Hands on with the 2019 10.2-inch iPad

 

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By Andrew O’Hara
Friday, September 27, 2019, 08:20 am PT (11:20 am ET)

Apple’s education-focused 2019 got only a few —but significant —changes year-over-year. AppleInsider picked up one of the refreshed models to see how meaningful those changes are.

Feature-wise, the 2019 seventh-generation iPad remains largely the same. It still packs many of the great features that made the 2018 model a great entry-level iPad.

Apple stuck with the A10 processor for a second iteration. Additionally, the seventh generation iPad still supports the first generation Apple Pencil, and of course, there is the TRRS headphone jack.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCX-QbioR_s&w=560&h=315]

What is different with this incarnation, is the display. It has been updated to 10.2-inches, up from the 9.7-inches of its predecessor. It isn’t just a bigger display —Apple has kept the same pixel density in the display, increasing the resolution.

While we were testing out the iPad, we noticed a difference in usability, induced by that added screen real estate. On the 9.7-inch sixth generation iPad, multitasking and multiple windows can feel constrained, but the extra area that the 10.2-inch model provides reduces that quite a bit.

Obviously, the seventh generation iPad isn’t as large as the 11-inch or 12.9-inch iPad Pro line. But, it certainly is an improvement for a fraction pf the price retained year-over-year.

As a side effect of the larger design, the seventh-generation iPad can now utilize a full-sized keyboard. The sixth-generation had to use a compressed keyboard, but the updated model now has proper spacing in between the keys.

If you’re using this iPad day-in and day-out for taking notes or writing emails, the keyboard is quite important. On the surface, it sounds like a relatively minor change to have a slightly larger display and a bigger keyboard in the seventh generation 10.2-inch iPad. In actual use, that half-inch can be profound.

The new 2019 seventh-generation iPad is available now to order for $329 — or $299 for educational institutions.

Stay tuned for a full review of the updated entry-level iPad in the coming days.

Deals on Apple’s new 10.2-inch iPad

Instant discounts on Apple’s new 2019 iPad are already available, with Amazon leading the pack at press time with a $30 markdown on 128GB Wi-Fi models. For the latest deals and product availability, be sure to check out the AppleInsider 10.2-inch iPad Price Guide.