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Apple unveils seventh-generation 10.2-inch iPad

The new entry-level tablet, which starts at just $329, was engineered to take full advantage of iPadOS.

Written by Stephanie Condon, Senior Writer Sept. 10, 2019 at 10:54 a.m. PT

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Apple on Tuesday unveiled the seventh-generation iPad, a 10.2-inch device that replaces Apple's 9.7-inch entry-level iPad. The tablet will begin shipping on Sept. 30 and is available now for a starting price of $329 or $299 for education customers.

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The new iPad was engineered to take full advantage of iPadOS, the new operating system that Apple designed expressly for the tablet. The new OS adds better multitasking features, a desktop-class Safari experience, and it even adds support for connecting a mouse to the tablet. New features showcased on Sept. 10 also include a redesigned home screen, which shows more apps on each page, as well as a new video editing experience and new ways to use the Apple Pencil.

For the very first time, the entry-level iPad features the smart connector so that users can connect the optional full-size Smart Keyboard. The seventh-generation iPad also features 3.5 million pixels -- more than three times the number of pixels than the top-selling PC laptop in the US for the first half of this year, Apple says. It also offers greater brightness and a wider viewing angle. Apple also claims this iPad, featuring the A10 Fusion chip, is up to 2X faster than that top-selling PC.

The new device weighs just about a pound, and its enclosure is made from 100 percent recyclable aluminum.

The entry-level, 9.7-inch iPad brings more new users to iPad than any other model, according to Apple. For nearly 60% of users, this is their first iPad.

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The iPad has been a strong performer for Apple, bringing in more than $5 billion in revenue in the last reported quarter. Customers have had as many as 68 iPad options to choose from, with five models and a variety of finish, storage capacity, and LTE or wi-fi options.