Apple's redesigned iPad is mostly worth the higher price

Since Apple said that the basic iPad is its most popular device, the price of the device has gone up. It's easy to see why: When I reviewed last year's model, I found that it could do almost everything I normally do with my pricier 11-inch iPad Pro. The basic iPad was starting to feel old in a world where Apple has gotten rid of the home button.

The tenth generation of Apple's iPad took inspiration from the iPad Air. It has the same size screen, cameras,USB-C port, Touch ID-enabled power button, all of which are improvements over last year's model. The A14 chip isn't as powerful as the M1 in the iPad Air and M2 in the new iPad Pro, but it's still capable. The first iPad keyboard that Apple made with a row of function keys was designed.

The difference between the iPad and the Air had to be made. The screen isn't as good as the one on the Air, with no full lamination on the front glass, anti-reflective coating or support for the wider P3 color range. It doesn't support the second generation Apple Pencil, which is a big deal for anyone looking for an improved stylus experience.

The iPad is no longer as cheap as it used to be because of all the changes Apple made. I will be giving a full review of the new iPad soon, but I wanted to give you my first impressions.

The new iPad is slightly larger and thicker than the Air, but my first impression was that it was familiar. It feels similar to the Air, but it is completely different than using the old Home button. The new display is just large enough to make multitasking more comfortable. The air gap between the screen and front glass is less on this iPad than on any of the other basic models. The difference between the two models has been greatly reduced.

I feel like I am more productive on the new iPad than I was on the previous model. When you use the iPad with a keyboard, it is a lot more convenient to use the trackpad instead of reaching up to the screen. The row of function keys that Apple included on the Smart Keyboard is something that should have been included on every other iPad keyboard the company has made, so I can't give them too much credit.

It is still a good idea to have an escape key, as well as a number of other useful shortcut. It is possible to get away without touching the screen for longer stretches than before, but I will save those questions for my full review. The typing experience is better than the old Smart Keyboard cover and the keys feel similar to the Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro and Air. I am more likely to use this iPad for long typing sessions than I was a year ago. This new keyboard costs a whopping $249, so it's no surprise that it's a price.

I had some concerns about the A14 chip on the new iPad because I have been using an M1 powered iPad Pro for much of the last four months as a testing device for iPadOS 16. The new iPad is holding up very well so far, and I shouldn't have been worried; it felt a little less smooth than I would have liked. The games I've tried so far have all run perfectly and the apps load quickly when I swap between them.

The A14 isn't much different from the M1 in terms of power, but it does have a catch that apps often have to reload. If I navigate away from the file I am writing this in, I would have to re-open it when I returned to the file.

Before I can fully evaluate this new iPad, I need to push the A14 further with more intensive tasks, try out the new cameras, and relive my frustration with the first- I am a little disappointed in the price hike, but I am happy with the updates to the iPad. The extra $120 to get this iPad instead of last year's model is worth it and most people will prefer the $600 iPad Air.