It’s an excellent pick for anyone looking for a general-purpose tablet for watching movies, browsing the web, and reading the news, and it can even handle light gaming and photo/video editing. It’s a great tool accompanied by an addon keyboard folio case and an Apple Pencil to jot down the notes quickly. When I was editing photos in the Pixelmator app, the iPad 2020 performed admirably, responding quickly to my changes in brightness, contrast, and saturation. On apps like Canva, PhotoGrid, Photoshop Express Photo Editor, and others, the A12 Bionic chipset is quick enough to provide you with graphics performance. When playing Shadowgun Legends on the iPad Air, for example, activities like moving the camera and sprinting to the next part of the stage felt lighter and faster. The Galaxy Tab S7 FE is a mid-range tablet from Samsung and offers a modern design with a premium build quality.
Samsung has really pushed the edges in terms of design with a robust metal shell, flat corners, and a big display, similar to other premium Android tablets. These specifications are powerful enough for everyday chores and basic multitasking, although it did show some limitations during gaming compared to the iPad 8th Gen.
The Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 features a 10.95-inch LCD screen with WQHD+ (1,600 x 2,560 pixels) resolution, 500 nits of brightness, and Dolby Vision support is included. We get a 120Hz refresh rate display, which Apple saves for its ‘Pro’ iPad series, for a smooth scrolling experience.
The Xiaomi Pad 5 features a Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 860 SoC with 6GB of RAM and either 128 or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, making it the most powerful tab in its class. The Snapdragon 860 offers a super-smooth experience on the Xiaomi Pad 5 for common tasks like reading, browsing the web, multitasking by running many programs at the same time, and streaming.
How long do iPads last?
A newer iPad Pro, which has more storage and features, will likely last longer than an older or lower-end model. A newer iPad Pro, which has more storage and features, will likely last longer than an older or lower-end model. If you use your iPad every day and play video games or work with graphic design programs, it’ll wear out more quickly. If you use your iPad every day and play video games or work with graphic design programs, it’ll wear out more quickly.
If you update your iPad software regularly, clean it often, and keep its parts in working order, you’ll increase its lifespan. But if you use your iPad a lot or if you use it in extremely hot or cold temperatures, your battery may die more quickly.
Luckily, replacing an iPad battery that’s no longer working as it should is a simple and fast repair. But every time the company launches a new operating system, it stops supporting some of the older models.
Sometimes you can live with a tiny blemish on your screen, but cracks and scratches on your iPad will only continue to get worse. They make your device more vulnerable to damage from liquid and dirt and, not to mention, can lead to cuts on your fingers. If you have an older iPad and none of the fixes in our guide worked, it’s possible your device may not support the latest operating system updates. When you can’t run the latest update, your older software will eventually stop working.
If you’ve previously replaced your iPad battery and it’s running out of juice, it’s probably time to upgrade your device. If storage is tight on your iPad, there are a few things you can try, like deleting apps you don’t use or moving files to the Cloud.
Is Your iPad Obsolete and Outdated?
In a technical sense, an obsolete device is one that the manufacturer no longer supports. Vintage iPads are not quite obsolete, but they don’t receive full support from Apple. Apple’s official definition of “vintage” is that they’ve been unavailable for sale for five to seven years.
The following models are no longer sold, but these devices remain within Apple’s service window for iPadOS updates:
An iPad out of the service window isn’t necessarily useless because it no longer receives iPadOS updates. An older tablet makes a great tableside companion in your living room, an effective e-book reader, or a light-duty device for reading mail or checking your favorite websites.
Still, the longer your iPad goes without updates from Apple, the more likely it is that security glitches could affect your tablet.
iPad (8th generation)
[9][10] He described it as having a nearly identical appearance to its predecessor, but with improved battery life, enhanced performance owing to the upgrade from the A10 Fusion to the A12 Bionic, and better screen sensitivity for Apple Pencil use, while continuing the poor implementation of Pencil charging on a perpendicular direction from the tablet’s Lightning port. [9][10] He found it sufficient for basic activities, gaming, everyday content consumption, and general multitasking, although not measuring up to the 2020 iPad Pro or the simultaneously released fourth-generation iPad Air, in part due to its display that supports only a 60 Hz refresh rate instead of 120 Hz. [9][10] He especially faulted Apple’s choice of keeping a 1.2-megapixel camera on the front of the tablet, which could be a strong negative factor for an intended audience of students, who might plan to use the device for teleconference classes over platforms such as Zoom. [11] He faulted it for the large bezels that lead to a cramped feel of its screen during multitasking with two apps open, lack of support for the second-generation Apple Pencil and newer Magic Keyboard cases, the outdated 720p camera that does not function well in landscape mode teleconferencing because of placement, the display limited to a 60 Hz refresh rate and lacking True Tone color temperature auto-adjustment, and the insufficient 32 gigabytes of storage for the entry-level model.
