Apple launches iPad 10 with USB-C, iPad Pro with M2 processor and Apple TV 4K with A15

Without holding a lengthy unveiling event, Apple announced the new 10th generation iPad tablets and new iPad Pro models with M2 processors directly on its official website. The announcement of these tablets was inevitable, as it’s been about a year and a half since the last releases, and this is pretty much Apple’s release schedule for such products. Alongside these, the company also announced a new generation of Apple TV and offered release dates for iPadOS 16.1 and macOS Ventura.

The new iPad 10 is a sort of iPad Air 4 with missing features

Looking at the hardware specs list of the new iPad 10, we can see many similarities to the iPad Air 4, released two years ago. It comes equipped with an Apple A14 Bionic chipset, a 10.9″ Liquid Retina LCD display, and a case design with straight edges and bright colors for the back cover. Even the Lightning port disappears in favour of USB-C, while the Home button with Touch ID is removed. In its place we have the Power button, with integrated fingerprint sensor.

However, the similarities to the iPad Air kind of end there. The iPad 10 has some advantages over other Apple tablets, but also a number of disadvantages, implemented perhaps specifically to keep the price as low as possible while highlighting the separation between the various performance thresholds.

The iPad 10 has a Smart Connector on the left side for connecting the new Magic Keyboard Folio keyboard, as well as magnets on the back for cases, but it’s not compatible with iPad Air and Pro accessories, which use a Smart Connector on the back. Thus, the Magic Keyboard on those models is not compatible with the new iPad 10. Furthermore, the Apple Pencil 2 is not compatible with this tablet, only the original stylus model. The problem is that that stylus comes with an integrated Lightning plug, and to connect to the new iPad 10, you need a USB-C to Lightning adapter, sold separately for €10. This solution is far from ideal.

Compared to the iPad 9, the new model also gets Wi-Fi 6, 5G connectivity in the modem version and new photo/video cameras. A more powerful 12-megapixel sensor is integrated on the back, and the front camera, also 12 megapixel, is moved to the right side for the first time, better positioned for video calls in landscape mode. For now, this will be the only iPad with this camera configuration.

Unfortunately, the new design comes with a significant price tag. The 64GB iPad 9 starts at €429. That model remains on offer at that price, but the new 64GB iPad 10 starts at €579. Here’s the price list for the new iPad and its accessories:

• iPad 10 64 GB Wi-Fi – €579
• iPad 10 64 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular – €779
• iPad 10 256 GB Wi-Fi – €779
• iPad 10 256 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular – €979
• Apple Magic Keyboard Folio – 299 euro
• Apple Pencil Gen 1 – 119 euro
• Apple Pencil USB-C Adapter – 10 euro

iPad Pro upgrades to M2, but doesn’t come with any other significant upgrades

The iPad Pro 2022 tablets, however, represent a smaller leap in performance and capabilities than the iPad 9 to 10. The tablets keep the design unchanged, including the positioning of the camera in portrait mode, as before. The significant change is the integration of the M2 processor, officially unveiled last summer alongside the MacBook Air and 13″ MacBook Pro.

This processor allows the iPad Pro’s cameras to record video in ProRes format and promises incremental performance improvements in most professional applications. But the displays remain unchanged: LCD at 120 Hz for the 11″ version and Mini-LED at 120 Hz for the 12.9″ version. New would be an improved touch system that can detect the Apple Pencil 2 stylus from a few mm up, allowing a “shadow” of the stylus to be drawn on the screen surface. That way you can see what effect it has on the drawing you make before you touch the screen.

Prices for the iPad Pro also remain unchanged:

iPad Pro 11″

• iPad Pro 11″ 128 GB Wi-Fi – €1,049
• iPad Pro 11″ 128 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular – €1,249
• iPad Pro 11″ 256 GB Wi-Fi – €1,179
• iPad Pro 11″ 256 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular – €1,379
• iPad Pro 11″ 512 GB Wi-Fi – €1,429
• iPad Pro 11″ 512 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular – €1,629
• iPad Pro 11″ 1 TB Wi-Fi – €1,929
• iPad Pro 11″ 1 TB GB Wi-Fi + Cellular – €2,129
• iPad Pro 11″ 2 TB Wi-Fi – €2,429
• iPad Pro 11″ 2 TB Wi-Fi + Cellular – €2,629

iPad Pro 12,9″

• iPad Pro 12.9″ 128 GB Wi-Fi – €1,449
• iPad Pro 12.9″ 128 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular – €1,649
• iPad Pro 12.9″ 256 GB Wi-Fi – €1,579
• iPad Pro 12.9″ 256 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular – €1,779
• iPad Pro 12.9″ 512 GB Wi-Fi – €1,829
• iPad Pro 12.9″ 512 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular – €2,029
• iPad Pro 12.9″ 1 TB Wi-Fi – €2,329
• iPad Pro 12.9″ 1 TB Wi-Fi + Cellular – €2,524
• iPad Pro 12.9″ 2 TB Wi-Fi – €2,829
• iPad Pro 12.9″ 2 TB Wi-Fi + Cellular – €3,024

Accessories

• Apple Pencil Gen 2 – 149 euro
• Magic Keyboard 11″ – 369 euro
• Magic Keyboard 12,9″ – 429 euro

The new tablets are expected in stores on 26 October with iPadOS 16.1 pre-installed. The software will be offered for already-launched tablets from 24 October, when the new macOS Ventura will also be released. Both operating systems will benefit from the Stage Manager multitasking interface.

Apple TV 4K, closer to game console performance

Finally, Apple has announced a new generation of Apple TV 4K streaming devices. with this, the HD model is disappearing from the offering, and the two new models will be the only ones available.

The base model, Apple TV 4K with Wi-Fi costs €169 and comes equipped with the Apple A15, the processor also found in the iPhone 13 range of smartphones. So performance in games and apps will be very good. The device comes bundled with a Siri Remote and just 64 GB of internal storage.

There’s also a higher-end model, called Wi-Fi + Ethernet. It not only integrates a gigabit port for more stable and higher-speed wired connections, but also comes with 128 GB of internal storage. What’s more, it integrates the technology needed for mesh networking for smart home devices, suggesting it’s the only one compatible with the Matter standard. The top model costs €189.

Both launch on 4 November.