At its big event today Apple took the wraps off the
new entry level iPad, which it called 7th generation on stage. This is the
successor to the $329 device that launched in March 2018 with a 9.7"
screen, which has apparently been the first ever iPad for 60% of its buyers.
The new iPad has a larger, 10.2" Retina
Display, with "nearly 3.5 million pixels". It's powered by the same
A10 Fusion chip as its predecessor, and even costs exactly as much: US$ 329 for
the general public and US$ 299 for education customers. You can order one today in
the US and 25 other countries and it will be available on September 30.
The new iPad supports the Apple Pencil and it has
the Smart Connector too, so you can pair it with Apple's Smart Keyboard which
folds into a case when you don't use the tablet. The tablet weighs about one pound
and the casing is made from 100% recycled aluminum. It runs iPadOS, with
everything that entails: better multitasking, the floating keyboard, SD card
access in the Files app, and the new enhanced video editor in the Photos app.
If you buy a new iPad you'll get one year of Apple
TV+ for free, and the tablet also supports the newly introduced Apple Arcade
game subscription service. The new iPad is offered in silver, space gray, and gold with 32GB or
128GB of storage. There's a Wi-Fi+cellular model too, which starts at $459.
