Apple iPad 10.2-inch (2019) review: iPadOS makes this a winner

There are two changes of note within the latest Apple iPad: a much bigger screen and a sensible Connector, so you'll connect it to Apple’s Smart Keyboard.

These changes aren’t what make it retain its status because the de facto tablet most of the people can purchase , however. That’s accomplished by iPadOS, a gorgeous and intuitive OS that helps make the 7th-generation iPad not only an incredible tablet, but also a robust productivity machine that won’t break the budget.

Dated design, Smart Keyboard support

The iPad looks, well, like an iPad. Its look isn’t faraway the first 2011 model. I get it. this is often Apple’s most affordable slate, and it’s still plenty functional — but slimming down the bezels round the screen even a touch would have helped make it look more contemporary. check out what Samsung did with its $400 Galaxy Tab S5e — it's beautiful and it’s affordable.

Apple features a modern and lovely tablet, called the 2018 iPad Pro, but you've got to distribute several hundred dollars for it. the corporate should have began to tweak the planning for the remainder of its tablets, which extends not just to the newest 10.2-inch iPad, but also to the 2019 iPad Mini and iPad Air.

None of this suggests the iPad feels cheap. It doesn’t, even with its 100% recycled aluminum enclosure. it's a pleasant , substantial weight and seems like it costs quite $330.

Speaking of the iPad Air, the 10.2-inch iPad has almost an equivalent body because it . Take a glance at the size and you’ll see the length and width are precisely the same, it’s just the thickness and weight that’s a touch different with the Air rightfully being a touch lighter and thinner. Despite using an equivalent body, Apple decided to stay the bezels thicker round the sides of the iPad. Shame.

You still get Touch ID instead of Face ID, which is merely available on the 2018 iPad Pro. It wouldn’t have made sense to feature it to the present iPad considering the newest iPad Air and iPad Mini don’t have it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t miss it. After using Face ID on Apple’s latest phones and therefore the iPad Pro, putting my thumb to the screen to unlock Touch ID feels slower than simply watching the tablet to unlock it.

The most notable addition is support for the Smart Connector, which rests at the left fringe of the tablet when holding it in portrait orientation. Yep, you'll connect it to Apple’s Smart Keyboard — an equivalent one used for the iPad Air (it’s sold separately).

While using the Smart Connector could be more elegant, i feel Apple’s keyboard is just too expensive at $159; I’m not the most important fan of the keys, and it offers only one angle to position the iPad, which may feel restricting when using the iPad and Smart Keyboard on your lap or another uneven surface. Oh, and there are cheaper third-party options.

A bigger screen

The other big change is a rise in screen size, from 9.7 inches on the predecessor to 10.2 inches. It seems like a minor bump, and it is. You won’t see that much of a difference switching between last year’s iPad to the present year’s model. Still, I appreciate a bigger screen for multitasking.

It’s an LCD panel with 2,160 x 1,620 resolution, slightly quite the 2018 iPad. due to the bump in screen size, however, the pixel density is that the same at 264 pixels-per-inch. it's sharp, the screen is colorful, and it’s very bright. Using it outdoors at a restaurant posed no problem for the iPad, which features a max brightness of 500 nits. I even watched a couple of episodes of Dark on Netflix. I could easily follow the show despite the very fact it’s, well, dark.

What about audio? You’ll find stereo speakers at rock bottom near the charging port. Bass is weak, and music doesn’t get loud enough to reasonably fill an outsized room. It’s not as impressive because the quad-speaker setup on the iPad Pro but it’s quite adequate for movies.

Unlike the iPad Pro, there’s a headphone jack, which I’d consider a “pro” feature. I never had to search for a 3.5mm to Lightning jack, as I even have with the iPad Pro when my Bluetooth earbuds are out of juice.

Strong performance

Strangely, the iPad didn’t get a bump in performance. It’s powered by the A10 Fusion, an equivalent processor that’s in last year’s iPad, and therefore the chip that’s within the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus from 2016. As an iFixit teardown revealed, Apple bumped the RAM from 2GB last year to 3GB.

Is the chipset still dated? Yes. Does that matter? No. There hasn’t been a flash where I felt the iPad could have used a touch more power. I managed to multitask with several apps open without a hitch and moving throughout iPadOS feels fluid. Is it as buttery smooth because the iPad Pro? there's a clear difference in power between the 2 , but I never felt hampered by the contribute the iPad.

Here are a couple of benchmark scores:

• AnTuTu 3DBench: 211,454
• Geekbench 5 CPU: 760 single-core; 1,425 multi-core

These scores are better than the results from Samsung’s flagship tablet from 2018, the Galaxy Tab S4, which scored 196,419 on AnTuTu. It’s even better than Samsung’s affordable slate announced earlier this year, the Galaxy Tab S5e, which scored 152,646 (and remains more expensive).
Apple Arcade games like Towaga: Among Shadows and Where Cards Fall ran without issues, and apps like Adobe Lightroom gave me no trouble as I used the Apple Pencil to form some edits to photos. most of the people are going to be satisfied with the performance here.

