If you’re looking for a more affordable iPad than the Cutting-Edge, Amazon has the 2021 base model for just $199. Although that’s a generation after the current version, this ninth-generation model would be perfect for kids, seniors or those looking for a HomeKit-based smart home hub.
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The three-year-old model is still a tablet that anyone can content with sacrificing the latest and greatest hardware. The ninth-generation iPad has a 10.2-inch Retina display and Apple’s older Touch ID sensor. It runs on the A13 Bionic chip, which has a six-core processor, a quad-core GPU and an octa-core Neural Engine. This isn’t the model to get if you’re looking for faster speeds, a sharper display or the upcoming Apple Intelligence, but it’s hard to nitpick too much about any of that when you look at the price.
Engadget’s 2021 review found this model to be a “modest update” over the previous version. Nathan Ingraham described it as “a fast, lightweight tablet with a great display and tons of apps, without spending a lot of money.” In our battery tests, we found that it bested Apple’s 10-hour ratings, which averaged about 14 hours of video streaming.
This model runs iPadOS 17 and will support iPadOS 18 when it launches this fall. It is not known how many annual updates will be due after that, but the upcoming 2024 software will still run on two generations of hardware behind this model, meaning it may not be near the end of the line yet.
It’s also suitable for video chatting, and its front-facing 12MP ultrawide camera supports Center Stage. Apple’s machine learning-based feature tracks your face and anyone else’s in the photo, adjusting the phone’s frame accordingly with automatic pans and zooms.
If you want to add accessories for a laptop-like experience, the ninth-generation iPad is compatible with the first-generation Apple Pencil and the Apple Smart Keyboard.
It is worth remembering that this model uses a lightning connector rather than USB-C which Apple has changed its product design towards. It includes a charger in the box, but you might want to consider that if you’ve gotten rid of all your old lightning cables. On the other hand, some may consider it a bonus that it still includes Apple’s now-defunct headphone jack.
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