Apple‘s new iPad hits store shelves on Wednesday. I’ve been testing it for the past several days, and if you’re looking for an entry-level iPad, I think it’s worth spending the extra $120 on this year’s version.
The debut of the 10th generation iPad comes at a crucial time for Apple: right ahead of the all-important holiday shopping season. IPad sales fell 14% during Apple’s last holiday quarter, and dropped 2% during the company’s fiscal third quarter, which ended in July. Apple’s two newest iPad models, which also includes the highest-end Pro model, could help boost holiday tablet sales.
This year’s iPad got a major redesign with a faster processing chip, a better camera, and other features. It’s a bit more expensive than last year’s iPad, starting at $449, versus last year’s 9th generation model, which starts at $329.
That comes with a caveat: If you already have a 2021 entry-level iPad, don’t bother buying this year’s model. The differences aren’t stark enough to justify the upgrade.
Here’s what you need to know about Apple’s new entry-level iPad.
What’s good
iPad (10th generation)
Sofia Pitt
Let’s start with the upgraded design. Apple’s new iPad has a 10.9-inch screen, which is slightly larger than the last generation’s 10.2-inch display. It has flat edges, and a more squared look, similar to the higher-end iPad Air or Pro. You can say goodbye to the home button at the bottom of the screen. Instead, there is a fingerprint reader in the power button.
There are two other important upgrades: a new USB-C connector, instead of the Lightning connector, which means faster charging and transfer speeds for things like big video files.
One of the upgrades I’m most excited about is the new placement of the front-facing camera. It’s now on the long side of the tablet, instead of the short side, which should help you look more centered on the camera during video chats. It’s also more flattering.
When FaceTiming on my 2021 iPad, my eyes are constantly drawn to the side of the screen, rather than the person I’m talking to because the camera feels like it’s capturing me at an odd angle. The new placement of the iPad’s front-facing camera corrects that problem and makes it easier to focus on the person I’m trying to talk to.
The new iPad is powered by a slightly older A14 Bionic chip, but I noticed slightly faster performance and longer-lasting battery life when compared with its predecessor. Switching between apps such as Safari and Pinterest, for example, felt smoother, and I was able to make it through an entire day of streaming and surfing the web before needing to charge at night.
The screen was clear when I watched “Emily the Criminal” over the weekend. The picture quality in the car chase scenes was sharp and the colors were vivid, though not as bright as what you’d get on one of Apple’s higher-end iPads.
The camera on the new iPad is noticeably better. The front-facing selfie-cam was clearer for video calls when compared with last year’s iPad and my 2021 MacBook.
iPad front facing camera.
Sofia Pitt
The new colors are also exciting and I have a feeling they’ll make this entry-level iPad more popular for the holiday season. This year’s lineup comes in blue, pink, silver and yellow.
The new iPad
Apple
The iPad I’ve been testing has 5G cellular, which costs an extra $150. If you commute or use your iPad on the go like me, it’s worth the extra cost since you can stream without being connected to Wi-Fi.
What’s bad
The new iPad requires a $9 dongle if you want to use the Apple Pencil.
Sofia Pitt
One thing about the new iPad is that it doesn’t support the latest second-generation Apple Pencil. It only works with the first-generation Apple Pencil, which is seven years old and isn’t as comfortable to use. Adding insult to injury, since the iPad now has a USB-C port instead of a Lightning connector, the older Apple Pencil requires a $9 dongle to use with this tablet.
Also, Apple sells a new $249 Magic Keyboard Folio case that has a kickstand and a multitouch trackpad, which is useful if you need to type out some emails or get quick work done.
I don’t like this new Magic Keyboard Folio as much as the version that works with the iPad Pro, because I often stream shows and keep my iPad on my lap, couch or bed and this case doesn’t prop up the iPad as well on soft surfaces. I found myself having to hold the iPad with one hand to keep it in place while watching shows.
iPad (10th generation)
Sofia Pitt
Should you buy it?
The newest entry-level iPad is perfect for basic tablet needs such as streaming movies, reading, catching up on emails, browsing the internet, scrolling social media and FaceTiming. The upgrades, when compared with last year’s iPad, are noticeable. It looks more modern, is slightly faster, and the screen is larger.
If you don’t currently have the 9th generation iPad and you’re looking for an entry-level iPad, it’s worth spending the extra $120 on this year’s model.
