Should you get the new Apple iPad A16, or save on the 10th Generation one?

The Apple iPad A16, or 11th Generation, has just been announced, and it’s hitting stores on February 12, 2024. I’ve already gone deep into the specs and upgrades, and let me tell you, I am left wondering if it is even worth the upgrade. Especially when you can get the Apple iPad 10th Generation at a very heavily discounted price right now. I would honestly personally get the last-generation model instead. Let me tell you why!

Get the Apple iPad A16 for $349 (retail price)

Get the Apple iPad 10th Generation for just $279 ($70 off)

This offer is available from Amazon. Currently, the full discount only applies to the Blue color model. The next best offer is for the Silver model, which is $179.99 after an on-page coupon. The other colors are $319.99.

At first sight, you will notice no difference between the new Apple iPad A16 and iPad 10th Generation models. They look and feel exactly the same, featuring that metal back we all know and love, the same squared-off edges that are now part of Apple’s design language, and even the color options are the same! These would be Blue, Silver, Pink, and Yellow.

So, if it looks the same, is the rest of the tablet pretty similar, too? Sadly, yeah, the changes are pretty minimal. The Apple iPad A16’s display is slightly larger at 11 inches, instead of 10.9. The rest of the screen specs are the same, though. Both have a 2,360 x 1,640 resolution and 500 nits of brightness.

So, how are these different?

OK, let’s go over the actual differences now. How is the Apple iPad A16 better?

• Performance boost: The Apple iPad A16 comes with an Apple A16 chip, which will definitely have performance improvements over the A14 Bionic in the Apple iPad 10th Generation. They both have 4GB of RAM, so multi-tasking performance should be about the same.
• More storage: While the Apple iPad 10th Generation had a base storage of 64GB, the Apple iPad A16 starts at 128GB. This is actually nice, considering there was no bump in retail price. If you want to go all out, there is also now a 512GB storage option, whereas the previous model topped off at 256GB.
• Slightly larger screen: It’s not like it matters, but the iPad A16 has an 11-inch display, which is 0.1 inches bigger than the previous iteration’s panel.

As always, which one you prefer is a subjective matter. Some people like the peace of mind that a newer device will offer. A newer tablet is more likely to get software updates for longer, get newer features, and keep up with demanding apps in the future.

All that said, I have a hard time justifying paying $349 for a device that is so similar to the Apple iPad 10th Generation, which can be had for just $279 right now that it’s on sale.

Sure, you might see a performance improvement, but I’ve been using the Apple iPad 10th Generation daily and have found no slowdowns. I commonly use it to edit RAW photos, too, which is a pretty demanding task. I sometimes game on it, and it runs everything I’ve launched like a dream. I am not saying some people won’t see a difference, but I am almost sure casual users won’t.

The extra storage would be nice, but I use the cloud a lot, and I really don’t ever need that much storage, especially when using tablets. I don’t really store a bunch of files on tablets, as those are always on my phone or in the cloud. Personally, it makes no difference if I have 64GB or 128GB of internal storage in my iPad. You may feel differently, though.

We should probably avoid discussing the screen. The difference is so minuscule that it doesn’t matter.

All things considered, if you can sacrifice some storage space, and don’t really need the performance improvements, these tablets are exactly the same. Even things like the dimensions and weight are identical. I prefer to save money when possible, so I would just take advantage of the deal on the Apple iPad 10th Generation and keep my extra $70 bucks.