Apple iPad (10th Gen, 2022) Review: Just a Pretty Face With USB-C

I don't know why I liked the new 10th- generation iPad so much. Maybe it was the variety of candy colors or the more modern design without the Home button. I didn't have to stare awkwardly to the side during video calls because of the new front-facing camera. There is support for the Magic keyboard with a kickstand.

The bubble burst after a short time. Reality starts to set in when you crunch the numbers. The price of the iPad has gone up from $329 to $439. The cost of accessories is added to that. It's difficult to justify a $120 price hike over its predecessor, especially when one of the "upgrades" is the removal of the headphones. It doesn't help that Apple is still selling the ninth-gen iPad for $329 and you can usually find the iPad Air for $519 at retailers. There is a weird spot for the 10th-gen tablets.

The redesign on this iPad is catching up to the others. Two years have passed since it was powered by the A14 chip. There's an air gap between the glass and the screen, so using it with the Apple Pencil doesn't feel as precise as with pricier iPad It's baffling that this iPad doesn't support the second-gen Apple Pencil because it requires an accessory to charge the first- generation Apple Pencil. It feels exciting and fresh at first, until you realize you're just paying for cosmetic changes. It was close for Apple to have me.

There is a new look.

The rest of Apple's tablets look the same. The Home button is no longer there. Touch ID is included in the top power button on the iPad Air and iPad Mini. The iPad Pro has thicker borders at the top and bottom than the ninth-gen iPad does. The 10th-gen slate feels modern because they're less distractive.

The display is larger, sitting at 11.9 inches, up from 10 inches. I spend most of my workday in front of a screen, so this extra space feels less cramped than on this iPad's predecessor. The screen is now using a Liquid Retina panel which means it's still anIPS but with rounded corners. I had to crank the brightness to the max to see anything because it was stuck at 500 nits. There is a lot of distraction because there is no anti-reflective coating. Pick up an anti-glare screen protectors.

If you use the Apple Pencil a lot, you'll be annoyed that the iPad doesn't have a fully laminated display. There is a gap between the screen and the glass It is visible when drawing fine lines. The only iPad that doesn't have one should be here.