Apple iPad (2017) - Review 2022

Price is a characteristic. The latest Apple iPad is thicker and heavier than the iPad Air ii information technology replaces, but its compelling feature is that, at $329 (for the 32GB model), it's much less expensive. While at that place's little reason for existing iPad owners to upgrade, the new iPad's price stabs a pale into the eye of many competing Android tablets.

Yeah, Apple tree has sold "discount" iPads before. Just they've always been either older models or the smaller Mini version, which doesn't work as well for reading comics and watching videos as the full-size tablet does. This is the starting time time Apple has put a relatively current processor in a tablet it's selling for under $350. It's a cheaper iPad with fewer compromises. And it'due south a fantastic deal for prospective new tablet owners, too equally our Editors' Choice.

What's New Here?

Rather than burial the new features in each section of this review, I desire to showtime by calling out what's actually new in this iPad.

Yes, this 2022 model is bigger and heavier than the iPad Air 2 and the iPad Pro 9.7. At six.6 past nine.iv by 0.3 inches (HWD) and ane pound, it's even heavier than the original iPad Air. You tin feel the departure if y'all pay attention, but it'southward...just not a big deal. These are sparse and light tablets no thing what, and the slight divergence in weight (basically an ounce) isn't terribly meaningful.

The screen, which is the same ix.vii-inch, two,048-by-1,536 panel as on the Air two, is slightly brighter but a niggling more washed out than its predecessor. That's because Apple has removed the lamination layer (to continue the cost downwards), which should too brand the screen a little more reflective, although I couldn't run into a measurable difference. Like with the size and weight, it'southward a nominal deposition in quality that doesn't really affair in everyday utilise.

Apple iPad (2017)

Left to correct: iPad (Wi-Fi model), iPad Air two (cellular model)

The new iPad has an A9 processor, which is faster than the iPad Air 2'due south A8 only not as powerful as the A9X in the iPad Pro or the A10 in the iPhone 7. On the AnTuTu processor benchmark, nosotros saw a nice twenty percentage bump from the iPad Air 2. On-screen graphics performance measured by the 3DMark Ice Storm and Sling Shot tests increased by ten to 20 percent every bit well. Scores were considerably lower than the iPad Pro or iPhone 7, of grade. But you're not going to see much of a performance difference unless you're trying to juggle heavy-duty activities similar circuitous Excel spreadsheets with graphs, or editing and exporting video and multi-track audio.

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The deviation in Wi-Fi operation, on the other hand, is quite impressive. Apple has upgraded the dual-band Wi-Fi chipset from the Air two. On several tests in middling 5GHz conditions, I often got double the Wi-Fi speeds on the new iPad than I did on the Air 2. In very poor Wi-Fi atmospheric condition, I got much shorter connexion latency times: 10ms compared with more 200ms. The single, global LTE model now supports Band 12, which means it will have ameliorate coverage on T-Mobile than the Air two.

The heavier weight allows for a bigger battery than the iPad Air 2, at 32.nine watt-hours compared with the Air ii's 27.6. That said, we managed v hours, fifteen minutes of Wi-Fi video streaming at maximum screen brightness, similar to previous iPads. Apple measures its battery times at about one-half brightness, at which you should come across the 10 hours the company promises.

Apple iPad (2017)

The Bigger Context

If yous aren't familiar with iPads, they're easy-to-employ tablets with thousands of dedicated apps and plenty of accessories. Their main upside is the same every bit their master downside: Apple tree's quality-controlled, access-limited Bone and app store, which delivers terrific experiences for average users while irritating more technical types who desire to be able to get into file systems and such.

Almost other features of this iPad are very similar to the iPad Air ii. The physical habitation button doubles as a Touch ID fingerprint scanner. There's a Lightning jack on the bottom panel, along with dual speakers. There's a headphone jack on the top. The tablet comes in black, gray, or silver.

Similar all iPads, the new tablet runs iOS 10.3. Apple'southward OS upgrade compatibility is based on processor generations, and so this iPad should get an actress year's worth of updates than the iPad Air two will, although the Air 2 still probably has two years' worth of upgrades left on information technology. It's worth noting Apple has not confirmed any of this, only information technology'south safe to assume based on history.

The 8-megapixel main camera, capable of 1080p video, and the 1-megapixel, 720p front camera appear identical to the previous model's. Both are fine, non smashing. The speakers deliver the same maximum book, to the decibel, equally the iPad Air 2's speakers. They lack the richness of the iPad Pro'southward or the treble-bass spacing trick of the Milky way Tab S3'south. They're fine for watching videos, just you'll want an external speaker or headphones to describe out any depth in music.

The tablet comes in 32GB ($329) and 128GB ($429) Wi-Fi-only models, and yous tin't add additional storage, so choose wisely. The 32GB model, which we tested, has 28.58GB available out of the box. That'southward fine for light use, streaming, and cloud-based applications (even Office work is cloud-based present), just recollect that college-end games frequently clock in at 1GB each, and if you download (rather than stream) movies, they are typically one to 2GB each. LTE modem-equipped models are available for $459 (32GB) and $559 (128GB).

Apple iPad (2017)

Comparisons and Conclusions

What is an iPad for? Nosotros call up it's for web browsing, 2nd-screen video watching, gaming, and reading. And for all of those uses, the 2022 iPad is fantabulous. Its A9 processor is even capable of video conferencing and low-key Microsoft Function work without a problem.

At $599 and up, the iPad Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 just cost as well much for what you go from their inherently limited tablet operating systems; you tin can get a real Mac, a PC, or a well-equipped Windows tablet for the aforementioned price. The main reason y'all should pace up to those tablets is if you're in the artistic niche that requires a stylus.

In that location'south no need for iPad Air, Air 2, mini 3, or mini 4 owners to upgrade here. Yeah, the processor is faster and the Wi-Fi is better, simply your tablet works only fine. 2nd- and 3rd-generation iPads are probably really starting to grind, though, and yous'll get a much smoother experience with this model.

If you don't own a tablet at all, the 2022 iPad offers ameliorate value than the iPad mini 4. It too outpaces its best Android competitor, the Asus ZenPad 3s 10, which gives you more storage and better speaker quality, but junior cameras, battery life, and gaming functioning. That makes the new iPad the best all-around tablet for the most people, and our Editors' Selection.