Amazon Prime Day 2023 is here, and with it a ton of deals on the best tablets and iPads out there. However, both the 10th-generation and 9th-generation iPads have steep discounts, so which one is right for you? Because while the 10th-generation model is obviously newer, the lower price on the iPad 9th-Gen might be worth sticking with an older product at a lower cost. Read on for our breakdown of the differences, or check out all of the Prime Day iPad deals available now.
When we're talking about which iPad is the better deal, the price is going to obviously be one of the most important things to consider. For Amazon Prime Day, both the 10th-generation and 9th-generation iPads are seeing healthy price cuts, but there's still a wide gap between them.
Today, you can get the 9th-generation iPad WiFi with 64GB of Storage for $249, knocking $80 off the sticker price. This isn't quite the lowest price the 9th-gen iPad has ever been, but it's pretty close, and it's a no-brainer at that price. At $249 it becomes one of the best tablets for the money on the market right now, despite its aging hardware.
On the other hand, the 10th-gen iPad also gets a steep price cut, going down to $379 from its $449 asking price. The discount here is a little smaller, cutting just $70 from the asking price, but it is a newer model, after all. But even after discounts, there's a huge $130 price gap between the two tablets. Straight up, if you 're looking for the best bang for your buck, you're probably better off getting the 9th-generation iPad. You're not losing out too much on performance and you don't get FaceID, but does that even matter when you're spending less than $300 on an iPad?
Both iPads being discounted for Amazon Prime Day are Wi-Fi-only models strapped with 64GB of storage, but the specs differ wildly from there.
The 9th-generation iPad has a 10.2-inch display, which had been the standard size for a while. But, with the release of the 10th-gen model, Apple removed Touch ID and added Face ID, just like it did with its phones and the more expensive iPad Pro. This didn't just affect the biometric login feature, but made more room for a screen, bumping up the display size to 10.9 inches on the iPad 10th-Gen.
Apple was able to do this without changing the actual size of the tablet. So in the same footprint as the 9th-generation iPad, you're getting a bigger and higher resolution display (though just barely for the latter).
The 10th-generation iPad also has a slightly more powerful processor in the A14 Bionic. This is one of the few remaining current-generation product that hasn't included an M-class chip, but it's actually built on the same microarchitecture as the Apple M1, just with 6 CPU cores instead of 8. This makes the 10th-generation iPad nearly as fast as the iPad Pro, just slightly worse at multitasking, which is fine.
On the other hand, the iPad 9th-generation is built on the A13 Bionic chip, which is also found in the iPhone 11. For most people, this is still going to be plenty powerful enough to run apps and browse the web, it might just slow down a bit under heavy use.
At the end of the day, if specs are the most important thing, you're probably going to want to go with the iPad 10th-Generation.
Because the 10th-Generation iPad eschews Touch ID in favor of Face ID, there's much more space in the frame for the display. So, while the 9th-generation iPad as a 10.2-inch display with a resolution of 2,160 x 1,620, the 10th-Generation model has a 10.9-inch display with a resolution of 2,360 x 1,640. This resolution difference was likely done just to retain the same 264 ppi that classifies it as "Retina".
The size is the only real difference between the two, though. Both displays are True Tone displays, with up to 500 nits of brightness. So, you're getting the same, bright colorful display either way. It's just a bit bigger on the 10th-Generation model.
Honestly, while the iPad 10th-Generation is the winner here, it's only by a hair. If all you care about is having a pretty display, both iPads are going to supply. And, don't forget that the one that's just 0.7 inches smaller is a whopping $130 cheaper.
You're saving about the same amount of money either way, but it's hard to ignore the value of the iPad 9th-Generation at $249. It doesn't have the new silicon inside but it doesn't really matter when you're spending this little for it. Simply put, if you're on the market for a 10-inch tablet, the 9th-Generation is the clear winner in terms of value.
That's not to say the 10th-Generation isn't a good value at its $379 Prime Day price – it is. If you were on the fence about picking up Apple's latest mainstream tablet now's about the best time to do it, even though it has been this cheap before.
Whichever iPad you end up picking, you're getting an incredible Amazon Prime Day deal, so you really can't go wrong either way.
