10.2-Inch iPad Teardown Confirms 3GB of RAM and Same-Size Battery

[ksec]

I was so DUMB when I said new iPad didn't have a new profile ( Well I just didn't look hard enough ) and said it should be the same 2GB Memory.

How the hell would a new iPad with New SoC did not have a new Profile? ( Obviously not thinking much when I wrote it )

May be I was too concerned with iPhone at the time, and iPad is not of my interest. But it is good to see 3GB Ram in all of Apple's baseline.

 

[mi7chy]

Why cheapen out on DRAM when component prices are so low? It should have at least 4GB for $329 starting price. Engineering for early obsolescence wins again.

For comparison, Raspberry Pi 4 pricing is only +$10 for different LPDDR4 tiers.

Raspberry Pi 4
1GB $35
2GB $45
4GB $55

 

[fmcshan]

I love that apple was able to keep that low price point and finally upgraded the display/RAM.

 

[Darajavahus]

Still no laminated display or antiglare coating. On a tablet... Wtf.

I don't know how people can stand it, it's like a freaking mirror, so annoying to constantly see your own reflection! It's a deal-breaker, a lot cheaper devices have laminated displays! 😡

For what I use my iPad I don't need much more power, and I would buy this one if it had a laminated screen, I'm still on the first Mini(2012), and it's barely usable now but I'm not gonna buy new that still have what annoys me most about mine 🤬 and the mini with cellular was cheaper then than this on without cellular. 😔

 

[citysnaps]

Astonishing that so many people are not able to understand why Apple doesn't put the same internals into their entry level $329 iPad that go into iPad models costing considerably more.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Still no laminated display or antiglare coating. On a tablet... Wtf.

If you want laminated display and antiglare, good news! Both are available on the iPad Air

 

[PickUrPoison]

<snip>
... I'm not gonna buy new that still have what annoys me most about mine 🤬 and the mini with cellular was cheaper then than this on without cellular. 😔

Mini with cellular was $459 for the 16GB, the 32GB was $559. 512MB RAM and non-Retina, yikes.

 

[Darajavahus]

If you want laminated display and antiglare, good news! Both are available on the iPad Air

If you have a problem with having too much money, rich people... If you want something a little bit better then buy something a lot more expensive, it's that easy, who needs a second thought about their spending. If they want an unlaminated screen for the educational market then just sell laminated one for couple dollar more, wait they already sell this 30 dollar cheaper for that market. I never since 2012 dropped my iPad, and I drop my smartphone constantly.

Mini with cellular was $459 for the 16GB, the 32GB was $559. 512MB RAM and non-Retina, yikes.

In Poland was cheaper, and when mini 2 came one that one was even cheaper. It still works, and how much you can appreciate retina if it's still a mirror? Not that much. And the ram is the only thing about it that smells like planned obsolescence. It's still fine if you look at one website, just when you use the second tab and you go to the first it's a little bit of annoyance that it reloads.

 

[bodonnell202]

Still no laminated display or antiglare coating. On a tablet... Wtf.

Buy the Air - this is the cheap model

 

[B.A.T]

I just bought four with LTE for work. If they break we instantly replace them. We've had really good luck with them not breaking so far.

 

[bodonnell202]

If you have a problem with having too much money, rich people... If you want something a little bit better then buy something a lot more expensive, it's that easy, who needs a second thought about their spending. If they want an unlaminated screen for the educational market then just sell laminated one for couple dollar more, wait they already sell this 30 dollar cheaper for that market.

Entitled much? I demand a premium product for entry level pricing...

 

[Zdigital2015]

Minimal effort to maximize benefits of existing parts. Same SoC, same battery, same case (iPad Pro 10,5 and 3rd gen Air)...

The iPad Air and iPad Pro 10.5" are both 6.1mm thick, the iPad 7th Generation is 7.5mm thick. So same length and width but not thickness. Fairly minor, but significant when it comes to cases and such. The move to the larger screen and chassis will help Apple and customers in the long run.

 

[44267547]

Still no laminated display or antiglare coating. On a tablet... Wtf.

It’s one of my gripes as well, but it’s a ‘cost-cutting measure’. It’s the only reason why Apple didn’t include it. Anyway, if they can retain the price lower, then I don’t blame them. But for the most part, it’s probably not a major issue that most probably wouldn’t notice that it wouldn’t include a laminated display.

 

[Zdigital2015]

Why cheapen out on DRAM when component prices are so low? It should have at least 4GB for $329 starting price. Engineering for early obsolescence wins again.

For comparison, Raspberry Pi 4 pricing is only +$10 for different LPDDR4 tiers.

Raspberry Pi 4
1GB $35
2GB $45
4GB $55

Your last message in another thread - "Waiting for DRAM bump confirmation otherwise no buy." Well, it's been bumped. So, is it a buy, or are you going to move the football on yourself again?

I find it highly unlikely that carrying around a Raspberry Pi, a USB-C battery bank and a portable display would be a better solution. Coulda, woulda, shoulda...it is what it is. Pretty sure Apple isn't changing it for you or anyone else.

 

[Zdigital2015]

It’s one of my gripes as well, but it’s a ‘cost-cutting measure’. It’s the only reason why Apple didn’t include it. Anyway, if they can retain the price lower, then I don’t blame them. But for the most part, it’s probably not a major issue that most probably wouldn’t notice that it wouldn’t include a laminated display.

