The new iPad for 2021 has been unveiled: this is the newest generation of Apple's entry-level tablet, following on from the iPad 10.2 (2020) which released 11 months ago.
Announced at Apple's iPhone 13 reveal event, the new iPad (2021) will likely be a popular slate for students, families, seniors and other less-demanding tech users thanks to its modest price, compared to the iPad Air and iPad Pro models, which are more spec-heavy.
The new iPad sounds very similar to last year's model based on what we've seen so far, but the Apple event is still going on. We usually get release date info and full pricing for all regions after these events finish, and we may also learn about some new iPad features that weren't mentioned during the event, so stay tuned for more information.
- Apple has also announced the Apple Watch 7
- Apple has also announced the New iPad (2021)
- Apple has also announced the New iPad mini (2021)
- Here's everything you need to know about the iPhone 13
- Here's everything that's coming to iPadOS 15
Cut to the chase
- What is it? Apple's newest entry-level iPad
- When is it out? That hasn't been announced yet
- How much will it cost? This is also tbc
New iPad (2021) release date and price
At the moment, we've only got the starting price for the new iPad, and only in US dollars only – we expect full pricing for different configurations, and for all regions, to be confirmed shortly after the event.
The 64GB-storage version of the new iPad will cost $329. That converts to about £240 or AU$450, but last year's slate went for $329 / £329 / AU$499, so the price could remain the same in the UK and Australia.
Apple has said the tablet will go on sale "next week" – again, we'll probably hear an exact date pretty soon.
Design and display
The new iPad looks similar to the previous one, and it's mainly under-the-hood changes here. According to Apple, the reason for this is so that existing accessories will be compatible with the new slate.
There are silver and gray versions of the tablet – a curious pairing as they're not vastly different, but you'll likely be tucking the slate into a case anyway.
The display uses Apple's TrueTone tech, so the on-screen image will be adjusted to suit the ambient lighting; when you're outdoors, for example, the screen will become brighter, and the colors will be tweaked.
It's a 10.2-inch 1620 x 2160 LCD screen, just like on last year's model.
Cameras and battery life
Apple says the front-facing camera has gotten a "big upgrade" over the camera on last year's model – it's a 12MP snapper with Apple's Center Stage feature, which adjusts the framing to keep you in the center of the picture when you're on video calls.
We haven't heard anything about the rear camera yet, which suggests it's the same 8MP snapper as last time.
We also haven't heard anything about the battery life or charging speed, though Apple generally doesn't provide an exact battery capacity. Last year's slate had a 10-hour battery life, according to the company.
Specs, performance and software
The new iPad has the A13 Bionic chipset, which isn't as powerful as the M1 chip in the new iPad Pro, but it means this slate is as powerful as the iPhone 12. According to Apple, this new tablet is 20% faster than its previous one.
It supports the first-gen Apple Pencil, which on the downside suggests that the tablet still uses a Lightning Port. The stylus will be useful for note-taking and drawing though.
You can get Wi-Fi or LTE versions of the new iPad, which suggests there's no 5G version. That's okay though, as it likely helps to keep the price down.
No comments:
Post a Comment