Review of the Apple iPad (10th generation, 2022). (2023)

The entry-level iPad has been an Apple product for a long time, offering respectable performance at an affordable price. Apple has completely revamped the base iPad for 2022 with a new design, improved specs and some surprising changes. While the many external and internal upgrades to the 10th generation iPad (starting at $449) are overdue and welcome, a $120 price increase detracts from the easily recommendable tablet's appeal to some extent. The fact remains, however, that it's an incredibly capable device and a better choicemost other modelsin the same price range, which means it retains our Editors' Choice award for tablets under $500.

An attractive exterior refresh

The 10th generation Apple iPad finally looks like thisiPad Air($599) and theiPad Pro($799). The circular Touch ID button below the screen and the thick bezels at the top and bottom have been dropped in favor of a consistent look from edge to edge. A large pane of glass covers the screen and sits inside the aluminum body, which has flat side edges and a flat back. It's a solid piece of hardware that looks modern and feels well made.

(Image credit: Eric Zeman)

In terms of size, the dimensions of the iPad family are almost identical. The 10th generation iPad measures 9.79 x 7.07 x 0.28 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.05 pounds (Wi-Fi model). Compare that to thatiPad there 9th generation(9.80 x 6.80 x 0.29 inches, 1.07 pounds) and the 5th generation iPad Air (9.74 x 7.02 x 0.24 inches, 1.02 pounds) and you can see that Apple likes to keep things fairly consistent across its tablets. The 10th-generation iPad is small and light enough to fit easily into backpacks, shoulder bags, and even some crossbody bags, but it's not compact enough for a smaller purse or handbag that would otherwise fit an 8-inch tablet. It is much easier to carry than laptop size12,9-inch iPad Pro.

(Image credit: Eric Zeman)

The 10th generation iPad screen has a new size, shape and resolution, but the same overall pixel density year after year. The screen measures 10.9 inches diagonally and offers 2,360 x 1,640 pixels, which equates to a density of 264 ppi. (The current iPad screen is 10.2 inches and has 2,160 x 1,620 pixels at 264 ppi.) Nearly all other functionality is shared between the two screens, meaning you'll have an LED-backlit panel with a brightness of 500 Get nits (maximum) anti-fingerprint oleophobic coating, sRGB color and True Tone white balance correction. It's not laminated like the screens on the iPad Air or iPad Pro, nor does it have an anti-reflective coating - which became apparent when I tried to photograph the tablet outdoors. The screen seems to be recessed a millimeter or two below the protective glass and doesn't sit flush like the iPad Pro series. This mainly affects the performance of the Apple Pencil.

For everyday use, the new iPad's screen is great. There are no issues with HD content likeAppleTV+ofYouTube-TVand is usually more than bright enough for indoor use. However, it has trouble outdoors and even in bright, sunlit rooms. (This is where the anti-glare coating would have really helped.) It's just as good as any screen in this price range, though, and way better than what you'll get on a $100-$300 tablet.

(Image credit: Eric Zeman)

One of the biggest changes to the iPad's entry-level model is also one of the least noticeable. Apple has replaced its own Lightning connector with USB-C. (The iPad Pro and iPad Air made this change a while ago.) USB-C has become, and likely will continue to be, the standardized connector for many electronic devices around the world.Replace Lightning on iPhoneThanks next year alreadyEU-mandaten. Apple includes a USB-C to USB-C cable in the box. If you've invested heavily in Lightning-based accessories, it's time to foot the billUpgrade your gear.

Apple has moved the iPad's speakers, which is a bigger problem than you might think. The previous model had two speakers, but they were side by side on the bottom edge of the tablet. This resulted in unbalanced audio when the iPad was placed on its side to watch movies or TV shows. Now the speakers are on opposite edges, allowing true stereo sound when you hold the tablet in landscape mode to watch videos. The speakers also sound great.

(Image credit: Eric Zeman)

The controls and other physical aspects are roughly the same as on the iPad Air. A large button on one edge is used to turn the screen off or on; This button also contains the Touch ID sensor. Training the sensor takes a few moments and unlocking the tablet is quick, but not instantaneous. The separate volume buttons are right next to the Touch ID and work well. There's a physical SIM card tray on one edge of the tablet (although the iPad also supports this).z.B) and three pogo connectors on the bottom help magnetic accessories snap in, such asMagic keyboard.

Overall, these updates bring the iPad firmly into the present and in line with the rest of the family.

Improved performance

Apple has upgraded just about everything inside this sleek device, and that's good news.

First, the 10th generation iPad jumps a processor generation from the A13 Bionic to the A14 Bionic. It's still behind the M1 chip in the iPad Air and the M2 chip in the iPad Pro, but even a generation leap is enough. Both the A13 and A14 are chips with six cores, two performance cores and four efficiency cores. Both also have quad-core GPUs. The A14 stands above the A13 thanks to the double number of Neural Engine cores, increasing from eight to sixteen. The iPad has 4 GB of RAM, half the 8 GB available on the iPad Air and the (up to) 16 GB available on the iPad Pro. Still, a small processor leap results in modest performance gains. This is reflected in benchmarks.

