After years of incremental updates, Apple has brought its entry-level iPad into the modern era with a redesign that mirrors its professional tablet line — flat edges, a landscape front camera, USB-C connectivity, and a palette of vibrant colors. Announced in October 2022 and priced starting at $449, the 10th-generation iPad represents more than a hardware refresh; it signals Apple's deliberate reorientation of what a foundational tablet should be. In keeping the older 9th-generation model available at $329, Apple quietly draws a line between its past assumptions and its future intentions.
Apple's 10th-Gen iPad Adopts Pro Design, Landscape Camera at $449
Years after most tablet makers realized people prefer landscape
Mark
So the big story here is that Apple finally put a landscape camera on a regular iPad. Why did that take so long?
Mimi
Most tablet makers figured out years ago that people hold tablets horizontally for video calls. Apple just... didn't prioritize it on the base model until now. It's a straightforward usability thing that should have been obvious.
Luke
Right, but we should note this is the first time Apple's putting a landscape camera on any iPad. It's not like they had it on the Pro and left it off the regular one. This is genuinely new hardware.
Mark
The price is $449. Is that competitive?
Mimi
The previous generation was $329, so this is a $120 jump. But you're getting a completely redesigned device—new form factor, USB-C, better cameras, the A14 chip. Apple's betting users will see that as worth the increase.
Luke
Though the 9th-gen is still available at $329, which complicates the story a bit. Apple's not forcing anyone to upgrade. They're offering choice.
Mark
What about that Magic Keyboard Folio at $249? That seems expensive.
Mimi
It's positioning the iPad as a laptop replacement. The detachable design means you can use it as a stand for media or attach the keyboard for work. It's Apple's answer to the Surface Pro.
Luke
But that's an optional accessory. The narrative shouldn't overstate how many people will actually buy it. We don't have sales projections or pre-order numbers.
Mark
The A14 chip won't run Stage Manager, Apple's new multitasking feature. Does that matter?
Mimi
It matters if you want advanced multitasking. But most people using a base iPad probably aren't power users chasing the latest features. The A14 is still a capable processor.
Luke
That's fair, but it's worth naming explicitly—this is a limitation. If someone's considering whether to upgrade from a 9th-gen, they should know what they're not getting.
Mark
One last thing—the Lightning to USB-C adapter for the Apple Pencil. That feels like a gotcha.
Mimi
It does. The device switches to USB-C, but the first-gen Pencil still uses Lightning, so you need a $9 adapter. It's a small friction point in what's otherwise a clean modernization.
El Pulso
- The base iPad had long lagged behind its Pro siblings in design and practicality, frustrating users who wanted modern features without premium prices.
- The landscape front-facing camera — long overdue given how people actually hold tablets during video calls — arrives as the most symbolically charged fix in the new model.
- A shift to USB-C, Touch ID in the power button, and the A14 Bionic chip bring the entry-level device into alignment with Apple's broader ecosystem, though Stage Manager and the second-gen Apple Pencil remain out of reach.
- The new $249 Magic Keyboard Folio pushes the iPad further into laptop territory, inviting comparisons to Microsoft's Surface and expanding the device's identity beyond casual use.
- With the 9th-generation model still on shelves at $329, Apple is offering a fork in the road — but the company's design investment makes clear which path it believes leads forward.
After years of incremental updates, Apple has brought its entry-level iPad into the modern era with a redesign that mirrors its professional tablet line — flat edges, a landscape front camera, USB-C connectivity, and a palette of vibrant colors. Announced in October 2022 and priced starting at $449, the 10th-generation iPad represents more than a hardware refresh; it signals Apple's deliberate reorientation of what a foundational tablet should be. In keeping the older 9th-generation model available at $329, Apple quietly draws a line between its past assumptions and its future intentions.
Apple's 10th-generation iPad arrives as the company's clearest statement yet that its entry-level tablet deserves the same design ambition as its professional line. Announced in October 2022, the new model adopts the flat-edged, edge-to-edge aesthetic of the iPad Pro, sheds the Lightning port in favor of USB-C, and comes in four colors — blue, pink, yellow, and silver. The starting price is $449 for the 64GB Wi-Fi model, with a 256GB option at $599, and devices began shipping October 26.
