The budget tenth generation iPad features a FaceTime camera in landscape mode, a faster Apple A14 chip, USB-C charging and a higher price than before.
Budget iPad now from $449
But as Apple added new tablet models over time, iterations of the original iPad became known as the “budget iPad.”
This is an Apple tablet that doesn’t have the latest chip, features, or design, but it makes up for it with a great price. And while the company has been offering a budget iPad for years with a starting price of just $329 in the US, that’s no longer the case.
The cost of the new tenth generation model in the US starts at $449. Don’t like the higher price? Apple is still offering the previous iPad for the same $329 as before.
The iPad 10 has a FaceTime camera with a landscape orientation.
This iPad has upgraded its ultra-wide selfie camera from eight to twelve megapixels, although the big news here is the camera placement.
The front-facing FaceTime camera is now on the edge of the landscape orientation, rather than on top of the portrait display. Apple says it makes video calls a little better. The front camera also has a 122-degree field of view for Apple’s CenterStage feature, which uses smart framing to keep everyone in the frame.
There’s an updated 12-megapixel shooter with 4K shooting on the back, which is a significant upgrade from the 8-megapixel sensor with 1080p video capture on the previous model. Read: How to download files and documents on iPad
Budget iPad moves to USB-C charging
The new iPad also supports USB-C charging, replacing Apple’s proprietary Lightning port. The entire iPad lineup now uses USB-C instead of Lightning for both charging and data transfer, including iPad mini, iPad Pro, and iPad Air models. Apple says the newly added USB-C port allows for faster charging times “when used with higher power charging adapters.”The iPhone should adopt a USB-C port by 2015.
Tidbits: Apple Pencil, new colors and more
This iPad is powered by the newer Apple A14 Bionic chip with six compute cores (2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores), four graphics cores, and a 16-core neural engine for machine learning and AI features.
This iPad does not support the new Stage Manager feature, although it does run iPadOS 16. Speaking of software, Apple’s new Freeform collaboration app “will be available in an update for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS later this year.”
The screen is slightly larger at 10.9 inches compared to the previous model’s 10.2-inch display. As a result, the resolution has increased slightly from 2160×1620 on the previous model to 2360×1640 on the iPad 10. This is not an HDR display, and the maximum brightness is still 500 nits.
Where did the “chin”and “forehead”go?
The bezels have been shrunk significantly as the new iPad uses the full-screen mode that Apple first brought to the 2018 iPad Pro family – now all Apple tablets look pretty much the same on the outside. This means not only the absence of a “forehead” and “chin”, but also the absence of a traditional “Home” button. Instead, a Touch ID reader is built into the top button, as we’ve seen on the new iPad Air.
The previous model could have looked a little boring, having only space gray and silver colors. The iPad 10 retains the silver variant but ditches the gray color in favor of a vibrant blue, pink, and yellow finish. This is Apple’s funniest iPad in terms of looks!
iPad 10 supports the first Apple Pencil, but does not support the second generation model. But wait, the first pencil has a built-in Lightning connector for charging! Don’t worry, Apple has also released an updated version of the original Apple Pencil (still $99) that includes a new USB-C to Apple Pencil adapter in the box.
The adapter is also available separately for $9 on the Apple website.
Prices and Availability
iPad 10 is available to order today at apple.com/store and the official Apple Store app [ App Store link ] before it goes on sale Wednesday, October 26th. pink, yellow and silver.
U.S. Wi-Fi models start at $449 and upgrade to cellular is another $110. Students can view education pricing at apple.com/us-hed/shop.
The device works with Apple’s updated Magic Keyboard Folio, which features full-size keys with 1mm of travel, a new 14-key function row, and an integrated large trackpad. It snaps on magnetically thanks to the Smart Connector on the edge of the iPad 10,
Read Apple’s press release or visit apple.com/ipad-10.9 for more information.