iPad 10 Flaunts a Welcoming Fresh Look but Its Increased Price Tag Makes It Tough to Justify, Claim Latest Reviews

Omar Sohail
iPad 10 Flaunts a Welcoming Fresh Look, but Its Increased Price Tag Makes It Tough to Justify, Claim Latest Reviews

Apple’s iPad 10 was supposed to be a low-cost option, but with its price increased to $449 for the base model, not to mention a hike happening in other countries, the only affordable option that customers have is the $329 iPad 9 that the company still sells. This review roundup reveals that multiple outlets mentioned the increased price but praised the tablet’s performance, new design, and other areas. Let us take a look at this roundup in more detail.

June Wan, the Technology Editor of ZDNet, noticed that Apple increased the price of the iPad 10 to $449, which will make it difficult for some consumers to justify as they look to reduce their spending in an economy that is ravaging their finances.

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“Obviously, the elephant in the room with this year's iPad is its price. $449 is not a small ask, especially when compared to the $329 iPad (9th Gen) that Apple still sells. If you're shopping on a budget, the latter should make the most sense -- Apple clearly thinks that, too. But I can't help but compare the new iPad to the rest of the ensemble, all of which remain pricier and, in several aspects, are not as good as the vanilla model. That said, I'll be testing the tablet some more and sharing my conclusive thoughts in the upcoming review.”

WIRED, too targets the iPad 10’s price, saying that it is difficult to justify a $120 price hike from the iPad 9, which features a starting price of $329. Another area where Apple was called out was requiring customers to purchase another adapter if they wanted to charge the first-generation Apple Pencil.

“But it wasn't long before the bubble burst. When you crunch the numbers, reality sets in. The affordable and plenty-capable iPad that used to start at $329 has now been hiked up to $449. That’s without the added cost of accessories (Apple charges $249 for the Keyboard Folio). It‘s tough to justify a $120 price hike over its predecessor—especially when one of the “upgrades” is the removal of the headphone jack. It doesn't help that Apple is continuing to sell the ninth-gen iPad for $329, and you can typically find the iPad Air for roughly $519 at retailers like Amazon. The 10th-gen tablet sits in an odd spot.

The redesign on this iPad is simply catching up to the rest of the lineup. The A14 chipset powering it, while snappy, is already two years old. The display is larger, but it still isn’t fully laminated—there's an air gap between the glass and the screen, so using it with the Apple Pencil doesn't feel as precise as with pricier iPads. The USB-C port, which I'm thankful for, requires an adapter to charge the first-generation Apple Pencil—because, yes, bafflingly, this iPad doesn't support the second-gen Apple Pencil. This slate feels exciting and fresh at first, until you realize you’re just paying for cosmetic changes. Apple almost had me.”

Britta O’Boyle’s review of the iPad 10 published on Pocket-Link did not criticize the pricing, though, but praised the tablet for being an all-round product.

“If you're after an everyday tablet to watch movies on, clear some emails, make some video calls and surf the web, the iPad (10th generation) is a fantastic option. It is a perfect blend of features and value for money, and with its upgraded design, it's likely to become the new go-to iPad for most people.”

After you are done with the written reviews, perhaps check out some videos talking about Apple’s latest iPad.

Dave2D

CNET

Brad Colbow

Brian Tong

If you are on a budget, would you consider getting the latest iPad 10 or saving some money and purchasing the iPad 9 instead?

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