Alright,
iPad Vs
Let’s go over the iPad Air vs the iPad 10
Two very similar tablets for very specific types of people
Let’s talk about it
Alright, to start this comparison, let’s do the usual shebang of viewing the raw stats and discussing what stands out
And as you can tell, there aren’t a ton of differences
These tablets share the same sizes, nearly the same form factors, and many of the same features
Except a few that I will discuss shortly
Most notably, there is a clear price difference between these two devices
That’s mostly defined by one big feature and some small quality of life ones
So, the comparison really comes down to what features really matter to you relative to the price differences
and if you can optimize them to your lifestyle
So, let’s compare these differences
Firstly, the most significant feature that differentiates these two iPads, the processors
The iPad Air sports the extremely speedy and nearly overkill computer processor, the M1 Chip
While the iPad 10 uses the still fast A14
Both processors are very powerful, all things considered
These are tablets after all,
meaning most processors and programs are mobile phone-based,
meaning not too demanding
But, for things such as editing videos, working on photos, and gaming,
this is where things might need some consideration
Taking a look at the benchmarks of both processors, we see a pretty big difference between the two
Which is because one is ported over from a laptop while the other is purpose-built for a tablet
Therefore, for the power users out there, it isn’t a stretch to say that M1 iPad Air would be a better fit for you
It will definitely handle your workload better and not slow you down when things get more intense
This includes Stage Manager which allows for pretty effective multitasking with the iPad Air
and even with an external monitor
Being exclusive for the iPad Air and more expensive iPad models,
Stage Manager can turn your iPad into a sorta computer
With all that you can do with multitasking
Due note, though:
this is still a play on the tablet functionality of the iPad Air
And is NOT a replacement for a computer
However, it can still be extremely useful for a power user who wants to access multiple different applications on the iPad at once
And use a monitor with that
Now, this feature is not available on the iPad 10, so keep that mind
Additionally, another feature that is not included with the iPad 10 is a laminated display
Now, this type of technology has always seemed fairly… niche to me
But, it’s actually been pretty popular for many iPad users
with many of them saying it’s something that they’re very passionate about
A laminated screen means the iPad’s display is fused to the glass,
meaning it’s literally like you’re writing on the pixels
It’s pretty useful for those who do a lot of art because it feels so much more accurate
Even for note taking, I’ve heard it’s a really nice feature to have
And can make the writing experience feel far more premium
But going on with the writing experience part of this comparison,
let’s talk about the pens real quick
Because these two iPads use different styluses
The iPad Air uses the Apple Pencil Generation 2
while the iPad 10 uses the Generation 1
Which means, despite having USB-C,
the iPad 10 will need a converter to charge the pencil that you’ll need to carry around
Which is a bit inconvenient and something that many people in the tech community have not appreciated
Me, personally, though, I carry a lot of dongles in my Apple Pencil pouch,
so it isn’t too much of an inconvenience
But, I see why people have an issue with it
It means more things to carry
And because of that, the iPad Air most certainly gets the added bonus of convenience for its users
And in terms of other smaller features that are just a bit more convenient on the iPad Air,
here’s a little lightning round of the sort
The iPad Air does have a bit better of a display with more vibrant colors,
it uses the Magic Keyboard instead of the Keyboard Folio Case,
which is a positive or negative depending on your preferences,
and it has louder speakers
Going back to the keyboard case discussion for a second here, though
Yes, the Magic Keyboard is a bit more expensive than the Keyboard Folio
However, it is more premium and a bit more comfortable for users because the stand is like a laptop
Instead of the kickstand on the Folio Case which has a pretty sharp edge,
so it’s not nice to have on your lap
So, just my two cents there. Keep that in mind
And besides that, we get the same battery lives, USB-C charger, TouchID fingerprint scanner, and even cameras
With the iPad 10 having a more modern landscape camera
Meaning, it’s along the side of the tablet, so your meetings will have your face centered when you’re in a call
So, like I said, many of these features are simple quality of life differences
with one main differentiating factor
But, bringing them all together, you can kinda see which device suits which type of person
Let’s discuss that more in my verdict
So, the iPad Air vs iPad 10. Who is each one for?
Well, coming from the last section, we saw a lot of features that are productivity and stationary-work focused on the iPad Air
Such as the Magic Keyboard that’s shaped like a laptop itself,
the processor, and the laminated display
Those are intentionally designed to make the iPad Air more of a workstation of the sort
While the iPad 10, of course being a bit cheaper and have less premium features,
is more designed to be a portable device,
such as with its keyboard folio being something you’d probably see in college
Now, I’m not saying this is the end-all-be-all verdict
But after doing a bit of research, the iPad Air seems more intended to be a workstation as compared to the iPad 10
Now again, these are tablets, so the work will be fairly limited,
but the iPad Air seems best to be used on a desk with another computer
So, as a companion to your setup
While the iPad 10 can be best used on the go
So to round out this comparison,
here are the types of individuals who I believe would best benefit from buying these tablets:
If you’re a creative or someone who will be working at a desk, needs the processing power of the M1 Chip, and/or would like to use the tablet with an external monitor,
you should get the M1 iPad Air
Now, I’m not saying these are the only types of individuals who should be buying this tablet
But in my opinion, they would definitely take advantage of it the best
While on the flip side,
If you’re a student on a tighter budget who just needs a modest tablet and doesn’t need to multitask too much,
you should get the iPad 10
The iPad 10 is still an amazing tablet with many great features
It’s just that it’s not as powerful as the iPad Air, but it’s still quite enough for most of us
Now given that criteria, I still believe that either tablet is probably effective for most users
In fact, I see a lot of M1 iPad Airs in college despite students not really needing that power
And that’s because they really are that similar
So if you have the money for a more powerful processor and better quality of life features,
you should also consider the iPad Air
Especially, of course, if it’s what you want and, as always, it fits your needs
And that was my comparison of the M1 iPad Air vs the iPad 10
Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comment section down below
Anyway, my name is Cyrus. It’s spelled like “Cyrus,” pronounced like “See Rooster,” just take out the “ter”
Thank you very much for watching, and have a wonderful day!
Peace.