[12] He described the continuing design as “comfortably big enough” for typical content, with thoughtful touches, but a dated look because of the large bezels, and welcomed the ongoing inclusion of a headphone jack and rear-facing camera that sits flush with the tablet body. [12] He noted that the lack of screen lamination and consequent flex of the screen during touches could be noticeable to users of higher-end tablets, that the lack of flash on either rear or front camera would hinder low-light teleconferencing and FaceTime Video use, and that the included amount of RAM was low compared to other tablets.
Apple iPad 2020 review (10.2 inch)
The iPad 2020 is a fantastic tablet for the price, delivering swift performance, a very good display and very long battery life. Why you can trust Tom’s Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what’s best for you. Thanks to Apple’s A12 Bionic chip, the new iPad provides you with more performance for everything from games and editing photos to juggling multiple apps. And thanks to iPadOS 14, there’s more you can do with the optional Apple Pencil, including handwriting recognition that works in any text field. Granted, the iPad Air costs $270 more, but seeing bezels this big in 2020 feels like a throwback. When held vertically, the Touch ID button is underneath the screen, which is used for unlocking the device, entering passwords and Apple Pay.
But there is a silver lining — a USB-C-to-Lightning adapter is included in the box, so you will get faster charging versus the iPad 2019. The new iPad 2020 sports the same 10.2-inch Retina Display as the previous generation, offering up to 500 nits of brightness along with 2160 x 1620-pixel resolution. When watching an episode of Cobra Kai on the iPad 2020, Miguel’s black-and-gold uniform really popped, but the detail wasn’t super sharp.
The display also covers 97% of the sRGB color gamut, which is comparable to the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite’s 98.4%. The iPad 2020’s screen is also pretty accurate, and it turned in a Delta-E score of 0.32, where 0 is perfect. While Windows laptops under $400 can struggle with basic tasks because of their Celeron processors, the new iPad 2020 is silky smooth.
The A12 chip inside the iPad 2020 also delivered brisk gameplay in Mortal Kombat, keeping up with my frenetic swipes and taps as I tried to take down enemies. On Geekbench 5, which measures overall performance, the iPad 2020 scored 2,685, which is a big jump from the 2019 model’s mark of 1,429. The iPad 2020 supports the 1st generation Apple Pencil, which delivers fine performance but makes things a bit awkward.
I asked my wife to draw this autumn scene, and she enjoyed the overall responsiveness and precision of the Pencil. Still, I like that the Apple Smart Keyboard doubles as a front cover, which can help protect your investment. In addition, Apple has redesigned several apps to make them feel more desktop-like, adding sidebars and pull-down menus.
Mail, Files, Notes, Calendar, Photos and Voice Memos all have a sidebar along with other apps. iPadOS 14 also does a better job of simply staying out of your way on the iPad 2020 with a more compact design for Search and Siri, as well as calls.
I could make out fine details when zooming in on the petals and even the orange-yellow area in the center. Another photo of this Golden Retriever looked like it might get blown out by the sun when I was shooting, but the iPad 2020 generation instantly turned this image into an evenly exposed shot. On the Tom’s Guide battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi, the iPad 2020 lasted an epic 12 hours and 57 minutes. The iPad 2020 includes a faster USB-C power brick this time around along with a USB-C-to-Lightning cable.
Add in support for the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, and the iPad 2020 can even pinch hit for a laptop.
iPad 8 (10.2-inch, 2020) Review
This isn’t really meant to be an upgrade for those who invested in last year’s model, however the internal improvements do make it a great choice if your older iPad is on its last legs. The aluminium back is sturdy and the glass front, in my experience, does a good job keeping scratches away. You’ve got a Lightning port on the bottom, headphone jack on top and clicky volume buttons on the side.
There’s also the Smart Connector on the side, which allows you to easily connect this iPad up to the Keyboard Folio for a hit more productivity.
Both are good accessories and they’re great if you want to either use the iPad as a basic laptop replacement or sketchbook, however they do push the price up. It does miss the use of the P3 colour gamut and True Tone and the screen isn’t laminated, so there’s an ever so slight gap between the glass and display. That’s the same as you’ll find in the iPhone XS range (along with the XR) and a notable upgrade over the A10 Fusion that powered the iPad 7. Both are adequate for those times you need to take a photo with your tablet or hop on a quick video chat, however I would say the phone in your pocket is better for your holiday snaps. One of my biggest disappointments with the iPad 8 is that Apple is still selling a 32GB option and it doesn’t offer a 64GB variant, so you have to go all the way up to 128GB if you want more than the basic level of storage. If you’ve got the Apple Pencil, you can now use it scribble directly into text boxes and removing the need for the keyboard in the process. Apple says you’ll get around 10 hours of use from a single charge, a number that matches pretty much what I managed during my time with the iPad. If your usage mainly restricts to web-browsing, FaceTiming and checking emails then you’ll get a fair few days without needing to reach for the charger.
