Apple's new 8th-gen iPad is boring, but good enough for most people

I have to be honest, it got pretty boring throughout the course of reviewing Apple’s new 8th-gen iPad.

That’s not to say that it’s a bad product. Far from it — the new iPad is still considered Very Good. Great for kids to play games on, great for teens to binge shows on, great for adults to get some work done, and great for seniors to Zoom with their loved ones. 

Perhaps it's the years of seeing the same iPad being trotted out; it has been 10 years since the first one went on sale after all. We already know what it looks like every year (to the point of it feeling dated) and how decent it’ll perform in whatever task one uses a tablet for. We know who the vanilla iPad is for too — those who’d like to jump into the vast iPad ecosystem without dropping too much cash or don’t need the insane specs of an iPad Pro. 

But! This is a still an Apple iPad, and the best one there is if that’s all you want or need. 

We do have to talk about the price first. The new iPad starts at $499 but that’s not what you should be purchasing because its lowest-tier model holds 32GB of storage. Which, in this age of apps and downloaded content, is miserly.

Sure, it’s all about cloud storage these days, but 32GB is barely enough space to hold anything, much less make the iPad an ideal laptop replacement. So the 128GB model is the one you’ll probably go for at $649, and that’s starting to get a tad pricey. 

A decade on since the first-ever iPad, not much has changed. Some familiar things you’ll see on the 8th gen:

Bezels: In 2020, when bezels are becoming non-existent in nearly every gadget with a screen, the iPad is a nonconformist — and not in a good way. Thicc bezels on the top and bottom are getting unsightly.

Touch ID: The fingerprint sensor built into the big circular home button is a reliable relic of the past when it comes to unlocking the device. A relic, nonetheless. 

10.2-inch display: Not necessarily the best display in the iPad lineup (’tis an entry-level iPad after all), but certainly big, bright and vibrant enough to get the job done. Not a laminated screen either, so there is a bigger amount of space between the glass and the actual screen below it. Won’t make that much a difference in terms of lag but it does sound extra tappy, especially when you’re using an Apple Pencil on it. 

Apple Pencil: Only compatible with the first-gen Apple Pencil ($138), AKA the one that all of us don’t fancy that much. With a cap that’s easy to lose and Apple’s strangest choice of Lightning connector placement, it never fails to look silly every single time the stylus needs charging. 

Lightning: Get with the times, people. Just adopt USB-C like everyone else. 

Cameras: Will give this one a pass since who really uses their iPad as their main picture-taker? There’s an 8-megapixel camera on the back and a 720p FaceTime HD camera on the front, which as mentioned before, feels mediocre in this era of telecommunicating. 

Headphone jack: This is… actually fine. It feels great to be able to jack in wired headphones and earphones without worrying about batteries like the old days.

Now, don’t get me wrong — I’m not saying that these are all bad. The reason why most things remained unchanged from the last few generations is that people are perfectly fine with them. Again, this is the lowest-tier iPad for the masses; those who want more can always get the higher-end stuff. 

Fortunately, the only major change made to the 8^th-gen iPad is the one that matters most: the processor. This one gets a big bump in specs with the A12 Bionic chip, which should be good enough to last users for years thanks to the upgrade in graphics and the addition of a neural engine.  

Loading apps feels snappy and run without a hitch, even for intensive operations like photo or video editing. No lag at all when it comes to games and creative apps like Garageband, and for the most part, watching videos on this iPad is perfectly fine. 

Even with all its limitations as an entry-level device, iPadOS 14 enables a rock-solid productivity experience. Note-taking feels great now with the Scribble feature, which turns your chicken scratch handwriting into legible text to copy and paste. Once you get used to split-screening apps, the 8^th-gen iPad can make for a decent work station after hooking up a wireless keyboard and mouse.

Apple suggests getting the Smart Keyboard for iPad ($238), and it is a rather handy way of keeping the tablet screen safe while also having an easily-attachable keyboard without needing to mess around with Bluetooth pairing. 

But things start to add up once you get the complete set. In the end, if you’re getting the iPad, the Smart Keyboard and the Apple Pencil, it’ll cost you $876 at the very least. Not a very entry-level price after all. 

Putting aside the lack of exciting features of the 8th-gen iPad, it gets trickier to recommend with the new iPad Air on the horizon. The latter has a better display, smaller bezels, stereo speakers, a way better processor, a USB-C port, and even works with Apple Pencil 2 and the wonderful Magic Keyboard, which has a trackpad. Not to mention some really great colour options. 

Nonetheless, this beginner iPad is a good deal for students on a budget or anyone looking for a basic tablet with a great app ecosystem for productivity in these Work From Home times. In the end, does it really matter if it’s boring? It’s a basic iPad that still performs beautifully, and that’s good enough for most people.

ilyas@asiaone.com