Did you know that last year’s 9.7-inch iPad replaced the previous year’s 9.7-inch iPad Air 2? Did you know that last year’s 9.7-inch iPad was more powerful and yet cheaper than the previous year’s 9.7-inch iPad Air 2? Of course you do, provided you’ve been closely following Apple, and its yearly new iPad launch cycle off late. As if like clockwork, Apple has now replaced last year’s 9.7-inch iPad with a new 9.7-inch iPad, that’s also more powerful and yet cheaper, than its predecessor. Also, it supports the Pencil, a stylus that Apple first launched along side the 12.9-inch iPad Pro nearly two years ago. But that’s all that there is to it.

That’s right. The iPad 2018, or the new 9.7-inch iPad, or the sixth-generation iPad, can be summed up as follows:

It’s fast. It supports Apple Pencil. And it’s cheap.

The new iPad may not be as revolutionary as the first-generation iPad — it is in fact not as good as the two year-old iPad Air 2 too, in some cases — but, in the case of the iPad, it doesn’t even matter. Because, for one, it’s an iPad. So you know it’s going to be good enough — and it is — for most people, provided they know its limitations. And there are quite a few, which I’ll discuss later. But more importantly, there is no competition, for the iPad. There’s never been one in fact. Which means, Apple can choose not to revolutionize the tablet each year, and instead make subtle changes (refinements) to the platform, enough to make buyers excited.

The iPad 2018 may not be for everybody, but then again, it is.

It’s fast

The new iPad has a faster Apple A10 Fusion processor, compared to last year’s iPad that came with a last-generation Apple A9 processor. It’s fast alright, but it’s still not the fastest iPad around. The iPad Pro is. But that’s more expensive. For most people, looking to do good ol’ iPad stuff, the new iPad should hold well much like any other iPad in the past. iOS 11, of course, adds a third dimension to the whole thing.

iOS 11 brings a file manager to the iPad, and a Dock as well. The file manager app, called simply Files, can better organise how things are inside the iPad. “Not just the ones on your iPad, but also those in apps, on your other iOS devices, in iCloud Drive and across other services like Box and Dropbox,” according to Apple. The new Dock — available from any screen — can meanwhile allow users to open and switch apps instantly. It’s customisable as well. iOS 11, in addition, also introduces a split view drag and drop functionality to allow users to drag and drop files between two open apps in split view on the iPad.

But then that’s software, and it’s not that the last-generation iPad won’t support it. It’s just that there’s visible difference between Apple’s every new high-end chip as far as performance is concerned. The new iPad, powered by an A10 Fusion, is no different. You can play games on it, you can browse the web, you can watch Netflix, you can access your social media accounts, so on and so forth. Without breaking a sweat. Wee bit faster than on the last iPad.

You can’t multitask on it though. Well you can, but, only somewhat. You can’t run more than two apps simultaneously on the new iPad. If you want to do that, you’ll have to invest in a more expensive iPad Pro that ships with more RAM.

It supports Apple Pencil

Support for Apple Pencil is, in fact, the biggest upgrade in the new iPad and also the single most compelling reason to buy one. The Apple Pencil opens up many possibilities, and Apple through software, has ensured users — creators/students — can get the most out of it. Apple showcased a whole bunch of apps and features optimised for the Pencil at its keynote launch that are now available on the new iPad either in full or in beta.

Apple has updated its iWork suit — that includes Pages, Numbers and Keynote — adding support for Apple Pencil. The biggest highlight is a new Smart Annotation (currently in beta) feature that lets you add comments and notations to Pages that dynamically anchor to your text. A new Presenter Mode in Pages, meanwhile, now allows you to turn your iPad into a virtual teleprompter for distraction-free reading and auto scrolling. So on and so forth.

But is it any good, you ask? Yes and no. On the one side, it’s fast (enough) and fluid so writing and drawing on the new iPad isn’t a task, on the other, if you’ve ever crossed paths with the iPad Pro, you’ll know the new iPad with Apple Pencil isn’t even in the same ball-park as Apple’s more expensive iPad. Professionals, in particular, would notice a slight lag or delay during strokes seemingly highlighting the new iPad’s mid-tier credentials. At the same time, high-profile iOS features like Instant Markup are (still) exclusive to the iPad Pro.