The screen is great, battery on par with pricier iPads and you’ll get plenty of iOS updates over the next few years.
The iPad Is the Best Tablet
But those new features come with a big jump in price, and Apple is still selling the great 9th-generation iPad , which is familiar, affordable, and offers plenty of power for most people. All iPads share an unbeatable selection of apps, stellar hardware quality, long battery life, and unrivaled customer support. It also finally moves the entry-level iPad to USB-C and removes the Lightning port, but Apple has taken the headphone jack and Home button with it. Luckily you can still use Apple’s best accessories, like the second-generation Pencil and the Smart Keyboard Folio, with the Air, and that makes it a great tablet for someone who is willing to spend some more cash for a better experience but might gawk at the price tag of an iPad Pro.
iPad 8 (2020) Unboxing + Review: The best value iPad [Video]
One must also consider the fact that older people like using iPads because of that physical home button. It makes usability so much easier for people who aren’t hip to Apple’s new gesture-based navigation system.
Performance is the hallmark feature on the 8th-generation iPad, as this model has gotten upgraded to the A12 Bionic chip.
If you’ve ever gotten to use any of those devices, expect this iPad to perform similarly for a lot of tasks. I didn’t think I would enjoy gaming on the iPad 8 as much because of the lack of ProMotion. And not all games fully support the iPad Pro’s 120Hz refresh rate, so that’s something to consider.
You don’t really feel that slight delay the same way you could on the previous iPad model. And this is something that’s extremely important for artists, religious note-takers, or if you’re playing some kind of game using the Apple Pencil.
If you’re a student who’s constantly needing to take notes or are looking for an inexpensive iOS device for illustration, this is the best way to go. It’s got an 8MP camera on the back that can shoot 1080p or 720p video at 30 frames per second, which is definitely not impressive, but most people buying iPads aren’t concerned with rear-camera performance. I can easily end the day with 30-40% battery depending on how hard I push it. And once again, when you put the price into perspective; you’re paying $329 for a device that you can take off the charger in the morning and use all day if you’d like.
For $329, this tablet has so much to offer: The performance, the great battery life, and the Apple pencil functionality. I’d highly recommend you pick up the iPad 8 if you simply need an inexpensive tablet today that’s going to last you for three to four years with no trouble.
Apple iPad 2020 Review
It still rocks an extremely outdated design, with giant top and bottom bezels surrounding its non-laminated display. The lack of lamination means that there is a noticeable air gap between the display and the glass covering it, that is especially visible on the Silver and Gold variants. In its top bezel, we find the exact same 1.2-megapixel FaceTime camera from last year’s budget iPad. On the bottom bezel is a physical Home button, which is also a first-generation Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
Because of its 4:3 aspect ratio, it’s perfect for desktop internet browsing, writing essays and general productivity, but less than ideal for watching movies and videos. Netflix allows pinch-to-zoom, which crops the movie you’re watching so it would fill the display, but then you won’t be able to see the entire picture. As with the 2019 10.2-inch iPad, it doesn’t have True Tone support, which is a feature that adjusts the color and intensity of the screen to better match your surroundings and make it more natural to look at, but it does have Night Shift. For example, when browsing Safari, you can now just handwrite something in the search bar with your Apple Pencil, and it will accurately be converted into type.
It still rocks an extremely outdated design, with giant top and bottom bezels surrounding its non-laminated display.The lack of lamination means that there is a noticeable air gap between the display and the glass covering it, that is especially visible on the Silver and Gold variants. In its top bezel, we find the exact same 1.2-megapixel FaceTime camera from last year’s budget iPad. On the bottom bezel is a physical Home button, which is also a first-generation Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Because of its 4:3 aspect ratio, it’s perfect for desktop internet browsing, writing essays and general productivity, but less than ideal for watching movies and videos.
But indoors, even if it hasn’t really been updated from last year’s budget iPad, it’s still a joy to look at and interact with.As with the 2019 10.2-inch iPad, it doesn’t have True Tone support, which is a feature that adjusts the color and intensity of the screen to better match your surroundings and make it more natural to look at, but it does have Night Shift. The home screen widgets have been redesigned to take advantage of the large screen, showing more information than before, and several can be stacked on top of one another for quick access.Apps like Files and Photos are now also more appropriately designed for this form factor, sporting sidebars and pull-down menus that make for a more intuitive computer-like experience, instead of still featuring an iPhone interface meant for the iPhone.Arguably the most notable new feature, Scribble, involves the Apple Pencil. For example, when browsing Safari, you can now just handwrite something in the search bar with your Apple Pencil, and it will accurately be converted into type. It outperforms every other tablet in this price range, and, as mentioned earlier, can handle pretty much any tasks you may want to do on iOS.
Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Designer for iPad and ProCreate are all available here and not on Android tablets, which is something to consider if you’re the creative type. You can run two apps side-by-side (which Apple calls Split View), and a third one in a pop-up window (Slide Over).
A video can additionally be played in picture-in-picture, which is something Netflix, Safari and YouTube Premium support, among other apps. This iPad’s speakers in comparison are too tinny and lack the punch I’ve come to expect even from the cheaper tablets of current year. For unlocking the iPad with a fingerprint, we still have the first generation Touch ID built into a physical, clicky Home button.
The front (FaceTime) camera takes pretty low-resolution selfies and is also generally here just for the occasional video call, not much else. It outperforms every other tablet in this price range, and, as mentioned earlier, can handle pretty much any tasks you may want to do on iOS. Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Designer for iPad and ProCreate are all available here and not on Android tablets, which is something to consider if you’re the creative type.
You can run two apps side-by-side (which Apple calls Split View), and a third one in a pop-up window (Slide Over). Especially when the important features, such as screen quality and performance are on point.As always, Apple claims up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‐Fi or watching videos, and that’s a fair estimate. Apple Pencil (1st gen) and Smart Keyboard support All-day battery life Cons Outdated design
The 2020 iPad can easily handle any tasks – from writing essays and researching topics simultaneously, to gaming, video editing and even music production.The 2020 iPad is also fairly versatile, as it supports the first generation Apple Pencil and Apple’s Smart Keyboard accessory, both of which add plenty to the experience.
Gold (Latest Model, 8th Generation) (Renewed) : Electronics
(I beat the living hell out of my work-provided iPad because I keep accidentally activating one of the stupid gestures Apple won’t let me disable-—I never want a split screen or the little notes window, for Christ’s sake.
Apple iPad 2020 (10.2-inch, 8th Gen) Review: Great for $329
Regardless, it’s easy to hold the tablet up one-handed in portrait, or two-handed while watching a long video. The iPad benefits the most from the iOS 14 move to have notifications and alerts not take over your entire screen, and there’s a new Spotlight search interface. Perhaps the biggest addition is “Scribble,” which lets you use the Apple Pencil for handwriting-to-text recognition across the interface, but of course, that requires a $99 accessory, and is a different discussion altogether. Multitasking remains complicated — there’s a lot of power here, but it’s hard to discover and seemingly impossible to master.
There’s an awkward dance of gestures to call up apps, use split-screen, and trigger floating windows, with no discoverability hints — you kind of just have to try stuff. Apple likely knows the typical base iPad customer is doing far less multitasking than those buying an Air or Pro, but don’t let that discourage you from trying to get the most out of it.
With the A12 Bionic processor and plenty of screen, you can get a lot done once you plumb the depths of gesture controls for multitasking. The iPad is clearly built with specs to handle the lofty features and capabilities of a forthcoming iPadOS 17, not 14.
Apple advertises its usual “10 hours of surfing the web or watching video,” which of course isn’t at all representative of how people use iPads. I used it for a couple hours a day for an entire workweek, with a mix of every sort of light-duty load of social media apps, email and messaging, and keeping up with YouTube and podcasts — and I didn’t have to charge once.
The iPad is particularly good at sitting idle for hours (or days) without using a discernible amount of power. Unfortunately, alongside the relics of the design and Touch ID sensor, the iPad also still uses Lightning to charge.
The 1.2MP front-facing camera handles video call duty on your app of choice, up to 720p, with quality about on par with a laptop but lagging behind a modern phone. iPadOS 14 is easy to pick up and use, and can be extremely powerful for multitasking and light productivity work if you spend time learning it. The hardware looks and feels old, but it’s incredibly effective — and most importantly, it’s built to last both physically and in terms of internal specs.
But iPadOS is entirely superior to Android on tablets, and the app selection is so far ahead it doesn’t merit comparison.
There’s every expectation that you’ll get at least three yearly software updates to this iPad, and it’s clear there’s enough internal hardware to handle running it. The Lightning charging port and Touch ID sensor with a physical home button are both areas that will start to feel old quicker, but those are minimal parts of the experience compared to being able to continue to use the latest software and apps for the next few years.
If you don’t have the budget allocated for an iPad Air, and just need a basic tablet as a secondary device for casual use, have one for just $329. Just be aware of the potential budget creep of wanting to buy the 128GB model and a Smart Cover for it.
Be First to Comment