New 10th-Generation iPad Has Slower USB-C Port Compared to Other Models

[iZac]

Really bold and forward thinking, using a 22 year old data transfer technology.

Unless users are buying this in it's most basic form as a streaming window all it's going to do is burn Apples reputation with anyone getting onto the bottom rung of the Apple ladder.

Imagine Samsung makes an advert rightly eviscerating it for needing a cable and a dongle to connect a pen. Or taking ages to copy a bunch of family videos (of the dog who ate said dongle and the pensive wait for it to poop out that little white tic-tac) onto their old Desktop PC. Or having to buy a keyboard that's half the price of the device. Or running out of space because the base model has less storage than a USB flash drive.

I look at all these bizarre mis-steps and can only think there's a Dr. Evil style board room of Apple execs chuckling maniacally about all the ways they're going to trip up those dumb, poor, aspirational plebs.

 

[Aston441]

Isn't it in the power button now? 🤔

Ummm. OK. I'm stupid.

 

[sorgo †]

Ummm. OK. I'm stupid.

Join the club, sweetie

 

[koolkankat]

What a joke. Means you should buy a discounted M1 based iPad Air if you want something better, but still not that expensive. You get the base model for $519 on Amazon.

I purchased the base model 9th Generation iPad for $269 at Amazon. Only my second iPad, so I did not want to invest too much money if I was not going to use it much.

 

[9594864]

This doesn’t matter. People buying this iPad are only going to use the port for charging and nothing more.

This is false, it’s useful to be able to actually stream 4K content from your iPad via the USB-C to HDMI adapter. Apple’s Lightning to HDMI adapter doesn’t even transfer over 1080p quality. It’s a piece of garbage and everything you play over it is blurry trash, even downloaded stuff.

There is currently no way to stream 4K content from an Apple device because AirPlay 2 is a piece of trash that caps at 1080P.

 

[DMG35]

I submit that the 9 and the Pro are further apart.

Lol, completely agree.

 

[DMG35]

This is false, it’s useful to be able to actually stream 4K content from your iPad via the USB-C to HDMI adapter. Apple’s Lightning to HDMI adapter doesn’t even transfer over 1080p quality. It’s a piece of garbage and everything you play over it is blurry trash, even downloaded stuff.

There is currently no way to stream 4K content from an Apple device because AirPlay 2 is a piece of trash that caps at 1080P.

Ok, but again, the vast vast vast majority of people who buy this iPad are going to use that port for charging.

 

[exoticSpice]

No

My guess is one of two things:
1) The A14 has a USB 2.0 controller so that is what the iPad is limited to, be it Lightning or USB-C.
2) Apple is intentionally restricting performance to USB 2.0 speeds as part of the differentiation from the iPad Air.

As for iPhone 15, I am very confident it will support 10Gbps over USB-C.

Nope the A14 in iPad Air 4 is USB 3.0

 

[Dionte]

I can‘t recommend this iPad to anyone as an upgrade.

 

[minik]

Hah, are you me? I didn't buy the keyboard, but I'm loving this blue iPad 10 as my tweener iPad. I'm going to see how I feel about the Mini going forward - I may sell it on - but this gives me something much more palmable than the 12.9 without losing too much compared to the Mini.

Looking at your signature, I don't have an 16" Intel-based MacBook Pro, iPad (10th gen), and AppleWatch Ultra that's it. With the landscape camera, some just buy it solely for the new placement.

 

[duffman9000]

If you're talking about the A14, apparently that isn't the case:

That’s not the chipset I’m talking about. Maybe controller is a better term.

 

[Porco]

Feeling better about my 9th gen purchase all the time, thanks Apple!

 

[Jim Lahey]

Unless I’m mistaken USB 2.0 was superseded c.2008? Think about that for a moment and let it sink in…

 

[duffman9000]

They took away touchID. Zero interest.


ETA: OK I'm a dumass. I see now touch ID is on the power button. Carry on,

 

[9594864]

Ok, but again, the vast vast vast majority of people who buy this iPad are going to use that port for charging.

I agree but what possible reason is there to limit it? And the scary thing is the precedent it sets for the 15…

I was hoping for the iPhone 15 to be an actually USEFUL device for acting as a god damn hub to display any video on any TV via USB-C to HDMI adapter.

See Airplay 2 is trash and can’t even go over 1080p, nor do HDR.

You should be able to use the adapter at say a hotel, a friend’s house, or your own house to stream anything from your phone to your HDMI-enabled TV or monitor. It will be late 2023, if that can’t happen it’s just sad. You can do it now, but it’s capped at 1080p with Lightning to HDMI, as is Airplay 2, and I think the Lightning to HDMI adapter actually just acts as Airplay anyway.

