2020 10.2-Inch iPad First Impressions: A12 Bionic Leads to Welcome Performance Boost on Otherwise Unremarkable iPad Refresh

[MacRumors]

A few days after Apple announced new iPads and Apple Watches, some of these devices have started appearing in the hands of reviewers. In regards to the 10.2-inch iPad, so far Scott Stein from CNET and Chris Velazco from Engadget have shared their opinions on the latest low-cost iPad.

Given that this iPad lacks the complete design overhaul seen on the 2020 iPad Air, it's come off as a bit underwhelming in these first hands-on previews. That still doesn't undermine what Velazco described as welcome "extra power" under the hood for the 10.2-inch iPad.

That's because of the biggest new addition to the iPad: the A12 Bionic chip, leading to a performance boost that was "noticeably smoother" to Velazco, even when gaming.

Multitasking on the 2019 model could feel a little choppy at times, but I haven't noticed any of that yet, even when running two apps side by side with a third in a floating window.

I've also tried a handful of games over the past day, including Redout and Oceanhorn 2 -- two titles that gave last year's model some trouble. Thankfully, none of the little hiccups I ran into with that earlier model have shown up here yet, but that’s not to say they won’t. The A12 packs a redesigned GPU alongside more raw compute power than the A10 Fusion found in last year's iPad, so it’s no surprise that this iPad runs with less fuss.

Stein echoed similar sentiments, noting that while there's not a lot to say about the new iPad, the A12 is a "big difference" in comparison with the previous generation. He noted that if you have an iPad that's a few years old, this could definitely be a solid upgrade, particularly if you don't care about the more pro-level features of an iPad Pro or iPad Air.

Stein did note a few ongoing gripes with the iPad, relating to the lack of USB-C and the lack of compatibility with Apple Pencil 2 (it only supports Apple Pencil 1). Despite these woes, Stein said that this will still likely be the iPad to buy for most consumers, given its cheaper entry point.

Apple's fancy iPad is still a few weeks off. Do you wait for that? It depends on whether you're willing to spend more and you think you'll need the extra processing oomph. The new Air may have a sharper design and could be the best all-around iPad, but it's hard to beat what's essentially last year's iPad Air right in front of me for just $329.

I haven't spent more than a day with the new iPad, so more impressions to come. But there's nothing I've seen so far that changes my previous advice. For most people, this is the iPad to buy.

More hands-on impressions of the newest iPad and Apple Watch models should be coming soon. If you're curious about unboxing videos for the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE, we've accumulated some of these right here.

Article Link: 2020 10.2-Inch iPad First Impressions: A12 Bionic Leads to Welcome Performance Boost on Otherwise Unremarkable iPad Refresh

 

[Freida]

Can we get impressions of the new Air? No one cares about these as we already know everything about these chips.
Air is where the interest is

 

[dantracht]

Love my 7th gen, and see no reason to upgrade. Does all I need it to do, which is mostly reading in bed at night.

 

[NewUsername]

This iPad is all right for the price, but they should have given it 64GB of storage.

 

[ian87w]

Apple did the bare minimum for the 8th gen iPad. I mean they don't even bother putting bluetooth 5 on it. It's still on bluetooth 4.2. That means they literally still use the old board and just put the A12 chip in instead of using the 3rd gen Air's internals. Very underwhelming.

 

[baller1308]

This should be called the iPad SE. The new air should be called iPad and then you have the iPad Pro line. iPad Air used to be the the thinner and lighter version of the iPad but now it’s nearly identical to the Pro line.

 

[jclardy]

This should be called the iPad SE. The new air should be called iPad and then you have the iPad Pro line. iPad Air used to be the the thinner and lighter version of the iPad but now it’s nearly identical to the Pro line.

Yes, this is exactly what they should have done. SE means cheaper/older design with somewhat updated internals. “Air” as a designation means literally nothing anymore, as the Macbook Air isn’t the smallest macbook, and the iPad Air is not the thinnest or smallest iPad.

 

[dantracht]

This should be called the iPad SE. The new air should be called iPad and then you have the iPad Pro line. iPad Air used to be the the thinner and lighter version of the iPad but now it’s nearly identical to the Pro line.

Agree 100%, definitely a bit confusing. Mini is smaller than the air, which is bigger than the iPad, but very close to the pro....

Choice is good, but.....

 

[CPL593H]

This should be called the iPad SE. The new air should be called iPad and then you have the iPad Pro line. iPad Air used to be the the thinner and lighter version of the iPad but now it’s nearly identical to the Pro line.

