Apple’s new entry-level iPad gets a bigger screen and Smart Connector, keeps same price
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: $329 for the general public and $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.