Apple’s Most Popular iPad Delivers Even More Performance and Advanced Features

The 10.2-inch iPad features A13 Bionic, Center Stage, True Tone, and now starts with double the storage, all at an incredible value

Apple® today introduced the new iPad® (9th generation), featuring the powerful A13 Bionic chip that packs even more performance and capability into the most popular iPad, all while retaining its all-day battery life.¹ Starting at just $329, the new iPad features a 10.2-inch Retina® display with True Tone®, a 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage™, support for Apple Pencil® (1st generation) and Smart Keyboard™, the intuitive iPadOS® 15, and twice the storage of the previous generation. The new iPad is available to order beginning today on apple.com, and in stores beginning Friday, September 24.

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The ninth-generation iPad is a huge leap forward and delivers advanced features at an incredible price. (Photo: Business Wire)

“iPad has never been more essential for working, learning, and communicating, and we’re excited to bring one of the biggest updates ever to our most popular iPad,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “With the powerful A13 Bionic, more engaging video calls with Center Stage, and double the storage, the new iPad delivers advanced capabilities, versatility, and simplicity at an incredible value.”

A13 Bionic with Neural Engine Brings More Performance to iPad

The new iPad comes equipped with the powerful A13 Bionic chip, delivering a 20 percent performance boost over the previous generation. This makes the new iPad up to 3x faster than the best-selling Chromebook, and up to a whopping 6x faster than the best-selling Android tablet.² The added performance will allow users to seamlessly run advanced apps and games on the most affordable iPad. The Neural Engine in A13 Bionic also powers next-level machine learning capabilities, including Live Text coming in iPadOS 15, which uses on-device intelligence to recognize text in a photo that users can take action on.

Advanced 12MP Ultra Wide Front Camera with Center Stage

The Center Stage experience on iPad Pro is now available on iPad, enabled by the new 12MP Ultra Wide front camera and Neural Engine, so users can enjoy even more engaging video calls. As users move around, Center Stage automatically pans the camera to keep them in view. When others join in, the camera detects them too, and smoothly zooms out to include them in the conversation. Center Stage makes video calls more natural in FaceTime® as well as third-party video-calling apps. Whether catching up with loved ones virtually or using iPad in a remote learning environment, Center Stage makes the experience of connecting more engaging than ever.

10.2-inch Display Features True Tone for an Enhanced Viewing Experience

For the first time, True Tone comes to the beautiful 10.2-inch Retina display on iPad. A new, upgraded ambient light sensor enables True Tone, which adjusts screen content to the color temperature of a room. True Tone on the new iPad makes images appear more natural and provides users with a more comfortable viewing experience in all lighting environments.

Double the Storage to Do More on the Go

With its thin and light design and cellular option,³ iPad gives users the freedom to work, learn, play, and connect at home or on the go. The new iPad starts with 64GB of storage — double the storage of the previous generation — offering even more value to iPad users. A 256GB option is also available for users looking to store more apps, games, photos, and videos.

Even More Intuitive iPad Experience with iPadOS 15

iPadOS 15 brings new features that take advantage of the unique capabilities of iPad, helping users be more productive, and taking the versatility of iPad even further:

• Multitasking is even more intuitive, making features like Split View and Slide Over easier to discover, easier to use, and more powerful.
• New widget layouts for the Home Screen and App Library offer simple ways to personalize the iPad experience and organize apps.
• Notes goes systemwide with Quick Note, and offers new ways to collaborate and organize, whether typing or writing with Apple Pencil.
• The Translate app comes to iPad with new features that make conversations easier and more natural, including Auto Translate and face-to-face view.
• Live Text uses on-device intelligence to recognize text in a photo and allow users to take action. For example, a snapshot of a storefront may reveal a phone number and the option to place a call.
• Focus lets users automatically filter notifications based on what they’re currently doing, such as working, reading, exercising, playing games, or sleeping.
• FaceTime calls feel more natural with spatial audio and a new Portrait mode. And now, Group FaceTime provides the option to display participants in same-size tiles in a new grid view.

iPad and the Environment

The new iPad features 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure — marking a major milestone where every single model in the iPad lineup now has a 100 percent recycled aluminum enclosure. iPad also uses 100 percent recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board, and 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in the magnets in the enclosure.

Today, Apple is carbon neutral for global corporate operations, and by 2030, plans to have net zero climate impact across the entire business, which includes manufacturing supply chains and all product life cycles. This means that every Apple device sold, from component manufacturing, assembly, transport, customer use, charging, all the way through recycling and material recovery, will be 100 percent carbon neutral.

Pricing and Availability

• The new iPad is available to order beginning today on apple.com/store and in the Apple Store® app in 28 countries and regions, including the US, with availability beginning Friday, September 24.
• Wi-Fi models of iPad are available with a starting price of $329 (US), and Wi-Fi + Cellular models start at $459 (US), in silver and space gray finishes. The new iPad starts with 64GB of storage — double the storage of the previous generation. A 256GB option is also available.
• iPadOS 15, the powerful operating system designed specifically for iPad, is available beginning Monday, September 20, and ships for free with the new iPad. iPadOS 15 will be available as a free software update for iPad mini 4 and later, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, and all iPad Pro models.
• Apple Pencil (1st generation), available for purchase separately, is compatible with iPad (9th generation) for $99 (US).
• Smart Keyboard for iPad is available for purchase separately for $159 (US) with layouts for over 30 languages, including simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish.
• Smart Cover® for iPad is available for $49 (US) in black, white, and English lavender.
• Customers can buy any Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad model directly from apple.com/store or at an Apple Store and get up to $200 (US) back from T-Mobile/Sprint or Verizon with activation. Terms apply. For eligibility requirements and more details see apple.com/shop/buy-ipad. Customers can also trade in their current iPad and get credit toward a new one.
• Engrave iPad with a meaningful mix of emoji, text, and numbers, all for free, at apple.com/store or in the Apple Store app.
• Apple provides customers with a number of services in store and online that make its retail experience uniquely Apple. With personalized support and advice from Apple Specialists, convenient delivery and pickup options, free engraving, and special ways to save with Apple’s carrier offers and great trade-in values, Apple ensures the best way to buy Apple products is from Apple Store locations and apple.com/store.

¹ Battery life varies by use and configuration.

² Testing conducted by Apple in August 2021 using preproduction iPad (9th generation) systems with the Apple A13 Bionic chip, as well as production Qualcomm SDM 429-based Android tablet systems with the latest version of Android 11 available at the time of testing, and production Intel Celeron N4000-based Chromebook systems with the latest version of Chrome OS 92 available at the time of testing. Best-selling systems are based on publicly available sales data over the last 12 months. Tested with common tasks in commercial applications and select industry-standard benchmarks. Performance depends on device settings, usage, environment, and many other factors. Performance tests are conducted using specific systems and reflect the approximate performance of iPad.

³ Wireless plan and coverage are required. Speeds will vary. Check with carriers for details.

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Apple’s five software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple Newsroom (www.apple.com/newsroom), or call Apple’s Media Helpline at (408) 974-2042.

© 2021 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPad, Retina, True Tone, Center Stage, Apple Pencil, Smart Keyboard, iPadOS, FaceTime, Apple Store, and Smart Cover are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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