While I have never really been a big mac user, I have to use a few for work and decided to go with the iPhone since my wife already had one. Adding the Ipad to the equation for mobility and other tasks on the go seemed like a good idea versus an android-based solution. I originally wanted this product for drawing and quick note-taking, so the price looked great compared to other products which emphasize one or the other. I'll include some pros and con's here to help anyone make up their minds about getting or not getting this product.
PROs:
1. The screen quality looks great, very crisp with finer details. I don't generally care too much about the pixel count and what generation retina display something is as much as I just care if it looks good. I've never opened an app and wished I was viewing it on my external monitor due to a degrade in quality. It looks great to me.
2. Synching between other mac products is pretty simple. While I absolutely hate having to type in username/passwords for everything, this can be solved with a password manager such as LastPass. It was a lot easier to do and now I can view messages from all of my products. This might sound very annoying to some but I have to use slack/Microsoft teams/outlook/etc. for work so it's nice to not miss something just because I'm away from my computer or phone.
3. The screen size is perfect for what I'm trying to achieve. I'm not a professional designer or architect but I'm using some apps to help me put some remodeling ideas for my home down. The screen size has felt perfect so far for these apps and even photoshop works similarly to its desktop counterpart. The weight isn't too bad to pick up and walk around with either. Keep in mind I don't have a case for mine (I live on the edge).
4. My daughter is 6y/o and I'm able to find a lot of great apps for her on the app store that would be difficult to get the full experience on my iPhone. While I could get her to do this on the MacBook, it's more difficult for her to work the keys and mouse pad in a way that won't draw her focus away from the learning apps that she is playing with.
5. The battery life so far is outstanding. While I understand that over time the battery life capacity with the drop to a disgusting degree, at max it lasts me about 2 days on one charge given that I just have regular usage.
6. If you get the Pencil (the right one), then it is a great experience. It might take some getting used to if you have not drawn on a screen before as it is not the same as on paper. You don't get the rough friction that you do on paper instead, you're greeted by a gliding feeling as your pencil effortlessly moves about. This can be a plus or a minus depending on your own expectations.
7. I like the fact that the charger is not a micro-USB but rather the same kind that the iPhone takes. I'm all for standardizing charging cables as I hate having to have so many for specific devices. They sell some pretty cool magnetic charging thingys that solve this but they're pretty pricy still (usually 2 for $19.99).
8. I don't play too many games but I do enjoy a game of league of legends now and then (I'm horrible at it and just play against bots lol). The wild rift game was released for mobile looks and feels and great on the iPad. I've played it on my iPhone and the screen just felt too small to really enjoy it. The iPad size is a good fit though some of the in-game buttons might not be ideal for people with smaller hands.
CONS:
1. The pencil is great but only if you get the right one. This product will not work with the Pencil 2 which has some enhancements that I wish the first-gen Pencil had *sadness*. I made the mistake of getting the Pencil 2 at first, and while they immediately replaced it for me, it still made me sad to not have the magnetic charging. The synching between the Pencil 1 and the iPad is just very weird.
2. The apple store is the most aggravating experience I've ever had with anything. I still have NO clue how I actually managed to sign in or if I even did it right at all. It literally has so much security that I can barely get into my own account. It wants your apple id, password, apple code, some other code, and claims to your firstborn child. This process was by far the most annoying part which took the better portion of my day to accomplish (still not sure if I did it right but it's letting me download and pay for stuff 🤷🏽♂️).
3. The onboard digital keyboard still feels weird to type on. It's like having an iPhone but with smaller hands, if that makes sense lol. I always hate when I have to type something on it just because of how awkward it feels.
4. The fingerprint authentication is kind of annoying, I tend to switch between my left and right hand and often forget I haven't set my left index to unlock it. They still have the regular manual method of unlocking so this isn't a big issue but I'd like an easier way for my daughter to be able to unlock. Face authentication for a family would be nice.
