The tenth-generation iPad that Apple is releasing this week is a more compelling PC replacement than ever. The iPad Pro that accompanies it in the fall offensive of the Californian giant also pushes the limits of what can be done with a digital tablet. It remains to be seen whether consumers will be there.
The tablet market has been in slow decline for years. Apple does not plan to abandon this niche, however, since the iPad represents the lion’s share of it, if we exclude from this niche the 2-in-1 computers with detachable screens sold by PC manufacturers for a few years. . Its multi-year strategy has thus far been to transform an iPad initially designed for the consumption of digital content (mainly video and the Web) into a tool for producing this same content, or even downright productivity. It’s not perfect, but its two fall novelties hit the mark.
Advanced productivity
The catalog of applications for playing or working on an iPad is unmatched on Android or Windows. For its tenth generation, Apple has therefore pushed the iPad a little further in this role of PC replacement. This explains why its front camera has been moved to the side border, which becomes the top border when the tablet is held in landscape mode. This allows you to use Zoom, Teams or FaceTime in a more natural way during your work meetings… or even when consulting applications that are displayed horizontally, such as that of the To have to.
The improvements made under the hood are felt right from the start: this iPad is three to five times more powerful than an iPad that is… three to five years old. Its one-day autonomy is correct, but far from being amazing. You can activate a 5G connection, but those things are ruinous in Canada.
At least the software interface makes it feel more natural to use than a PC or even an equivalently priced Chromebook. It’s no surprise kids — school-aged and younger — are getting comfortable with iPad so quickly.
Students are also clearly one of the most important customers targeted by this new iPad. It could be a good dilemma for some parents to stretch out $600 or more for this newcomer, $150 more expensive than its predecessor, given that the latter remains in Apple’s catalog this fall.
Buyers will also have to consider equipping themselves with a few accessories, otherwise this iPad will only be… a tablet. Apple is also offering an impeccable new modular keyboard case, if not for its price of $329, which makes it much less attractive.
The Pencil stylus, which has been selling for $129 for a few years, is also more appealing in theory than in practice. The tenth generation iPad swaps its Lightning port for a USB-C port. This Pencil is charged by the Lightning connection. It therefore requires an adapter to pair it with the tablet and then to charge it. Bad luck, the first pairing of a Pencil attempted during our test did not work. The same test with a second stylus solved the problem.
A Pro for the Pros
Two new iPad Pro (11 and 12.9 inches) are also on the program this fall. These devices are aimed at people whose livelihood is to program, or to create videos or high quality content. People who have the means of their ambitions. And for them, Apple has put the gum. The iPad Pro’s M2 processor is the same one that powers its newest MacBook Air. It goes quickly !
The device keeps its shape, and the accessories from the previous iPad Pro can be used for it too…we wouldn’t go so far as to suggest swapping a year-old tablet for its replacement, but professional creatives who want a touchscreen laptop and who are allergic to PCs will not be disappointed. Connoisseurs will be happy to hear that cutting-edge applications, like the DaVinci Resolve video editor or the Horos Mobile medical viewer, work particularly well on the iPad Pro. For these kinds of applications, in fact, an iPad Pro is a less expensive choice than an entire workstation capable of performing the same tasks.
The new version of the iPad OS goes a step further with an interface called Stage Manager, which brings four applications to life side by side on the screen, much like on a Mac screen. We can also, following an update scheduled for Christmas, extend the display of the tablet to an external monitor via USB-C or HDMI and thus obtain a slightly more complete personal computer.
Again, you have to pay the price. It starts at $1100 and $1500, respectively, and it climbs fast with accessories. At least here, it is the magnetized Pencil 2 stylus which is proposed, which is also used better than before. Apple is adding a highly tripative “hover” interface that displays additional on-screen cues below the pen tip before it touches that one. It’s again very elegant, and it enhances the ease with which one can create new content with this tablet.
And that seems to be Apple’s goal: to make its iPad Pro a Swiss army knife of digital creativity. No matter the cost.