The Gadget of the Pandemic
The $329 iPad 10.2” was announced by Apple during their September 25, 2019 keynote address.
The unassuming $329 iPad 10.2" (aka iPad 7th Generation, aka "the budget iPad") might well be, as Brian Chen dubbed it, "the Gadget of the Pandemic."
While the internet has been swooning over the iPhone SE - the $399 iPhone that outperforms some of the most expensive flagship Android phones - and the release of the iPad Pro's new Magic Keyboard, the iPad 10.2" offerings have a lot of appeal during the COVID pandemic.
The iPad's modularity should be viewed as a feature in its own right. As a standalone product, the iPad 10.2" is a fabulous web-browsing, binge-watching, ebook-reading experience. The 1.2MP front-facing camera is a bit of a potato camera, but in good lighting, it will work passably for a Zoom of FaceTime call with work or family. That said, it's the same camera currently found in all current MacBook Air & Pro models.
When you pair the 10.2" iPad with a keyboard - either through Bluetooth or Apple's Smart Keyboard offering - you have yourself a computing device well adapted to all types of composition: working in iWork, Microsoft Office, sending emails, messaging etc. Add the Apple Pencil & the iPad switches to a powerful note-taking, adult-colouring, markup-making, drawing device.
Better technologies (displays, processors, cameras, etc.) exist on the iPad Air 3, iPad mini, & iPad Pros, but don't let that cause you to overlook the versatility of the 10.2" iPad. The iPad 10.2" stands as an excellent product for its class.
My recommendation: If you have the means, upgrade to the $429 model with 128GB of storage, even if that means opting out of buying a Smart Keyboard for a cheaper keyboard. You can always upgrade the keyboard, but you’re locked into the storage option you choose.
Updated 2020.07.05: Grammar and sentence structure tweaks.
External Link
New York Times: Why Apple’s iPad Is the Gadget of the Pandemic
