The 10th generation iPad is officially here and comes with a host of exciting updates. But the 9th generation iPad remains in the lineup and there’s also the 2022 iPad Air to consider. However, the iPad 10 can offer a sweet spot for modern features at an affordable price. Below, we’ll break down all the similarities and differences between the iPad 10 vs 9 vs iPad Air.
The 2022 iPad Air has blurred the line between the most affordable iPads and the Pro models, causing many to ignore the 11-inch iPad Pro. But the entry-level iPad 9 kept the old design with large bezels and a home button.
Now that the iPad 10 has arrived with Apple’s modern slim bezel design and a lower price than the iPad Air with many of the same features, it’s likely to drive customers away from the iPad Pro and iPad. ‘Air.
Let’s take a look at what you get with the iPad 10 vs 9 vs iPad Air. For all of the graphics below, the iPad 10 is in the middle row with the iPad 9 on the left and the iPad Air on the right.
iPad 10 vs 9 vs iPad Air
Performance
In its announcement, Apple focused on upgrading the iPad 9 to 10. With the upgrade from A13 to A14 Bionic, the company is touting a 20% faster processor speed and an engine 80% faster neural.
iPad 9 | iPad 10 | iPad Air 2022 | |
Chip | A13 bionic | A14 bionic | M1 |
CPU cores | 6 | 6 | 8 |
GPU cores | 4 | 4 | 8 |
neural engine cores | 8 | 16 | 16 |
Storage | 64 or 256 GB | 64 or 256 GB | 64 or 256 GB |
RAM | 3 GB | Probably 4 GB | 8 GB |
USB-C | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Cellular | 4G | 5G | 5G |
Meanwhile, the iPad Air 2022 is powered by the M1 chip. This includes a more powerful eight-core processor and an eight-core GPU. But, unless you’re using your iPad with pro-level workflows like video editing, graphic design, and more, you probably don’t need or might not even notice the upgrade. M1 chip level.
Display
The iPad 10 gets almost the same display as the more expensive iPad Air. It is a 10.9″ Liquid Retina display with 2360 x 1640 resolution. Other specs include 500 nits brightness, True Tone, and slim bezels.
The three main features you don’t get with the iPad 10 found on the iPad Air are the P3 wide color, anti-reflective coating, and a laminated display.
But for most people, the improved display of the iPad 10 will be awesome 😁.
iPad 9 | iPad 10 | iPad Air 2022 | |
Display | 10.2″ | 10.9″ | 10.9″ |
Resolution | 2160×1620 | 2360×1640 | 2360×1640 |
PPI (pixels per inch) | 264 | 264 | 264 |
Screen brightness | 500nits | 500nits | 500nits |
True Tone | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
P3 wide color | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
PromotionMotion (120Hz) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
anti-reflective coating | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Fully laminated display | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Standard Retina display | ✅ | – | – |
Liquid Retina Display | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Connectivity and accessories
The iPad 10 gets an all-new Magic Keyboard Folio that has some great features beyond the more expensive Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro/Air.
However, one downside is that the iPad 10 is still limited to the first-generation Apple Pencil. And that means a USB-C to Lightning adapter comes in the box for a clunky charging experience.
iPad Air works with all the same Apple accessories as iPad Pro. This includes the Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard, and second-generation Smart Keyboard Folio.
The iPad 10 and iPad Air continue to use Touch ID, but instead of being located in the Home button, it’s in the top button.
iPad 9 | iPad 10 | iPad Air 2022 | |
Apple Pencil support | 1st generation | 1st generation | 2nd generation |
Magic keyboard support | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Magic Keyboard Folio support | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Bluetooth | 4.2 | 5.2 | 5.0 |
5G | ❌ | ✅ (but no mmWave) | ✅ (but no mmWave) |
WiFi 6 | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Flash | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
USB-C | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ 3.1 generation 2 |
Thunderbolt | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Touch ID | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Face ID | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Another upgrade with the iPad 10 is the switch to USB-C. Apple hasn’t detailed in its tech specs whether it’s USB 3.1 Gen 2 for the iPad 10 like the iPad Air uses, we’ll have to wait and see.
Like iPhone SE 3, iPad 10 and iPad Air do not support mmWave 5G with cellular models. But since mmWave is the rarest version of 5G coverage to find, that’s probably not an issue for most people.
color splash
If the color of your next iPad is important, you have more choices with the iPad 10 and iPad Air.
The iPad 10 is available in silver, pink, blue and yellow. The iPad Air is available in space gray, starlight, pink, purple and blue.
The iPad 9 is only available in Space Gray and Silver.
Battery life of iPad 10 vs 9 vs Air
iPad 10 has the same battery life as iPad 9 and iPad Air:
- 10 hours of web or video use over WiFi
- 9 hours of web use with cellular
Storage and price
Here’s a breakdown of the price differences (MSRP) between these three iPads. However, since the iPad Air has been in the market for quite some time, it can sometimes be found at a discount.
iPad 9 | iPad 10 | iPad Air 2022 | |
64 GB Wi-Fi | $329 | $449 | $599 |
64 GB + cell | $459 | $599 | $749 |
256 GB Wi-Fi | $479 | $599 | $749 |
256 GB + cell | $609 | $749 | $899 |
Cameras
You get the same rear camera with the iPad 10 that’s on the air which uses a 12MP wide lens. With the iPad 9 you get an 8MP wide rear camera which is a little less capable.
Another interesting change coming for the first time in an iPad – the 10th Gen model gets a landscape front camera which makes it more convenient for video calls.
iPad 9 | iPad 10 | iPad Air 2022 | |
8MP wide rear lens | ✅ | – | – |
12MP wide rear lens | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Smart HDR 3 for photos | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Rear camera flash | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
4K video | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Wide dynamic range | ✅ | ✅ | |
Slow motion video | 720p at 120 fps | 1080p up to 240 fps | 1080p up to 240 fps |
12MP ultra-wide front camera | ✅ | – | ✅ |
12MP ultra-wide landscape camera | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
2x optical zoom out | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Center Stage Auto Tracking | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Dual-speaker landscape audio | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
And when it comes to speakers, you get the same landscaped dual-speaker system on the iPad 10 and Air while the iPad 9 has a more basic dual-speaker system.
iPad Air 10 vs 9 vs iPad Air conclusion
Why buy the iPad 10?
When you consider all the similarities and differences, the iPad 10 will likely be a great choice for most people. At regular price, it’s $150 less than the iPad Air while still including almost all the best features.
Orders are now open for iPad 10 with first shipments and in-store availability starting October 26.
Why buy an iPad 9 or an iPad Air?
If you want to buy the most affordable iPad with a 10″ screen for basic use and don’t mind the old design, the iPad 9 is a good choice.
If you know you’ll regularly push your tablet to the limit, the iPad Air may be more tempting with the M1 chip. But really, if you are – or can become a power user, an iPad Pro might be better with up to 16GB of RAM, up to 2TB of storage, a 120Hz ProMotion display and Thunderbolt support. .
However, if you can find the iPad Air on sale, that might make it more appealing.
We will soon have a full comparison of the new iPad Pro M2 with the iPad Pro M1 and the iPad Air. In the meantime, find out how the M1 iPads rank in our comparison:
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