The iPad 2022 marks the biggest leap for the standard iPad in years, inside and out. Finally, there’s the full-screen design (the bezels are gone!), the faster A14 Bionic chip, USB-C charging and the Magic Keyboard with Control Panel.
The cameras got an upgrade too, and this is the first iPad with a front camera on the long edge, which makes video calls more natural. Yes, this could be one of the best tablets of the year.
So what do you not like? This will be the Apple Pencil. Old Apple Pencil from the first generation.
That’s right, despite the sea of modernity that the iPad 2022 represents, it’s stuck with a peripheral that debuted seven years ago. I’m not saying that the optional $99 Apple Pencil is worthless, as you can use it to take notes, draw, make fine edits to photos, and more. But think of the flaws.
First, there’s nowhere to put your Apple Pencil when you’re not using it with the iPad 2022. The iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro let you store — and charge — your second-generation Apple Pencil when not in use directly on the tablet’s flat edge. Not so here.
Then there’s the Apple Pencil’s first generation cover, which is so small that it can easily be lost. The second generation Apple Pencil does not have a cap at all. Then there’s what’s under the hood: the Lightning connector.
“Wait, doesn’t the new 2022 iPad have a USB-C port?” you may ask. Why, yes it is, which means that in order to charge the first generation Apple Pencil, you will have to use a separate USB-C to Apple Pencil adapter. This is very inconvenient and is another accessory that you can easily lose.
The good news, I think, is that if you buy an Apple Pencil, it will come with this adapter. But if you have an Apple Pencil grabbed from an old iPad, you’ll need to earn $9 for the adapter. helpless.
All of this raises the question of whether you’d ever buy an iPad 2022 if you plan on using the Apple Pencil a lot. And the answer, I think, is no.
Now I wouldn’t say the new iPad isn’t worth $449, as you’ll get to enjoy a lot of the upgrades that make this a truly modern tablet. If you only plan to use the Apple Pencil occasionally, this $120 listing might be on your 9th generation iPad.
But if you plan to use the Apple Pencil often, I would highly recommend upgrading to the iPad Air. You’ll have a place to magnetically store your second generation Apple Pencil, and you don’t really have to worry about charging the stylus — or using a separate accessory to do so.
As you’ll see in our comparison of iPad 2022 and iPad Air 2022, there are other reasons to get the latest tablet, including a more advanced display and a more powerful M1 chip that enables features like Stage Manager to facilitate multitasking in iPadOS 16.
So don’t write the new 2022 iPad as the best iPad for you. Just think carefully about how to use your next iPad before buying.
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