Apple iPad 2022 review: Great, but easily replaceable!

Apple iPad 10 (2022) release date and price

The starting price of the Apple iPad 2022 has increased to $449, a dramatic difference from the $329 of the 9th-generation iPad. Just like last year, Apple offers only two ROM memory variants: 64 GB and 256 GB. However, available colors are expanded to blue, silver, yellow, and pink.

The iPad 2022 was released on October 26, and Apple also unveiled the new Magic Keyboard Folio that attaches to the iPad 10. The folio case + keyboard with kickstand is retailed for $249. Surprisingly, it has a trackpad and full-size keys.

The new tablet also offers support for Apple Pencil (1st generation). In the box, Apple ships a USB-dongle for charging purposes.

Design and Display

With the new design, the iPad 2022 finally is in line with the whole iPad lineup. The 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display extends to the edges now and offers up to 500 nits max brightness, with 2360 x 1640 pixels resolution and True Tone technology. The big surprise here is that now the USB-C finally replaces the Lightning port and headphone jack. Another important change is that Apple repositioned the fingerprint scanner and removed the home button, resulting in thinner bezels.

What I liked:

• Updated and modern design .
• Front camera positioned in landscape mode.
• We finally have the USB-C port instead of Lightning.

What I didn't like:

• Screen refresh rate of 60 Hz.
• Support for first generation Apple Pencil (Lightning port).

As a fan of the 5th-gen iPad Air, the design change in the series is very welcome. Support for the Magic Keyboard Folio instead of the Smart Keyboard is also a plus for this generation, which aligns with the accessory design of the Air and Pro series. Aside from the fact that the iPad weighs 477 grams, the magnetically attached folio on the back is excellent when it comes to consuming content.

Here, a highlight for the new keyboard: keys like multitasking, spotlight, Siri and DnD (Do not Disturb) have been added as quick shortcuts.

What is still a setback is the fact that we only have a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz. In other words, we don't have the ProMotion feature here. However, this is to be expected for an intermediate model in the series, and at the end of the day the screen experience is still fantastic. The image quality holds up at different viewing angles, which is really important for a tablet that can be used as a second screen.

The iPad 10's screen offers a vibrant color experience, and even with a maximum brightness of 500 nits, you will have no problem recognizing the contents of the screen in direct sunlight.

Finally, Apple has finally adopted the USB-C port replacing Lightning, which means faster data transfer speeds and greater compatibility with various Apple accessories, such as the charger for the MacBook, for example. Perhaps this change, plus the fact that we will have a more modern design in 2022 will make this model more interesting than the 9th-gen iPad.

However, I must point out that the fact that Apple offers compatibility with the first-generation Apple Pencil instead of the second generation is a retrograde step and shows the extent of the company's greed. Besides, it is ridiculous to have to manufacture a USB-dongle for this. Remember that the price of both accessories is basically the same—unlike the functionalities.

• Also read: Best Apple Pencil alternatives in 2022

iPadOS 16

The iPad 10 runs on iPadOS 16 out-of-the-box, and the tablet does offer the much-anticipated Center Stage feature, but it's limited to some apps like FaceTime. However, the main new features of the new version of Apple's iPad software are present in the most basic variant of the series.

What I liked:

• Center Stage feature available .
• Support for Universal Control.
• A new Weather app.
• Support to Freeform feature.

Dislikes:

• No Stage Manager support.

Just as in iOS 16, users can edit and delete messages using the Messages app. But what is more interesting for those who use the iPad for work, Apple offers a number of collaboration features in Messages that make starting and managing shared projects quick and seamless.

There is also a new productivity app built into iPadOS called Freeform, which allows you to create canvas with the full support of Apple Pencil. Added to this, Safari adds shared Tab Groups. Both features that can be used in collaboration with others.

• The easy way: How to remove background from photos on a iPhone

In addition, two other features that make the iPad 10 2022 great for professional use are Center Stage and Universal Control. While the former enables the camera to follow the movement of the person in front of the camera in video calls, the latter allows you to connect and control the tablet with other devices and peripherals.

And since I know that many NextPit readers have a certain passion for Weather apps, iPadOS 16 now features a revamped Weather app, with a vast list of important weather information.

On the other hand, the 10th-gen iPad does not offer one feature that really makes a difference when using the tablet as a primary device: the Stage Manager. This function is hardware dependent and offers the same user experience as the desktop by offering the new window management—the same we had since macOS 13. With Stage Manager, one window moves to the center of the screen, while all other applications move in batches to the left side of the screen. Unfortunately, only devices packed with the M1 processor or higher support this feature.

