Apple iPad (10th Generation, 2022) Review

The entry-level iPad has long been a staple for Apple, offering respectable performance at an affordable price. Apple has wholly revamped the base iPad for 2022 with a new design, upgraded specs, and several surprise changes. While the many external and internal upgrades for the 10th-generation iPad (starting at $449) are overdue and appreciated, a $120 jump in price diminishes the tablet's easy-to-recommend appeal to some degree. The fact remains, however, that it's an incredibly capable slate and a better choice than most other models in the same price range, which means it holds onto our Editors' Choice award for sub-$500 tablets.

The 10th-gen Apple iPad finally looks like the iPad Air ($599) and the iPad Pro ($799). It drops the circular Touch ID button from below the screen, as well as the chunky top and bottom bezels in favor of a uniform edge-to-edge look. A large glass panel covers the display and sits within the aluminum chassis, which has flat side edges and a flat back panel. It's a solid piece of hardware that looks modern and feels well-made.

Size-wise, the iPad family dimensions are nearly identical. The 10th-gen iPad measures 9.79 by 7.07 by 0.28 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.05 pounds (Wi-Fi model). Compare that with the 9th-gen iPad (9.80 by 6.80 by 0.29 inches, 1.07 pounds) and the 5th-gen iPad Air (9.74 by 7.02 by 0.24 inches, 1.02 pounds) and you can see that Apple likes to keep things fairly consistent across its slates. The 10th-gen iPad is small and light enough that it fits easily in backpacks, messenger bags, and even some over-the-shoulder slings, but it's not compact enough for smaller bags or purses that might otherwise accommodate an eight-inch tablet. It's far easier to tote about than the laptop-sized 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

The display of the 10th-gen iPad has a new size, shape, and resolution, but the same overall pixel density year over year. The screen measures 10.9 inches across the diagonal and packs 2,360 by 1,640 pixels, for a density of 264ppi. (The outgoing iPad display measures 10.2 inches and features 2,160 by 1,620 pixels at 264ppi.) Almost every other feature is shared between the two displays, which means you get an LED-backlit panel at 500 nits (maximum) brightness with a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, sRGB color, and True Tone white balance correction. It's not laminated like the iPad Air or iPad Pro displays, nor does it have an antireflective coating—something that became obvious when attempting to photograph the tablet outdoors. The display appears to be sunken below the protective glass by a millimeter or two, rather than sit flush as it does on the iPad Pro line. This mostly impacts Apple Pencil performance.

In terms of everyday use, the new iPad's display is great. It has no trouble with HD content from the likes of AppleTV+ or YouTube TV and is more than bright enough for indoor use most of the time. It does struggle outdoors, however, and even in bright rooms illuminated by sun. (This is where that antireflective coating would really have helped.) It's as good as any other display at this price, though, and much better than what you'll get on a $100 to $300 tablet.

One of the biggest changes to the entry-level iPad line is also one of the least noticeable. Apple swapped out its proprietary Lightning port in favor of USB-C. (The iPad Pro and iPad Air made this change some time ago.) USB-C has become the standardized port for many electronic devices around the world and is likely to replace Lightning on the iPhone as soon as next year thanks to an EU mandate. Apple includes a USB-C-to-USB-C cable in the box. If you've invested heavily in Lightning-based accessories, the time is coming to pay the piper and update your gear.

Apple has moved the iPad's speakers, which is a bigger deal than you might think. The outgoing model featured two speakers, but they were next to one another on the bottom edge of the tablet. This meant you'd get imbalanced sound when you tipped the iPad on its side to watch movies or TV shows. Now, the speakers are on opposite edges and this allows for true stereo sound when you hold the tablet in landscape orientation for viewing video. The speakers sound great, by the way.

The control keys and other physical aspects are about the same as on the iPad Air. A large key on one edge serves to turn off the screen or cycle the power; this key also contains the Touch ID sensor. Training the sensor takes a few moments and it's fast, but not instantaneous, for unlocking the tablet. The separate volume buttons are just around the bend from the Touch ID and work well. A physical SIM card tray is on one edge of the tablet (though the iPad also supports eSIM) and three pogo connectors on the bottom edge help snap magnetic accessories into place, such as the Magic Keyboard.

In all, these updates bring the iPad firmly into the present and in line with the rest of the family.

Apple has upgraded almost everything within the confines of this slim slate, and that's good news.

To start, the 10th-gen iPad jumps one processor generation from the A13 Bionic to the A14 Bionic. It's still behind the M1 chip in the iPad Air and the M2 chip in the iPad Pro, but even one generational jump is good enough. Both the A13 and A14 are six-core chips with two performance cores and four efficiency cores. Both also feature four-core GPUs. The A14 stands above the A13 thanks to double the number of Neural Engine cores, leaping from eight to 16. The iPad has 4GB of RAM, which is half the 8GB available to the iPad Air and the (up to) 16GB available to the iPad Pro. Still, a modest processor jump gets you modest performance gains. This plays out in benchmarks.

