1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:11,040 Apple doesn't raise the price of the iPad every year, instead they only raise it when 2 00:00:11,040 --> 00:00:15,000 they launch a dramatic redesign or feature improvement. 3 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:20,200 When they introduced this flat-edged liquid retina form factor, folding magic keyboard, 4 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:25,480 smart connector, and brilliant second-generation Apple Pencil to the iPad Pro in 2018, its 5 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:30,160 price jumped $150, compared to the previous gen. 6 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,960 But those price increases and features trickle down to the rest of the lineup. 7 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:41,160 The mid-range iPad Air got them in 2020 for $100, and last year's Mini got it too for 8 00:00:41,160 --> 00:00:44,200 $100 as well. Inflation. 9 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:49,920 That leaves this, the entry-level 9th generation iPad, and I was wondering if Apple would continue 10 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:59,760 this trend with the 10th generation. Well, we got the price increase, but we didn't get everything else. 11 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:06,880 Deciding which iPad to buy is not easy, especially as there are now four very different models. 12 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:14,560 Not that you'd be able to tell looking at them. This, the newest 10th generation iPad, was released quietly with a simple press release 13 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:19,600 NVIDIA. At a price of $450, it's not the cheapest available. 14 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:23,960 Because they're still selling the 9th generation for $120 less. 15 00:01:23,960 --> 00:01:29,240 But don't go thinking it's a good deal compared to the $600 iPad Air. 16 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:32,880 This certainly looks familiar. Flat edges? Check. 17 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,880 Rounded corners? Check. Touch ID in the power button? 18 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:38,880 Check. USB-C port? Check. 19 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:42,040 Rearmounted smart connector? Wait, it's down here? 20 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:46,400 Second gen pencil dock? Um, what is this? 21 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:51,520 For the first time ever, this new iPad has its center stage webcam on the long side of 22 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:55,560 the device. For people who are in group video calls all the time, this is ideal. 23 00:01:55,560 --> 00:02:00,600 As the camera now aligns with your eyes when you set it down horizontally. 24 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:06,040 But it demonstrates a radical change on how Apple thinks we should use this iPad. 25 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:13,960 Which is that it's not for art. Because the webcam is up here, it takes up the space of the second gen charging and pairing 26 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:21,240 modules, so it doesn't work. And there's nowhere else to put it. 27 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:28,960 The solution? Go back in time. This iPad supports the fully round first gen Apple pencil from the Obama era. 28 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:35,240 And there are many problems with this, let me explain. The first generation Apple pencil was designed to work with iPads that came out before it 29 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:41,080 existed. That's why it charges and pairs this way with a very sturdy male lightning connector 30 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:43,940 at the end under this easy to lose cap. 31 00:02:44,140 --> 00:02:49,540 Plug it directly into the iPad for 5 seconds and you get 15 minutes of charge in a pinch. 32 00:02:49,540 --> 00:02:55,020 For the next generation, the iPad was designed with the pencil in mind, so we got this. 33 00:02:55,020 --> 00:02:59,940 And you might think that going back to the old pencil and new iPad design would work 34 00:02:59,940 --> 00:03:07,940 just fine. But it doesn't. Because even if you already own a first generation Apple pencil, you can't use it. 35 00:03:07,940 --> 00:03:11,780 Say you have a USB-C to lightning cable like the one that comes with your iPhone. 36 00:03:11,780 --> 00:03:16,220 Plugging the lightning coupler the old pencil came with will charge your old pencil, but 37 00:03:16,220 --> 00:03:23,420 it will not pair to your new iPad. For that, you must buy the new USB-C to pencil adapter separately. 38 00:03:23,420 --> 00:03:26,700 Or it's included in the box of new first gen pencils. 39 00:03:26,700 --> 00:03:30,180 But even with that, it's dumb. Here's an actual scenario. 40 00:03:30,180 --> 00:03:36,180 I went to sketch out thumbnail ideas with Maria. I didn't have my pencil because there's no way to carry it along with me. 41 00:03:36,180 --> 00:03:40,300 However, her iPad Pro is dead, so we'll use her pencil. 42 00:03:40,300 --> 00:03:43,980 Just kidding. I can't attach to my iPad, so I can't pair it. 43 00:03:43,980 --> 00:03:47,580 So I walk back to my desk to get mine. It's also pretty dead. 44 00:03:47,580 --> 00:03:52,340 So I go back again to get the easy to lose USB-C to Apple pencil adapter. 45 00:03:52,340 --> 00:03:55,620 I go through the whole rig of my role of assembling the pencil to charge it. 46 00:03:55,620 --> 00:04:02,300 But even though this looks ridiculous, I can't use it while it's plugged in. 47 00:04:02,300 --> 00:04:05,700 But Jonathan, you might say, maybe the cable can't send the power and data at the same 48 00:04:05,700 --> 00:04:10,940 time. Sure. But when I plug my iPad to a monitor, we can see that USB-C is fully capable of sending 49 00:04:10,940 --> 00:04:19,180 power and data at the same time. So this new iPad is $120 more, and it doesn't support the latest pencil. 