Without an event in between, but complying with the rumors that had been advanced weeks ago, Apple has renovated the cheapest iPad. The company has taken advantage of the launch of the new iPad Pro to update one of the most interesting devices in the range with a new design and a good leap in specifications.
In this sense, the most important change is that the new iPad increases the size of its screen to 10.5 inches, abandons the already powerful A13 Bionic chip to embrace the new generation of the A14 Bionic and its Neural Engine possibilities. and, by the way, a good jump in autonomy. It also includes new advanced cameras, wireless connectivity, USB-C and support for the new Magic Keyboard Folio.
The redesign of the new iPad also opens a new era for the company, since with this iPad, Apple ditch the home button for good on the iPad, leaving only the iPad mini, whose last renewal was 2020. However, Apple does not eliminate the large iPad with the Home button permanently: the iPad (ninth generation) will remain on sale for $429 (the Wi-Fi model). -Fi), and $599 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model, available in silver and space gray.
iPad 2022: new design reminiscent of the iPad Air
This is the most relevant change. Now that there is no Home button, the edges are smaller, allowing the new 2022 iPad to increase the size of its screen up to 10.9 inches with reduced bezels. The interesting thing is that Apple increases the size of the screen while maintaining the same size as the previous generation.
The new Liquid Retina display has a resolution of 2360×1640 pixels, 500 nits brightness and True Tone technology, similar to the iPad Air. Also, continuing with the comparison with the Air, the 2022 iPad has Touch ID integrated into the top button.
When it comes to cameras, the new 2022 iPad also gets an upgrade to the 12MP wide-angle front camera we’ve seen on other devices, but this time it’s located along the horizontal edge of the iPad. Apple points out that the change in the position of the camera is motivated to improve the experience of video calls. The rear also changes, and with 12MP it allows you to take sharper photos and videos up to 4K resolution, with support for 240 fps slow motion.
5G, eSIM and USB-C arrive at the input iPad
In addition to design changes, the 2022 iPad also takes a leap in connectivity. The new Apple tablet comes with support for Wi-Fi 6, for which Apple points out that they are 30% faster on the new iPad than Wi-Fi 802.11ac. And, for the first time, an iPad in the entry-level range makes the leap to 5G.
The new 2022 iPad will be offered in Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular models, the latter with 5G offered maximum speeds of up to 3.5 Gbps, continued support for Gigabit LTE, and support for physical SIM cards and eSIM. Also, like its bigger siblings, iPad is now USB-C, which means compatibility with a wide range of accessories, as well as faster charge times when used with higher-power charging adapters like those from Apple. the MacBook Pros.
iPad (2022): price and availability
The new iPad is available to reserve starting today, October 18, although its availability in stores is set to start on Wednesday, October 26. As for the prices, they go up a bit compared to the previous generation. The Wi-Fi model starts at $449 (US), and the Wi-Fi + Cellular models start at $599 (US).
As usual, the new iPad is only available in two storage configurations: 64GB and 256GB, although a wide range of colors arrive: blue, pink, yellow and silver.
Regarding the prices in Spain, are somewhat higher: the base 64GB iPad starts at 579.00 euros, and the model with 5G, also base, 779 euros. Both go up to 779 euros and 979 euros for the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi+Cellular model in their 256GB models.