A new iPad model is in town.
Apple announced a slew of hardware at its annual September event, including a new 10.2-inch iPad that's replacing 2018's 9.7-inch iPad. The differences between them doesn't just start and end at the screen size, but that said, they do share a lot of similarities as well. Still, there's a lot more to consider here.
10.2-Inch iPad (2019) vs. 9.7-Inch iPad (2018)
The two tablets have an A10 Fusion chip paired with 2 GB of RAM and 32 or 128 GB of internal storage under the hood. The story is pretty much the same when it comes to their cameras too, with both sporting an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.2-megapixel selfie snapper.
They also feature a physical home button with Touch ID, Apple Pencil support, stereo speakers, and the same "up to 10 hours" of battery life, though the new iPad has a slightly lower 32.4 Wh than the older one's 32.9 Wh.
Now the 2019 iPad has a 10.2-inch display (2,160 x 1,620) and the 2018 model has a 9.7-inch display (2,048 x 1,536), both clocking in at a ppi of 264. In other words, they're on the same level in terms of screen sharpness.
As noted, they both support Apple Pencil, but only the new iPad is compatible with the Apple Smart Keyboard. Coupled with iPadOS, this aligns with Apple's goal of repositioning the iPad as a laptop replacement, though the older model is getting left behind in this regard without its keyboard support.
Speaking of iPadOS, the 10.2-inch iPad will run on it out of the box. Meanwhile, the older one is upgradeable to iPadOS, meaning it isn't completely getting the cold shoulder.
As for price, the 10.2-inch iPad is starting at $329 for the 32 GB model and top out at $429 for the 128 GB model. If that seems familiar, it's because those are the same launch price points of the 9.7-inch iPad.
The Bottom Line
The iPad (sans label and all that) has been considered to be the basic option compared with the likes of the iPad Pro, but with the features it's getting via iPadOS and the added Apple Smart Keyboard support, it's blurring the boundary between entry level and premium. However, it doesn't exactly hold a candle to the more advanced versions, especially when it comes to processing power.
Between the 10.2-inch iPad and 9.7-inch iPad, the former is clearly the better buy, but whether it's worth it to upgrade from the older model is a different matter. For owners of the 2018 iPad who aren't looking to make a laptop of sorts out of a tablet, then there isn't really much of a reason to replace it with the 2019 model, unless the slightly larger display is a big sell.
