With the announcement of the 10th Gen iPad, Apple’s line of tablets now contains six options. And the latest iPad aims to stick out with a modern design that’s trickled down from more expensive options and a new spot for the front camera.
It brings that modern, rounded design to an under $500 price and pairs it with plenty of performance. And in that vein it’s similar to the M2 MacBook Air. That laptop was a new option over the M1 Air, and this is the step–up option over the 9th Gen.
So how does it stack up? Well, it’s a better design that comes in color, an iPad experience that doesn’t sacrifice anything, and works with a killer accessory. I’ve spent five days with a 10th Gen iPad, so let’s talk about it.
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Modern Looks With a Larger Screen
Unlike the 9th Gen iPad, which opts for a classical design complete with chunkier bezels and a Home button, the 10th Gen iPad fits succinctly in the modern iPad line. Its rounded, flat design looks like a larger Mini, about the same size as the Air and 11-inch Pro, and a smaller 12.9-inch Pro.
The front of the 10th Gen is closer to all-screen with a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display that features minimal bezels. Still though there is enough room to comfortably hold the iPad with your hands, single or both. And on the left side when held vertically or on the top when held horizontally is the front-facing 12-megapixel design.
And with no room for a home button, the Touch ID experience for locking and unlocking as well as authenticating purchase gets relocated to the power button. It works here just as well as it does on the iPad Mini and iPad Air. It’s a glass button that ups the premium feel of the iPad. It lives on the left when held in landscape or on the top when in portrait. Volume up and volume down are on the top when in landscape or on the top left when in portrait.
Like the other iPads, Apple makes this a premium build with an anodized aluminum finish on the rear and on all the edges. In my case I’ve been testing the Yellow version which is a vibrant, poppy color that makes me smile each time. The 10th Gen also comes in pink, blue, or silver. I’m especially stoked Apple delivered some fun color options and I think some people might get this just for these.
You can also pair the 10th Gen iPad with a color matching Smart Folio. For instance, the Yellow iPad with a Lemonade case, or you could be a little crazy and mismatch the colors. The latter would probably be very cool.
Like the Air, Mini, and Pros, the 10th Gen opts for a USB-C port. Included in the box is both a USB-C to USB-C cable and a 20-watt plug as well. You can fast charge the 10th Gen when you pair it with a 30-watt of higher plug. But it’s not all elegant here, as the 10th Gen iPad only works with the first-generation Apple Pencil which charges with a Lightning port. You’ll need to get a Dongle for $9, but it’s a clunky experience.
Aside from the oddity there, the overall experience of using the 10th Gen iPad is pretty great. And a lot of that is thanks to the Liquid Retina display here, the extra space here makes it more spacious for multitasking in a split-screen environment. For instance, I can more comfortably write this review on the right side and review my notes on the left. Heck, if I need to text someone I can even have the Messages app hover over either panel.
Colors are quite accurate and can get punchy here, but Apple’s True Tone tech here adjusts the overall displays warmth or coolness to your environment. This makes it much easier on your eyes. I enjoyed doing more everyday work tasks like emailing, writing, editing, some light photo editing, and slacking, but the 10th Gen iPad also scaled for play. I enjoyed flying from EWR to SFO via Real Flight Simulator Pro and tested out my basketball scales in the latest version of NBA 2K23 via Apple Arcade.
Now if you’re coming from an older iPad, even the 9th Gen or something even older, you will benefit from the larger screen, as well as better details when taking in content. Generation over generation you get an additional 0.7-inches which is a nice upgrade that doesn't stretch the physical size much larger.
Plenty of Power for iPad Tasks
Alongside the colorful build, Apple tossed an A14 Bionic processor inside which is better than the 9th Gen’s A13 and not quite as good as the iPad Mini’s A15. But here’s the kicker as with most iPads, you’ll be hard pressed to make this thing slow down. And that goes for playing games, typing an email, opening and using really any application, and multitasking between two apps.
I’ve found the experience using the 10th Gen iPad to be very fluid and for most of the core tasks it ran very smoothly. With a 4K export test in iMovie and Lumafusion it was bested by the more expensive models, but still for a $449 starting iPad the mileage here will get you very far.
In fact, I successfully used this tablet with the Magic Keyboard Folio as my main device for work for a full two days. It could handle writing in a web-based CMS, monitoring social feeds, responding and creating emails, and even cropping or editing photos in Pixelmator. And this new accessory that’s exclusive to the 10th Gen iPad is a really interesting one … and it kind of turns the iPad into a very-similar device to that of a Surface.