Starting with Geekbench 5, the iPad netted single- and multi-core scores of 1,573 and 4,097, respectively, while last year's iPad tallied 1,331 and 3,516 on the same test. On the Basemark Web 3.0 Safari test, the 2022 iPad scored 978.04 compared with 821.17 on the 2021 model. Other results include 2,396 on the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme test and 35.66fps on the GFXBench Aztec Ruins test.

In terms of real-world power, the base iPad has more than most people will ever need. The tablet breezed through every app and game I tried. Heavy-duty creation apps like GarageBand and iMovie flow seamlessly, and even apps that require a quick internet connection, such as Adobe Lightroom, ran without a glitch. It's also up to the task when it comes to basic productivity via Google Docs, Outlook email, Slack, and other work apps. If you plan to use the iPad for browsing the web, playing simple games, or viewing the occasional YouTube video, you'll be pleased as punch with the tablet's performance.

The iPad's storage options are disappointingly carried over from the previous model. That means you get either 64GB ($449) or 256GB ($599), which is stingy, as even the base iPhone comes with 128GB of storage. With the operating system and preinstalled apps chewing through more than 20GB, you have just 40GB onboard for storing movies, games, media, files, and such. A 128GB model priced at $499 makes a lot of sense to us, but apparently not to Apple.

On the plus side, the 2022 iPad gets a serious wireless upgrade. First, Apple has switched out the Wi-Fi 5 radio of the 9th-gen model in favor of Wi-Fi 6. This offers a huge boost in wireless performance. As long as you have the right Wi-Fi gear at home or work, you'll see a nice speed increase. In our tests, the iPad hit peak downloads of 637Mbps when next to a Wi-Fi 6 access point, with uploads reaching 287Mbps. Those numbers dropped to 29Mbps down and 19Mbps up when tested at the Wi-Fi network's edge, but that's still quick enough to maintain a video call.

Second, the iPad moves from 4G to 5G. Though it relies on only sub-6GHz 5G (and not mmWave), buyers who need a constant internet connection will find the generational jump a welcome one. I tested the iPad on Verizon's 5G network and found its performance to be quite good in the Northern New Jersey area.

Last, Apple has stepped up the Bluetooth radio from version 4.2 to version 5.2. This should allow for more stable connections with accessories such as true wireless headphones while using less battery power.

If there's one thing Apple hasn't improved significantly, it's battery life. In fact, iPad battery life has remained stunningly stagnant over the tablet's entire 12-year lifetime. Apple pitches 10 hours of battery life when browsing or watching videos via Wi-Fi and nine hours of battery when doing the same over cellular. Granted, 10 hours is more than enough to get you through most flights and technically meets the full workday standard, but it could be better.

In our battery rundown test, which involves streaming video over Wi-Fi with the screen brightness set to the maximum, the 10th-gen iPad lasted 5 hours and 59 minutes. That's a 41-minute improvement over the battery life of the 9th-gen model, but a solid 90 minutes behind what we achieved with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8. In real-world usage, with the screen set to about 40% brightness, I was able to work over Wi-Fi (browsing, Slack, email, task management) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with about 15% battery left at the end of the day. Still, I don't think 12 hours of battery life is a big ask for a tablet in 2022.

At least Apple is nice enough to include a 20W charging brick in the box. Using the included USB-C-to-USB-C cable and charger, it takes a little more than two hours to fully recharge the iPad.

I'm pretty sure no one takes tablet cameras that seriously, but we should no longer write them off entirely—at least if you're shooting with an iPad. The 10th-gen iPad improves the camera situation in a big way.

The rear-mounted camera jumps from an 8MP shooter at f/2.4 on the 2021 iPad to 12MP at f/1.8 on the 2022 model. This leads to sharper images that are brighter and cleaner across the board. Moreover, Apple has upgraded its HDR processing to Smart HDR 3, which does a better job of merging multiple exposures into a single take for more balanced results. The shots I took with the new iPad are perhaps a bit over-sharpened, but the clarity and color are good. This new sensor also allows the entry-level iPad to jump from just 1080p video capture to 4K video capture at multiple frame rates. The few short videos I recorded look really nice. The iPad has a better camera than many cheap smartphones do.

Then there's the front-facing camera. While the camera hardware itself doesn't get much of an upgrade, the user experience receives a major shot in the arm. Apple relocated the camera from the tablet's top edge to the side edge. This means the camera is centered above the screen—rather than set off to one side—when using the tablet like a laptop. Anyone who spends all day on video calls will flip for this change, which feels much more natural with the relocated camera. Otherwise, it looks like Apple carries over the 12MP, f/2.4 sensor. The only real added feature is for Smart HDR 3 on the software side of things. The selfies I shot with it look very good for a tablet.

Given the iPad's refreshed hardware design, some new accessories are on offer.

