Hi guys, how are you? In my previous video I told you Apple was about to launch new iPads, and here it is: the new iPad. Yeah, THE new iPad. Because they launched just one new model. There still hasn't been an update to the iPad Pro (it's still expected to be announced soon, though) but what we did get is a replacement to the iPad Air product line. Apple decided to simplify stuff a bit and call it simply iPad. As I was saying, this new tablet is here to replace the iPad Air 2.
It's more powerful but the display is a bit inferior. This is so they could keep a low cost. This iPad is the cheapest model of them all. And it's possible that Apple made it just to push the sale of tablets a little bit, which has been decreasing year after year. Let's have a quick look at the specs and how it compares to the iPad Air 2.
The display is still 9.7" with a 2048 x 1536 px resolution. This is the same resolution every other iPad in this size has had since the 3rd generation iPad. But in this case, it's lacking the full lamination and anti-reflective coating the Air 2 had. In more concrete terms, it means this iPad is a little bit thicker, reflects more light and there's an air gap between the screen and the glass. Although that shouldn't make a huge difference in everyday use, it actually doesn't feel as natural to touch as the Air 2 or iPad Pro do.
That's probably because of that air gap between screen and glass, and it's a disadvantage that, if you've already used one of those other iPads, you'll notice immediately. It still has a great response to touch but I think that's where they cut costs the most. The CPU in this iPad is the A9, as in the iPhones 6S and 6S Plus which is a clear improvement over the Air 2 which had the A8X. Remember the iPad Air 2 came out in 2014. They both have 2GB of RAM, so you'll have no problem opening lots of apps simultaneously.
Cameras are also similar, both the front 1.2 MP and the rear 8 MP, without flash. The speakers are still stereo and not the four-speaker arrangement found in the iPad Pro. Battery life is 10 hours, just like on every iPad. You can get it in 32GB and 128GB configurations, in the same colors as the Air 2: Silver, Space Gray and Gold. I tried several apps and games and performance is excellent.
If you've used recent iPads you won't find big differences in this model except maybe for a more refined experience. Prices start at $329 in the US agains the $599 of the cheaper iPad Pro. That's quite a big difference in price so if you're thinking about getting an iPad, think about what you want to use it for. If your main priority is productivity, the iPad Pro has the advantage of offering more power, a better display and supporting the Apple Pencil. So if you want to draw, write, take notes or correct documents, there's no comparison whatsoever because, even though there are several styli you can use on this iPad, it's a really inferior experience.
Now, if you're looking for a tablet mainly to watch movies, listen to music, look at pictures, surf the web or write emails, then you can absolutely save some money and get this model. To summarize, this iPad is the best tablet you can get for under $400. I think it's quite a smart move by Apple in order to attract people back to this kind of product. But if you're looking for the absolute best experience on a tablet and have the budget to spare, the iPad Pro is still superior. Not only in terms of power, but also because the display is better, speakers are quite superior and, of course, it supports the Apple Pencil.
Though, and quoting my last video, if you're about to get an iPad Pro, I suggest you wait until the new model comes out. If you liked this video, you can click on Like, leave me any kind of comment, and subscribe to my channel. See you on the next one.
Source : Max V