iPad Roundup 2020

It is that time of the year again when we see new devices coming up left, right and center. Apple came out with a couple of new devices just this month, the two new Apple Watches and the ones that caught our eye: the new 2020 iPads. With the new and improved iPads, it’s about time that we do an iPad roundup 2020. The iPad lineup currently consists of four players: iPad Mini, iPad, iPad Air, and iPad pro. The latter three now have 2020 versions. Of course, the iPad Pro was updated for 2020 back in March so the stars of today’s show will be the new and improved iPad and iPad Air.

iPad

Apple has once again opted to “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” strategy with the iPad, which when you think about it, is not very surprising. The iPad looks almost exactly the same as last year and gets a decent spec bump to an A12 Bionic chipset from its ancient A10 fusion. It does, however, keep the 10.2’’ display, Touch ID, and the 3.5mm headphone jack. Don’t take it the wrong way, as with almost every other Apple device, there is more to the iPad than what meets the eye. The iPad has the latest iPad OS backing it so it gets the whole productivity package including Apple pencil support, multitasking with somewhat adjustable windows, and keyboard support. If you are not a professional and just want a media consuming device laying around the house, the iPad is the best choice of hardware on the market today. It can easily handle everything you would want it to on the day-to-day front, including demanding titles like PUBG Mobile or COD Mobile. Since the 2020 iPad was also announced for the same $329 as the previous models, we expect the prices to be the same at around Rs. 55,000.

iPad Air

The iPad Air got a major design overhaul this year. The midrange tablet offering from Apple clearly took inspiration from the beast, the iPad Pro. For most of you who want a productivity-focused mobile device and think that a laptop is just not for you, you might want to consider the iPad Air. The iPad Air features a 10.9’’ liquid retina display with uniform bezels reminiscent of the high-end iPad Pro. The iPad Air features a new chipset in the iPad lineup - the A14 Bionic - and you will definitely struggle to find apps that can push this platform to its limits. Apple probably thought that taking off your mask to unlock your iPad with Face ID is not the best way to go under the current circumstances, which is why the iPad Air still keeps the Touch ID sensor, but it is now moved under the power button on the top. The iPad Air also supports all the peripherals that the highest-end iPad Pro does including the second-generation Apple Pencil, complete with the magnetic attachment on the side as well as the Magic Keyboard. The only thing that’s missing is the 120Hz ProMotion display. It even has a quad-speaker setup for immersive stereo sound! The iPad Air’s price was bumped by an extra $100, so the price locally will probably be north of Rs. 90,000.

iPad Mini

Personally, the iPad Mini is my favourite iPad size. It would be yours too if like me, you also carry your laptop around most of the time. The 7.9’’ iPad Mini is the perfect size to consume media or get some work done when you are away from your laptop. Although the last update this device got was in 2019, it still packs a powerful A12 Bionic processor, same as the ‘new’ 2020 iPad. It is still plenty powerful to handle every day today task you can throw at it. Due to its smaller size, it lacks a keyboard case, or as Apple likes to call them Smart Keyboard. Still you can pair it to a Bluetooth keyboard, and it also supports the first generation Apple Pencil. This pocket rocket can set you back around Rs. 60,000 locally.

iPad Pro

The massive 12.9’’ and 11’’ iPad Pros are the best tablets out there. There is no denying that the Liquid Retina display with ProMotion in iPad Pro is stunning. With the low latency input from the second-generation Apple Pencil, this is the closest you can feel to writing on a paper with a stylus. I could go on about the incredible A12Z Bionic chip, 8-core graphics processor, great cooling, and everything else, but the thing that the kid in me loves about the iPad Pro is all the magnets. There is a magnet on the side of the iPad Pro that holds and wirelessly charges the Apple Pencil. And there are also lots of magnets in the back to ensure a sturdy fit with the Magic Keyboard. Granted if you are buying this beast of a device, you are certainly not doing it for the magnets. The only thing that holds the iPad Pro back is the massive price tag. The highest-end iPad Pro can set you back for well over Rs 2.5 lacs locally.