Apple held a massive event to announce new gadgets and services. The company led off with the announcement of the Apple Watch Series 6 and ended with the news of a brand new eighth-generation iPad.
While the company had already announced changes to the iPad Pro model, Apple announced that it is bringing out a new line of full-sized iPad devices with all sorts of new features and goodies.
The next iPad sounds quite solid, though it’s certainly not rewriting the book on tablets. It’s more powerful than previous models with an A12 chip running everything. With that chip, Apple will bring its Neural Engine to the entry-level tablet for the first time.
Apple is including a 10.2-inch Retina display in the new eighth-generation iPad models, which is a good size for most tablet users.
As expected, the new iPad will run iPadOS 14, which offers up a slew of new features (though these aren’t exclusive to the new model, as other devices will receive the update, too). Most notable of these new features is the inclusion of new Apple Pencil goodies such as hand-written text input.
At the event, Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing spoke about the upcoming iPad:
“We’re excited to offer customers an even faster and more powerful experience with the eighth-generation iPad. With its beautiful 10.2-inch Retina display, the performance boost from the A12 Bionic, great cameras, and so much more, the new iPad is an incredible value at a time when, more than ever, our customers need powerful and versatile ways to work, play, learn, and connect with loved ones.”
While Apple is making some smart changes to its affordable iPad, the company promises that some things have remained unchanged. The new iPad will work with existing cases, including Apple’s own keyboard case and those made by third-parties like Logitech. That means users looking to upgrade won’t need to spend more money on accessories.
Apple announced that the next iPad model is available for preorder starting right now, and it’s set to release Friday, September 18.
The price is quite reasonable, coming at $329 ($299 for students). Anyone looking for an Apple tablet that won’t break the bank should consider the new eighth-generation iPad, as it looks quite solid for the price.