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Apple iPad 10.2 7th Generation Review

Apple’s New Cheapest iPad with Bigger Screen Size

No other tablet comes close to what any iPad can do. From its advanced features, outstanding apps, strong performance, long battery life, and unmatched customer support, these are what make all iPads truly exceptional. And with the newest addition to the family the iPad 10.2, Apple made a much bigger screen and cost lower than previous models.

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Overview  

Introducing the 7th Generation of iPad with 10.2-inch Retina display for higher pixel density, Smart Keyboard support, Apple Pencil compatibility, Apple A10 Fusion chip processor for graphic performance, and all the basic features. While iPad Air and iPad mini boast their faster processors and iPad Pro’s computer-like features, the iPad 10.2 offers the best all-around value. It is the cheaper and basic iPad with a bigger screen that actually works fantastically.

Comparing to last year’s iPad 9.7, the iPad 10.2 is slightly bigger so you can use for Split View or side-by-side panel viewing on iPad OS. Also, unlike Bluetooth keyboards that need syncing or charging, the iPad 10.2 is compatible with Apple Smart Keyboard. This is really cool and a huge time saver, as well the reassurance that things are going to work super smoothly. Unfortunately, just as with the Apple Pencil, the Smart Keyboard is sold separately which might be a little expensive to some once you have splashed out on the iPad itself.

Aside from increasing from 2GB to 3GB of RAM into the iPad 10.2, there are not many upgrades over the iPad 9.7. We just wished that you could get more internal storage than the given 32GB or 128GB as these days you can eat up 128GB in no time.

If you want a new tablet with basic features and don’t need all those premium features or higher storage capacity that the more expensive iPads offer, then we suggest getting an iPad 10.2. It really is a great all-round tablet.

Features

The latest generation of iPad is a great tablet designed for the masses. It is the first entry-level iPad that features Smart Connector or port support, working with Apple’s Smart Keyboard Cover, Logitech’s Slim Combo Keyboard Case and a range of 3^rd party accessories. What is so cool about it is that you never need to charge them and they pair instantly with the iPad through the smart connector.

The screen display at 10.2 inches is larger than most other iPad versions, all packed inside a 100% recycled aluminum and glass casing to give you that sleek apple iPad look. The complete specs of the iPad 10.2 are below.

Specs

• 10.2 inches LED-backlighting Multiple-touch display with In-Plane Switching technology for best colors and viewing angles
• 2160 x 1620 screen resolution
• 500 nits peak brightness
• Oleophobic Coating to protect the screen from fingerprint marks
• Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support
• Apple A10 Fusion chip processor with M10 motion co-processor for faster performance
• 8 MP camera and 1.2 MP Facetime High-Definition camera
• Touch ID
• Battery life up to 10 hours
• Available in three colors: Silver, Space Gray, and Gold
• The storage capacity of 32 GB and 128 GB

Thanks to iPadOS, it is fair to say that iPad 10.2 is like a 2-in-1 laptop. You can open/use multiple apps in the Slide Over menu through Split View. In addition to this, with the support of multi-view apps so well implemented it is now a lot easier to pull up Google Docs, search the web on Safari, or check emails with Gmail.

The coolest and definitely most functional feature in iPadOS is actually one that comes with the macOS Catalina firmware update. The update is called ‘Sidecar’ and what is so cool about it is that it makes your iPad 10.2 a fully-functional second monitor or screen when you use it with a MacBook Pro laptop. This is totally awesome for anyone who wishes to have a second screen working remotely or on location. Now the iPad becomes your second screen. And it works flawlessly.

Many users enjoy the Slide Over feature, where you can view apps with just a swipe to the left from the edge. It is good for looking at multiple apps and even better for powerful multitasking. There is absolutely no doubt that Apple keeps innovating and optimizing apps for their iPads well ahead of the competition, namely Windows and Android.

We just wish Apple would upgrade its front camera because at 1.2MP it is far from ideal for selfies or video calls when you take into consideration what other tablets and even iPads can do. The rear camera at 8MP is decent and at least it compensates somewhat for the dismal front camera. Also, it would be nice if you could attach the Apple Pencil to the iPad magnetically and charge it wirelessly, just like with the iPad Pro. We guess these are the areas where the difference in price and the compromises become obvious, which makes sense as something’s got to give. Nevertheless, the Pencil still does an excellent job as a drawing and writing tool.