Every tablet deserves at least some protection from the loose items in your backpack. Apple's Smart Folio ($79) offers basic front and rear protection and can serve as a makeshift stand. It attaches magnetically and automatically wakes the iPad when opened and puts it to sleep when closed. Unfortunately, it feels a lot like cardboard and has sharp edges. Literally dozens of alternatives from third parties are available directly from Apple and elsewhere for less, so we recommend you skip this one.

If you want your iPad to function as a tiny laptop during the workday, you need the Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad ($249). The Magic Folio is a two-piece system. One piece attaches magnetically to the rear and features an adjustable, flip-out stand for setting the iPad on a flat surface for viewing. I like that it supports a wide range of viewing angles. It doesn't balance well on your knees, though. The second piece is the keyboard itself. It connects to the three magnetic poles on the side edge of the iPad and swings around to protect the display when not in use. It's about 85% the size of a standard keyboard, so typing on it feels a bit cramped, but that's to be expected.

What I like most about the keyboard is that the surface is plastic rather than covered in fabric or rubber. Travel and feedback of the keys are decent. The best feature, though, is the dedicated row of action keys for adjusting brightness, media playback, and volume (most Apple-made iPad keyboards lack action keys). The trackpad, together with iPadOS, allow you to interact with the screen without actually touching the glass. This can be faster and more precise in some use cases, such as when moving tracks around in GarageBand or clips in iMovie. The keyboard accessory is available in multiple languages but only comes in white, which gets dirty fast. Though it's a little early for third-party keyboard cases to be on store shelves for the new iPad, you can expect to see them in early 2023 at prices that will likely be less than half the cost of the Magic Keyboard Folio.

Confoundingly, the 2022 Apple iPad supports the 2015 original Apple Pencil and not the second-generation model. The original Apple Pencil has a glossy, round profile that I find to be uncomfortable and far too slippery to hold—but that's not the real issue. The issue is charging the Pencil. The original Apple Pencil features a male Lightning connector at the top. The most basic way to pair an original Apple Pencil with an iPad has been to insert the stylus into the Lightning port. Given the new iPad's shift to USB-C, this is no longer possible. Pairing must now be done via the iPad's Bluetooth menu (granted, it's a few simple steps). Apple has repackaged the Apple Pencil to include both Lightning and USB-C charging connectors, but you're out of luck if you lose one or the other. Apple's decision-making here is, shall we say, perplexing. Why not just graduate the iPad to the second-gen Pencil? Worse, the Magic Keyboard Folio doesn't include a safe place to stow the Apple Pencil.

As a stylus, the Apple Pencil works very well with the 10th-gen iPad. It's fast enough, responsive, and does well for taking notes and doodling. I wouldn't recommend a third-party stylus (only a few are available) because they don't enjoy the same level of direct support. If you're going to use a stylus with the iPad, definitely make it the Apple Pencil.

Note that none of these accessories are included with the iPad; each is a separate purchase. Combining the price of the base model iPad, Magic Keyboard Folio, and Apple Pencil comes out to $797, which is a hefty sum. Samsung, by way of comparison, often includes a stylus and sometimes includes a folio case/keyboard in the box with its Galaxy Tab S tablets.

Apple pushed iPadOS 16 to most iPads in October. The 10th-gen iPad gains access to most of the new features contained therein save for the biggest one: Stage Manager. iPads equipped with M1 and M2 processors can take advantage of this new tool, which lets people open and control multiple workspaces in a manner similar to laptops. Stage Manager is still suffering from some growing pains, but it's a shame the feature isn't available on the base iPad. Just about everything else is, however, including edit, undo, and mark-as-read functions in iMessage; Shared Libraries in the Photos app, which lets people instantly share photos and videos with others; and LiveText and Visual Lookup for image-based searching.

After spending a week with iPadOS 16 on the 10th-gen, iPad, I can say the software runs fast, with no performance problems of any kind. Moreover, you can rest easy knowing that the iPad will receive system and security upgrades for years to come.

Apple has improved just about every aspect of the entry-level iPad. The revised design is attractive, the screen is very good, the upgraded processor is faster, and the new camera configuration means better photos and more natural video calls. Wireless performance is quicker across the board, the tablet now offers true stereo sound, and Apple's accessories can transform it into a portable workstation.

The $120 price jump over the previous model is truly painful, but there's no question that the 10th-generation iPad is the best tablet you can get for $449. It does everything a tablet should do, and does it well. Tablet competition is an odd duck, however, and Apple is mostly competing against its own iPad Air, iPad Pro and iPad mini at this price. You'd have to spend $600 or more on an Android tablet, such as the two-year-old Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, to get performance as good as you do here. Some might consider the Microsoft Surface Go 3 ($399) a contender, but it's already a year old and Windows and iPadOS are truly different animals. That means if you want a tablet that works for casual and creative uses alike, the iPad is your best bet. As such, it remains our Editors' Choice.

Apple's 10th-generation iPad remains the best tablet for most people, though its many improvements in design and performance come with a sharp increase in price.

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