a fact which, perhaps, after the omission of features for storage of the stylus, would turn off a number of buyers. Let's get into the nitty-gritty and see if this device is really worth the investment.

iPad 10th Gen Review: Design and Display

Design Improvements:

Apple has given the iPad 10th Gen a new design that ditches that old Home button for a larger 10.9-inch display that now almost reaches edge to edge. True, the bezels are still there, but much thinner, allowing an awful lot more of that screen to be utilized properly. And the power button now includes Touch ID at last, so it's going to be a whole lot simpler to unlock your device in portrait or landscape orientation.

Weighing just over a pound with a thinner profile, the iPad 10th generation is lighter and more portable than the previous model.

Vibrant Color Options:

The new iPad comes in a few bold colors: yellow, pink, blue, and silver. Each color variation gives a grip of character to the device, letting its users express their personal style. For example, the yellow shade of a given model is a striking blend of yellow and gold in its design, giving it a really unique aesthetic that sets it apart from more conventional shades used on tablets.

Display Quality:

The Liquid Retina display 10.9-inch on the 10th generation iPad is humane, considering the price. It's not the most impressive screen that one is likely to find in Apple's lineup, but it does offer some color vibrancy and sharp detail. Our tests showed that this display hit 504 nits, which is passable under most use scenarios but may be a bit inadequate outdoors in direct sunlight.

The display covers 101.2% sRGB color gamut and 71.7% DCI-P3 color space, which is good enough for quite accurate color reproduction in your works. Of course, that's not quite as good as the higher color accuracy of the iPad Air.

iPad 10th Gen Review: Performance and Usability

Performance:

As nothing short of the performance from the A14 Bionic chip, the same chip that powers the iPhone 12, expect great performance from the iPad 10th Gen. The iPad 10th Gen stands pretty well in doing runs of different kinds of processes: gaming, browsing, or multitasking. If doing benchmark tests, the iPad will get a score of 1,580 in single-core and 4,400 in multi-core, Hans stated in his presentation. Anyway worth noting is that higher performance comes with M1 chips that iPad Air has.

Magic Keyboard Folio:

If you are planning to use the iPad as your main system, the Magic Keyboard Folio is a very expensive but a worthy addition. At Dhs. 915 a pop, the accessory turns in a solid typing experience with 1mm key travel and tactile feedback, a 14-key function row for easy task commands, and a kickstand that sports a free range of viewing angles. Other keys, like the Return and Delete keys, have been changed in size a touch, and getting used to them might actually require a few days or so.

Apple Pencil Compatibility:

There is a big disappointment here: the iPad 10th Gen still relies on the 1st gen Apple Pencil as the device makes the shift to the more modern USB-C standard. The 1st gen Apple Pencil still sports a Lightning connector for charging, which can't connect into the new USB-C port of the iPad. This mismatch makes users rely on a different adapter to charge and pair the Pencil, which adds another inconvenience. This is not ideal, either, and does not bring customers any joy because the previous solution with other iPad models brings it smoothly.

The Pencil 2 is improved in all its use, from the wireless charging to magnetic attachment and the much better ergonomics, making the 1st gen quite archaic. For those users looking to have uninterrupted smooth workflows, this dependency of the iPad 10th Gen on the 1st gen Pencil might be a done deal because it takes away a lot from how extremely modern this device is. This frustration is compounded by the fact that other models in Apple's lineup have already made this change, making the iPad 10th Gen seem stuck in the past.

Camera Performance:

The camera performance on the iPad 10th Gen has been a mixed bag of improvements and limitations. Considerable increase from the predecessor is the 12MP rear camera, capturing not just sharp but very detailed images, more so in the well-lit environment. However, with a bit subdued lighting, the camera strains to maintain the image in good quality, and noise and grain tend to come alive clearly. This may be quite disappointing, as versatility in the camera of a tablet is one among the many needs of users.

On the front, the relocation of the 12MP camera to the landscape edge is a nice touch; it keynote-improves the video call experience with a much more natural alignment of a user's gaze and eye flow. These updates notwithstanding, the camera does not have high-end features like Night mode and flash that make their way into Apple's higher-end devices.

These could be a real curse for the users who use their iPad for their photography or video in a multitude of lights. Overall, the cameras on the 10th generation iPad are passable for everyday use but lack a level of flexibility and performance one might see in higher-end models in the bracket.

Battery Life:

Battery life is billed as a strong point for the iPad 10th Gen, even if it's not quite as strong as the previous model's.

On our web browsing test, it managed to clock 10 hours and 57 minutes before shutting off at 150 nits—a good score that most users will easily get through a day's use on a single charge. This alone is already a very useful tool for those inclined to use this iPad at work or school, or even for entertainment.

Another welcome change is the shift to USB-C charging, which supports faster recharges than the previous version of the 9th Gen iPad that was outfitted with a lightning port. Certainly, this difference is not big, but it adds to the practicality of using the same charger for other USB-C devices, be they the newer iPhones or the MacBooks, to make the whole scheme of things that much better.