Design

The iPad 10.2 may be a cheaper model of Apple iPad, but that doesn’t mean that it looks cheap. The bezel or the edges could have been a little slimmer to line-up with the look of other iPads. But overall, taking into consideration its price range, Apple never fails to impress us by producing modern and gorgeous tablets.

If you don’t require the high-end features of the iPad Pro, you could save yourself a lot of money and invest on the iPad 10.2, a nice and big tablet with enough functionality for most people, for less than you would pay for an iPad 7. It also has the same length and width of the iPad Air, but slightly thicker and heavier. If there is one thing that we miss about the latest Apple releases is Face ID, though you still get the Touch ID. However, trying to unlock it using your thumb feels a bit slower compared to the ease and speed of simply looking at the tablet.

One of the big improvements is the increase in screen size from 9.7 to 10.2inch which is great for multitasking options. The LCD panel has a 2160 x 1620 pixels of resolution with 264 pixels-per-inch pixel density which provides a very sharp and colorful screen. This we found to be more than enough in most environments, and definitely more than enough for the average person. Add to this the fact the screen has a maximum brightness of 500 nits and you know that you are looking at a quality screen. Saying this, it is worth noting that since it lacks True Tone Technology and Anti-Reflective coating, which balances the white on ambient lighting conditions and reduces reflection, your viewing experience when you use the tablet it outside is affected and it is not as bright and as high contrast as we would have wished. Still, it performs better than we expected.

In terms of audio, it is not as impressive as the quadrangle-speaker setup on the iPad Pro. The price difference has to be justified somewhere in favor of the more expensive iPad Pro. The bass is weak and the sound is not loud enough to fill a large room, probably for the fact that the stereo speakers are placed at the bottom part of the tablet. On the plus side, the iPad 10.2 has a headphone jack so you can easily plug in your headphones when AirPods run out of charge (if you are lucky enough to have one of them) and then you really get to enjoy amazing audio quality.

Performance

Performance-wise, there’s not much difference from earlier models even though the iPad 7th Gen 10.2 is powered by an old processor, the A10 Fusion. Yes, the chip was used in the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus way back in 2016 but it handles multitasking pretty well. We put this through heavy testing, opening many apps, writing and having video going and we found that opening apps are as smooth as the iPad Pro, no glitch, lag, or any delay. That was a pleasant surprise as we thought there would be a noticeable performance difference with the more expensive iPads, We were happy to be so wrong.

Testing it out using benchmarking or computing apps such as AnTuTu 3D Bench, it scores 211,454, and 760 single-core and 1,425 multi-core with Geekbench 5. These scores mean that iPad 10.2 is way better than Samsung’s top-of-the-line and low-cost tablets. Also, playing Apple Arcade games and editing photos using Apple Pencil shows no problem at all. This was quite a revelation, to be frank.

Battery Life

For normal random or intermittent use, such as browsing the internet, occasionally playing a game, or watching a few videos, the tablet lasts a max of three days. Using YouTube on maximum brightness (for outdoor use) the battery life drops down to only 4 hours. However, for normal use, which is how most people would use this tablet, it can get through a day.

The only issue we found is with the charging time as it usually takes more than three hours to fully recharge using the included 12W charger. In this day and age that is mad slow! However, when we used Apple’s 30W USB-C charger, (the charger that comes with the iPad Pro) we got way faster-charging rate. It basically charged the iPad in around an hour and a half, now we are talking. As you can see it is all down to the wattage in the charger so you might want to consider the investment if charging times is an issue with you. For most people, we think the charger than comes with the iPad will be enough, but there will be people for whom fast-charging is critical. In that case, it is good to know the iPad 10.2 supports fast-charging, with the right charger.

Verdict

Apple’s 7th Generation of iPad 10.2 is definitely a brilliant option as an affordable tablet. It has a powerful operating system that plays any video or song consistently on a large bright screen. This cheapest iPad is an excellent portable device, it runs fast, smooth, and battery life is more than adequate for the average person. We think buying the iPad 10.2 is a no-brainer if what you are looking for is a new iPad.

Well, you might want to take a look at other third-party keyboards, because Smart Keyboard is really expensive. Having the USB-C for syncing or charging other iOS devices and second-generation Apple Pencil support could have been perfect but sadly, it is only available with iPad Pro. Still, you can’t deny the fact that the iPad 10.2 works incredibly well and is highly recommended to all.

If this is too much of a tablet for your day-to-day and you are looking for something different, why don’t you check out other tablet reviews in our Tablets Reviews section? We are convinced that there is something for you in there.