I think it's equal parts cost cutting to meet the entry level at $329 and also to appeal to education markets who may want something less costly to maintain themselves, depending on how Apple works with them. Being able to swap out a fault display without needing to also swap out the glass as well has to be cheaper for certain buyers, easier on repair shops and even Apple Stores. Since this is the best selling iPad, it's just as likely to be the most repaired iPad, just by virtue of its sales numbers. I found that my 5th Generation iPad's screen was better, brighter and better saturated, while the screen was just a bit closer to the glass than my iPad Air 1, which really mitigated the lack of a laminated display. It's quite noticeable when I have to switch from one to another. If Apple maintains this with the 7th Generation, I don't see users really being bothered by it.

 

[M5RahuL]

Still hanging onto my Pro 10.5 from 2017 IIRC.. with 4GB RAM.. works perfectly!!

 

[mi7chy]

Your last message in another thread - "Waiting for DRAM bump confirmation otherwise no buy." Well, it's been bumped. So, is it a buy, or are you going to move the football on yourself again?

That's no bump.

6GB jump
4GB bump
3GB pimple

I find it highly unlikely that carrying around a Raspberry Pi, a USB-C battery bank and a portable display would be a better solution.

Wrong but nice apologies.

https://store.pine64.org/?product=14″-pinebook-pro-linux-laptop-64gb-emmc-iso-keyboard-estimated-dispatch-in-october-2019
$199.99 ARM A72/A53 hexacore Linux laptop with 4GB LPDDR4, 64GB eMMC storage

 

[PickUrPoison]

That's no bump.

6GB jump
4GB bump
3GB pimple



Wrong but nice apologies.

https://store.pine64.org/?product=14″-pinebook-pro-linux-laptop-64gb-emmc-iso-keyboard-estimated-dispatch-in-october-2019
$199.99 ARM A72/A53 hexacore Linux laptop with 4GB LPDDR4, 64GB eMMC storage

Oh come on, you never expected the entry level iPad to double the RAM from 2GB to 4GB. It’s been bumped, go buy it lol.

The comparison to cheaper products and RAM bumps costing $10 are completely irrelevant. Apple spends $1.5 billion per month on R&D. How do you think they pay for that?

Not everyone can afford Apple products. That’s unfortunate, but that’s the world we live in. A $60 Raspberry Pi or an inexpensive Linux laptop are perfectly valid products, but they have nothing at all to do with Apple’s iPad.

 

[derekamoss]

Quote on the contrary. iPad is vastly superior to that half baked product sold under the name of surface

Depending on what you do with it maybe. The problem is the generic term "tablet" that everyone things of. A tablet to 99% of the world just means I can look at photos, email, browse the web, play mobile games, read ebooks etc. For that the iPad is best in its class experience wise, and also allows for CERTAIN TAILORED work flows that it can could replace laptops for a certain people. The Surface is not a tablet! It fails horribly at trying to be one in generic terms like people think. The Surface is a laptop first and for most put in a "tablet" form factor. It's not a tablet and never was supposed to be one. The iPad is a tablet that can sometimes be used like a laptop, the Surface is a laptop in a tablet form factor that can some times be used as a tablet.

 

[Zdigital2015]

That's no bump.

6GB jump
4GB bump
3GB pimple



Wrong but nice apologies.

https://store.pine64.org/?product=14″-pinebook-pro-linux-laptop-64gb-emmc-iso-keyboard-estimated-dispatch-in-october-2019
$199.99 ARM A72/A53 hexacore Linux laptop with 4GB LPDDR4, 64GB eMMC storage

From the Pine64 website detail page you linked to in your reply.

Note:

When fulfilling the purchase, please bear in mind that we are offering the Pinebook Pro at this price as a community service to PINE64, Linux and BSD communities. We make no profit from selling these units. If you think that a minor dissatisfaction, such as a dead pixel, will prompt you to file a PayPal dispute then please do not purchase the Pinebook Pro. Thank you.

Pretty sure that's all that needs to be said.

Your prism is a world most people don't know about, much less care about in their day to day, yet you believe that people should exist in it when they don't really want to do that and it has no practical application for the vast majority.

 

[vmistery]

Good news for iPhone 7 owners as presumably this indicates Apple is happy to back this chip for a few years yet. I’m not sure I’d buy One though with such an old chip

 

[Tonyhunter]

It’s pretty sad they did not upgrade the A10 fusion inside. They usually do that yearly with this iPad.

I'm concerned with the A10 fusion chip being what is it, 3 years old now? How many years will apple provide support for iPadOS updates for it? Since apple typically give updates to old devices for about 5 years does that mean this iPad only have 2 years of support left? Even though this device might be new but they can say the hardware is too old, it's the same chip used on the iPhone 7

 

[Tonyhunter]

Good news for iPhone 7 owners as presumably this indicates Apple is happy to back this chip for a few years yet. I’m not sure I’d buy One though with such an old chip

They might back this for a few more years(I Hope) but I doubt they will for the iPhone 7, this chip is what worries me, not the speed but how many years of support is left, as I want to buy it for someone else and the A10 chip is more than enough to meet their needs, but I want to ensure they have updates for at least 5 years.

 

[lixuelai]

Likely stayed on the A10 because it is a lot cheaper to manufacture on the 16nm process.

Was debating between old and new to give to the grandparents. However the 9.7 was $250 recently. Just couldn’t justify the price difference so went with the old.

 

[Tonyhunter]

Likely stayed on the A10 because it is a lot cheaper to manufacture on the 16nm process.

Was debating between old and new to give to the grandparents. However the 9.7 was $250 recently. Just couldn’t justify the price difference so went with the old.

Yes I’m in the same boat buying one for an older family member, I’ve also been looking at the iPad mini, which has the A12 chip and the price is only $70 dearer where I am, but the screen size is the only downside