iPad 10 vs 9 vs iPad Air: Comparing the new affordable iPad range

The 10th generation iPad is officially here and comes with a ton of great updates. But the 9th-gen iPad remains in the lineup and there’s also the 2022 iPad Air to consider. However, the iPad 10 may offer a sweet spot for modern features at an affordable price. Below we break down all the similarities and differences between the iPad 10 vs 9 vs iPad Air.

The 2022 iPad Air blurred the line between the more affordable iPads and the Pro models, giving many people the incentive to skip the 11-inch iPad Pro. But the entry-level iPad 9 kept the old design with large bezels and a home button.

Now that the iPad 10 has arrived with Apple’s modern slim-bezel design and a price tag below the iPad Air with many of the same features, it’s likely to sway customers away from both the iPad Pro and Air.

Let’s explore what you get with the iPad 10 vs 9 vs iPad Air. All of the following charts have the iPad 10 in the middle row with the iPad 9 on the left and the iPad Air on the right.

iPad 10 vs 9 vs iPad Air

perfomance

In its announcement, Apple focused on upgrading from iPad 9 to 10. With the upgrade from A13 to A14 Bionic, the company touts 20% faster CPU speed and 80% faster neural engine.

	iPad 9	iPad 10	2022 iPad Air
chip	A13 Bionic	A14 Bionic	M1
CPU cores	6	6	8th
GPU cores	4	4	8th
Neural Engine cores	8th	16	16
storage	64 or 256GB	64 or 256GB	64 or 256GB
R.A.M.	3GB	Probably 4GB	8GB
USB-C	❌	✅	✅
cellular	4G	5G	5G

Meanwhile, the 2022 iPad Air is powered by the M1 chip. These include a more powerful eight-core CPU and an eight-core GPU. But unless you’re going to be using your iPad for professional workflows like video editing, graphic design, etc., you probably don’t need the M1 chip upgrade, or you might not even notice it.

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The iPad 10 gets almost the same display as the more expensive iPad Air. That’s a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina panel with a resolution of 2360 x 1640. Other specs include 500 nits of brightness, True Tone, and narrow bezels.

The three main features you don’t get with the iPad 10 on the iPad Air are P3 Wide Color, anti-reflective coating, and a laminated display.

But for most people, the iPad 10’s improved display will be great 😁.

	iPad 9	iPad 10	2022 iPad Air
advertisement	10.2″	10.9″	10.9″
resolution	2160×1620	2360×1640	2360×1640
PPI (pixels per inch)	264	264	264
screen brightness	500 nits	500 nits	500 nits
right sound	✅	✅	✅
P3 wide color	❌	❌	✅
ProMotion (120Hz)	❌	❌	❌
anti-reflective coating	❌	❌	✅
Fully laminated display	❌	❌	✅
Standard retina display	✅	–	–
Liquid Retina display	❌	✅	✅

connectivity and accessories

The iPad 10 gets a brand new Magic Keyboard Folio that offers some nice features over and above the more expensive Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro/Air.

One downside, however, is that the iPad 10 is still limited to the first-generation Apple Pencil. And that means a USB-C to Lightning adapter is included for a chunky charging experience.

iPad Air works with the same Apple accessories as iPad Pro. These include the second-generation Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard, and Smart Keyboard Folio.

The iPad 10 and iPad Air still use Touch ID, but instead of finding it in the Home button, it’s in the top button.

	iPad 9	iPad 10	2022 iPad Air
Apple Pencil support	1st gen	1st gen	2nd gen
Magic Keyboard support	❌	❌	✅
Magic Keyboard Folio support	❌	✅	❌
Bluetooth	4.2	5.2	5.0
5G	❌	✅ (but no mmWave)	✅ (but no mmWave)
wifi 6	❌	✅	✅
lightning	✅	❌	❌
USB-C	❌	✅	✅ 3.1 Gen 2
lightning	❌	❌	❌
touch identification	✅	✅	✅
Face ID	❌	❌	❌

Another upgrade with the iPad 10 is the move to USB-C. Apple didn’t detail in its specs if it uses USB 3.1 Gen 2 for the iPad 10 like iPad Air, we’ll have to wait and see.

Like the iPhone SE 3, the iPad 10 and iPad Air don’t have mmWave 5G support on the cellular models. However, since mmWave is the rarest version of 5G coverage, that probably won’t be a problem for most people.

splash of color

If the color of your next iPad is important, the iPad 10 and iPad Air give you more choices.

The iPad 10 is available in silver, pink, blue and yellow. The iPad Air is available in Space Grey, Starlight, Pink, Purple and Blue.

The iPad 9 is only available in space gray and silver.

Battery life iPad 10 vs 9 vs Air

The iPad 10 has the same battery life as the iPad 9 and iPad Air:

• 10 hours of web or video usage over WiFi
• 9 hours of internet use with mobile communications

storage and price

Here’s a breakdown of the price differences (MSRP) between these three iPads. However, since the iPad Air has been around for a while, it is sometimes available at a discount.

	iPad 9	iPad 10	2022 iPad Air
64GB WiFi	$329	$449	$599
64GB + cell	$459	$599	$749
256GB WiFi	$479	$599	$749
256GB + cell	$609	$749	$899

cameras

You get the same rear camera with the iPad 10 that’s on the Air, which uses a wide-angle 12-megapixel lens. With the iPad 9, you get an 8-megapixel widescreen camera on the back, which is a little less capable.

Another nice change coming for the first time in an iPad – the 10th generation model gets a landscape-oriented front camera, making it more convenient for video calls.

	iPad 9	iPad 10	2022 iPad Air
8MP wide-angle rear lens	✅	–	–
12MP wide-angle rear lens	❌	✅	✅
Intelligent HDR 3 for photos	❌	✅	✅
rear camera flash	❌	✅	✅
4K video	❌	✅	✅
Extended dynamic range		✅	✅
Slow motion video	720p at 120fps	1080p with up to 240 fps	1080p with up to 240 fps
Ultra-wide 12 MP front camera	✅	–	✅
12 MP landscape ultra wide camera	❌	✅	❌
2x optical zoom out	✅	✅	✅
Center stage auto tracking	✅	✅	✅
Landscape mode with two speakers	❌	✅	✅

And when it comes to speakers, you get the same two-speaker system in landscape orientation on the iPad 10 and Air, while the iPad 9 has a simpler two-speaker system.

Conclusion iPad Air 10 vs 9 vs iPad Air

Why buy iPad 10?

If you consider all the similarities and differences, the iPad 10 will probably be a good choice for most people. At regular price, it costs $150 less than the iPad Air and includes almost all of the best features.

Orders for the iPad 10 are open now, with first shipments and in-store availability starting October 26th.

Why buy iPad 9 or iPad Air?

If you want to get the cheapest iPad with a 10-inch screen for easy use and don’t mind the older design, the iPad 9 is a solid choice.

If you know you regularly push your tablet to the limit, the iPad Air with the M1 chip might be more enticing. But really, if you’re or could become a power user, an iPad Pro with up to 16GB of RAM, up to 2TB of storage, 120Hz ProMotion display, and Thunderbolt support might be better.

However, if you find iPad Air on sale, that might make it more compelling.

We will soon have a full comparison of the new M2 iPad Pro with the M1 iPad Pro and the iPad Air. In the meantime, check out how the M1 iPads stack up in our comparison:

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