It is no wonder that this is the best-selling model of its kind worldwide. Even with some design changes and retention and even usage time, the overall setup is excellent. And, being the most affordable option from Apple, it ends up being one of the best tablets when we consider the cost-benefit.
Find out why in our full 2021 iPad review. I’ve explained all the tests I’ve performed and made some comparisons with the predecessor, as well as citing the main competitors.
Design and Construction
The 2021 iPad doesn’t have any major design changes compared to its predecessor. They are the same size, but the new model is 3 grams lighter. That’s it, because even visually they are the same. Except for the border around the screen, which is now black.
While the screen takes up most of the front, the iPad has Touch ID on the bottom edge and a front camera on top. The volume button is on the right and the power button is on the top, both very close to the corners. At the top, there is still a headphone jack.
On the left, there is only one magnetic connector for accessories, called the Smart Connector. In addition to the Lightning connector, the bottom also contains two sound outputs.
Wi-Fi models do not have the chip drawer, which is located on the left side of Wi-Fi + Cellular models. Another change is a plastic plate that occupies part of the top and back and is also only present on the LTE model. This is necessary to communicate with the mobile network.
Screen
- Size: 10.2 inches, 322.2 cm² area, ~73.8% occupancy;
- Panel technology: IPS LCD;
- Resolution and aspect ratio: Full HD+ (1620 x 2160 pixels), 4:3;
- Approximate density: 265 pixels per inch;
- Additional: None.
Apple hasn’t changed the screen of the 9th generation iPad. The same 10.2-inch IPS LCD screen and 1620 x 2160 pixel resolution as its predecessor. There’s only one new thing: True Tone technology.
This means that the tablet has sensors to measure ambient lighting to better adjust brightness and white balance. This ensures the best possible view no matter what environment you are using the device in.
Not only in brightness, but also in color. Depending on the type of ambient lighting, the screen may need to be adjusted so that cold or warm light does not interfere with the screen display. This is done if True Tone is enabled. You can turn the feature on or off in Brightness and Display Options.
Notably, the 2021 iPad uses a 4:3 screen, the same near-square format used by pre-1990s TVs. For a 16:9 tablet and fewer bezels, Apple offers a more premium model for a higher price.
Configuration and Performance
All in all, it wasn’t the best Apple had to offer when it launched the device, but it’s still a strong platform to work on.
You can run any process or game for iPadOS smoothly. I played a lot, used some of the heaviest apps and didn’t even feel a stutter during testing.
The A13 Bionic on the 2021 iPad is about 20% more powerful than the A12 Bionic on the previous model. In other words, while it’s not worth upgrading, if you’re thinking about buying your first iPad, it’s a good idea to go for the latest version.
In graphic terms, the iPad is a little behind the Galaxy Tab S8, which has the most powerful processor in the Android world right now, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. It gives the Samsung tablet about 1,000 points more in Wild Life Unlimited, at least according to 3D Mark.
The opposite happened in Geekbench 5, where the iPad scored higher in both processing and GPU tests. That said, you can see that the A13 Bionic can deliver similar performance to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 on the Galaxy Tab S8 on the 2021 iPad.
Also, there is the issue of internal storage. The 9th generation iPad has a minimum capacity of 64GB, double the capacity of the most basic 8th generation option. And right now, the minimum requirement to install apps and save photos and other files on a mobile device is a little comfort.
One caveat: while the most common processes run fine, I didn’t find the performance to be as smooth using Universal Control. The mouse cursor seems to stop moving, so to speak. On the iPad Air, it’s smoother.
Depending on how you plan on using your Mac mouse and keyboard, the iPad 2021 might not be the most exciting option. You can perform simpler tasks, but prolonged use can be annoying causing the mouse to “jump” from one screen to another instead of sliding more naturally.
Usability
Apple tablets have their own operating system called iPadOS. It’s visually identical to iOS and supports the same apps, but it brings some different features just to make the big screen more meaningful.
Needless to say, Apple is committed to keeping the system up to date: new versions come out and the iPad 2021 is already supported. This applies at least to devices up to five years old.
In addition to the extra features, you also get simplified external keyboard support and productivity enhancements. Among them is Split View, which splits the screen between the app and the home screen or app library.
The 9th generation iPad supports the 1st generation Apple Pencil, plus an external keyboard, including the Type Cover. With it, you can be more precise when drawing, writing and even selecting items on the tablet screen. This model does not support second generation pencils.
You can even use the 9th generation iPad as a second or third screen on your Mac. The tablet supports Universal Control and Sidecar.
cameras
Camera functionality on a tablet is not as important as on a phone, even given the size of the device. Taking pictures with such a big and heavy device is not easy.
