iPad (10th Gen)

The latest iPad, and by that I mean the standardised iPad, is a somewhat curious product and has been for some time. It's as if Apple doesn't quite know what to do with this cheapest version of their popular tablet, and perhaps more importantly how it fits into the overall ecosystem, both in terms of price and features.

However, the latest update does a lot to iron out the last few kinks and place it in a natural extension of the iPad Air, iPad Mini and iPad Pro. So what do you get, and what are you sacrificing, by buying an iPad for £500 instead of £700?

At first glance, not too much. Sure, the edge around the screen is a little thicker, and you're missing the magnetic strip on the long side that can charge the second generation of Apple's beloved Pencil. But there's USB-C (finally), there's the same industrial design all around, the same 12 megapixel wide-angle rear camera, and even if you sacrifice the anti-glare coating and P3 colour coverage of the iPad Air, the panel itself is a Liquid Retina, and it's also 10.9".

Inside, you'll find an A14 Bionic, a step below the now ageing iPad Mini, and countless steps below Apple's own M SoCs, which are only available from the iPad Air onwards (for now). However, with a refresh rate of just 60Hz, it's not as if the iPad OS lags or keeps you waiting too long. Using a modern iPad is still a responsive, functional and versatile experience, and all the functionality you'd find in an iPad Pro, you'll find here too.

So, where are the strange compromises? Well, firstly, the iPad is equipped with a USB-C port, but strangely enough, it doesn't support the second generation Apple Pencil - it only supports the first, which has a Lightning connector at the tip. So, what do you do? Well, you buy a dongle, of course, which costs you $79 and doesn't come with it. Cool.

The second curious change, however, is far better. This time you'll find the front-facing camera on the long side, which finally means that Apple has realised that pretty much everyone holds their iPad horizontally, not vertically as was once the paradigm, and therefore it doesn't look like you're looking at one side of the camera when you're talking to someone. For some reason, though, there's no Centre Stage to keep you as the centre of attention when using the camera - which is annoying, by the way.

But beyond that, this is more of a direct attack on the iPad Air than anything else. Sure, you're getting an older chip, but for browsing, watching Netflix, and multitasking with various low-power applications, there's not really a functionality-based reason to spend an extra £150 on an iPad Air, unless you're buying it specifically to get your hands on the latest Pencil or want to use a Magic Keyboard.

Because the iPad 10th Gen has its very own Folio keyboard, which more directly copies the genre conventions we're already used to. There's a kickstand on the back that folds out and the keyboard can be clicked on and off. It's pretty clever, I must say.

The cheapest new iPad is worth a look if you're in the market for a new iPad and only need it as a tablet, a supplement to your sofa or an accompanying screen for your home office.