It’s a two part accessory with a rear cover that magnetically attaches to the back. And it has a kickstand that can be pulled to let you set the iPad at a comfortable view for whomever is using it. Then the keyboard portion that includes a sizable trackable and a full row of function keys attaches to the side of the 10th Gen iPad through Apple’s Smart Connector. And just like the Smart Keyboard or the standard Magic Keyboard this handles providing power and ensuring a connection.
And with this the iPad is really perfect for a laptop-like experience. The Magic Keyboard Folio is quite nice in use and gives you a bit more freedom into how you can position the iPad. It also doesn’t lock you into using the keyboard and trackpad with it. I really hope Apple extends this design to the iPad Air and the iPad Pros.
The A14 Bionic is a pretty advanced chip by all accounts as well. It’s made up from a 6-Core CPU, a 4-Core GPU, and a 16-Core Neural Engine. Those all work together to run iPadOS 16.1 smoothly and let you scale for more processor intensive tasks.
You’ll have no issue using the 10th Gen iPad for a myriad of tasks including split-screen between apps and running a FaceTime over it. And with iPadsOS 16.1 you’ll be able to edit and undo sending messages, utilize some Quick Note improvements, and even check the weather in a dedicated app. You won’t be able to use Stage Manager here which is a more laptop-like multitasking experience that’s limited to more expensive iPad models.
Like those more expensive models, you also can’t magnetically attach the Pencil here. When it comes to charging the first-generation Pencil you need to get a $9 adapter which lets you charge the pencil with the 10th Gen iPad. Keep in mind if you buy a new first-generation Apple Pencil, it will come with the dongle in the box. The dongle itself is a small rectangle with a spot for a USB-C cable and for the Apple Pencil to click in via Lightning.
And this really doesn’t negatively impact using the Apple Pencil with the 10th Gen iPad. It’s the classic build that folks upgrading from a supported iPad are familiar with. As expected, it’s great for note-taking in a variety of applications, but can also be scaled as a tool for photo or video editing, and even making art on the iPad. It’s just clunky when it comes time to charge it.
On the subject of battery life I’ve been able to get through a full day with it, with about 8 hours of screen on time. Apple says that you can expect all-day battery life and up to 10 hours of web surfing or video streaming. My experience has lined up with just that.
A Better Spot for the Front Camera
Just like the 9th Gen iPad, the 10th Gen features a 12-megapixel ultra wide camera. It also supports Center Stage which keeps you in the frame even as you sway from left to right or get up to walk in circles while on a video call. This smart technology from Apple first debuted on the 2020 iPad Pro and has trickled down to every iPad since then.
It still works great here and the quality of the 12-megapixel lens is really quite good. Whether you’re in the best lighting possible for a video call or in a more dimly lit room, it captures details well and lights the space appropriately. You can also choose to turn on Portrait mode to put the focus on your with a subtle blur on your background.
But aiding in the experience here is that Apple moved the camera to the landscape edge. So when you’re using the iPad horizontally it better frames you in the shot and doesn’t put you off to the side. It’s in the spot that’s akin to the MacBook Air and most other laptops. You can also more effortlessly keep eye contact while on a call.
However, if you’re someone who likes to take calls in vertical mode, it can be a little awkward as you need to hold the iPad on the other side. And currently the 10th Gen is the only iPad that gets this treatment — every other iPad keeps the front lens in the class spot on the left side when held horizontally or top-centered when in vertical use.
Bottom Line: Is the 10th Gen iPad Worth it?
By all-accounts, the 10th Gen iPad delivers an excellent iPad experience. It offers a sharp, vibrant, and larger screen that’s fit for split-screen tasks, streaming, gaming, and general iPad OS use. It also delivers excellent performance that can blaze through most tasks and will be an excellent speed boost for folks from the 6th, 7th, 8th, and even 9th Gen. Though with the latter, it’s pretty neck and neck for performance. And that iPad is frequently under the $329 price tag.
The oddities come with the first-generation Apple Pencil support. I’m all for the move to USB-C, but it’s not the most Apple-like experience for charging it. There’s also the fact that the adapter is pretty hard to come by right now.
But if you can look past that, it’s an excellent iPad and if you’re someone who’s looking to swim between iPad tasks and more advanced ones, this is an excellent choice. The $449 price tag also includes 64GB of storage which is clutch. It can also be paired with the $249 Magic Keyboard Folio for a laptop-like experience that really lets you get work done here. And when it’s time to play just detach the keyboard.
Of course though, you have to consider the 9th Gen iPad which still offers stellar performance and frequently falls below the $329 price tag. If you're not after the modern build of the 10th Gen or the new folio covers, that might be the best option for you.
Apple’s 10th Gen iPad is up for order now starting at $449 and will begin shipping on Oct. 26.
10th Gen iPad Specs
Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing.
