Apple iPad 2022 Quick Review: Is it worth buying when the price is no longer affordable?

Apple iPad 10th generation 2022 is no longer cheap when it starts at $449 (£499 in the UK), with this price, is it still an attractive option? If you’ve been eyeing this tablet, the Apple iPad 2022 quick review below can help you make your choice.

Apple iPad 2022 Quick Review

Design

The biggest difference between Apple iPad 2022 10.9 compared to all previous cheaper versions is the design. The low-cost iPad has finally been redesigned with a more square frame. Overall, it’s nearly impossible to separate the iPad 10.9 2022 from the iPad Air 2022.

The dimensions of the iPad 10th generation 2022 are 248.8mm x 179.5mm x 7mm and weighs 477g. At 247.6mm x 178.5mm x 6.1mm and 461g, the iPad Air 5 is smaller, thinner, and a bit lighter. However, this difference will no longer matter when wearing the case or keyboard.

Compared to the iPad Gen 9, the iPad Gen 10 is a little smaller, wider, thinner, and lighter. Overall size is almost the same, but the screen size has been increased from 10.2 to 10.9 inches – a significant upgrade.

Aside from the minor differences between the Apple iPad 10th generation and the iPad Air 5th generation, we return to a host of similarities, from the 12MP rear camera and LED flash placement to the USB port and audio grid floating along the bottom edge. The volume buttons and Touch ID are also located similarly.

iPad Gen 9 2021 has a Touch ID Home button and uses a Lightning port. You won’t see them on the 10.9 Apple iPad 2022.

Display

Apple iPad 10th generation 2022 comes with a 10.9-inch screen with a resolution of 2360 x 1640 pixels (264ppi), which is a great upgrade from the 10.2-inch 2160 x 1620 screen of the 9th generation iPad. In terms of brightness, iPad Gen 10 is similar to the iPad Air 5 with up to 500 nits, it also supports TrueTone.

However, unlike the iPad Air, the iPad 10.9’s screen isn’t fully laminated and doesn’t include an anti-reflective coating. The difference is quite clearly visible, and the experience of swiping to use the pen is also different.

Other than that, there is nothing to compare, so you can rest assured that the iPad Gen 10 still ensures the quality of the display so that you can comfortably entertain, watch movies, play games, and study.

It’s also responsive when we used the Apple Pencil 1 on it, and there’s rarely a stroke of ink after passing the pen.

Camera

The rear camera of the iPad Gen 10 2022 has received a major upgrade as compared to the cameras on the iPad Gen 9. From 8MP resolution, we now have a 12MP f/1.8 camera. It is similar to the 12MP rear camera on the iPad Air with autofocus, which can shoot at 4K@60.

On the front is a 12MP ultra-wide camera, almost unchanged from the 9th generation iPad’s FaceTime camera. It supports 1080p still video and offers the same 122-degree super-wide field of view used for centerstage. Although Apple brought a major change to the iPad this year, the front camera has now moved to the left edge.

That makes perfect sense since most people now use the iPad horizontally, and holding the camera vertically poses several inconveniences. In terms of image quality from these two cameras, it’s generally pretty good, of course, it’s just a budget iPad anyway, so we shouldn’t expect too much but stop at enough to meet basic needs.

Audio

The new iPad has iPad Air-like horizontal stereo speakers for loud, clear sound, but it lacks bass. The overall experience of watching movies and playing games is quite good.

Battery and performance

Equipped with an A14 Bionic processor and 4GB of RAM, the performance of the new Apple iPad 2022 10.9 is similar to that of the iPhone 12 series, responds well to almost any game title, and can handle videos at a level that isn’t too complicated. It responds fast to all regular office and study work.

Battery life is essentially unchanged from the previous iPad. It can get up to 8 to 10 hours of continuous use for video streaming and participating in video meetings. Under normal use, this device can comfortably last for a whole day.

Coming to charging speed, it takes 30 minutes to charge the new iPad from 0 to 26% with the 20W charger. The charging speed is quite slow, so it will be suitable for overnight charging.

Final line

The Apple iPad 2022 starts at $449 on Amazon.com or £499 on Amazon.co.uk for the 64GB Wi-Fi only model. It comes in four color options: Blue, Pink, Silver, and Yellow.

The more powerful internals are also nice to have, but honestly, on a day-to-day basis, this won’t impact people much. After all, it’s not as if the new Apple iPad 2022 10.9 is underpowered. With that said, there will of course be certain workflows for which the power difference matters, so that depends on how you’re planning to use your tablet. Similarly, the importance of the Apple Pencil will also play a huge role in whether or not this is the right pick for you.

If you’re wondering whether this is a good upgrade from the iPad Gen 9, then the answer is a lot simpler — yes it is if you are comfortable with the price. It’s better in almost every conceivable way.