Having said that, Apple’s clear about what the new iPad can and can’t do. As it is about its target audience. The new iPad is designed first and foremost for students and creative enthusiasts. For the pro-league there is the iPad Pro. ·

It’s cheap

The new iPad is the cheapest iPad ever. Especially in the US where Apple is vouching for a whole new target audience. An audience that Apple has been trying to tap into for quite sometime now. The students. For students — and schools — the new iPad will be a little more affordable, to begin with. While for consumers, the new iPad will start at $329 (roughly Rs 22,000), students — and schools — can get it for as low as $299 (roughly Rs 20,000). Also while for consumers, the Apple Pencil will cost $99 (roughly Rs 6,595), students — and schools — can get it for as low as $89 (roughly Rs 6,000). Also, students — and schools — will get 200GB iCloud storage up from the usual 5GB, for free.

While it may not sound like a hefty discount — that besides the fact that you will still need to buy the stylus separately, and also a keyboard, if you’re looking to realise its full potential — any discount coming from Apple, whatsoever, is enough to make headlines go berserk with excitement. The new iPad is the cheapest iPad ever. For students perhaps, and that too in the West, but consumers (in India) will be getting an all familiar iPad at more or less the same price as last year’s iPad. More powerful yes, but, still largely familiar. Which is not a bad thing at all. The new iPad is still the cheapest iPad that you can buy.

Here is how much the new iPad will cost buyers in India:

— 32GB with Wi-Fi: Rs 28,000
— 128GB with Wi-Fi: Rs 35,700
— 32GB with Wi-Fi and Cellular: Rs 38,600
— 128GB with Wi-Fi and Cellular: Rs 46,300

— Apple Pencil: Rs 7,600

Combining the Pencil, which you’ll have to, since that’s the whole deal of buying the new iPad, will cost you:

— 32GB with Wi-Fi+Apple Pencil: Rs 35,600
— 128GB with Wi-Fi+Apple Pencil: Rs 43,300
— 32GB with Wi-Fi and Cellular+Apple Pencil: Rs 46,200
— 128GB with Wi-Fi and Cellular+Apple Pencil: Rs 53,900

Everything else is exactly the same as last year

— It has the same premium all-metal design with magnets on the side where you can attach a smart cover for protection and also use it as a neat kick-stand on occasions.

— It has the same 9.7-inch Retina display with a 2048 x 1536 resolution and Oleophobic coating up-top. It’s not laminated (nor does it have an anti-reflective coating) as the iPad Air 2 and it doesn’t support Apple’s proprietary ProMotion technology and True Tone like the more expensive iPad Pro.

— It has the same 8-megapixel rear camera (with 1080p video) and 1.2-megapixel front camera (with 720p video) as the outgoing model.

— It has the same first-generation Touch ID home button and comes sans a smart connector which means you’ll have to use a Bluetooth keyboard if you’re looking for added functionality.

— It has the same dual stereo speakers at the bottom.

— It has the same killer battery life. Apple claims up to 10 hours of sur?ng the web on WiFi, watching video or listening to music, and the new iPad lives up to that claim.

Should you buy it?

The new iPad, like always, is the best mid-tier iPad ever. There are no two ways about that. If you’re looking to buy one, go get one, and you won’t be disappointed. It looks great, has a neat Retina display — I wish that it was a little brighter though and Apple could also have done with some anti-reflective coating — for content consumption, metes out fabulous performance, and has iOS 11 software, that makes a classic case for tablets even more so than other Windows and Android tablets in the market right now. It sounds good, and has an outstanding battery life too.

At the same time, the added support for Apple Pencil, makes it an ideal choice for creative enthusiasts who’re looking to dip their toes into content creation. On the cheap. Maybe down the line, when they’ve become familiar with the intricacies, they can invest in an iPad Pro, that does things even better. The new iPad is a window of opportunity for them as it was for Apple to make its entry-level iPad all the more exciting.

Sadly, Apple did not make the best of it. As good as the new iPad is, it’s not any better or worse than the last iPad which means if you own that one — or even the iPad Air 2 for that matter — you should definitely stick to it some more. Unless someone out there makes a tablet better than the iPad, or Apple itself decides to revolutionize the iPad anytime soon.