The most meaningful change is the front-facing camera, now oriented for landscape use — a correction that tablet makers have understood for years but Apple's standard iPad resisted until now. Both the front and rear cameras land at 12 megapixels. The A14 Bionic chip powers the device alongside a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, and the home button gives way to a Touch ID sensor embedded in the power button, consistent with the iPad Air and iPad mini.
Apple is also introducing the Magic Keyboard Folio, a $249 accessory with a detachable keyboard and kickstand that nudges the iPad closer to laptop functionality — a deliberate move to broaden the device's appeal for productivity-minded users.
Not everything carries over cleanly. The second-generation Apple Pencil is unsupported, and users of the first-generation model now need a $9 adapter to charge it via USB-C. The A14 chip also means Stage Manager, Apple's new multitasking feature, remains unavailable on this model.
The 9th-generation iPad stays on sale at $329, giving budget-conscious buyers an option — but the company's focus is unmistakable. The landscape camera, the Pro-inspired form factor, the USB-C transition: each choice points toward a vision of the base iPad not as a compromise, but as a template for what tablets are becoming.
Apple's base iPad has finally caught up to what tablet users have been asking for. The company announced its 10th-generation iPad on Tuesday, and the device arrives with a design borrowed directly from the iPad Pro line—flat edges, an edge-to-edge screen, and the kind of modern industrial look that Apple has been refining across its tablet lineup for the past two years. The starting price is $449 for the 64-gigabyte Wi-Fi model, with a 256-gigabyte option at $599. Orders begin today, with devices shipping and arriving in stores on October 26.
The most overdue addition is the landscape front-facing camera. For years, tablet makers have understood that people hold their devices horizontally when making video calls, yet Apple's standard iPad kept its selfie camera oriented for portrait mode. The 10th-generation model finally fixes this, placing a 12-megapixel landscape camera on the front. The rear camera also gets a bump to 12 megapixels, matching the front in resolution and improving both photo and video capture across the board.
The rest of the hardware reflects Apple's current tablet philosophy. The device runs on the A14 Bionic chip—the same processor that powered the iPhone 12—paired with a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display at 2,360 by 1,640 resolution. The home button is gone, replaced by a Touch ID sensor embedded in the power button, just like the iPad Air and iPad mini. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6 or 5G. The most significant port change is the shift to USB-C, abandoning Lightning and bringing the base iPad into alignment with Apple's broader ecosystem transition. The device comes in four colors: blue, pink, yellow, and silver.
Apple is positioning this redesigned iPad as the future of the line. The previous 9th-generation model remains available at $329, but the company's product strategy makes clear where its focus lies. The new design gets first access to certain features—the landscape camera, for instance, debuts here before appearing on other iPad models. This represents a subtle but meaningful shift in how Apple views its entry-level tablet.
The company is also introducing a new accessory to match the iPad's horizontal orientation. The Magic Keyboard Folio costs $249 and functions somewhat like Microsoft's Surface Pro keyboard, with a detachable design that lets you separate the keyboard from a kickstand. You can prop up the iPad with just the stand portion for watching video or gaming, or attach the keyboard for laptop-like productivity. It's a deliberate attempt to position the iPad as a device that can replace a traditional computer for certain users.
One oddity: Apple is not bringing the second-generation Apple Pencil to this iPad. The device still supports the first-generation model, but charging it now requires a $9 Lightning to USB-C adapter—an extra purchase that feels like a tax on users upgrading from older iPads. The A14 Bionic chip also means the 10th-generation iPad won't support Stage Manager, Apple's new multitasking system that requires more recent processors. That feature remains exclusive to the iPad Air, iPad Pro, and iPad mini.
The timing places this iPad squarely in Apple's fall product cycle, arriving alongside the M2 iPad Pro models. What's notable is how the company is using the base iPad to test design ideas and feature priorities. The landscape camera, the color options, the USB-C port—these are all moves that signal where Apple sees tablets heading. The 9th-generation model's continued availability at a lower price gives customers a choice, but the company's investment in this new design suggests it views the modernized form factor as the template for what comes next.
Citas Notables
The device runs on the A14 Bionic chip paired with a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, but won't support Stage Manager, Apple's new multitasking system.— Apple product specifications
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