Review of Apple iPad 9.7 (2018) tablet

Against the background of modern mobile gadgets and devices, tablets are perhaps the least in demand, since many users question their functionality. At the same time, people still need such devices: you can use them to "climb" on social networks regardless of the location of stationary electrical wiring, read a book, watch a movie and play, and also turn on cartoons for your child on the road or, if you wish, even work. Therefore, one of the most popular manufacturers of "smart" technology Apple seeks to renew interest in tablet computers, regularly releasing budget novelties. The most recent is the Apple iPad 9.7 (2018).

Device complete set

When buying an Apple iPad 9.7 (2018), the user receives a tablet packed in a compact cardboard box, designed in the manufacturer's corporate style. It comes with:

• network adapter;
• lightning cable;
• user manual and warranty card.

Also, if the LTE version is purchased, the package will include a special clip for removing the SIM patch.

Device design

Despite the fact that Apple's new 9.7-inch tablet released in 2018 has a number of significant advantages over previous versions, its design has been retained in the same familiar form for the user. The device is produced in three colors: gold, silver and gray, and its appearance provides:

• dimensions: length - 240 mm, width - 169.5 mm and thickness - 7.5 mm;
• metal body with beveled edges;
• volume control and a SIM card tray on the side;
• Power button and 3.5mm headphone or headset jack on top of the device
• touch button "Home" with an integrated scanner Touch ID at the base of the device;
• two speakers at the bottom, between which there is a Lightning connector.

Please be aware that this model does not have a Smart Connector for docking, keyboard, and other accessories. This is possible with the 9.7 inch Pro tablet.

Tablet specifications

Screen

Speaking about the screen of the iPad model, it is clear from the name that its diagonal is 9.7 inches, which is ideal for comfortable viewing of videos, reading books and playing games, both at home and on the road. The manufacturer has endowed the display of the device with a modern IPS-matrix with a resolution of 2038 by 1536 pixels, LED backlighting and a low density of 264 ppi. Most importantly, such average characteristics do not have much effect on the quality of the images displayed.

The screen of Apple iPad 9.7 (2018) provides for the presence of an oleophobic coating, but it is not able to fully cope with its protective function and allows you to leave fingerprints on the display. Not essential, but a disadvantage can also be called the presence of an air gap between the matrix and the display glass, which creates the effect of not feeling the screen when using the sensor.

Unlike the PRO version, the 6th generation Apple iPad 9.7 does not have special sensors that allow you to adjust the color of the picture to the current lighting (TrueTone function). Nevertheless, the image on the screen is always bright and clear, although it fades a little in the sun, but this does not interfere with watching cartoons, films, photographs, as well as reading books and visiting sites on the Internet.

Camera features

As a rule, tablet manufacturers pay the least attention to the quality of camera performance, especially if these are inexpensive devices, which include the Apple iPad 9.7 (2018). The fact is that for a photo shoot, users are more actively using a phone and a smartphone, which is more compact than a tablet computer and is equipped with a large number of special functions.

This device model is equipped with two modules:

1. The rear (main) camera is 8 megapixels, with a resolution of 3264 by 2448 pixels, with a pixel size of 1.12 μm and an aperture of f / 2.4. Functionality: autofocus, continuous shooting, digital zoom, geotagging, HDR and panoramic shooting, face / smile detection, touch focus, exposure compensation and self-timer.
2. Front camera 1.2 megapixel with a focal length of 31 mm and an aperture of f / 2.2. Works only in normal mode, does not have face detection and LED flash.

It is enough to evaluate the characteristics of the tablet's cameras to understand how poorly it takes pictures, that is, the level of pictures obtained on the device is very low, especially if you take selfies. Nevertheless, during the day, in good weather and in normal natural light, you can get quite decent photos, no worse than on a smartphone, it is only important to adjust the appropriate brightness and sharpness in advance.

The highest camera performance of Apple iPad 9.7 (2018) is realized in the process of communication via Skype, Viber, WhatsApp and Facetime applications.

Also, the main camera of the tablet is capable of shooting decent 1080p videos at 30 FPS, which are much better than photos. In this mode, the only drawback is the lack of continuous focusing and changing the shooting resolution only through the settings window.

Interface and functionality

When deciding which company is better to buy a tablet, first of all, you should take a closer look at the Apple iPad, especially if the tablet software is the main choice among the selection criteria. Thus, the 9.7-inch device of 2018 provides the latest version of iOS 11.3, thanks to which it is equipped with a huge number of functional and entertainment applications.In turn, they are optimized for both the large screen and landscape mode. In addition, this tablet model supports splitting the display between two applications.

Hardware platform

Apple iPad 9.7 (2018) is powered by a modern 4-core A10 Fusion processor, clocked at 2.3 GHz. For comparison, the iPhone 7 works on a similar platform. Thanks to the powerful processor, the tablet always works without delays or freezes, maintains a smooth frame rate and provides the user with the ability to quickly navigate through applications and web browsers, which is especially convenient for active games. In terms of speed, the nimble 6th generation iPad is not inferior to almost anything the Pro version, with the exception of performing some resource-intensive tasks, for example, photo processing, which is a significant advantage for a budget price. The device is also equipped with a good graphics processor in the form of a 6-core PowerVR Series7XT Plus.

Memory status

Today, there are two versions of the 9.7-inch iPad 2018 on the market, these are tablets with built-in memory of 32 GB or 128 GB. When deciding how to choose the right device, you should decide in advance for what purpose it will be used - to browse the Internet or download applications and work with them. In addition, the budget device of 2018 provides 2 GB of RAM.

