The most popular iPad according to the Apple has been the $329 9.7” iPad. To continue the streak, the company unveiled the 10.2” iPad at the same starting price of $329. Furthermore, students & education customers can avail a discount of $29, making the product available for an effective price of $299.
The 10.2” iPad is powered by Apple’s A10 Fusion chip found on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus models. The chip is relatively powerful compared to the current generation A13 Bionic chip. Users can expect the iPad to receive software updates for another three years at the minimum. The device pack 2GB of RAM but considering the price point and iOS software optimizations, the device should work smoothly in most cases.
The iPad for everyone
The screen is still the same IPS LCD with a resolution of 1620 x 2160 pixels packing 264 ppi of density. However, it is not laminated like the screen found on other iPad Air and Pro models. So there will be some amount of gap between the glass and the display panel. It should however not be an issue considering the price and the audience the device is aimed at.
Apple also released iPadOS, a new OS made just for the iPads which is still an extension of iOS but will pack “iPad-specific” features. It brings widgets to the home screen, improved multi-tasking, allows drag-and-drop between app windows, and also adds support for better file management.
The other big addition in the iPad 10.2” is the Smart Connector. Prior to the 10.2” iPad, the $329 iPad users had to rely on bluetooth keyboards if they prefered to get work done the old way. However, starting this year, all iPads will include the Smart Connector, meaning users won’t have to charge the keyboard. The 10.2” iPad also adds Apple Pencil support, however, it’s the first generation model which needs to be charged via the lightning port.
The iPad 10.2” is now in stores and will start shipping soon.
