The links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.

Apple has moderately updated its entry-level iPad this year. These changes clearly reflect the increase in the time we spend on equipment in response to the global pandemic. With a better screen, better camera, and better processor, the basic iPad is a more suitable device for social media, video chat, and passing time. Is it the best low-cost slate for you and your family? Find the answer in the Android Authority Apple iPad (2021) review.

Apple is heating up again for its cheapest tablet. The Apple iPad (2021) has limited improvements in several key areas, although it is mainly inherited from the older generation. As far as the feature list is concerned, this simpler slate sticks to the basics. It has a fairly large display, full-day battery life, and an improved user-oriented camera system, which greatly helps improve the quality of FaceTime or Zoom calls.

Low-cost Android tablets from companies such as Lenovo, Amazon, and Samsung vary in size, shape, and functionality, and there are many options for the iPad starting at around $100. Choosing an Android tablet on the iPad may boil down to some clutch features or preferences of potential buyers.

This year, Apple iPad comes in two colors, silver and space gray, and only two storage options, 64GB or 256GB. The amount of storage is twice that of last year's iPad, which is a welcome upgrade. The LTE 4G cellular model can also be paid an additional $130. Like Apple's iPhone, iPad is also widely sold. You can buy from Apple's website or physical store and retail chain stores including Amazon, Best Buy, BHPhoto, Target, Walmart, etc. Cellular models can be obtained from your local wireless carrier, such as AT&T or Verizon in the United States.

Let us find out what is new and what is not.

On the surface, this year's Apple iPad looks the same as last year's model. I placed the two side by side, there is no obvious difference in materials, size, shape, weight or components. Even the rear camera modules are reflections of each other. You can’t distinguish the two tablets based on their appearance alone.

This tablet computer has a large piece of display glass installed in an aluminum chassis. Apple did not specify what the glass is made of. Apple cut an oblique chamfer on the frame of the case, where it is connected to the glass. The side and rear panels are made of a piece of metal, and there is a smooth curve where the back transitions to the side. The dimensions of the iPad are 250.6 x 174.1 x 7.5 mm, which makes it a medium size among tablets. Thanks to its slim profile and 487 grams weight, it feels fine and delicate. If you plan to give this to a young child, I strongly recommend that you use some type of box.

Related: The best Android tablet for kids

The design is definitely iPad-y. No other tablet computer looks like an iPad, and this special design has been around for some time. Unfortunately, what is visually striking is the large bezel. There are dark black edges on both sides of the display, and thinner edges in the middle. The bezel allows your thumb to grab something, but considering the full-screen design of today's devices, the thick black bezel is beginning to look outdated. Apple’s newer iPad Pro, Air, and Mini designs have a fresher, more modern appearance—and thinner bezels.

The controls and buttons are standard fair. Since the Apple iPad (2021) uses an older design, it still contains a physical home button. The home button doubles as a Touch ID fingerprint reader. Touch ID only needs a little time to train, and it can work continuously and quickly. Sometimes Touch ID is better than Apple's Face ID, and vice versa. Unfortunately, Face ID (or any facial recognition) is not available for entry-level iPads.

This iPad is Apple's last tablet to rely on a proprietary Lightning port. Apple’s expensive tablets have all switched to USB-C. Most competing Android and Windows tablets also use USB-C. At least the cable that came with the iPad matches the cable that came with the iPhone. However, unlike the iPhone, the iPad does include a charger in the box.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the simple design of the Apple iPad, but it is no longer as eye-catching as it used to be.

Apple made a small change to the iPad's display. This is not a groundbreaking feature in any way, but it does improve the experience of using the iPad—especially when you use the iPad in different settings.

The size, shape, resolution, and brightness are the same as last year's iPad. This means that the 10.2-inch IPS LED has a resolution of 2,160 x 1,620, 264ppi, and a light output of 500 nits. It includes an anti-fingerprint oleophobic coating, but does not include the anti-reflective coating of the iPad Air and iPad Pro. This is a very good screen with plenty of color and light, and everything looks clear and clean.

So what's the difference? Apple updated the screen with True Tone technology. True Tone has been around for a while, although this is the first time we have seen it on a low-cost iPad. True Tone uses ambient light to set the white balance on the screen, so it looks more natural when you move from one environment to another, such as in a room illuminated by incandescent bulbs and one illuminated by the sun through a window Between the rooms. This automatic change in white balance is subtle, but it has a sufficient effect.

More reading: How to record screen on any device

Like I said, it's not groundbreaking. Even so, the display effect of the 2021 iPad is still more beautiful than the 2020 iPad. When you stare at the screen all day, every bit of help is grateful.

No. the same. You will get 10 hours of streaming video or surf the Internet via Wi-Fi. The iPad used to be, and it will be in the future.

The battery life of almost all Apple iPads has reached the 10-hour benchmark, and the new iPad is no exception. In my tests, the battery life of the new iPad was up to 10 hours and 12 minutes. According to Apple, if you use the LTE 4G model to go online, your battery life will be close to 9 hours. Although 10 hours is enough to run normally while you are hanging out, it may be a bit short for those who work longer hours. Some competing Android tablets can reach 12 hours of battery life.

