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Apple announced the iPad 10th generation in the middle of October.

The iPad 10th generation features an upgrade in design and processor and it makes a logical change to the front camera position too. With that comes a cost though, making it quite a bit more expensive than its predecessor, the iPad 9th generation.

With the iPad 9th generation remaining in the portfolio as the entry-level model, sliding between the iPad 9th and 10th generation, which iPad should you buy?

Here are how the iPad 10th generation compares to the cheaper, but older, iPad 9th generation.

Let’s see the similarities.

Similarities

• Touch ID Home Button
• Retina display 264 ppi with True Tone and 500 nits max brightness typical
•  iPadOS 16
• 6-core CPU, 4-core GPU
• 12MP Ultra Wide front-facing camera ƒ/2.4 aperture
• Two speaker audio
• Up to 10-hour battery life
• 64GB and 256GB storage options
• Support first-generation Apple Pencil support

Differences

Design

The Apple iPad 10th gen follows its design from the iPad Air, so it is quite different to the iPad 9th generation. The iPad 10th gen has flat edges and uniformed bezels around the display. It also moves the Touch ID home button from below the display to the power button positioned on the top. 

On the rear of the iPad 10th generation, there is a single camera lens. The iPad 9th generation has a very small camera lens in the top left corner of its rear and its edges are rounded. It has also larger bezels around the screen and the Touch ID home button sits at the bottom of the display.

In terms of colour options, the iPad 10th generation is brighter with four options Yellow, Blue, Pink and Silver, while the iPad 9th generation comes in Space Grey and Silver only .

The iPad 10th generation is also slimmer, shorter and lighter than the iPad 9th generation, though it is slightly wider.

Display

The 10th generation model has a 0.7-inch larger display than the 9th generation model .

The Apple iPad 10th generation has a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with a 2360 x 1640 resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 264ppi. It’s a lovely display in use . The iPad 9th generation has a smaller 10.2-inch Retina display, with a pixel resolution of 2160 x 1620 resolution. 

Performance

The Apple iPad 10th generation runs on the A14 Bionic chip, while the iPad 9th generation runs on the A13 Bionic chip so you get a performance upgrade with the newer model. The iPad 10th generation will be a little speedier than 9th generation.

 Compared to the 9th generation iPad, the new 2022 iPad offers a 20 percent increase in CPU and a 10 percent improvement in graphics performance. It comes with a 16-core Neural Engine that is almost 80 percent faster than the previous model, boosting machine learning and AI capabilities, while 9th gen features 8-core Neural Engine.

The iPad 10th generation switches to USB-C for charging, while the iPad 9th generation has Lightning. Both are compatible with the first generation of Apple Pencil, though you will need an adapter to charge the Apple Pencil with the iPad 10th generation as the Pencil uses Lightning to charge.

Elsewhere, the 10th gen iPad offers Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6,  while the iPad 9th gen has Bluetooth 4.2 and WiFi . The iPad 10th gen supports 5G compatible for the Wi-Fi & Cellular model, while the iPad 9th gen is 4G.

The Camera

The iPad 10th generation also upgrades the rear camera from an 8-megapixel snapper found on the 9th gen model to a 12-megapixel sensor, capable of 4K video recording.

The 10th generation iPad is also the first iPad to come with a landscape front-facing camera. The new 12MP sensor is located in the middle of the top edge, making it ideal for FaceTime and video calls. Thanks to the 122-degree field of view, the 10th generation iPad also supports Center Stage. It’s worth noting that the 9th generation iPad also supports Center Stage, but its camera is located on the side bezel. 

Price

The 10th-generation iPad is now available for a starting price of $449, but its predecessor, the ninth-generation ‌iPad‌, remains available from Apple for the same $329 starting price.

Conclusion

The Apple iPad 10th generation makes some great upgrades compared to the iPad 9th generation – the design being the key improvement. The 10th generation model offer a fresh larger display within a very similar footprint to the 9th gen model.

Despite being successive generations of the same device, there are substantial differences between the ninth- and 10th-generation ‌iPad‌ that justify their $120 difference in price, which may make it difficult to choose which device is best for you.