The biggest disappointment is that the 32GB of storage within the base model. Most phones within the $300 price range, just like the Nokia 7.2, Galaxy A50, Moto G7, accompany 64GB, which should be the bottom storage option with the iPad. confirm you decide for the 128GB model instead.

iPadOS: replace your laptop

You can have well-designed hardware and powerful internal components, but if the software is lacking, the whole experience are often ruined. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S6 may be a great example. I liked it, but I’d only recommend it for people trying to find a laptop experience powered by Android. The $330 iPad are going to be quite sufficient for many people trying to find a 2-in-1 laptop. That’s because of iPadOS, the new spin-off OS supported iOS 13.



iPads previously ran a rather altered version of iOS. The new iPadOS isn’t radically new, but we will expect further distinctions for the tablet interface going forward. the most important improvements in iPadOS include the power to use multiple apps within the Slide Over menu, a revamped home screen layout that has the Today View widgets, desktop-grade Safari, and multi-window apps.

Apple’s tablets have long had support for multi-window apps through Split View, but now you'll use Split View on an equivalent app. Have two Google Docs you would like to open side-by-side? No problem. Want to seem at two pages in Safari? you'll have two tabs open in Split View. Maybe you would like to reply to an email while referencing another older email? No problem.

I also love Slide Over. It lives on the proper side of the iPad in landscape view, and you'll pull out these iPhone-like apps at any moment with a swipe to the left from the sting . I largely use it for messaging apps, but there’s no limit to what percentage apps you'll have during this view, making it powerful for multitasking.

Using Slide Over and Split View is intuitive, but the gestures, fluidity of the animations, and simple use make it fun. It doesn’t desire multitasking on the Samsung Galaxy Fold, which may be a little clunky and a touch of a chore. Anything which will be dragged in iPadOS are often put into its own window, and that’s powerful.

What helps iPadOS desire a desktop OS is Safari, which now pulls the desktop versions of internet sites instead of the mobile view (you could force it before, but now it pulls desktop view by default). I’ve easily been ready to add WordPress, the content management system Digital Trends uses, and that i wrote this review on the iPad.

I’ve been using the iPad as my main laptop for the past week and a half, and that i haven’t felt I’ve needed more. All the services and apps i exploit are available through the App Store. Apple easily has the foremost tablet-optimized apps compared to Windows and Android. I’ve been tethering my phone’s data thereto so I can use it on the go, but there’s a cellular model available if you would like to pay a monthly fee for connectivity.

My biggest gripe, as i discussed earlier, is that the Smart Keyboard, which doesn’t make it the foremost comfortable laptop replacement. i really like Samsung’s keyboard on the new Galaxy Tab S6, and Apple’s option falls short. I’d say accompany a third-party keyboard.

Better Apple Pencil, similar cameras

Apple introduced Pencil support on last year’s iPad, and it’s improved here. You can’t use the higher second-generation Apple Pencil, so you’re cursed with the first-gen. But it does offer reduced latency — from 20 milliseconds to only 9 milliseconds. I haven’t noticed a dramatic difference in my day-to-day use, or when drawing with the Pencil, but it remains a superb and responsive tool.

It’s dumb that there’s no thanks to store it. I find yourself with the Pencil sitting at rock bottom of my backpack. How has this not been solved yet? Oh, right, it's — you only need to distribute for the iPad Pro to urge the improved Apple Pencil that magnetically attaches to the tablet and wirelessly charges.

There’s an 8-megapixel camera on the rear that takes decent photos during the day and poor photos in the dark . Seriously, just use your smartphone to snap pics. I wish Apple would improve the front camera, which i exploit tons more on tablets, yet only features a 1.2-megapixel camera. A Zoom video call I did for a gathering had tons of grain and wasn’t the simplest quality.

Battery life

The iPad managed to last three days of intermittent use, where I used the tablet for 3 to four hours per day writing, browsing social media and therefore the web, and for enjoying a couple of games. If you employ it continually as your primary device, it should get you thru a full workday without issue, but likely not far more .

In our standard YouTube video playback test, playing a 1,080p video with the brightness set to the max, the iPad lasted 4 hours and 35 minutes. For reference, the Galaxy Tab S6 lasted 11 hours during this test. Still, it’s not an excellent measure of real-world usage, and therefore the tablet’s battery life shouldn’t pose many problems for many people.

Price, availability, and warranty information

The iPad is $330 for the 32GB and Wi-Fi model. There’s a 128GB option available, and it’s the higher choice to choose if you don’t plan on purchasing iCloud storage. If you would like constant connectivity without having to tether from your phone, you'll also buy the Wi-Fi and Cellular model for $459, but remember you’ll need to pay a monthly fee for data.

Our take

The iPad is a superb option as a reasonable tablet or maybe entry-level 2-in-1. It’s powerful, features a fantastic OS , and serves solid battery life. choose a third-party keyboard rather than Apple’s expensive Smart Keyboard, though.

Is there a far better alternative?
At $330? No. this is often the simplest tablet you'll buy if your budget is restricted . If you actually must use an Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab S5e is that the next alternative at $400 (though it are often found for fewer now). you'll even buy the 6th-generation 2018 iPad from another retailer, update it to iPadOS, find a third-party keyboard case, and your experience won’t differ an excessive amount of from the newest version.

How long will it last?

iPads have an extended time period because Apple keeps them up-to-date. Even the iPad Air 2 from 2014 is capable of updating to iPadOS. Expect to carry onto this iPad for 3 to four years, if less . No iPad has an IP rating for dust- and water-resistance, so confirm you retain it clear from pools or out of the rain.