The tablet space remained pretty much dead in India until some Android smartphone manufacturers decided to resurrect the segment in 2021. The likes of Realme, Motorola, and even Samsung launched budget tablets under Rs 20,000 in India. However, Apple continues to be the only company regularly offering different iPad models in the country across various price points. Yes, the entry point of the iPad models isn’t as affordable as its Android competitors but even the entry-level iPad offers significantly more value for the price you pay. In September 2021, Apple refreshed the iPad and launched it with improved internals, and doubled the storage for the same price as the predecessor. So, is the entry-level iPad 10.2 “the iPad” to buy? After using the tablet for a few days, here is our ninth-generation Apple iPad review to help you decide.
iPad review
Apple does not fiddle around much with the design of its products for a few years. With the new iPad 2021, the design continues to remain the same as the iPad 8th-generation. You get a 10.2-inch Retina display with a 2160x1620-pixel resolution that is quite large and excellent for content consumption. Yes, it is not as large as the 12.9-inch model but the 10.2-inch iPad will be a lot more ergonomic and portable for those who travel frequently.
It continues to sport thick bezels above and below the display for the front camera and the Touch ID Home button. In the era of masks covering our faces, I was quite happy with Touch ID, which is quite quick to detect your fingerprint and unlock the device. That being said, Apple really implemented the Touch ID placement on the iPad Air 2020, wherein the fingerprint scanner is placed on the power button at the top-right edge. Hopefully, the iPad 10th-generation gets a similar treatment.
The 10.2-inch iPad also acts as a perfect companion for content consumption. I used the iPad to watch shows during my flight from Delhi to Mumbai and also during an overnight bus ride. The 10.2-inch True Tone display is more than just bright for indoor content consumption. However, at a peak brightness of about 500 nits, one might need to push the brightness levels to the max when under the sun.
Apple typically offers the best LCD panels in the industry and it continues to do so with the 10.2-inch iPad. It is because of its colour accuracy that I chose to edit many of my Vivo V23 Pro review images on the 10.2-inch iPad. I also edited a few Reels for my Instagram profile on the iPad. While there is no official support, the enlarged UI makes it easier to move the slider while editing Reels on the iPad. There is no 120Hz ProMotion here and although one might like but cannot expect it on an Apple iPad around Rs 30,000.
With a screen that large, the iPad is also quite good for video calls. It has a 12MP ultrawide front camera, which is significantly better than the 5MP sensor that competitor tablets offer. To improve the video calling experience, the iPad also gets Centre Stage support. The feature uses Apple’s Neural Engine from the A13 Bionic chip to pan the camera and focus on the user as they move around. If more than one user is in the frame, the camera detects and focuses on them too while zooming out to offer a wider frame. I found this feature particularly handy while FaceTiming my cousins in the US as we sat with our families in front of the screen. Third-party apps do support but I hope popular ones like WhatsApp video and Google Meet offer support for the same.
There is one complaint though. The iPad has dual speakers, which are loud and deliver crisp audio. However, both speakers are on the bottom edge and when held vertically, they do not offer a surround sound-like experience. Having a speaker grille on either side (even if it is dual speakers) would have been nice. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top, which is great for those who use a wired pair of earphones. For scanning documents, there is an 8MP wide camera on the back. Although decent, do not expect top-notch quality if you are using the iPad’s rear camera for photography purposes.
The iPad does get support for Apple Pencil 1st generation but since I do not have one, I would not comment on its performance. You can use the Pencil to edit images or to sign digital signatures on the iPad’s large canvas. Many folks will use it to take notes too.
Performance and battery life
Another great plus about the iPad is its powerful performance unit. It does not get the same A15 Bionic found on the iPhone 13 (review) and the iPhone 13 Pro (Review). The budget iPad instead gets the A13 Bionic chip. Although two years old, the chip is quite capable of handling heavy-duty when thrown at it. Plus, iPad OS 15 is well-tuned and offers a smoother experience. One of the best features (as per my use case) was the automatic text recognition in images. The software essentially recognises the text and lets you copy it from the image and paste it in the Notes app or anywhere else you would want to.
I also played several games during my iPad review. If you play Asphalt 9 or any other car racing game, you are gonna enjoy the immersive experience on the iPad. One can also play games like Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) on the iPad in case they are into multi-finger gameplay. In addition to these, there are a bunch of Apple Arcade games like Angry Birds Reloaded, and Sonic Dash to try on the iPad as well.
Battery backup on the 10.2-inch iPad is quite good too. Apple does not mention the battery specs but claims that the Wi-Fi + Cellular model offers up to 10 hours of juice on a single charge. The claim is fairly true as I ended up binge-watching one full season of Lost in Space on Netflix by the time the iPad’s battery drained completely. This reminds me, I really missed the deep blacks that the Apple iPad Pro lineup offers. While I did not get a chance to review one, I did see the display’s capabilities on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro that a creator friend of mine has. It would be too rich to ask for a mini LED display on the entry-level iPad considering how expensive the display tech is but the iPad’s Retina display works just fine for content consumption. To charge the iPad, Apple provides a 20W adapter and a USB Type-C to Lightning cable. Yes, there is no USB Type-C and the iPad 10.2-inch is the only iPad in Apple’s tablet lineup to feature a lightning cable.
So, is the iPad 9th-generation THE iPad for you?
Verdict
The iPad ninth-generation is an easy recommendation for those who want to get the iPad experience without having to spend a hefty premium. Of course, to get the absolute best, you will need to buy the iPad Pro models, which come with a starting price tag of Rs 71,900. The iPad 10.2-inch, on the other hand, offers the same software experience and a large enough screen at a starting price of Rs 30,900. For the price, you get 64GB of internal storage, which should be good enough to store plenty of movies and videos. Those who want more memory can opt for the 256GB variant, which is priced at Rs 44,900. The baseline iPad also comes in a WiFi + Cellular configuration for both storage options, which are priced at Rs 42,900 and Rs 56,900.
Those looking for a smaller iPad can check the iPad mini 6. However, it is not as affordable as the baseline iPad 10.2-inch and comes with a starting price of Rs 46,900. Pro users who want a 120Hz display and the latest hardware from Apple should look at the iPad Pro series, which starts at 71,900 for the base 11-inch model.
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