Even though its battery capacity has slightly been reduced compared to that of its predecessor, the central idea behind any decent gadget is solid performance and endurance, thus providing reliable service even during everyday chores.

iPad 10th Gen Review: iPadOS 16

Software Features:

The iPad 10th Gen comes pre-installed with iPadOS 16, which brings a host of new features and improvements. However, it’s important to note that the iPad 10th Gen does not support Stage Manager, a key multitasking feature of iPadOS 16 that’s available on more powerful models like the iPad Air and iPad Pro. Despite this, users can still benefit from features like enhanced messaging, the ability to lift subjects from photos, and better app optimization for the larger display.

Software and User Experience Table:

iPad 10th Gen Review: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Modern design with a larger display and slimmer profile.

• Touch ID integration in the power button.

• USB-C charging for faster recharges.

• Solid performance with the A14 Bionic chip.

• Available in vibrant new colors.

• 5G connectivity option.

Cons:

• Higher starting price of Dhs. 1,649.

• Still relies on the 1st gen Apple Pencil with cumbersome charging.

• No support for advanced iPadOS 16 features like Stage Manager.

• Rear camera lacks Night mode and flash.

• Slightly shorter battery life compared to the previous generation.

iPad 10th Gen Review: Verdict

The iPad 10th Gen quite leaps over the last in terms of design, has some semblance of being modern, and yet ready performance-wise, punctuation-packed with new features. Moreover, perhaps it would help convince buyers that this would definitely be what they needed—a perfect purchase in the wish list of the Latest iPad with a design that could fend off the future but easily worth spending extra money on. However, they are definitely well below the standard one would like, if one is on a budget or actively drawing here with the Apple Pencil.

FAQs

1. What's different between the 9th gen and the 10th gen iPads?

This would certainly prove to be an amazing upgrade from the 10th Gen iPad, especially for the design-conscious who require a more modern look, since its screen has been ramped up to 10.9 inches and coming in with much improved performance from the A14 Bionic chip.

The improvements were to be located more easily, to focus on gameplay, to perform video editing, to multitask, to be sued, to tenfold better the cameras, and to gain greater versatility with the USB-C port.

But, if you are contented with the one in your hand and do not necessitate all the new features or enhancements, then iPad 9th Gen can definitely be a good, cost-saving way of gaining a fast, well-performing tablet.

2. Is there a support for an iPad 10th Gen and Apple Pencil 2nd Gen?

The other thing to seriously consider with the iPad 10th Gen is that it does not support the Apple Pencil 2nd Gen to offer advanced drawing and writing functionalities for absolutely anyone.

These have really started to show their age, being incompatible with the 1st Gen Apple Pencil, which was still a really excellent stylist experience, other than the fact that it could not attach to the tablet magnetically or utilize the wireless charging that the 2nd Gen supports. It could, therefore, be a bit inconvenient when the user has to charge and pair the 1st generation Apple Pencil separately from the new iPad of the 10th generation. Woe-betide all who complains; this obviously is not going to be as convenient as the Pencil is.

3. How does the iPad 10th Gen compare to the iPad Air (M1)?

Sure, the real differentiating thing about the iPad Air would likely be the M1 chip, excellent in power and hence capable of perfect desktop-class computing, properly tailored both for the kind of tasks that involve video and graphic design editing, heavy multitasking, and then some.

Moreover, it also works with Apple Pencil 2nd Gen so it gives a more professional flow and perfect for all the creatives out there. Major Upgrades Done: for example, the touch features such as the Stage Manager are now also utilized for the purpose of strong multitasking, in such a way that the user can possess resizable windows, advantageously with many, although the prices hover around slightly high. In another comparison, though not as powerful as the other, the iPad 10th Gen spits out a more pocket-friendly gadget with modern - looking everything and amazingly satisfactory performance for daily use.

4. What colour options are there for this model of iPad 10th Gen?

Colour is filled with the spectrum of the 10th Gen iPad, yet with more fun and playfulness in orientation, edging it to perfection in personalization. Comes in four fresh colors of yellow, pink, blue, and silver. This impulsive color brings smiled eyes looking vibrant with fun and allows the variety of taste when the user needs to choose the device. Yellow brings bright peppy hue, pink adds a soft trendy look, while blue offers a relaxed professional appearance. Silver, as a color offering, is a classic staple suit for those who prefer a more conventional, neutral view.

5. What's the battery life like on the 10th Gen iPad?

The battery life of the 10th-gen iPad is pretty strong; it takes up to 10 hours and 57 minutes on a full charge—all that is needed in a usage pattern for a complete day on a single charge. With them, a person can browse over the web, consume media with his or her device and delve into a bit of light productivity without having to charge the device constantly, in essence through an entire day. Evenings of a long battery life make the device quite indispensable for students, professionals, and even for general users. Yet this would be shortened when heavier activities were performed, such as gaming or video editing.