5. The camera is kind of horrible when it comes to taking pictures of people. When you're taking pictures of things it looks amazing, but people for some strange reason come out with some odd watercolor-looking effects. If you're hoping to take great pictures I wouldn't suggest this one for that.
Conclusion:
This is a great product with not a lot to really complain about and many of the improvements needed were done on the later versions of the iPad. I think you get more than what you pay for compared to other tablet solutions. I recommend it if you're just looking for a good tablet to compliment any of your other Apple products.
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Compare Apple iPad products
| Price | From: - | From: - | From: - |
| Ratings | (63,476) | (7,297) | (23,511) |
| Display | 10.2 inch Retina display | 11-inch Liquid Retina display | 10.9 inch Retina display |
| Face/Touch ID | Touch ID | Face ID | Touch ID |
| Chip | A12 Bionic chip with Neural Engine | A12Z Bionic chip with Neural Engine | A14 Bionic chip with Neural Engine |
| Camera | 8MP photos | 12MP photos | 12MP photos |
| Video | 1080p HD video recording | 4K video recording | 4K video recording |
| Apple Pencil Compatibility | Apple Pencil | Apple Pencil (2nd generation) | Apple Pencil (2nd generation) |
| Smart Keyboard Compatibility | Compatible with Smart Keyboard and Bluetooth keyboards | Compatible with Smart Keyboard Folio, Magic Keyboard and Bluetooth keyboards | Compatible with Smart Keyboard Folio, Magic Keyboard and Bluetooth keyboards |
| Connector | Lightning connector | USB-C connector | USB-C connector |
Customer reviews
4 years with no tablet and man, what have I missed....
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2022
Decided to get myself a tablet after 4 years, last one being an android Lenovo tab that died out on me for whatever reason. And man I forgotten how useful tablets can be especially for an IT like myself. I could've went with the Mini or Pro but settled with this plus it was on sale so yeah, screen is juuuusssttt right for me plus I can just connect to my TV or monitor. Might hook this up with the mobile service I use.Dropped a lot of money on accessories for this thing; Logitech Rugged Folio (Left of photo) and Combo Touch (I like more), Apple Airpods 2nd gen (Features are lackluster), and the Black Rotor Riot controller that connects by Lightning, all of that off of another site that starts with the letter "e". Traded a pair of earbuds to my sis for her Apple Lightning to Digital AV adapter that she doesn't even bother using for her own iPad. The 8bitdo SF30 (Gray controller) already had for years now. But yeah I love it!!
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2022
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Top reviews from the United States
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Dropped a lot of money on accessories for this thing; Logitech Rugged Folio (Left of photo) and Combo Touch (I like more), Apple Airpods 2nd gen (Features are lackluster), and the Black Rotor Riot controller that connects by Lightning, all of that off of another site that starts with the letter "e". Traded a pair of earbuds to my sis for her Apple Lightning to Digital AV adapter that she doesn't even bother using for her own iPad. The 8bitdo SF30 (Gray controller) already had for years now. But yeah I love it!!
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4 years with no tablet and man, what have I missed....
By JustSomeRandomGuy on October 29, 2022
Decided to get myself a tablet after 4 years, last one being an android Lenovo tab that died out on me for whatever reason. And man I forgotten how useful tablets can be especially for an IT like myself. I could've went with the Mini or Pro but settled with this plus it was on sale so yeah, screen is juuuusssttt right for me plus I can just connect to my TV or monitor. Might hook this up with the mobile service I use.By JustSomeRandomGuy on October 29, 2022
Dropped a lot of money on accessories for this thing; Logitech Rugged Folio (Left of photo) and Combo Touch (I like more), Apple Airpods 2nd gen (Features are lackluster), and the Black Rotor Riot controller that connects by Lightning, all of that off of another site that starts with the letter "e". Traded a pair of earbuds to my sis for her Apple Lightning to Digital AV adapter that she doesn't even bother using for her own iPad. The 8bitdo SF30 (Gray controller) already had for years now. But yeah I love it!!
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