And think about the fact that next year the iPhone 15 will likely record 8K video using the 48mp camera. Presently there is no way to stream even 4K from an iPhone to another device. You have to airdrop the video to a completely separate device, transfer it via wire to another device, or upload it to iCloud and then download it to another device.

The thing about 8K video recorded from an iPhone isn’t that you have an 8K device or TV. It’s the fact that the 8K video will have a higher bitrate and therefore it will look better than 4K video even on a 4K TV. So 8K is very useful when you’re dealing with compressed content, even if you don’t have an 8K monitor.

So the god damn iPhone 15 better be able to stream that to a TV via the USB-C to HDMI. It AT LEAST has to be able to stream 4K HDR.

 

[Macalway]

480mbps vs 40gbps?

My goodness. This is extreme. (in a bad way) LOL

 

[anthogag]

This is why it’s better to just get the best iPad, the Pro 😂

 

[Hairball]

I am on the fence between buying the Pro or the 10, transfer speeds matters to me.

Why are you on the fence if speeds matter? Get the pro, duh. 🙄

 

[DMG35]

I agree but what possible reason is there to limit it? And the scary thing is the precedent it sets for the 15…

I was hoping for the iPhone 15 to be an actually USEFUL device for acting as a god damn hub to display any video on any TV via USB-C to HDMI adapter.

See Airplay 2 is trash and can’t even go over 1080p, nor do HDR.

You should be able to use the adapter at say a hotel, a friend’s house, or your own house to stream anything from your phone to your HDMI-enabled TV or monitor. It will be late 2023, if that can’t happen it’s just sad. You can do it now, but it’s capped at 1080p with Lightning to HDMI, as is Airplay 2, and I think the Lightning to HDMI adapter actually just acts as Airplay anyway.

And think about the fact that next year the iPhone 15 will likely record 8K video using the 48mp camera. Presently there is no way to stream even 4K from an iPhone to another device. You have to airdrop the video to a completely separate device, transfer it via wire to another device, or upload it to iCloud and then download it to another device.

The thing about 8K video recorded from an iPhone isn’t that you have an 8K device or TV. It’s the fact that the 8K video will have a higher bitrate and therefore it will look better than 4K video even on a 4K TV. So 8K is very useful when you’re dealing with compressed content, even if you don’t have an 8K monitor.

So the god damn iPhone 15 better be able to stream that to a TV via the USB-C to HDMI. It AT LEAST has to be able to stream 4K HDR.

Valid points, and I completely agree. I do think that most people that buy this iPad have no clue that they can do anything but charge their iPad with the USB-C port.

 

[orl2222]

Winning and complaining. If you don't like it, don't buy it, simple as that. As my dad used to say to a friend of mine, " are you bragging (how much better gadgets you have) or complaining ( I wanted it but wait till the price comes down). Speculation on the iPhone 15 is just that, speculation. Because Luke Mamon or what ever his name is on YouTube tells you how terrible everything is, you think YouTubers have inside knowledge. The people on this forum has turned into "how I hate Apple I'm not gonna buy anything from them!" Go to any Windows forum and you'll hear the same thing. I bet many people here way overbuy anything, because it's a status symbol, or somedayI'm gonna become a big time YouTuber like those guys. If these base iPads aren't to you liking , There are other iPads or other tablets out there.

 

[Deadman64]

This is why usb c is a mess, imo. Specs and capabilities are left up to a companies discretion. Apple can do this with the iPhone 15 but I hope they don’t.

I bet they do. Then increase the speed on the 16 lol

 

[vipergts2207]

This is why usb c is a mess, imo. Specs and capabilities are left up to a companies discretion. Apple can do this with the iPhone 15 but I hope they don’t.

Right, because Apple was forced to implement USB 2.0 speeds on the iPad. Apple is just an innocent victim here.

 

[bob_zz123]

They must have gone out of their way to cripple this, because surely if it supports DisplayPort Alt Mode for video output (As it says it does on the tech specs page) then it will have the 4 differential pairs in the connector for the DisplayPort lanes (which are also used for SuperSpeed USB), as well as the USB 2.0 differential pair, so it seems like Apple have really gone out of their way to stop SuperSpeed from working.

 

[ghostface147]

Watch Apple nerf USB-C on the iPhone when it gets it.

 

[Orange Bat]

I just want to thank you for reading The Verge so I don’t have to.