(Image credit: Eric Zeman)

As of Geekbench 5, the iPad achieved single- and multi-core scores of 1,573 and 4,097, respectively, while last year's iPad achieved 1,331 and 3,516, respectively, in the same test. On the Basemark Web 3.0 Safari test, the iPad 2022 scored 978.04, compared to 821.17 points for the 2021 model. Other scores include 2,396 on the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme test and 35.66 fps on the GFXBench Aztec Ruins Test.

In terms of actual performance, the basic iPad has more than most people will ever need. The tablet ran smoothly through every app and game I tried. Demanding creation apps like GarageBand and iMovie run smoothly, and even apps that require a fast internet connection like Adobe Lightroom worked without a hitch. It's also up to the task when it comes to basic productivity through Google Docs, Outlook email, Slack, and other work apps. If you plan on using the iPad to surf the web, play simple games, or watch the occasional YouTube video, you'll be amazed at the tablet's performance.

(Quelle: Geekbench)

The iPad's storage capabilities are disappointingly inherited from the previous model. That means you get 64GB ($449) or 256GB ($599), which is stingy considering the base iPhone already has 128GB of storage. Because the operating system and pre-installed apps take up over 20 GB, you only have 40 GB on board to store movies, games, media, files, etc. A 128GB model priced at $499 makes sense to us, but apparently not to Apple.

On a positive note, the 2022 iPad is getting a serious wireless upgrade. First, Apple replaced the 9th generation model's Wi-Fi 5 radio with Wi-Fi 6. This provides a huge boost in wireless performance. As long as you have the right Wi-Fi equipment at home or at work, you will see a significant increase in speed. In our testing, when near a Wi-Fi 6 access point, iPad reached a maximum download speed of 637 Mbps, while upload speeds reached 287 Mbps. When tested at the edge of the Wi-Fi network, those numbers dropped to 29 Mbps downstream and 19 Mbps upstream, but that's still fast enough to make a video call.

Second, the iPad is moving from 4G to 5G. While it only relies on 5G below 6GHz (and not mmWave), buyers who need a permanent internet connection will find the generation change welcome. I tested the iPad on Verizon's 5G network and found it performed quite well in northern New Jersey.

Recently, Apple upgraded the Bluetooth radio from version 4.2 to version 5.2. This is intended to allow more stable connections with accessories such astrue wireless headphoneswith lower battery consumption at the same time.

Where's the better battery?

If there's one thing Apple hasn't improved significantly, it's battery life. In fact, the iPad's battery life has been astonishingly low throughout its entire 12-year lifespan. Apple claims 10 hours of battery life when browsing or watching videos over Wi-Fi and nine hours of battery life when doing the same over cellular. Admittedly, 10 hours is enough for most flights and technically equates to the standard of a full working day, but it could be even better.

(Image credit: Eric Zeman)

In our battery drain test, streaming videos over Wi-Fi with the screen brightness set to maximum, the 10th generation iPad lasted 5 hours and 59 minutes. That's an improvement of 41 minutes over the battery life of the 9th gen model, but a good 90 minutes shorter than what we got with theSamsung Galaxy Tab S8. In real use, I was able to work over WiFi (surfing, Slack, email, task manager) from 8am to 5pm with the screen brightness set to around 40%. At the end of the day, there's about 15% of the battery left. Still, I don't think 12 hours of battery life is a big ask for a tablet in 2022.

At least Apple is kind enough to include a 20W charging brick in the box. With the included USB-C to USB-C cable and charger, it takes just over two hours to fully charge the iPad.

Cameras come in modern times

I'm pretty sure no one takes tablet cameras that seriously, but we shouldn't write them off completely anymore - at least not if you're shooting with an iPad. The 10th generation iPad greatly improves the camera situation.

(Image credit: Eric Zeman)

The rear camera jumps from an 8-megapixel camera at f/2.4 on the 2021 iPad to 12MP at f/1.8 on the 2022 model. This results in sharper images that are brighter and cleaner across the board. Additionally, Apple has updated its HDR processing to Smart HDR 3, which is better at blending multiple exposures into one shot for more balanced results. The photos I've taken with the new iPad may be a little too sharp, but the clarity and color are good. This new sensor also allows the entry-level iPad to move from standard 1080p video recording to multi-frame-rate 4K video recording. The few short videos I shot look really nice. The iPad has a better camera than many cheap smartphones.

(Image credit: Eric Zeman)

Then there's the front camera. While the camera hardware itself isn't undergoing a major upgrade, the user experience is vastly improved. Apple has moved the camera from the top edge of the tablet to the side. This means the camera is centered over the screen and not shifted to the side when using the tablet as a laptop. Anyone who is on video calls all day will appreciate this change, which feels a lot more natural with the offset camera. Otherwise, it looks like Apple will use the 12 MP sensor with f/2.4. The only real extra feature concerns Smart HDR 3 on the software side. The selfies I took with it look very good for a tablet.

(Image credit: Eric Zeman)

Accessories offer added value

Given the updated hardware design of the iPad, a number of new accessories are offered.

