Pricing and Color Options

The 10th generation iPad is available in four straightforward colors, which I find quite appealing. Personally, I've chosen the yellow variant.

In contrast, the iPad Air has five muted color options with somewhat uninspired names.

In the UK, the starting price for the 10th generation iPad is £499 for Wi-Fi and £679 for cellular connectivity. The iPad Air starts at £669 and £849 for the same configurations. If you opt for the maximum storage of 256GB, the prices rise to £859 and £1,029, respectively.

Thus, for an additional £170, you could own an iPad Air, regardless of the specifications. That's hardly a game-changing difference, is it?

This raises the question: what is the strategic positioning for these two iPads?

Strategic Positioning

One effective way to gauge an Apple product's market placement is to examine the key features highlighted on its landing page.

For the 10th generation iPad, the focus is immediately on color selections and the synergy with the Magic Keyboard Folio. This is paired with the tagline, “Loveable. Drawable. Magical,” though curiously, the Apple Pencil is conspicuously absent from the visuals. How intriguing!

When it comes to the iPad Air, it offers minimal visuals of the device, featuring only a profile view alongside the word ‘air’, accompanied by “Light. Bright. Full of might.”

Scrolling down reveals a stark contrast in their respective web pages. The 10th generation iPad emphasizes portability, note-taking, and creative pursuits.

Conversely, the iPad Air's webpage showcases its speed, power, and capabilities, largely attributed to the M1 chip, boasting “extraordinary” graphic performance and neural engine capabilities that allow it to perform “amazing tasks,” with visuals depicting the iPad in motion at lightning speed.

At a glance, the iPad Air appears to be a powerhouse of a tablet for just £170 more. If you believe everything Apple claims, it seemingly outperforms the more basic 10th generation iPad in every way.

Yet, the M1 chip's significance is lost on most potential buyers. Both iPads deliver comparable performance under current iPadOS limitations and available apps, making them feel almost identical. The primary differences lie in color options, the fact that the 10th generation iPad only works with the less impressive first-generation Apple Pencil, and a few other minor aspects I’ll touch on shortly.

Display and Biometrics: 10th Generation iPad vs iPad Air

Regarding biometrics, both iPads feature Touch ID integrated into the power button, which might be a tad inconvenient initially, but it's something you adapt to.

The display is often a major differentiator for Apple products, with quality, brightness, and speed typically indicating superiority over lower-priced models.

Unfortunately, there’s not much difference here.

Both iPads come equipped with 10.9-inch Liquid Retina LED displays, sharing the same resolution (2360 x 1640), pixel density (264 ppi), and brightness (500 nits). They also both have True Tone technology and fingerprint-resistant coatings, which, as we know, do little to prevent smudges.

The iPad Air does have three enhancements over the 10th generation model:

• Full lamination that virtually eliminates the gap between the glass and display, creating a seamless appearance.
• An anti-reflective coating beneficial for bright environments.
• P3 color support for more vibrant and accurate color reproduction.

However, both displays operate at 60Hz, meaning you won’t experience the smoothness of ProMotion while scrolling or navigating.

Winner: iPad Air, although the differences are subtle.

Performance: 10th Generation iPad vs iPad Air

The 10th generation iPad uses the A14 Bionic chip, featuring six CPU cores and four GPU cores, which offers impressive speed.

In contrast, the iPad Air is powered by the M1 chip, which comes with an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU, also delivering rapid performance.

In everyday use, both devices will feel remarkably similar, regardless of the tasks you undertake.

Winner: a tie.

Power and Battery: 10th Generation iPad vs iPad Air

Both iPads are identical in power and charge via USB-C, as expected.

Winner: a tie.

Accessories: 10th Generation iPad vs iPad Air

Both models support Apple's Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil accessories, but there are notable differences.

First, while the keyboards are not genuinely magical, the Magic Keyboard Folio compatible with the 10th generation iPad is more appealing, featuring a Microsoft Surface-like kickstand and a function row. Strangely, Apple has made no updates to the Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air, leaving it without a function row, which is quite disappointing.

According to Apple's information, the iPad Air cannot use the Magic Keyboard Folio, which is unfortunate.

The most significant difference lies in the Apple Pencil compatibility.

The iPad Air supports the second-generation Apple Pencil, which attaches magnetically for charging and storage. It’s well-designed and practical, preventing it from rolling away.

In contrast, the 10th generation iPad only supports the first-generation Apple Pencil.

This brings two major issues:

First, the first-generation Apple Pencil charges via Lightning, meaning you must purchase a £9 USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter, an annoying inconvenience.

For those unfamiliar, charging the first-generation Apple Pencil involves removing a cap and plugging it into the iPad's Lightning port, a process that has garnered considerable online ridicule. With no Lightning port on the 10th generation iPad, you must connect the adapter first before attaching the Apple Pencil, resulting in an awkward setup.

Second, the first-generation Apple Pencil's performance is notably inferior.

Winner: iPad Air, without a doubt.

Camera: 10th Generation iPad vs iPad Air

Both models feature identical rear cameras that you likely won’t use much.

On the front, they appear similar, with the 10th generation iPad labeled as a ‘landscape Ultra Wide camera’ and the iPad Air featuring a ‘12MP Ultra Wide front camera’. If anyone can clarify the difference (beyond the 12 megapixels), I'd greatly appreciate it.

Importantly, both devices support Centre Stage.

Winner: a tie.

Conclusion

Size and weight-wise, the 10th generation iPad and iPad Air are nearly identical, with the iPad Air being just 1mm thinner and 16 grams lighter.

So, there's no substantial advantage in that regard either.

Which one would I choose? Despite the appealing colors, I would opt for the iPad Air and invest the extra £170. Setting aside my confusion over Apple's M-chip strategy in iPads, these models are the fastest available, and for a relatively small price difference, it's worth future-proofing a purchase you won't make frequently, unlike an iPhone.

The iPad Air also offers a superior display, albeit not significantly in day-to-day use.

However, the critical factor for me is the Apple Pencil. The second-generation version is one of Apple’s best accessories, and it’s disappointing that the 10th generation iPad is restricted to the less impressive first-generation version. This decision seems designed to limit the new ‘affordable’ iPad in ways Apple believes users may overlook.

The biggest issue with the 10th generation iPad is that it is no longer the entry-level model; that title still belongs to the 9th generation, available for a tempting £369. This makes the 10th generation a confusing product that’s difficult to sell—unless, of course, you have a strong desire for a pink iPad.

In this price range, the iPad Air remains the superior choice, and given the minor price difference, it’s wise to seek out the additional funds for Apple’s best non-Pro iPad.

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_Originally published at https://markellisreviews.com on October 24, 2022._