Want an iPad? Apple wants you to pay attention to the new iPad Pro – and for good reason. It’s the thinnest product Apple has ever made, which is impressive considering it packs a laptop-grade M4 processor, a gorgeous display, and a slew of new software tricks. But the announcement hid something much more important: the dusting of the 9th generation iPad. The last of the “retro” iPad designs, the 9th generation has finally retired from the scene, and for me that means this is my last chance to grab a quick and sensible upgrade for my 7th generation iPad.
I figured I could grab the 9th gen for a decent discount now that it’s about to come out – and to Apple’s credit, I absolutely could. But a realization began to sink in while I was shopping, and I left without making the final purchase.
There’s one thing that’s holding me back from buying a new iPad, and that’s the feeling that Apple wants me to buy something else.
The basic iPad is all most people need
The Apple iPad is my recommendation for anyone looking for a tablet, and that goes double if they’re looking for a cheap tablet as well. Frankly, Apple has perfected the tablet, and the entry-level iPad represents everything great about Apple design. It’s a phenomenal device, with enough power to keep games full and apps singing, battery life strong enough to forget about charging it every day, and powerful accessory support.
All of this means that I have a strong option when it comes to the iPad; the $329 basic iPad is all most people need.
Apple doesn’t want to admit this, of course. You would be much better off buying an iPad Pro or an iPad Air. They have more powerful specifications, an even wider range of accessories and have improved cameras.
But really, how many people actually need it? There’s a case, the iPad Pro and Air are great for video editors and people who actually must that level of power, but if you’re just surfing the web or playing the occasional game, the iPad’s core A-series processor is just fine. The 2nd generation Apple Pencil support is useful for drawers and sketches, but the 1st generation Apple Pencil works well for everything else. Most people simply won’t need the features of the expensive iPad, and because of that I’ll always argue that the basic iPad is the best option for the majority.
Of course, I won’t call the police on you if you buy a more expensive iPad and really don’t need it. You have to be happy with your purchase, and that’s your choice at the end of the day — but it’s clear to me that the basic iPad is all I, and probably you, will ever need in a tablet. That’s why it’s one of my strongest principles that I’ll only buy the basic iPad — it gives me everything I need.
But boy, it’s become very clear to me that Apple doesn’t want me to buy the basic iPad, and that means I’m not buying a new iPad at all.
This time, Apple is testing me
My 7th generation iPad needs an upgrade.
It’s not because it lacks power, battery life, or software updates. True to my word, this is all fine. Excellent even. I haven’t come across a game that doesn’t play, and I love to sit down and crash a session of Civilization VIor Rome: Total War. It even provides strong shifts as entertainment for a toddler on long car journeys. It’s a fantastic tablet and I wouldn’t have to upgrade except for one small issue.
The storage capacity.
I bought my iPad in 2019 and 32 GB, although not much then, was Okay. It wasn’t anything special, but heck, I wasn’t going to do that much on the iPad anyway. Fast forward five years and a combination of iPadOS 17 and system data takes up a total of 15.48GB. That’s almost half of my tablet’s storage space taken up by, well, my tablet. I’m at the point where I have to clear downloaded games and videos just to update iPadOS.
I need more storage, and that’s the main appeal of a new iPad. Except the 9th gen doesn’t really offer that.
Yes, the 9th gen offers 64GB of storage as standard, and that’s double what I’m currently stuck with. But I look at a tablet as a long-term purchase; will 64gb still be cool in five years? I highly doubt it. If I’m keeping it as long as my last tablet, then 128GB is a must.
So I’ll buy the 128GB version instead. This is the obvious upgrade from 64GB; it certainly won’t cost much more.
Well, it doesn’t cost much extra for the 128GB version because the 128GB version doesn’t exist. Your options are 64GB or … 256GB? That’s a big leap – and not just in storage. The only upgrade for the base iPad raises the price from a reasonable $329 to a rather staggering $449. And as much as I like the basic iPad, $500 is just too much.
Well then, how about the 10th generation iPad instead? I was hoping to keep using my 7th gen iPad accessories, but I’m willing to put that aside if it means getting an iPad with decent storage that doesn’t cost $449.
“Tough luck,” says Apple. “Same story here: 64GB or 256GB. And the price is now $499.
“Why, but what if I want a tablet with 128 GB of memory?”
“Ah,” said Apple, opening a voluminous coat. “Do I have the tablet for you…”
If I just spent $100 more…
I’m still firm in my belief that a simple iPad is all I’ll ever need. But—and this is important—if you’re going to charge me $450 for an iPad with a four-year-old mobile processor, a Lightning port, and an outdated design, then my commitment will waver. Even the $500 10th-gen iPad offers a three-year-old mobile processor, and while you get a USB-C port, a more modern design, and more storage than you’re likely to need, it still doesn’t feel like value for money .
Especially not when $100 shows you what else you could have.
iPad Air has a larger display in a smaller, thinner and lighter body, a a lot more powerful M2 processor and twice the RAM. And you get 128GB of storage. Which, I’ll grant you, is half of what the $500 iPad offers, but honestly, I’m unlikely to ever need that much, so the difference is negligible.
Yes, I don’t need an M2 processor, and 8GB of RAM is overkill for my needs. But when the iPad Air’s price is so close to the upgraded iPad, it’s hard not to feel like you’re getting a really bad deal. And works. I won’t be buying the upgraded iPad because I’ll always feel like just $100 extra would get me so much more.
Did Apple win? No, because I haven’t bought a new iPad yet. I’ll probably wait for the 11th gen iPad before I decide. But if there’s no 128GB option when this launches, then the iPad Air might be on the shopping list. Because really, what choice do I have?
Editors’ recommendations