Every tablet deserves at least some protection from the loose stuff in your backpack. Apple's Smart Folio ($79) offers basic front and back protection and can double as a makeshift kickstand. It attaches magnetically and will automatically wake the iPad when opened and put it to sleep when closed. Unfortunately, it feels a lot like cardboard and has sharp edges. Literally dozens of third-party alternatives are available directly from Apple and elsewhere at a lower price. We therefore recommend that you skip this one.

(Image credit: Eric Zeman)

If you want your iPad to function as a small laptop during the work day, you need the Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad ($249). The Magic Folio is a two-piece system. One piece attaches magnetically to the back and features an adjustable, flip-out kickstand that allows you to place the iPad on a flat surface for viewing. I like that it supports a wide range of viewing angles. However, it does not balance well on the knees. The second part is the keyboard itself: it connects to the three magnetic poles on the side of the iPad and rotates to protect the screen when not in use. It's about 85% the size of a standard keyboard, so typing feels a bit cramped, but that's to be expected.

(Image credit: Eric Zeman)

What I like most about the keyboard is that its surface is plastic and not covered with dust or rubber. Key drop and feedback are reasonable. The best feature, though, is the dedicated row of action keys for adjusting brightness, media playback, and volume (most of Apple's iPad keyboards don't have action keys). Thanks to the trackpad and iPadOS, you can interact with the screen without actually touching the glass. This can be faster and more accurate in some cases, such as moving titles in GarageBand or clips in iMovie. The keyboard accessory is available in several languages, but only in white, which gets dirty quickly. While it's still a little early for third-party keyboard cases for the new iPad to hit shelves, you can expect them in early 2023 at prices likely to be less than half the cost of the Magic Keyboard Folio.

(Image credit: Eric Zeman)

Confusingly, the Apple iPad 2022 supports the original 2015 Apple Pencil and not theSecond generation model. The original Apple Pencil has a glossy, rounded profile that I find uncomfortable and much too slippery to hold, but that's not the real problem. The problem is charging the pencil. The original Apple Pencil has a male Lightning connector on the top. The easiest way to pair an original Apple Pencil to an iPad was to plug the stylus into the Lightning connector. With the new iPad moving to USB-C, that's no longer possible. Pairing must now be done through the iPad's Bluetooth menu (admittedly, it's a few easy steps). Apple has repackaged the Apple Pencil with both Lightning and USB-C charging ports, but if you lose one or the other, you're out of luck. Apple's decision-making here is, shall we say, confusing. Why not just upgrade the iPad to the second generation Pencil? Even worse, the Magic Keyboard Folio doesn't provide a secure place to store the Apple Pencil.

As a stylus, the Apple Pencil works very well with the 10th generation iPad. It's fast enough, responsive, and good for taking notes and scribbling. I wouldn't recommend a third party stylus (there are only a few available) as they don't offer the same level of direct support. If you want to use a stylus with the iPad, at least use the Apple Pencil.

Note that none of these accessories come with the iPad. each is a separate purchase. If you add up the price of the base model iPad, Magic Keyboard Folio, and Apple Pencil, you come to $797, which is a hefty sum. By comparison, Samsung often includes a stylus and sometimes a folio case/keyboard with its Galaxy Tab S tablets.

iPadOS 16

Apple insistediPadOS 16on most iPads in October. The 10th generation iPad gets access to most of the new features it includes, except for the biggest: Stage Manager. iPads equipped with M1 and M2 processors can take advantage of this new tool, which allows users to access and manage multiple workspaces in a similar way to laptops. Stage Manager continues to suffer from mounting issues, but it's a shame this feature isn't available on the base iPad. However, almost everything else includes the edit, undo, and mark as read features in iMessage. Shared Libraries in the Photos app, which allow users to instantly share photos and videos with others; and LiveText and Visual Lookup for image-based search.

After using iPadOS 16 on the 10th generation iPad for a week, I can say that the software runs fast and does not have any performance issues. Plus, you can rest assured that the iPad will continue to receive system and security upgrades for years to come.

Significant updates at a significant cost

Apple has improved virtually every aspect of the entry-level iPad. The revised design is attractive, the screen is very good, the improved processor is faster and the new camera configuration allows for better photos and more natural video calls. Wireless performance is faster across the board, the tablet now offers true stereo sound, and Apple's accessories can turn it into a portable workstation.

(Image credit: Eric Zeman)

The $120 price jump over the previous model is very painful, but there's no question that the 10th generation iPad is the best tablet you can get for $449. It does everything a tablet should do, and does it well. However, the tablet competition is the odd one out and Apple mainly competes with its own iPad Air, iPad Pro andiPad Minifor this price. You'd have to spend $600 or more for an Android tablet like the two-year-oldSamsung Galaxy Tab S7perform just as well as here. Some may think about itMicrosoft Surface Go3($399) is a competitor, but it's already a year old and Windows and iPadOS are really different beasts. That said, if you're looking for a tablet that's suitable for both casual and creative use, the iPad is the way to go. That is why it remains the choice of our editors.