New iPad (2022): Everything you need to know

The classic iPad has been updated more times that we care to remember but one thing that’s remained almost since the beginning is the design.

The home button has stuck around far longer than expected and although components such as processors, memory and cameras have helped to keep the iPad current, it was high time to bring it in line with the rest of the range including the iPad mini and iPad Air.

And that’s exactly what Apple has done with the 2022 iPad. Launched quietly alongside a new iPad Pro, the updated model adopts the square-sided form factor of its siblings and swaps the Lightning connector for USB-C.

With a smaller bezel around the screen and an increase from 10.2 to 10.9 inches for the display itself, the entry-level iPad looks more modern.

Apple says it has injected some fun to the proceedings by making the new iPad available in four vibrant colours. We see only three: blue, pink and yellow. Silver is not, in our humble opinion, vibrant.

What is the new 2022 iPad’s price?

• Starts at $449 / £499 (64GB)
• Also available with LTE starting at $599 / £679

If you were hoping for a cheaper iPad, then you’re out of luck. With inflation biting in various countries including the US and UK, prices are skyrocketing.

The 9^th-gen iPad, reviewed, (which remains on sale as the true entry-level model) was $329 / £319 when it launched in 2021. It’s still the same price in the US, but UK buyers will now pay £369.

If you want a 10^th-gen iPad, you’ll pay at least $120 more in the US and a whopping £180 more (than the 9^th-gen originally cost) in the UK.

That’s for the 64GB Wi-Fi only model. You can get the 256GB model (the only other capacity on offer) for $599/£679.

When is the 2022 iPad release date?

• Pre-order from 18 October
• On sale from 26 October

You can pre-order the 10^th-gen iPad immediately from Apple’s website, and it goes on sale on Wednesday 26 October.

What’s new about the 2022 iPad?

Not be confused with the 2022 iPad Pro in name or the iPad Air in looks, the new iPad is one of Apple’s entry-level tablets and despite being more expensive than expected, is still cheaper than the iPad mini – just.

While the refreshed design is great to have in the base iPad and will feel new if you haven’t had or used an iPad Air, iPad Pro or iPad mini, it’s really just catching up with the rest of the range.

This means it has a USB-C port and, as with other modern iPads, no home button beneath the screen. Instead, the fingerprint scanner is integrated into the top button.

Amazingly, though, there are some brand new features which not even the iPad Pro gets. They include a new Magic Keyboard Folio with a detachable keyboard and kickstand, plus a landscape front camera.

This is a genuine first for the iPad range and means the camera is located in the long edge, as opposed to the short edge of the screen, just like most laptop webcams. The 12Mp ultra-wide camera supports Center Stage to keep you in the middle of the image, too.

This makes the iPad better for video calls, especially when used with the Folio. Plus, the Folio’s keyboard has function keys and a trackpad that supports multi-touch gestures.

Roughly the same size as its predecessor, the 10^th-gen iPad offers a larger 10.9in screen with a resolution of 2360×1640.

Of course, no new iPad would be complete without a processor upgrade, and so the 10^th-gen gets the A14 Bionic, offering around 20% more CPU performance and 10% more GPU than last year’s iPad.

But since you’re probably upgrading from an older device, those numbers are fairly irrelevant. If you have a 7^th-gen iPad, then you’ll be getting up to 300% more performance, overall.

Elsewhere there’s Wi-Fi 6 and 5G support, with the option of a physical SIM or an eSIM.

Finally, it runs iPadOS 16, which has quite a few new features itself.

Related articles for further reading

• iPad mini 6 review
• iPad Air 4 review
• Which iPad should I buy?
• All you need to know about iPadOS 15