Communication and connections

As for the criterion for the availability of connections, then the manufacturers of iPad 9.7 (2018) decided to give the user the right to choose and release the tablet in two versions:

• provided only with Wi-Fi;
• with a full package of wireless communications: Wi-Fi, GPS and mobile communications.

In both cases, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) functions. Also, the device is equipped with Bluetooth 4.2. For comparison, the more expensive version - Pro provides a tray for installing a SIM card, but not for the purpose of connecting voice communication, but only for the operation of the mobile Internet.

Apple iPad 9.7 (2018) provides for the use of the Apple Pay application, but most often this option remains unclaimed. This is explained by the fact that it is quite uncomfortable to carry a tablet with you all the time and pay with it for goods and services, much better for this purpose a compact smartphone is suitable.

Sound and multimedia

Apple's new 2018 9.7-inch iPad is a high-quality and feature-rich media device that undoubtedly makes it popular among tablet users. The device is equipped with a 3.5 mm jack for connecting headphones without using additional adapters. The two speakers of the tablet are capable of producing clear sound without additional interference at any volume level. In general, the sound quality of the new iPad is no worse than that of modern iPone models.

As well as audio, video files are produced on the tablet without delay and with good sound. But, given the aspect ratio of the sides of the display 3: 2, when watching videos and movies in full screen mode, black bars appear at the top and bottom of the display, allowing you not to make the image stretched or stretched.

The 2018 Apple iPad does not have a built-in radio, so if you want to listen to your favorite radio station, you will have to use special Internet services. But on the tablet there are many applications for multimedia exploitation. One of them is Apple Music - a convenient service that allows you to listen to a large number of songs, as well as choose your favorite artist or album. The application is ready to offer not only audio, but also clips. In case the user is not satisfied with the service for some reason, you can use similar programs with streaming music, optimized for work with tablet devices.

Autonomy of work

One of the strengths of Apple tablets is undoubtedly powerful batteries, which explains the popularity of these devices among similar models from the best manufacturers of mobile equipment. A non-removable Li-lon 8827 mAh battery is responsible for the battery life in the iPad 9.7 (2018).Thanks to its large capacity, the tablet keeps charging for a long time even when performing demanding tasks at the maximum display brightness level. The autonomy of work in this position without recharging reaches 4.5 hours, which is a high indicator for devices with such a diagonal and screen resolution. During daily use of the tablet for viewing photos, videos and surfing the web, the battery will be charged for 8-10 hours of operation without a network. It is worth noting that the version with a SIM card "eats" the battery charge a little more actively.

Against the background of a powerful battery that allows the device to work for a long time in autonomous mode, the duration of the tablet charging process is negative. So, in order for the 6th generation Apple iPad 9.7 to boot up to 100%, you need to connect it to a stationary power supply for 4-4.5 hours.

Apple Pencil

A novelty in the Apple iPad 9.7 (2018) model, which distinguishes it from all previous tablets in this series, including the similar iPad in 2017, is the creation of a special sensor and support for the Apple Pensil stylus. Previously, such an application was installed by the manufacturer only on the Pro version. This is a voluminous service that provides, in addition to the pen itself for drawing on the screen, the function of multi-level pressure sensitivity and pen accounting.

Using the stylus, you can draw digital pictures, make various notes and notes, as well as sign electronic documents. The only thing is that the electronic pen itself is not included in the package and, if desired, you will have to purchase it separately.

Apple Pencil charges in two ways:

• Using the supplied adapter with Lightning connectors at both ends.
• By directly connecting peripherals directly to the Lightning port on iPad.

Those who wish to purchase a digital pen with a tablet should also take into account that difficulties may arise with its constant use due to the lack of a special mount on the device. Therefore, to move Apple Pencil with you, you will have to buy an additional accessory to store it.

The cost of Apple iPad 9.7 (2018)

First of all, speaking about the cost of the new iPad, it is worth noting that it is adequate and acceptable for budget users. However, there is one caveat - it depends on the version of the tablet, if you choose the one that is equipped with mobile communications and has more memory, then, accordingly, it will cost 1.5 times more than a device with Wi-Fi only. For September 2018, the average price for Apple iPad 9.7 (2018) is:

• iPad 2018 Wi-Fi: 32GB - 25,000 rubles, 128GB - 32,000 rubles;
• iPad 2018 Wi-Fi + Cellular: 32GB - 35,000 rubles, 128GB - 42,000 rubles.

Also, don't forget about the stylus, which is counted separately from the tablet. Today, its cost varies between 6,000-8,000 rubles.

Pros and cons of the model

• adequate price corresponding to the quality of the device;
• high performance provided by the installation of a modern 4-core A10 Fusion processor;
• durable body;
• powerful battery;
• Apple Pensil support;
• extensive software, thanks to the latest version of iOS3;
• the presence of a fingerprint scanner;
• the ability to choose an option for the amount of built-in memory and the presence of mobile communication (32 GB or 128 GB, with Wi-Fi, GPS and mobile communications or only Wi-Fi).

• low camera performance, depending on lighting conditions;
• high (not budget) price for a tablet, taking into account the presence of a SIM, maximum RAM and a stylus;
• long battery charging time;
• poor-quality ofleobny display coating and the presence of an air gap between the matrix and the glass;
• lack of radio.

Outcome

If we talk about tablets, then you should definitely take a closer look at Apple's iPads. Users who choose which model to buy can safely recommend the iPad 9.7 (2018), as it has many advantages that are so necessary for modern devices. True, the cost of the tablet cannot be called budget in the generally accepted sense of 25,000-42,000 rubles (depending on the amount of built-in memory and the availability of mobile communication).Nevertheless, for such a device with extensive functionality, high autonomy, good sound, modern hardware platform and the latest processor, like the iPhone 7, the price is acceptable and realistic.