Apple iPad 9th Gen

Introduction

I don’t think I have written about iPads before. But I have an existing iPad Air 2 that I purchased spur-of-the-moment while I was on holiday in Florida. I got the 128GB model too. Just because I could no reason. Before that I had a 64GB iPad 2 and again, there was nothing wrong with it when I replaced it.

I mainly use my iPad for entertainment. Not so much in terms of gaming, but I use it for watching screaming services such as Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video. I do also use it occasionally for web browsing, email and calendars. So taking this into consideration, I am a light iPad user.

As some of you may know from my previous posts. I freelance as a theatrical lighting designer and have recently taken the plunge to go completely paperless. I have been borrowing my partner’s iPad Pro (10.5″) and her Apple Pencil to digitally mark up my scripts and other paperwork. I fine the experience to be very useful and I no-longer have scrappy paperwork. However, I did start to think that I would want my own iPad that supports the pencil. Also I started to notice that the battery was not what it used to be.

Choice

The line up of iPads these days is quite strong. However due to price range the pros where off the table right away. I looked very closely at the current iPad Air. It features the same rounded design as the pro and has a similar screen. I very much liked the design and aesthetics. But the £579 starting price tag. Not quite sure if it was worth it, considering that its nearly £300 over the standard iPad.

I also looked at the iPad mini 4. But this was just a little small for my digital markup.

I then looked at the iPad 9th gen. It features the classic iPad design that we are all familiar with. But has the new chip and support for the Apple Pencil and keyboards. I decided to go with the 9th gen. I did not need the fancy features that the Pro offers and the Air is just a little bit over priced for what it is. I decided to max out the storage at 256GB.

Accessories

As previously mentioned, I wanted the Apple Pencil. Due to the 9th gen only supporting the first gen pencil. This is the only option I could choose.

I also knew that I did not want any of the keyboards that Apple and their 3rd parties offer. As I very much would rather type on my MacBook Pro.

Buying

I also purchased this iPad spur-of-the-moment so I went to my local Apple store and purchased it there and then. No complications or issues. After a few days I did re-think and I did purchase Apple Care for it too.

Conclusion

I am so far enjoying the 9th gen. It is very snappy and fast to work with. Battery life is good, as to be expected with a new iPad. I just wish that it featured the newer rounded design of the other iPads. However, if you are using this iPad for personal use or light business. It is a very well-suited iPad and very good value for money. However it is very disappointing that it does not support the 2nd generation of Apple Pencil. Also the lack of FaceID is a shame but does not change my opinions of this product.

9th, Apple, gen, iOS, iPad, iPad 9th Gen, ipadOS, Pencil

Apple, Hardware, Tech

January 26, 2022