Video Review: Two Weeks With the New 10th-Generation iPad

It's been almost two weeks since Apple introduced the revamped 10th-generation iPad, and MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been using it on a daily basis for the purpose of a more in-depth review for those considering it as an upgrade or a holiday gift for a family member.


The 10th-generation ‌iPad‌ is priced starting at $449, which makes it $120 more expensive than the 9th-generation ‌iPad‌ that Apple is still selling alongside it. At $449, it is $150 less than the iPad Air, a tablet that it shares many features with.

The ‌iPad‌ lineup is somewhat confusing now because the 10th-generation ‌iPad‌ and the ‌iPad Air‌ are so similar, but for most people, it is a good deal because it offers a solid set of features for an affordable price. Design wise, the new ‌iPad‌ has the same 10.9-inch display as the ‌iPad Air‌, but it's not quite as advanced in terms of color and reflectivity.

Apple's newest ‌iPad‌ has the same general design as the ‌iPad Air‌, featuring an edge-to-edge display with a Touch ID power button rather than Face ID integration. It also uses USB-C instead of Lightning, offering a more universal charging option, but it does not have Thunderbolt or the quicker transfer speeds you'll see on other ‌iPad‌ models.

There is an A14 chip inside the ‌iPad‌, which is a good deal faster than the A13 chip in the prior-generation version. It is not as advanced as the M1 in the ‌iPad Air‌, but it will last for years to come. There's a landscape FaceTime camera for the first time, which is a nice feature for those who prefer to use the ‌iPad‌ as a replacement for a Mac in a landscape orientation.

As a major downside, the ‌iPad‌ only works with the Apple Pencil 1, an unusual choice because it charges via Lightning and there is no Lightning port. You need a confusing set of adapters if you want to charge the ‌Apple Pencil‌ with your ‌iPad‌, and it isn't clear why Apple didn't just add ‌Apple Pencil‌ 2 compatibility.

On the plus side, Apple designed a new Magic Keyboard Folio for the ‌iPad‌, and it goes hand in hand with the landscape camera to turn the ‌iPad‌ into a Mac alternative. It is a two-piece accessory that works as both a cover and a keyboard, plus there is a built-in stand. Apple also added a function row, something not even available for the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro.

If you opt for the ‌iPad Air‌ instead of the ‌iPad‌, you're paying $150 for an ‌M1‌ chip, a jump in display quality, and support for Stage Manager multitasking, and if you opt for the cheaper 9th-generation ‌iPad‌, you're losing quite a bit of screen real estate and opting for a much slower chip.

The 10th-generation ‌iPad‌ is a solid compromise between price and feature set, and it will appeal to many people who are seeking an updated tablet. What do you think of the ‌iPad‌? Let us know in the comments below.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
ipad pro 2024

Gurman: New iPad Pro and MacBook Pro Models With M5 Chips to Launch Later This Year

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:06 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPad Pro models with the M5 chip will "launch this year," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new iPad Pro models have progressed to an "advanced testing" stage, and he expects mass production of the devices to begin in the second half of this year. If that timeframe is met, the new iPad Pro models could launch...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...

Top Rated Comments

kylelerner Avatar
31 months ago
That pencil situation is *lead” with confusion.
Weird pencil sitch - what’s the “point?”
This isn’t “write.”

The above are a few jokes that are as good as this Apple Pencil situation.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roncron Avatar
31 months ago
I strongly prefer the iPad Air 4 or 5 due to having much better display and Pencil 2 support. The Air 5 is often available on sale for $50 or so off, which reduces the price differential with the iPad 10. There are some refurbished Air 4 units available from time to time, at about the same cost as the iPad 10. If I couldn't afford an iPad Air 4 or 5, I'd just get an iPad 9 for less money.

But lots of people have different preferences than me, and may have good reasons for preferring the iPad 10. I'm happy it's available for them.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
5105973 Avatar
31 months ago
Thanks for the clear explanation of the differences. If I were in the market for an iPad, oddly enough this would likely be the one for me. But I have a really old one that still works fine for my purposes.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jsavvy Avatar
31 months ago
Disappointed to see this iPad released. I really don’t see the point of any new iPad working with the Pencil 1. I don’t think it’s worth the compromises. Just another iPad to fill in a price gap.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Porco Avatar
31 months ago
It’s worth pointing out (because MR keeps forgetting apparently) the 9th gen iPad is now the only iPad Apple sells as new that has a built-in headphone jack socket.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
31 months ago
Dan seems so relaxed and at ease doing this video. Probably the best one of his I’ve ever seem. Great job.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)