Once you've picked up an iPad, make sure to check out our guide to the best iPad games to play on your Apple tablet.
Continue reading...
Prime Day Price Comparison
When we're talking about which iPad is the better deal, the price is going to obviously be one of the most important things to consider. For Amazon Prime Day, both the 10th-generation and 9th-generation iPads are seeing healthy price cuts, but there's still a wide gap between them.
Today, you can get the 9th-generation iPad WiFi with 64GB of Storage for $249, knocking $80 off the sticker price. This isn't quite the lowest price the 9th-gen iPad has ever been, but it's pretty close, and it's a no-brainer at that price. At $249 it becomes one of the best tablets for the money on the market right now, despite its aging hardware.
On the other hand, the 10th-gen iPad also gets a steep price cut, going down to $379 from its $449 asking price. The discount here is a little smaller, cutting just $70 from the asking price, but it is a newer model, after all. But even after discounts, there's a huge $130 price gap between the two tablets. Straight up, if you 're looking for the best bang for your buck, you're probably better off getting the 9th-generation iPad. You're not losing out too much on performance and you don't get FaceID, but does that even matter when you're spending less than $300 on an iPad?
Specs and Features
Both iPads being discounted for Amazon Prime Day are Wi-Fi-only models strapped with 64GB of storage, but the specs differ wildly from there.
The 9th-generation iPad has a 10.2-inch display, which had been the standard size for a while. But, with the release of the 10th-gen model, Apple removed Touch ID and added Face ID, just like it did with its phones and the more expensive iPad Pro. This didn't just affect the biometric login feature, but made more room for a screen, bumping up the display size to 10.9 inches on the iPad 10th-Gen.
Apple was able to do this without changing the actual size of the tablet. So in the same footprint as the 9th-generation iPad, you're getting a bigger and higher resolution display (though just barely for the latter).
The 10th-generation iPad also has a slightly more powerful processor in the A14 Bionic. This is one of the few remaining current-generation product that hasn't included an M-class chip, but it's actually built on the same microarchitecture as the Apple M1, just with 6 CPU cores instead of 8. This makes the 10th-generation iPad nearly as fast as the iPad Pro, just slightly worse at multitasking, which is fine.
On the other hand, the iPad 9th-generation is built on the A13 Bionic chip, which is also found in the iPhone 11. For most people, this is still going to be plenty powerful enough to run apps and browse the web, it might just slow down a bit under heavy use.
At the end of the day, if specs are the most important thing, you're probably going to want to go with the iPad 10th-Generation.
Display
Because the 10th-Generation iPad eschews Touch ID in favor of Face ID, there's much more space in the frame for the display. So, while the 9th-generation iPad as a 10.2-inch display with a resolution of 2,160 x 1,620, the 10th-Generation model has a 10.9-inch display with a resolution of 2,360 x 1,640. This resolution difference was likely done just to retain the same 264 ppi that classifies it as "Retina".
The size is the only real difference between the two, though. Both displays are True Tone displays, with up to 500 nits of brightness. So, you're getting the same, bright colorful display either way. It's just a bit bigger on the 10th-Generation model.
Honestly, while the iPad 10th-Generation is the winner here, it's only by a hair. If all you care about is having a pretty display, both iPads are going to supply. And, don't forget that the one that's just 0.7 inches smaller is a whopping $130 cheaper.
Which iPad Should You Buy on Prime Day
You're saving about the same amount of money either way, but it's hard to ignore the value of the iPad 9th-Generation at $249. It doesn't have the new silicon inside but it doesn't really matter when you're spending this little for it. Simply put, if you're on the market for a 10-inch tablet, the 9th-Generation is the clear winner in terms of value.
That's not to say the 10th-Generation isn't a good value at its $379 Prime Day price – it is. If you were on the fence about picking up Apple's latest mainstream tablet now's about the best time to do it, even though it has been this cheap before.
Whichever iPad you end up picking, you're getting an incredible Amazon Prime Day deal, so you really can't go wrong either way.
Once you've picked up an iPad, make sure to check out our guide to the best iPad games to play on your Apple tablet.
Continue reading...