Agree with this. Bonus is if the iPad mini gets the “Air 4“ design treatment it is logical to call it iPad Mini as a shrunken base iPad.

 

[Shanpdx]

64GB and FaceTime HD camera two things missing

or FaceTime HD if you think there is a 128GB version available.

Long time apple supporter, can not accept they worry about environment with 32GB storage in 2020, sorry.

 

[Jxdawg]

Any word on the amount of RAM? I have the 6th gen and skipped the last iteration anticipating this would be a good replacement. New processor is nice, but I’m not sure it is enough. More RAM and 64gb would have helped. Anyone have arguments to the contrary?

iPadOS 14 is running great in the 6th gen.

 

[Dwalls90]

It's literally last year's iPad but with an A12.

 

[Expos of 1969]

Yes, this is exactly what they should have done. SE means cheaper/older design with somewhat updated internals. “Air” as a designation means literally nothing anymore, as the Macbook Air isn’t the smallest macbook, and the iPad Air is not the thinnest or smallest iPad.

Yes, they have really lost the plot (and I don't give a damn when some usual suspects will squeal "But but look at the company valuation and stock price")

 

[I7guy]

The ipad 2020 10.2 with a12 will likely be on sale for $279ish. Smoking hot deal. Barebones ipad for a great price and not underwhelming at all. The ipad 10.2 7th gen should be an even hotter, smoking deal.

 

[arvinsim]

32GB is just too low.

 

[Gwyn ap Harri]

I think some people are missing what Apple have done here. The iPad is now the KILLER device in education. Cheap and powerful and highly creative. Keep the price low, kill chrome books. awesome. (I run schools, so I'm happy!)

 

[Neepman]

The ipad 2020 10.2 with a12 will likely be on sale for $279ish. Smoking hot deal. Barebones ipad for a great price and not underwhelming at all. The ipad 10.2 7th gen should be an even hotter, smoking deal.

Agreed. Even at 329, the 32GB iPad is the only actual value for money in all of Appledom.

 

[NT1440]

Honesty, I don’t get the naysaying. It’s a $329 iPad. It’s the iPad you buy your parents because they don’t need anything else.

 

[Expos of 1969]

I think some people are missing what Apple have done here. The iPad is now the KILLER device in education. Cheap and powerful and highly creative. Keep the price low, kill chrome books. awesome. (I run schools, so I'm happy!)

I think many people working in education will disagree. Chrome has such a head start and still offers more support, lower prices etc. Where do you run schools?

 

[Expos of 1969]

Agreed. Even at 329, the 32GB iPad is the only actual value for money in all of Appledom.

I certainly agree that nothing else approaches value for money in Appledom.

 

[mtngoatjoe]

I already ordered one of these. I REALLY wanted the new iPad Air, but I just couldn't justify $600. I did upgrade to the 128GB model. I can't wait until early October!

 

[Mainsail]

This is just a minimal spec bump to keep the model alive. It is Apple’s best selling iPad, and will probably continue to be since they increased the price of the Air by $100. Like others, I wish Apple would sell the base model with 64GB, but that would all but destroy their up-sale strategy for extra storage.

Anyway, I think this base model is going to have a place in Apple’s iPad lineup for a while. It will morph and change, but they will retain an entry level model that is a great value and gateway to the ecosystem. For people that primarily use a laptop, it’s a great option as a secondary device. The build is pretty sturdy for the education market, so it should last a good while and take a beating. As the holidays approach, you will probably be able to pick them up for about $250. Still one of the best values in tech.

 

[recoil80]

This should be called the iPad SE. The new air should be called iPad and then you have the iPad Pro line. iPad Air used to be the the thinner and lighter version of the iPad but now it’s nearly identical to the Pro line.

Agree, but I think is too late for that.
iPad is now the basic iPad, and Air is something in the middle with a similar design to the Pro but less specs. It would be confusing to rename the models, so SE is the new base model and Air doesn't exist anymore.

 

[recoil80]

Honesty, I don’t get the naysaying. It’s a $329 iPad. It’s the iPad you buy your parents because they don’t need anything else.

32GB are enough for many people. Yeah 64 would be better, but very few people would upgrade to the 128 tier, so less money for Apple. Marketing people know their job.

 

[The Matt George]

Can we get impressions of the new Air? No one cares about these as we already know everything about these chips.
Air is where the interest is

^^^^ THIS ^^^^^