50 00:04:19,180 --> 00:04:23,740 So what about the current Magic Keyboard that uses the smart connector mounted on the back? 51 00:04:23,740 --> 00:04:30,780 Well, it doesn't support that either. Instead, this iPad has the smart connector on the bottom, like the old style iPads and 52 00:04:30,780 --> 00:04:36,940 their keyboards. This means that you can only use the new $250 Magic Keyboard Folio. 53 00:04:36,940 --> 00:04:44,540 The keyboard attaches to the bottom here, and the kickstand attaches to the back. 54 00:04:44,540 --> 00:04:49,940 Now the Magic Keyboard already solved the lapable problem. 55 00:04:49,940 --> 00:04:56,220 But this? I still have to sit like a uniformed grade school student just to use it. 56 00:04:56,220 --> 00:05:00,740 There's no charging pass-through or keyboard backlighting, but there is a very handy function 57 00:05:00,740 --> 00:05:04,740 row that the more expensive keyboard doesn't get. So great savings! 58 00:05:05,740 --> 00:05:10,100 Alright, so I'm ranting about peripherals you might not ever buy. 59 00:05:10,100 --> 00:05:13,500 But the update to the device might be worth it too, right? 60 00:05:13,500 --> 00:05:20,700 Oh, but it is not. A USB Type-C connector on an iPad does increase its capability significantly. 61 00:05:20,700 --> 00:05:26,300 You can plug any USB hub, drive, or peripheral in, and they will just work in a really laptop-like 62 00:05:26,300 --> 00:05:30,700 fashion. Lightning-equipped iPads require a darn goal, and even then you can't expect everything 63 00:05:30,700 --> 00:05:38,380 to work. But this iPad's port only supports the 20-plus-year-old USB 2.0 standard. 64 00:05:38,380 --> 00:05:43,900 That's insane, as the standard supports transmission speeds of just 480 megabits per second. 65 00:05:43,900 --> 00:05:48,580 This is absurd when you consider that the discontinued 4th gen iPad Air from 2020 with 66 00:05:48,580 --> 00:05:53,540 the same A14 chip supports USB 3 speeds. 67 00:05:53,540 --> 00:05:59,820 How about the screen? Yes, this is technically a liquid retina, meaning it has the round corners. 68 00:05:59,940 --> 00:06:04,020 But this screen is actually no better spec-wise than the one installed on the 9th gen iPad 69 00:06:04,020 --> 00:06:08,580 as well. It's not laminated, so there's a gap between the top of the glass and the bottom of the 70 00:06:08,580 --> 00:06:15,380 panel. And it displays fewer colors too, outputting the SRGB color palette instead of the DCI-P3 71 00:06:15,380 --> 00:06:20,380 found in more expensive models. I don't mind that as much as the fact that it doesn't seem to have an anti-reflective 72 00:06:20,380 --> 00:06:23,380 coating. And is this even oleophobic? There's so many fingerprints. 73 00:06:23,380 --> 00:06:27,380 You're going to want a good screen protector. 74 00:06:27,940 --> 00:06:31,260 Oh, and there's no headphone jack as well, so if you want to give one of these things 75 00:06:31,260 --> 00:06:35,060 to your kids, remember that AirPods are choking hazard. 76 00:06:35,060 --> 00:06:38,460 So at 450, is this iPad worth it? 77 00:06:38,460 --> 00:06:41,900 No. And things get even weirder when you look in the refurbished store. 78 00:06:41,900 --> 00:06:45,540 At the time of writing, a two-year-old iPad Air with the exact same chip and none of the 79 00:06:45,540 --> 00:06:48,900 compromises is available for only $20 more. 80 00:06:48,900 --> 00:06:53,140 A four-year-old iPad Pro with a chip in the same performance tier, remember the list I 81 00:06:53,140 --> 00:07:00,140 made, is also only $20 more. If you want a little more storage, you can get a three-year-old iPad Pro for $100 more. 82 00:07:00,140 --> 00:07:04,660 And if you want a lot more storage, that four-year-old iPad Pro is $60 less than the equivalent 83 00:07:04,660 --> 00:07:09,980 10th gen. Compared to this, getting one of those is a complete no-brainer. 84 00:07:09,980 --> 00:07:15,260 And remember, Apple's refurbished iPads get a completely new chassis and battery. 85 00:07:15,260 --> 00:07:22,060 Though I think because of the more modern chip equivalency, I'm going to be leaning towards recommending a refurbished Air. 86 00:07:22,060 --> 00:07:29,140 But it also shows something else very interesting. The iPad Pro has been in the B performance tier for four years. 87 00:07:29,140 --> 00:07:32,540 Then two years later, the iPad Air joined the B performance tier. 88 00:07:32,540 --> 00:07:37,660 So for a similar price, you can get a cheap iPad or one that was an expensive model a few 89 00:07:37,660 --> 00:07:43,740 years ago. Or if you think you're going to be using your iPad for a long time and you have the 90 00:07:43,740 --> 00:07:48,500 cash, you could get an expensive one now and get all the fancy new features. 91 00:07:48,500 --> 00:07:53,880 In fact, the iPad I daily hear at the office is a BDOP 2017 iPad Pro. 92 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:57,640 It has that beautiful promotion screen and it still screams. 93 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:01,360 It does everything I could ever expect an iPad to do incredibly well. 94 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:11,880 But the battery is now wearing out, so let's say $100 repair. 95 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:17,600 But if you need a new model now, I'm still happy to buy, use and recommend the 9th generation 96 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:27,160 model or look in a refurbished store. For the extra $120, the 10th generation iPad commands, it's only really useful for those 97 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:31,800 who are doing lots of video calls and don't need the pressure sensitivity of the Apple 98 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:37,960 Pencil, which might be most people, just not me. 99 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:42,800 Thanks for forgetting to record the outro for this Mac Address, Jonathan. 100 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:46,480 If you like the colors of the new iPad, give this video a like. 101 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:50,720 And if you're curious about more of my thoughts on the iPad, particularly with the Pro, might 102 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:56,560 as well subscribe. Now, I'm curious, are you one of those people who will never use the pencil and therefore 103 00:08:56,560 --> 00:08:59,640 the compromises of this iPad won't matter? Comment below. 104 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:00,760 And also, I have a little surprise.