On the iPad 2021, the rear and front cameras are designed for taking documentary photos and video streams, especially in FaceTime. There’s also a magnifying glass app on the tablet, but I think the quality is poor: the camera’s digital zoom makes the images almost indistinguishable.
The back is the same as the previous generation iPad, with quality for scanning documents and even taking the occasional photo. The image quality isn’t bad, but taking pictures with the tablet in hand isn’t easy.
A big leap for the 2021 generation iPad is the front camera, going from 1.2 MP to 12 MP. That’s a tenfold increase in resolution, but the image quality doesn’t have to be that amount. Sure, the photos are better, less grainy and sharper.
Also, the sensor is now ultra-wide instead of the more common wide-angle. With that, Apple has successfully implemented a new feature in FaceTime to track your face called Center Stage. When streaming video at reduced frames, the iPad “follows” your face as you move.
It’s really cool for meetings because you don’t have to leave the board to get ready from your chair. It is also possible to give presentations and even include more people in the broadcast, letting the tablet adjust the frame to show everyone.
Oh yeah, the video resolutions on the front range from 720p to 1080p at up to 60 frames per second. HDR can also be enabled and limited to 30 frames per second.
Sound system
The iPad 2021 has two speakers on the bottom, separated by a Lightning connector. You can take advantage of this feature when using the tablet while standing, as sound is also output from the left and right sides. But that doesn’t exactly happen in the most commonly used video guidelines.
When placing the tablet on its side, the two speakers are on the left (or on the right if turned counterclockwise). So stereo doesn’t make much sense as the left output is at the top and the right output is at the bottom (or vice versa).
At least the 9th-gen iPad still has a 3.5mm jack (or P2) that you can plug your headphones or speakers into via a cable. If we think this is Apple’s cheapest tablet model, it makes sense to think that you probably don’t have a Bluetooth headset yet.
However, it is still possible to use external audio devices with wireless connectivity on the tablet, which still has Bluetooth version 4.2.
Battery and Charging
Apple promises up to 10 hours of internet browsing or video playback on the 2021 iPad. And based on my testing, the device can deliver that time, and in some cases even exceed it.
I let the tablet play Netflix for three hours with the screen at 50% brightness and only 20% battery life. That gives an estimate of 15 hours, 50% longer than Apple promised.
After that, I spent about 3 hours playing and almost an hour browsing the internet and researching apps. I still used it for 2 hours the next day, still playing games and browsing the web, and the iPad was at 14% charge. never recharged.
My colleague Fabio Jordan did a similar test on Netflix but used 30% brightness. In this case, it is estimated to be usable for 30 hours. Just to give you an idea of how lowering the brightness affects the consumption of this iPad.
Most impressively, the device does a good job of keeping the battery in standby mode. Normally, even after a few hours of inactivity, it stays at the same percentage as when I put it aside. drop of up to 1 percentage point.
The main problem is loading. Even with the cable and charger that came in the box (yes, the iPad comes with one), the device took a while to charge. In about an hour, the filling was less than 50% of full capacity: it went from 14% to just over 50% in that time.
At least plugging in a tablet isn’t as bad as plugging in a phone. And since the device is designed to be used at home, finding power when you need it isn’t a big deal.
direct competitors
The 9th generation iPad competes with its predecessor, the iPad 2020, as well as some Android models, with the Galaxy Tab S7 FE being the flagship model. I can also mention the Mi Pad 5, which is officially sold here, with better hardware than the Samsung model.
In the case of its predecessor, the biggest advantage of the iPad 2021 is that the internal storage starts at 64 GB, compared to 32 GB in 2020. In addition, the processor is more powerful and the front camera has a higher resolution. This is the only reason I find the new model more interesting.
Considering the Galaxy Tab S7 FE, the most important factor is system optimization. iPadOS manages to do more with less, and the A13 Bionic outperforms the rival Snapdragon 750G. Otherwise, they both have great accessories to help boost productivity.
In the end, the Mi Pad 5 can be an interesting alternative, as it is cheaper than the iPad (for those who import from China). It is more powerful than the Galaxy Tab S7 Fe. For around R$2,500, you can have an Android tablet with a Snapdragon 860 and of good quality in general.
2021 9th Generation iPad: Still Worth Buying?
For those looking for a more affordable tablet, the 9th generation iPad might be a good choice. Its main replacement will be the previous generation model, which has lower power consumption, less internal storage and inferior cameras. Or a less optimized Android.
Personally, I think the iPad 2021 is worth it even for those who don’t have the Apple ecosystem. You lose a little bit of connection between devices, but I think it’s better than the Android model, which requires more power — and usually doesn’t.
And iPadOS has a lot of cool features, as well as providing excellent usage time, which can exceed Apple’s own estimate of 10 hours. But the cost of accessories for Apple products is also very high, which is worth weighing.