More: Charging habits to maximize battery life

I am happy to report that the attached charging brick is a 20W plug. This is very useful when you need to charge the iPad. It takes about 2.5 hours to fill it up from the dead. Apple used to ship iPads with old 5W plugs, which took nearly four hours to fully charge.

The Apple iPad (2021) can certainly provide sufficient battery life, although it can always do better.

Yes. Apple upgraded the processor of the 2021 iPad from A12 bionics to one generation, from A12 bionics to A13 bionics. The A13 released in September 2019 may be a two-year-old processor, but it still provides sufficient performance for the iPad.

When dealing with daily tasks, the iPad is simply flying. Under casual observation, this tablet is as smooth and fast as the more powerful Pro models. When installing and running applications (including large applications such as GarageBand and iMovie), I did not experience any lag or slowness. The game also runs perfectly on the iPad. I am very satisfied with the experience of running Asphalt 9 and other action games.

In terms of benchmarks, A13 Bionic does provide better numbers than A12 Bionic. In tests such as AnTuTu, GeekBench, and 3DMark, the A13 scores on average about 20% higher than the old A12. Given the updated architecture of the chip, this is expected. The A13 and iPad disrupted the competition of Android tablets, which are usually equipped with mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon processors.

What you need to know is: the Apple iPad (2021) is faster than any other product in the same price range, and it can even run the most challenging applications and games in the iTunes App Store without any hassle.

The Apple iPad (2021) may provide more value than any other tablet in its class. Many factors have affected its attractiveness and its position among peers.

First of all, the hardware quality is excellent. Apple knows how to assemble sturdy equipment. The screen is large and clear, and bright enough to handle all the content you can throw at it. The battery life may only be average, but it is consistent and can still last more than a full working day. Apple's chip is faster than any other product in its class, which pushes the performance of this entry-level tablet to the top. iPadOS may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but you can’t beat the platform’s smooth experience and wide application compatibility. With additional features such as headphone jack, smart connector, Apple Pencil compatibility, multiple storage options, and LTE 4G connection potential, you will have a fully functional device that should allow most people without advanced users Feel happy next. The starting price of the Apple iPad is $329, which is very cost-effective.

If you firmly oppose iPadOS or need important features such as multi-user support, Android, Chrome, and Windows can meet your needs.

Lenovo provides you with a large number of potential products. The first is the Lenovo M10 HD smart tag ($129.99). This is a full HD 10-inch tablet that covers the basic functions, but the speed is a bit slow. Want to upgrade? There is also the Lenovo Yoga Tab 13 ($679.99), which excels in performance and productivity. Lenovo also offers a series of new tablets, including the P11 Plus, which are closer to the starting price of the iPad. Finally, Lenovo also offers a killer slate-style Chromebook in the 2021 Chromebook Duet ($299.99). If you want to try Chrome, it has an improved screen and processor.

Samsung does not have a direct competitor to the iPad. Its Tab A series of tablets, such as the Galaxy Tab A7 (US$179.99), usually cost around US$200, and are most suitable for simple content consumption devices. If you want to surpass the iPad a little bit, you can choose the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE ($479.99), which offers a lot of delightful things, including the boxed S Pen stylus. We found that the 5G model is a bit slow.

If price is a factor, you can always check Amazon's tablets. The iPad’s most potential competitor is the Amazon Fire 10 HD Plus ($179.99), which has a 10-inch screen and can access Amazon’s Prime content (subscription fee is required). Fire HD 10 Plus uses Fire OS, which is Android. Performance is not the strong point of Amazon's tablet.

Finally, if you prefer Windows users, there is the new Microsoft Surface Go 3 ($399.99) running Windows 11. This tablet-first, PC-secondary device does not come with extra features, such as a keyboard, but it has a delicious price tag and a complete operating system.

Apple hasn't done much to improve its benchmark tablet computer year by year, but it's actually not necessary to do so. The entry-level iPad is far ahead of the competition in terms of value and performance. In any case, Apple has made some meaningful adjustments.

The refreshed display is more beautiful. The upgraded processor brings more performance advantages to the iPad. The overhauled user-facing camera makes the iPad a more interesting personal and professional video chat platform. Taking into account the huge library of existing applications provided by Apple, a wide range of compatible accessories and software update commitments, these $329 tablets are more complete than ever.

This is not to say that nothing can stop the iPad. One of the biggest critics is its lock-in to a single user, not to mention its lack of a dedicated child mode. This doesn't work at all for families that need multi-user support. I prefer to see real stereo speakers on a tablet like this, and it’s great to see Apple make great strides in battery life.

The reality here is that Apple's low-cost tablets don't have any real competition. No other $300 tablet can provide the same level of performance as the iPad. There are many other tablets on the market, many of which cost less than $300, but they simply cannot match the features and potential of the iPad.