The photo illustration shows the Bitcoin cryptocurrency on November 12, 2024 in Shanghai, China.
Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images
The price of bitcoin leapt back above $100,000 to start the first full trading week of the new year.
The flagship cryptocurrency was last higher by about 4% at $102,234, according to Coin Metrics. The broader crypto market, as measured by the CoinDesk 20 index, gained more than 3%. Bitcoin and ether are coming off their best weeks since Dec. 6, while Solana had its best week since Nov. 22.
“Overall, we are in a bullish environment and traders appear to be risk-on as we head into the new year,” Mario Jurina, CEO at crypto swaps platform Jumper.Exchange. “With Trump’s election set to be certified today, and January often being a bullish month — six of the past 10 years saw positive price action — it’s no wonder markets are moving upward.”
Crypto stocks Coinbase and MicroStrategy advanced nearly 6% and 5%, respectively. MicroStrategy Monday morning reported it has purchased another 1,070 bitcoins for about $101 million, bringing its total bitcoin holdings to 447,470.
Activity is coming back into the crypto market after a post-election rally that was driven by promises of a more supportive regulatory environment. The optimism sent prices rocketing for weeks before cooling at the end of the year. The price of bitcoin is expected to roughly double under the new administration this year, with some price predictions, like Fundstrat’s Tom Lee’s, being as high as $250,000.
Don’t miss these cryptocurrency insights from CNBC Pro:
Ring security cameras are displayed on a shelf at a Target store on June 01, 2023 in Novato, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
Amazon‘s Ring is partnering with fire safety product maker Kidde to launch a connected smoke alarm, the company announced Monday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The companies plan to launch Kidde smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that integrate Ring’s home security technology and can deliver alerts to the Ring mobile app. The Kidde Smart Smoke Alarm with Ring will cost $54.97, while the Kidde Smart Smoke and CO Alarm with Ring will cost $74.97. Both products will ship in April.
As part of the launch, Ring will also roll out a $5-per-month subscription service that gives users access to round-the-clock professional monitoring and emergency dispatchers.
Amazon acquired Ring in 2015 for a reported $1 billion. The home security company is primarily known for its video doorbell devices, which allow users to record activity in front of their homes, though it has expanded to include a portfolio of products ranging from camera-equipped floodlights to flying security camera drones.
Amazon doesn’t disclose unit sales for its Ring division, but Ring and rival home security company SimpliSafe comprise one-fifth of the U.S. market for professional monitoring systems, according to data from market research firm Parks Associates. Ring CEO Liz Hamren, who took the helm from founder Jamie Siminoff in March 2023, told Bloomberg last May that the company “recently” became profitable.
Users aren’t required to subscribe to Ring Home, the company’s program that enables video recording storage and other security features, in order to access the new smoke alarm service.
Global semiconductor stocks climbed on Monday after contract electronics giant Foxconn announced record fourth-quarter revenues, suggesting the artificial intelligence boom has far more room to run.
Hon Hai Precision Industry, which does business as Foxconn internationally, said in a Sunday statement that the company’s fourth-quarter revenue totaled 2.1 trillion New Taiwan dollars ($63.9 billion), growing 15% year-over-year.
Foxconn — which is a supplier to Apple — also set a record, posting the highest fourth-quarter revenue ever in company history, according to the statement.
The firm’s bumper revenue performance was driven by growth in its cloud and networking products — which includes AI servers like those designed by the likes of chipmaker Nvidia — and components and other products segments.
Computing products and smart consumer electronics — which numbers iPhone and other smartphones — saw “slight declines,” Foxconn said.
Shares of several semiconductor firms across Asia, Europe and the U.S. rose, as a result.
In Asia, TSMC hit a record high Monday and closed 1.9% higher in Taiwan.
The largest semiconductor manufacturer globally, TSMC produces chips for the likes of AMD and Nvidia.
Other Asian chip firms also logged share price gains — South Korea’s SK Hynix and Samsung rose nearly 10% and 4%, respectively.
In Europe, globally critical semiconductor equipment firm ASML saw its shares jump almost 6%, while fellow Dutch chip company ASMI’s stock rose almost 5%. Germany’s Infineon surged more than 6%.
Paris-listed shares of European contract chipmaker STMicroelectronics rose nearly 6%.
Stateside, Nvidia got a boost from the Foxconn numbers, climbing 2% in U.S. premarket trading.