You can find out more about the key software features of Apple's tablets in our iPadOS 16 guide.

Apple iPad 10 (2022) performance

As expected, the iPad 2022 is packed with the A14 Bionic processor with 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, in conjunction with a 4-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine . As mentioned above, Apple only offers two ROM memory variants: 64 GB and 256 GB. Rounding out the memory department is 4 GB of RAM.

What I liked:

• Really stable performance.
• Excellent multitasking capability.
• 5G connectivity variant.

What I didn't like:

• 64 GB variant is a joke in 2022.

What's new here is that we now have 5G connectivity variant-physical SIM cards, and eSIM with on-device activation-that also goes up to 256 GB storage. Also, according to Apple, we now have support for Wi-Fi 6 and the connections are 30 percent faster on the new iPad than the 802.11ac Wi-Fi 5 supported on the previous generation.

The A14 Bionic chip offers a smooth experience with excellent integration with Apple's services. The same cannot be said for Google's services: experience with apps like Google Drive and Google Meet proved rather slow.

However, it is a tablet where multitasking functions perform perfectly, which makes the iPad 2022 excellent for use as a second device for the home office. In the 3D Mark benchmark test, for example, we found a 92.6% stability of the iPad 10 2022, with the best loop score of 7670 and the lowest loop score of 7103. I personally do not use tablets as gaming consoles, but this result is really encouraging.

Finally, the fact that the basic variant comes to market with 64 GB of internal storage is practically a joke in 2022. Even iPhones are no longer made in that version since 2021. More than that, a device with the potential to be a "reliable companion" in everyday life should offer at least 128 GB of ROM—even with the 2 TB plan costing $9.99/month. Remember that the 256 GB (Wi-Fi) variant of the iPad 10 costs $150 more.

Camera and Audio

The iPad 10th-gen is Apple's first tablet to house the front-facing 12MP camera at the longer edge. This enables better FaceTime viewing when the iPad is in landscape mode. Plus, the 12MP sensor and 122-degree field of view also supports Center Stage . At the rear is an updated 12MP Wide camera that can shoot 4K video at 30fps.

What I liked:

• First iPad to offer the front camera in landscape mode.

What I didn't like:

• -

The changes regarding the location of the front camera sensor were very welcome, however, the Center Stage feature does not work with all video calling apps, for example. Here I mention again the problem I had with third-party apps, such as Google Meet, which does not (yet) support the function. So that the camera automatically pans and zooms to keep you in view as you move around, at the moment there are few apps that offer this option.

Finally, the rear camera has made a big leap from one generation to the next-indeed, one of our big criticisms of the iPad 2021 was the 8MP sensor built into the model. In 2022, Apple opted for a camera with f/1.8 aperture, smart HDR 3 for photos, and digital zoom up to 5x. Personally, I am not one to go around capturing photos with a tablet, but it is good to know that you can rely on the iPad 10's rear camera if needed.

As for audio, the iPad 2022 offers dual microphones designed to work in unison with the cameras, capturing audio from the camera being used and minimizing distracting background noise. And while I rarely use the iPad without headphones, I must admit that the new landscape stereo speakers are quite effective—especially for those who use the tablet in bed at night for streaming video!

Apple iPad 10 (2022) battery

According to Apple, the iPad 2022 offers up to 10 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi or watching videos, and this proved to be accurate. The device is equipped with a 28.6Wh battery, which gives it a battery capacity of approximately 7,627mAh. In other words, the new iPad would be just as reliable as last year's 11-inch Pro variant. That means a battery life of up to two days in moderate use.

What I liked:

• A reliable companion: Excellent battery life.
• Charging via USB-C port as opposed to Lightning.

What I didn't like:

• -

In my day-to-day life, I use the iPad during the home office as a second screen, but the most frequent use is for media consumption, such as streaming video. When I am not working, because it is extremely mobile and uncomplicated, the iPad goes from the living room to the bedroom, from the bedroom to the kitchen, and even ends up making me use a lot less devices like Google Nest Hub and Android TV.

Another really positive point is that charging is now done via USB-C, which allows you to use the MacBook's cable charger while traveling. The iPad Air and iPad Pro series already offered this option and now the most basic line has finally landed in 2022. I am counting down the days to see the same feature being adopted for the iPhone.

• Also read: All the iPhone models compared in one place

Finally, Apple ships a 20 W power adapter in the iPad box. With it, it is possible to charge the iPad 10 in about 2h20min. However, using the MacBook charger this process is a bit faster as the iPad 2022 is compatible with the 30 W USB-C Power Adapter.