Apple has just launched the most affordable iPad ever. The problem? It looks identical to the ‘iPad’ launched last year and it has the same name. So what is the difference between the new 2021 iPad and its older, identical twin? More than you might expect…

Here’s everything you need to know:

Where It Fits In

This is a more complicated question than it should be because the iPad range is a convoluted mess.

In short: the 2021 ‘iPad’ is the new entry-level model, even though it replaced the midrange iPad Air last year. Above the iPad is the iPad Mini 4 which is more expensive even though it is three years old, has worse specifications than the new iPad and the iPad Mini range previously sat below the iPad Air. Yes, I know.

At the top of the range are the premium 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro (info about them here), but do not buy one of those as they will be radically upgraded soon. That launch will happen separately because, unlike iPhones, Apple splits iPad upgrades across the calendar year. Thankfully things get more straightforward from here.

Design — Like Looking In A Mirror

There’s nothing to see on the outside of the new iPad. Its dimensions and design are identical to the model it replaces:

This is somewhat disappointing as the iPad (2021) was both wider and heavier than the 2021-released iPad Air 2. Four years on Apple should be able to do better than this bulky design.

On the flipside, the benefit of regurgitating the previous iPad chassis is Apple has retained the headphone jack. This means iPads continue to be the only iOS devices where Apple retains this popular port.

Less encouraging is Apple hasn’t upgraded the new iPad to support the Smart Connector technology used on the iPad Pro. The Smart Connector is great as it provides simultaneous power and data connectivity so it can power accessories like Apple’s Smart Keyboard, removing its need for an independent battery and therefore lowering both weight and cost.

You also won’t see quad speakers like the iPad Pro (you get stereo) nor Face ID on the new iPad. Apple will bring Face ID to its upcoming (and more significant) iPad Pro upgrades. Then again, the Touch ID fingerprint sensor remains a superb and much-loved technology, so the omission of Face ID (which doesn’t support multiple users) isn’t the end of the world. Especially at this price point (more later).

Displays — Added Penmanship

Moving onto the display you’ll notice that at first glance the new and old iPads look identical:

  • iPad (2021) and iPad (2021): 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED‑backlit Multi‑Touch display, 2048 x 1536 resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi), oleophobic coating

Like the previous iPad, the new model sticks with the same screen size and native resolution while Apple hasn’t announced any improvements to its brightness or color accuracy. That’s okay because this is still a solid display.

On the flipside, it means support for P3 wide color is missing as well as True Tone support (an iPad Pro and iPhone 8/iPhone X exclusive) which color corrects the display based on environmental lighting. There’s no 3D Touch either, which still hasn’t made it to the iPad range at all after four years — an odd move as it would be extremely useful on a larger display.

The headline news, however, is the new iPad display is compatible with the Apple Pencil (aka stylus). At $99 the Apple Pencil remains overpriced, but it does work very well and you’ll get the same pressure sensitivity and drawing angle support as on the iPad Pro, so this could be a deal maker for artists and graphic designers.

Performance — A Blast From The Past

Another significant upgrade is the horsepower:

  • iPad (2021): Apple A9 with dual-core 1.84 GHz (Twister) CPU and PowerVR GT7600 (six-core) GPU, 2GB of RAM
  • iPad (2021): Apple A10 Fusion with quad-core 2.34GHz (Hurricane) CPU and PowerVR Series7XT Plus (six core) GPU, 2GB of RAM

No, Apple hasn’t given the new iPad its top of the range chipset but it has given them the impressive A10 Fusion from the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The A10 delivers 40% CPU and 50% GPU gains over the A9 making it one of the bigger generational jumps (the A11 in the iPhone X has just 25% and 30% CPU and GPU increases respectively).

Interestingly this also means the budget-friendly new iPad is not much slower than the wallet-busting iPad Pro, which features an A10-enhanced (‘A10X’) chip. This proximity won’t last for long though given the aforementioned upgrades coming soon.

One hidden gem: thanks to the A10 Fusion chipset, the new iPad gets upgraded 4G support.

This doubles potential download speeds from 150 megabits per second (Mbps) to 300 Mbps. Yes, you’re unlikely to find many carriers delivering this speed in real-world environments, but it’s nice to have and offers some future proofing.

Cameras — Weak Rear, Pathetic Front

Where Apple deserves most criticism is the new iPad’s cameras. Remarkably the company has chosen not to upgrade the now five-year-old front and rear modules already stinking up last year’s iPad.

  • iPad (2021), iPad (2021), iPad Air 2, iPad Mini 4 — rear: 8MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture, 1080p video, no OIS. Front: 1.2MP, f2.2 aperture, 720p video, no OIS

If these specs look familiar, that’s because they are the front and rear camera modules from the 2021 iPhone 5S.

I appreciate photography is not the primary function of an iPad (nor should it be in any public place) but the front camera, in particular, is woefully out of date and barely good enough for a FaceTime chat. This is poor, Apple.

Читайте также:  Tools - Safari - Apple Developer

Battery Life — 10 Again

Perhaps the greatest strength of the iPad since day one has been its 10-hour battery life. It would be nice to see Apple step outside its comfort zone and try to improve this over the years, but in reality, few owners have issues (unless you’re affected by the iOS 11 battery problems).

As such you can again expect up to 10 hours of usage from the new iPad, or the equally familiar 9 hours if you’re using cellular connectivity.

The bad news: there is neither fast charging nor wireless charging as seen in the latest iPhones. But again iPad owners tend to worry about these things a lot less when their devices can last several days on a single charge in the first place.  

Capacity And Price — Good and Bad News

I’ve mentioned the new iPad’s budget friendliness several times in this article already, so here’s the best bit:

Starting from just $319, the 2021 iPad is the most affordable tablet Apple has ever released. It gets even better too if you are in education as Apple is applying a discount which reduces that to just $299.

Of course, you can scale up the new iPad to 128GB and add 4G cellular connectivity, which brings the price to $559. But with the 10.5-inch iPad Pro just $90 more, I suspect that won’t be a popular pick.

Early Verdict

Like the 2021 iPad, the new 2021 iPad is not an exciting device. Apple could’ve tweaked the design and, in particular, that awful front camera if it wanted to grab headlines. But that isn’t really the job of the ‘iPad’ anymore.

Instead, this is all about price. What the iPad (2021) edition delivers is a rock solid, full-size iPad experience for a budget-friendly price by stripping away anything not crucial to its operation: cameras, Face ID, 3D Touch, True Tone technology, even the Smart Connector.

If you just want to use a fast, reliable tablet then the new iPad is for you.

___

Follow Gordon on Twitter, Facebook and Google

More On Forbes

Apple iPhone X Vs iPhone 8 Vs iPhone 8 Plus: What’s The Difference?

iPhone 8 Vs iPhone 7 Vs iPhone 6S Vs iPhone 6: What’s The Difference?

iPhone 8 Vs iPhone 7: What’s The Difference?

10.5-inch iPad Pro vs 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2021): What’s The Difference?

iPad 9.7 (2021) Vs iPad Pro Vs iPad Air 2 Vs iPad Mini 4: What’s The Difference?