iPad Gets USB-C but Also a Price Hike. iPad Pro Adds M2 Chip and 5G

This fall’s iPad models are rolling out a little later this year, and the most budget-friendly version is getting more expensive. Apple on Tuesday announced , and betgaranti the entry-level iPad got a long-awaited redesign with USB-C to match the rest of the lineup, but with a price bump to $449 and up. The new iPad also now comes in four colors, familiar-looking blue and silver, and also very bold yellow and pink versions. 

The iPad Pro, meanwhile, has gotten a spec bump to the company’s latest M2 processors. The iPad Pro lineup was in spring 2021 with M1 processors and 5G support, while the entry-level iPad was updated .

The 10th-gen entry-level iPad adds an A14 chip and USB-C, and arrives Oct. 26 — . But it doesn’t work with the Pencil 2: Instead, it uses the Pencil 1 with a USB-C adapter. The entry model doesn’t have a Smart Connector, but it has a new optional Magic Keyboard Folio accessory with a kickstand that costs a steep $249. The price of the iPad’s also gone up: betgaranti The entry-level Wi-Fi model costs $449 (£499, AU$749), and only comes with 64GB of storage; there’s a step-up 256GB model for $150 more that almost feels mandatory. 

The increased cost of the most affordable iPad isn’t a welcome change in a , but Apple is still selling last year’s entry iPad model (which starts at $329).

The new iPad Pro gets an M2 chip and a new hovering Pencil 2 feature that activates before the stylus touches the screen, betgaranti and added millimeter wave 5G support in the cellular model. It’s available on the same day, Oct. 26. The 11-inch model with 128GB of storage starts at $799 (£899, AU$1,399), and the 12.9-inch starts at $1,099, betgaranti but it costs an extra $200 to upgrade to the cellular model this time. (Storage tiers go from 128GB to 2TB.)

One of the best features on the new entry-level iPad looks to be a shifted front-facing camera. It’s now on the landscape side, where it should be, so video calls won’t seem off-center. The new iPad Pro, however, still has the front-facing camera in the portrait orientation. 

The iPad line had been expected to , and the news matches expectations for the most part, even the camera aspect.

The , released this past spring, also added an M1 processor. Apple is leaning on its M1 processors in iPadOS 16.1 by supporting external monitors with multitasking through a feature called , but iPadOS 16.1 still hasn’t been released yet and has so far felt very buggy in its public beta.