5 Reasons Why You Should Buy Apple’s New iPad (And 3 Why You Shouldn’t)

Apple’s new, 10th-generation iPad will be available for purchase on Wednesday, October 26. It’s very different from the earlier entry-level iPad, with a new design that resembles the iPad Air and iPad Pro.

But the starting price is also higher than the $329 to $449 cost of the older, 9th-generation iPad that Apple still sells. So is the new iPad a good buy? We have some thoughts on that.

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Yes, the price is higher than before. It’s hard to justify spending $449 for an entry-level device. But the new iPad you’re really measuring against is the iPad Air, which launched in March and starts at $599.

Here’s why: The new iPad is a dead ringer for the iPad Air. The two devices have essentially the same design, with bezels on all sides as well. Both have 10.9-inch displays, have roughly the same cameras, and come with either 64GB or 256GB of storage memory.

However, I was able to compare the two side by side, and they are basically twins when it comes to the look and feel. The new iPad doesn’t feel cheap by any means; In fact, if you get it in one of the bright new colors, it looks… well, new.

For our detailed comparison between the two devices, head here. There are differences between the iPad and the iPad Air; The Air has a better display and a far more powerful chip, among other differences.

But if you want a modern-looking iPad that’s powerful enough to do iPad work, you can now get one for $449, and the $150 you save can be used for a keyboard or case. For many users, this will be the right choice.

colour’s

The new iPad comes in four colors: silver, blue, pink, and yellow, but these colors are different from your typical Apple gadget colors. The pink and yellow are especially vibrant, and you can even get matching covers for each color. Let’s put it this way: These are the least boring iPad colors ever.

Apple sent me a pink iPad to check out, and I can attest that it is indeed quite pink. The yellow version I haven’t seen in person, but it appears to be equally cheerful. It is worth considering that the five colors offered for the iPad Air are very few.

magic keyboard

Curiously, even though Apple updated both the iPad and iPad Pro in October, only the iPad got a new, matching accessory: the new, Magic Keyboard Folio.

Yes, it costs $249, and yes, it’s overpriced. But it’s the best iPad keyboard Apple has ever launched, with an extra row of function keys along the top and, mercifully, an Escape button on the top left. It also folds differently to the Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro (which doubles as a keyboard for the iPad Air in its 11-inch variant, but isn’t compatible with the iPad), and in my opinion it’s a bit clunky. Better design. Opening the keyboard is easy.

We’re not saying buy the Magic Keyboard; In fact, it’s probably too high for an entry-level iPad. But if you are planning to buy one, know that the version for iPad is currently the best you can buy.

Front-facing camera in the right place

For some reason, Apple’s iPad Pro and iPad Air models still have the front-facing camera up when you hold the device in portrait mode. The new iPad has the camera in the right place: on the edge, so it’s up when the device is in landscape mode. Since you’ll probably be doing most of your video calls with the iPad on a desk in front of you, it’s a better place for the selfie camera.

cheap stuff

Yes, the Magic Keyboard for iPad is very expensive at $249. But it’s certainly better than the $299 you’ll have to shell out for the Magic Keyboard for the 11-inch iPad Pro and iPad Air.

The new iPad is only compatible with the first generation Apple Pencil, which isn’t great, you’ll need a dongle (mercifully included with the Pencil) to charge it. But that Pencil is also cheaper at $99 versus the $129 that the second generation Pencil costs. It’s not much, but it adds up if you want to completely strip your iPad down to accessories.

Now that we’ve listed the reasons why you should buy the new iPad, here are some Why you might consider leaving it.

apple pencil illusion

We mentioned it there, but it’s worth repeating: The new iPad is only compatible with the first-generation Apple Pencil, which charges via the Lightning connector, and the new iPad has a USB-C connector. Yes, Apple now includes a dongle with the first-generation Apple Pencil, but if you hate dongles (I do), and if you’re actually planning on using the Apple Pencil a lot, This could be a dealbreaker for you.

Apple sent me both versions of the Pencil and the dongle, and sure enough, the old Pencil paired with the dongle charged to the iPad. But it’s so messy and un-Apple-like, I’d like to avoid it if at all possible.

no anti-reflective coating

The display on the new iPad may look similar to the iPad Air, but it isn’t. For one, it’s not fully laminated, which makes the device a bit thick.

While this wasn’t a big deal to me, there’s another small detail that matters: the anti-reflective coating. The thing is that the display of the new iPad does not have it, while the iPad Air does. And when I put the two devices next to each other, in a fairly dark room, the difference was quite noticeable. This difference is even greater in sunlight. It’s one of those details you don’t notice until you try a better version, and it’s hard to go back. It’s not a dealbreaker by any means, but it’s worth considering if you plan to use the iPad outdoors a lot.

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Waiting for whom? Didn’t we just say that the price was positive?

Well, the new iPad costs $449, which compares favorably to the $599 iPad Air. But this entry-level iPad is the most expensive ever. This is a massive 35 percent increase over last year’s model. And that model, the 9th generation iPad, is still available in the Apple Store for $329. Given that it’s an older model, you can get it cheaper elsewhere as well.

Sure, the old iPad has the same old design and only comes in Silver and Space Gray colors, but if all you really need is an iPad that performs simple, tablet functions and you want it for the least amount of money possible , then maybe you should skip the fancy new one and save $120 in the process.