iPad 10 (2022) after three months. A great tablet with painful compromises [TEST]

The 10th generation iPad is Apple’s new “standard” tablet, which is intended to be a cheaper alternative to both iPad Airwhat iPad Pro. As you can guess, this device is the direct successor to the 9th generation iPad, which premiered in September 2021.

Apple has introduced some new features to the “standard” iPad. Unfortunately also raised its price. And it’s pretty solid. iPad 10 gen. in the cheapest variant (64 GB and Wi-Fi) currently costs PLN 2,899. For comparison, the cheapest iPad 9 model was priced at PLN 1,699. We are talking about a difference of up to PLN 1,200 here. Is it worth paying the extra amount for a newer model?

iPad Pro 10th generation photo by DM

PLUS: New design

Apple finally breaks with the outdated design of the iPad, whose symbol was the Home button and thick frames surrounding the display. In terms of design, the 10th generation iPad follows the path of the iPad Pro and iPad Air.

The body of the device has been slimmed down, and the frames are now slimmer, although there is still a lot of room for improvement. It is also a significant novelty the appearance of the USB-C port, which he replaced lightning connector.

Thus, the only devices that still use the older charging port are iPhones. But not for long. There are many indications that this year’s iPhone 15 will also receive USB-C.

The lack of a home button means that Apple had to move the fingerprint reader to another place. As with the iPad Pro, this scanner is now located below the iPad’s wake/sleep button on the top edge. The new iPad still does not support the function FaceID. This is reserved only for the much more expensive iPad Pro.

And if we are talking about changes in the design, it is worth noting that Apple has finally moved the front camera of the iPad from the top edge to one of the longer sides. This makes video calls in landscape mode (when the iPad is connected to the keyboard) much more comfortable.

iPad 10th generation photo by DM

ON THE MINUS: The screen gives way to other iPad models

Another item that iPad 10th generation “inherited” from the iPad Air is the Liquid Retina display. It’s a 10.9-inch screen IPS with backlight LED about resolution 2360 by 1640 (264 PPI), which offers a maximum SDR brightness of 500 nits.

Unfortunately, the iPad 10 display loses to the Air model in several respects. We will not see a full lamination of the display and anti-reflective coating here. The colors are even worse. While the iPad Air offers a wide range of colors (P3), in the tested model we find only sRGB.

iPad 10th generation photo by DM

PLUS: Efficiency

The 10th generation iPad received a newer processor A14 Bionic. It is a very efficient system that will easily cope with any task that we set before it. During the few months I spent with this device, I did not encounter any performance problems. iPadOS 16 runs very smoothly on the new iPad, and individual applications launch literally in the blink of an eye.

3D Mark 3D Mark

Apple equipment also performed very well during benchmark tests:

• Geekbench 5 (single core test) – 1566 points
• Geekbench 5 (multi-core test) – 3534 points
• 3DMark Wild Life Benchmark – 2222 points

Geek Bench 5 Geek Bench 5

The 10th generation iPad has two cameras. I will find in fronty 12MP lens with aperture f/2.4, 2x zoom (zoom out) and Center Stage mode. It allows you to record 1080p HD video in 25, 30 or 60 frames per second.

At the back we find the turn 12MP wide-angle camera with f/1.8 light and 5x digital zoom. It allows you to record 4K video in 24, 25, 30 and 60 frames per second.

ON THE MINUS: Hellishly expensive accessories

Apple makes you pay dearly for additional accessories for the new iPad. Keyboard Magic Keyboard Folio was valued at PLN 1,499. Slightly cheaper (but still ridiculously expensive) is the case Smart Foliofor which we will pay PLN 499.

I wouldn’t pick on these prices if it wasn’t for one controversial decision taken by Apple. The manufacturer decided to move the connector Smart Connector from the back of the iPad to one of its long edges. This means that keyboards and cases from previous iPad models DO NOT FIT the “ten”. Unfortunately, we are dealing here with a classic cash jump, which must arouse disgust.

iPad 10th generation photo Apple

PLUS: Long-lasting battery

iPad 10th generation has smaller battery compared to last year’s model, which is related to changes in the design of the device. I was even more positively surprised by the fact that the battery lasts a bit longer on a single charge than in the case of the iPad 9.

The average working time of the iPad 10 while browsing the Internet via Wi-Fi was approx 11 hourswhen using LTE it was approx 1.5 hours shorter.

iPad 10th generation photo by DM

ON THE MINUS: Charging the Apple Pencil stylus is absurd

As I mentioned earlier, the 10th generation iPad has a USB-C charging port. Giving up the Lightning connector is of course a decision that needs to be applauded. The point is that in the case of this particular device it led to a certain absurdity.

While the new iPad has USB-C, it does not support the 2nd generation Apple Pencil stylus (which we charge via USB-C), but its older variant … with Lightning connector. In practice, this means that connecting the stylus to the iPad 10 in order to charge it requires the use of an adapter.

If you decide to buy the 1st generation Apple Pencil, you will receive the adapter with the stylus. However, if you already have this accessory, you will have to pay extra. The USB-C adapter costs PLN 55 in the Apple Store. So it’s not a fortune, but it doesn’t change the fact that Apple – at its own request – got a little lost in all this.

iPad 10th generation photo by DM

SUMMARY

The 10th generation iPad has a lot to like. Apple refreshed the design of the equipment, improved performance and battery life, and the device has a USB-C port. Unfortunately, the manufacturer also made some incomprehensible decisions: the iPad 10 does not support older accessories, and connecting a dedicated stylus requires the use of an adapter.

The improvements that we find in the new iPad also do not justify such a significant price increase. The difference of PLN 1,200 between the 9th generation iPad and the 10th generation iPad is daylight robbery. In this situation, buying a newer model simply does not pay off.

So maybe it’s worth choosing “nine”? And here another problem arises.

Unfortunately, Apple – in the so-called meanwhile – has quietly increased the price of this device as well. In the cheapest variant, it currently costs PLN 2,149ł, which is much more than at the premiere. As a result, the real price difference between the two devices is “only” PLN 750.