iPad 2022 is an object of desire and an unwise purchase
The new iPad is the 10th generation iPad. It has a USB-C port instead of the Lighting port and comes in new, more modern, and bright colors. It is compatible with the first-generation Apple Pencil and costs up to 34% more, with peaks of 51% if there are good deals on the previous model.
The base iPad, also known as the “iPad for everyone,” costs $449, £499, or AU$749. If the cost seems familiar, it may be because it resembles the first iPad, which Steve Jobs presented on April 3, 2010. At the time, $499 sounded like a great deal for such a ground-breaking, portable device with a huge screen.
We now live in a world where Amazon occasionally sells its 7-inch Fire tablets for $49 because times have changed. Apple, however, is flipping the design script, adding features, and demanding a significant increase in price at a time when many of us have less money to spend. Not that the iPad isn’t worth the cost, but these price hikes seem a little tone-deaf at the moment.
It’s also important to point out that the iPad 10.9 (2022) model we tested costs $749, £859, or AU$1,249 and offers 256GB of storage (which we love).
Pre-orders for the iPad 10.9 (2022) are being accepted now, and deliveries will begin on October 26.iPad Gen9 Vs iPad Gen10
Apple has always raised prices, usually by a few tens of dollars. And usually, the novelties of the new model could (more or less) justify the extra outlay. This year things look different: on the one hand, the price has increased much more than usual, while on the other hand, the new features are not very convincing.
The new iPad, for now, can be reserved on Apple’s website at full price and will be available for delivery on October 26, 2022. iPad Gen9, on the other hand, has been available for more than a year, and you can find it at many retailers, both official Apple partners and independents.
The new iPad Gen10 has a revamped design, with flat edges that make it more similar to the iPad Air. The new model has a slightly larger screen, 10.9″ versus 10.9″, and is lighter by a few grams.
The screen is also brighter, and the Apple A14 processor is more powerful than the A13 in the previous model. But it’s not a difference you’ll notice in everyday use: the Apple A13 is still a fine processor for everyday tasks. And if you need a super-powerful tablet, you should get an iPad Air or iPad Pro, both of which feature the M1 chip. We’re talking about the base model here, and the extra power counts for only so much.
There’s also a new rear camera, but on tablets, that’s not very important, feature-although someone takes pictures with the tablet occasionally I’ve seen around. Finally, gone is the Home button, but the fingerprint sensor remains: TouchID is integrated into the power button.
A lot more, but also a little less. iPad (2022) has no 3.5 mm jack for headphones, and it uses a USB-C port instead of Lightning for charging. This sounds like a step toward modernity, but it is not necessarily good news.
In fact, both models are only compatible with the first-generation Apple Pencil. This device has a male Lightning connector, and until last year you could use your iPad Gen9 (or earlier) to charge it. Aesthetically it kind of sucks because the pen comes out of the tablet like an antenna, but if nothing else, you can charge it.
In contrast, with the iPad Gen10, you cannot charge Apple Pencil. You’ll have to remember to charge it every day or carry around a power bank. Or you get another adapter with USB-C male on one end and Lightning female on the other. There are several around, and Apple’s official one costs €10.
Also, there remains the problem that you don’t know where to put the Apple Pencil. It does not magnetically attach to the tablet, so it stays “around.” The best thing is to get one of those cases with a special storage space. Unfortunately, you can find several on Amazon, but Apple does not have an official one.
Maybe Apple could make the iPad (2022) compatible with the 2nd generation Apple Pencil, which has induction charging and magnetic docking? Already that it has raised the price so much, it would have made more sense, no?
Of course, people who already have a 1st generation Pencil would have had to change it. But these people already have a recent iPad, and just because we are talking about the least expensive model, maybe these consumers want to keep it a little bit longer. And so it wouldn’t have been a problem for them.
If you want a nice tablet, the old iPad remains the most advisable choice, staying within Apple. It’s not a cheap product, especially now, but it remains one of the best products out there, considering the price/quality ratio. I mean, the new colors are great, but in the end, who’s going to make me do it?
Also, if you want a tablet that also serves writing and drawing, spending less without making “heavy” sacrifices is practically impossible.
On the other hand, iPad Gen10, the new 2022 model does not seem as recommendable.