In Summary
Apple has announced the 9th-gen iPad with some essential but minor upgrades that aim to bring improved performance on the 10.2-inch design. The new iPad comes with an A13 Bionic chip, a new 12MP camera, twice the storage option, and the all-new iPadOS 15. Apple claims the 9th-gen iPad to be 20% faster than its predecessor.
Here’s a look at what the 9th-gen iPad has to offer and how it compares to its previous generation.
iPad 9th-Gen vs iPad 8th-Gen: Design
Design-wise, both the 9th-gen iPad and the 8th-gen iPad feature the same old (10.2-inch) iPad design. It has bezels all around the display and a home button at the bottom for navigation.
iPad 9th-Gen vs iPad 8th-Gen: Display
On to the front, much like the design, both models share a 10.2-inch retina display, except that the 9th-gen iPad gets upgraded with light sensors to incorporate the True Tone functionality, which adjusts the screen based on the ambient temperature. As a result, the newer iPad offers a more comfortable viewing experience in different lighting conditions than its previous generation.
iPad 9th-Gen vs iPad 8th-Gen: Performance
Under the hood, while the 8th-gen iPad uses an A12 Bionic chip (with Neural Engine), Apple has included a newer version—A13 Bionic—of the chip on the 9th-gen model. As a result, the new iPad brings a 20% performance boost over its predecessor, which makes it possible to run more advanced apps and games on a relatively affordable iPad—something that wasn’t the case earlier. Moreover, the new chipset also powers improved machine learning capabilities, including the Live Text feature that will bring on-device intelligence for text recognition, slated to come in iPadOS 15. According to Apple, the addition of the A13 Bionic on the 9th-gen iPad makes the iPad “up to 3x faster than the best-selling Chromebook and up to 6s faster than the best-selling Android tablet.”
iPad 9th-Gen vs iPad 8th-Gen: Storage
Much like the processor, another essential update to the 9th-gen iPad is in terms of storage: the 8th-gen iPad offered 32GB as the base storage and 128GB as the most generous storage option. With the 9th-gen model, Apple has doubled up these options, with the 64GB option now coming in as the base storage variant and 256GB being the highest (and the second), to offer more storage space to store apps, games, and media.
iPad 9th-Gen vs iPad 8th-Gen: Camera
Alongside improvements in display technology and chipset, Apple is also upgrading the camera tech on the new iPad and equipping it with a new 12MP ultra-wide front camera as opposed to a 1.2MP sensor on the 8th-gen model. What’s special about the new sensor is that it now delivers the Center Stage experience, thanks to the Neural Engine processing prowess of the A13 Bionic. Center Stage, for the uninitiated, is a new feature on iOS and iPadOS devices that automatically pans the camera to keep the person (standing in front) in view during video calls and zooms out when more people join in to include them in the frame too.
iPad 9th-Gen vs iPad 8th-Gen: Accessories Support
Accessories come as an extension to append iPad’s usability and expand their capabilities to let you do more with your device. The 8th-gen model also included support for two Apple accessories, namely the 1st-gen Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard. And with its latest iteration, Apple hasn’t changed that any bit: the 9th-gen iPad also supports the same version of both Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard.
iPad 9th-Gen: Pricing and Availability
The 9th-gen iPad offers two configurations: WiFi and WiFi+Cellular. It is available in two storage options: 64GB and 256GB, which start at $329 and $459 respectively. As for the availability, the iPad is up for pre-orders starting today and will be available from September 24. In India, the 9th-gen iPad starts at Rs 30,900 for the WiFi-only model and Rs 42,900 for WiFi+Cellular.
