There is a reasonable consensus when it comes to “tablets.” Better said: an agreement regarding those who are at the top and those who follow them. We are referring to Apple tablets and iPads, and even those who have not been devoted to those from Cupertino already assume that Apple comes first in the world of tablets and then… well, all the others.
So much so? If you get the chance, take the test and compare an iPad (without “last names”) to any other tablet of a similar price and year. We have done it several times, and the Apple tablet always convinces us. If you want one, if you’re thinking that a tablet is what you’ve been missing in recent months – due to its versatility both when working and when having fun – you only need to know one thing well: how far you need to squeeze it.
Is this a 2020 Tablet?
Apple had already presented a renewed design on its iPad Pro, and that same design will come to the new iPad Air this October. Unfortunately, the new iPad 2020 (without last names) does not benefit from this renewed aesthetic, and at first glance, its edges or bezels look somewhat thick for a “2020 model”. But this “detail” you forget when you turn it on and see its beautiful 10.2-inch Retina display in action powered by the powerful A12 Bionic chip with Neural Engine, even more so if you check its compatibility with the Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard, all this without still talking about the new features of the renewed iPadOS 14 system.
In summary? More power and versatility, and all at a very competitive price.
You will miss its thick bezels, mainly if you use the Space Gray colour model. Its aluminum back has a perfectly flat back and nicely curved edges. It looks good, and in the hands, it feels even better. Do you need something else? The 10.2-inch screen falls short of the iPad Air screen in size, though not resolution: 2,160 x 1,620, which provides an incredible viewing experience, whether you’re working on a project, enjoying a movie, or streaming. Online shopping. iPad screens are calibrated to ensure an optimal viewing experience, so content and colours are always as accurate and true to life.
The maximum brightness reaches 500 nits, which is sufficient, although outdoors, you will always have to set it to full brightness. The lack of lamination can cause problems outdoors – with reflections in daylight – although this is a problem that practically all tablets on the market suffer from.
There is no on-screen fingerprint sensor, much less a facial recognition sensor. Let’s see: we did not expect this unlocking on a tablet whose base price is around $330, but perhaps a side sensor. We will have to keep waiting, but honestly, we do not believe that this circular fingerprint sensor (the “classic”) is a gravitating element for not buying this tablet.
Its 490 grams are not outrageous, but they say a lot about the antiquity of the design since it is heavier than the iPad Air and iPad Pro, which have much more capacity and larger screens. There is only one pair of speakers on either side of the Lightning port. The back is sleek but also slippery, and if you want to prop it up for any extended viewing or typing, you’ll need either the Smart Cover or the Smart Keyboard, as it has been in our case.
Software, features and a battery that doesn’t sleep
iOS 14 has been the most significant change to iPhone software. The same can be said for the new iPadOS 14 operating system, which is packed with new features that make the tablet much better: “made for” iPad app designs; compact layouts for Siri, search, and calls; powerful new handwriting features with Apple Pencil, and more. In addition to fantastic hardware and software, all iPad models come with powerful apps pre-installed and give you access to more than 1 million apps made – we insist – just for iPad on the App Store, as well as services like Apple Arcade, Apple TV +, Apple Fitness + and Apple News +, which undoubtedly increases its actual value.
Perhaps the best “base” addition is Scribble, a feature that lets you use Apple Pencil for handwriting recognition on text through the interface. It is perhaps the best news about iPadOS 14, and in this article, we are dedicated to explaining it exclusively. Is the Apple Pencil included? Of course not. It’s a $99 accessory – other Smart Pens won’t work – and it looks a bit big proportionally in size when you pair it with the iPad.
But like the thick bezels, you’ll soon forget this detail: the Smart Pen is ideal for everyday tasks like taking notes, doodling, signing PDFs and marking documents and photos. And if you are a good drawer, you can create authentic art pieces. Its design offers incredibly low latency, high precision, and sensitivity to pressure and tilt. Before long, you’ll think of it as an accurate digital drawing and writing tool.
Apple knows that the iPad client performs fewer tasks than those who buy an Air or Pro, but that does not mean that this is a tablet for undemanding users. You can do a lot with the A12 Bionic processor and a lot of screens. The A12 Bionic chip is a powerhouse with a 6-core CPU and 4-core GPU. It offers a 40 percent increase in CPU performance and an incredible 2x increase in graphics performance compared to the already fast A10 Fusion in the 7th generation iPad.
Don’t expect too much storage space for the base price. 32GB won’t be enough. Use it for a week, and we bet you’ll already have over 20 GB less in the gas tank. The ideal is the 128GB model, which means an extra $100.
The thing about Lightning ports is still Apple’s great stubbornness; something like Bixby is for Samsung. In a world that almost unquestionably accepts USB-C for charging, continuing to find Lightning as the only possible port leaves us somewhat perplexed. Hopefully, this will be the last iPad to use Lightning and follow the lead of the other iPads (and MacBooks and all Android phones) in using USB-C as a standard.
