The September Apple Keynote is full of new features and part of them is focused on renewing the tablet catalog. The first to be presented is the new 8th generation iPad, a new tablet model from the brand’s most basic range.
This new tablet maintains the most traditional design lines, following the trail of its predecessor and maintaining some notorious frames that still integrate the TouchID. With a 10.2-inch screen and support for the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, it is the model that focuses most on satisfying students and those who continue to prefer something more basic.
Apple iPad 8th Generation (2020) Datasheet
| Apple iPad 8th Generation (2020) | |
|---|---|
| Screen | IPS 10.2 inches ”Retina 2,160 x 1,620 px, 264 dpi, 500 nits |
| Processor | Apple A12 Bionic |
| RAM | Determined |
| Storage | 32/128 GB |
| Main Camera | 8 MP f / 2.4 |
| Front Camera | 1.2 MP f / 2.4 |
| Battery | Not known |
| Operating System | iPadOS 14 |
| Connectivity | Wifi (802.11a / b / g / n / ac), dual-band (2.4 and 5 GHz), and HT80 with MIMO Bluetooth 4.2 GPS / GNSS integrated into the model with LTE |
| Dimensions and Weight | 250.6 x 174.1 x 7.5mm 490g (WiFi), 495g (LTE) |
| Others | TouchID, Lightning port, stereo speakers, eSIM |
| Price | WiFi: 32 GB $329, 128 GB $429 LTE: 32 GB $459, 128 GB $559 |
The Right Renewal to Maintain the Family
This tablet model, unlike the new iPad Air, they have retained the aesthetics and there are no changes in this aspect. There are still curved edges and above all the screen fits in a front that is already very familiar, without the reduction of frames of the more advanced iPads.
The frames still fit a 10.2-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 2160 by 1620 pixels, a size inherited from its predecessor, which keeps it below the diagonals of the rest of the models. Also, what is maintained is the TouchID, as we said in the introduction, the brand’s fingerprint reader that still features in the manufacturer’s mid-range models.
A New and Powerful Brain
One of the main points of the new model’s version is the addition of the Apple A12 Bionic, which brings the Neural Engine for the first time to this iPad series. The brand speaks of 40% faster performance than before and even that the new iPad is “up to twice as fast as the best-selling computer with Windows and three times as fast as the best-selling tablet with Android.”
The new iPad retains the support of the first-generation Apple Pencil, plus the Smart Keyboard as the previous generation (both sold separately). And about the battery, as always they don’t give battery data but talk about “a whole day’s autonomy.”
The software is powered by the latest version of Apple’s tablet system, iPadOS 14. Much of the presentation of the device has focused on the functions it will have thanks to this version of the software that will be released today (September 16, 2020), such as multitouch, “smart” selection that differentiates handwriting paths, or data recognition such as phones, links, and other elements to facilitate work and writing.
Added to this is the support for the Apple Pencil and Scribble, users will be able to write directly by hand on a text field. Besides, universal search is incorporated, making it easy to find everything from contacts to apps to files and other information that can be useful at any time.
Price and Availability of the 8th Generation iPad (2020)
The new iPad (8th generation) will be available from Friday 18th September on the Apple website and in Apple stores in more than 25 countries. It starts at $329 for the base model with WiFi and $459 for the model with WiFi + LTE.
- Apple iPad (8th gen) WiFi 32 GB: $329
- Apple iPad (8th gen) WiFi 128 GB: $429
- Apple iPad (8th gen) WiFi+LTE 32 GB: $459
- Apple iPad (8th gen) WiFi+LTE 128 GB: $559
The new iPad is constructed with aluminum, indicating the brand is 100% recycled, and available in three colors: silver, pink, and lead-gray. The device has been introduced alongside a new iPad Air, the Apple Watch Series 6, and the new Apple Watch SE, as well as the new Apple One and Apple Fitness+ services.
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