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.
Artificial intelligence chipmaker Cerebras Systems said on Friday that it’s withdrawing plans for an IPO, days after announcing that it raised over $1 billion in a fundraising round.
In a filing with the SEC, Cerebras said it does not intend to conduct a proposed offering “at this time,” but didn’t provide a reason. A spokesperson told CNBC on Friday that the company still hopes to go public as soon as possible.
Cerebras filed for an IPO just over a year ago, as it was ramping up to take on Nvidia in an effort to create processors for running generative AI models. The filing revealed a heavy reliance on a single customer in the United Arab Emirates, Microsoft-backed G42, which is also a Cerebras investor.
In its prospectus, Cerebras said it had given voluntary notice to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States about selling shares to G42. In March, the company announced that the committee had provided clearance.
Since its initial filing to go public on the Nasdaq, Cerebras has shifted its focus away from selling systems and more toward providing a cloud service for accepting incoming queries to models that use its chips underneath.
The announced withdrawal comes three days into a U.S. government shutdown that’s left agencies like the SEC operating with a small staff. In a plan for a shutdown published in August, the SEC said its electronic system EDGAR “is operated pursuant to a contract and thus will remain fully functional as long as funding for the contractor remains available through permitted means.”
On Tuesday, Cerebras said it had raised $1.1 billion at a valuation of $8.1 billion in a private funding round. At the time, CEO Andrew Feldman said that the company still wanted to go public, rather than continue to raise venture capital.
“I don’t think this is an indication of a preference for one or the other,” he told CNBC in an interview. “I think we have tremendous opportunities in front of us, and I think it’s good practice, when you have enormous opportunities, not to let them fall by the wayside for lack of capital.”
Feldman thought the original prospectus from last year was out of date, especially considering developments in AI, the spokesperson said on Friday.
Well heeled technology companies have been quickly signing up for additional infrastructure to handle demand. On Tuesday CoreWeave, which rents out Nvidia chips through a cloud service, said it had signed a $14.2 billion agreement with Meta. ChatGPT operator OpenAI said last week that it had committed to spending $300 billion on cloud services from Oracle.
The government shutdown did not factor into Cerebras’ decision, the spokesperson said.
An employee arranges a salad dressing display at an Amazon Fresh grocery store on December 12, 2024 in Federal Way, Washington.
David Ryder | Getty Images
Amazon is closing four more Fresh supermarkets in Southern California as the e-commerce giant continues to focus its grocery strategy around Whole Foods and delivery.
The closures will take place in the coming weeks, Amazon confirmed to CNBC. They follow the shuttering of four other U.S. locations in recent months, in Washington, Virginia, New York and a Los Angeles suburb.
“Certain locations work better than others, and after an assessment, we’ve made the decision to close these Amazon Fresh locations,” Amazon spokesperson Griffin Buch said in a statement. “We’re working closely with affected employees to help them find new roles within Amazon wherever possible.”
At one Fresh supermarket in La Verne, California, employees were told to gather for an all-hands meeting on Wednesday, according to an internal message viewed by CNBC. They learned at the meeting that the store would close in mid-November, and that employees would receive a severance package, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the details were confidential.
The other three stores that are closing are in cities of Mission Viejo, La Habra and Whittier.
Last week, Amazon said it intends to close 14 Fresh grocery stores in the U.K. and convert its five other locations there into Whole Foods markets.
Amazon said it regularly evaluates its store portfolio, which can lead to opening, reopening, relocating or closing certain locations. In the U.S., the company has more than 60 remaining Fresh stores. Last year, the company removed its “Just Walk Out” cashierless technology from the stores. It’s also been culling its footprint of Go cashierless convenience stores.
Amazon has been determined to become a major grocery player for nearly two decades. The company launched Amazon Fresh in 2007, then a pilot project for fresh food delivery, before acquiring upscale chain Whole Foods for $13.7 billion in 2017, its biggest purchase on record.
Amazon debuted its Fresh grocery chain in 2020, with an eye toward mass-market shoppers. The rollout has been turbulent since its early days.
The company opened a flurry of Fresh locations by 2022, but the expansion plans ran into CEO Andy Jassy’s widespread cost-cutting efforts as the company reckoned with the impact of rising interest rates and soaring inflation. In 2023, Amazon announced it would shut some Fresh stores and halt further openings temporarily as it evaluated how to make the chain stand out for shoppers.
While it’s closing Fresh stores, Amazon continues to “innovate and invest in making grocery shopping easier, faster, and more affordable,” Buch said. The company still maintains 500 Whole Foods locations and has opened mini “daily shop” Whole Foods stores in New York City.
On Wednesday, Amazon also launched a new “price-conscious” grocery brand that will be offered online and in its physical stores. And last month, Amazon expanded same-day delivery of fresh foods to more pockets of the U.S.
Jassy and other company executives have touted the success of sales of “everyday essentials” within its online grocery business, which refers to items such as canned goods, paper towels, dish soap and snacks. Jassy told investors at the company’s annual shareholder meeting in May that he remains “bullish” on grocery, calling it a “significant business” for Amazon.
Inside Google’s quantum computing lab in Santa Barbara, California.
CNBC
Quantum computing stocks are wrapping up a big week of double-digit gains.
Shares of Rigetti Computing, D-Wave Quantum and Quantum Computing have surged more than 20%. Rigetti and D-Wave Quantum have more than doubled and tripled, respectively, since the start of the year. Arqit Quantum skyrocketed more than 32% this week.
The jump in shares followed a wave of positive news in the quantum space.
Rigetti said it had purchase orders totalling $5.7 million for two of its 9-qubit Novera quantum computing systems. The owner of drugmaker Novo Nordisk and the Danish government also invested 300 million euros in a quantum venture fund.
In a blog post earlier this week, Nvidia also highlighted accelerated computing, which it argues can make “quantum computing breakthroughs of today and tomorrow possible.”