Hardware

Published on September 16th, 2020 | by Adrian Gunning

Apple introduces eighth-generation iPad with a huge jump in performance 

Apple today introduced the eighth-generation iPad, featuring the powerful A12 Bionic chip that brings the Neural Engine to the entry iPad for the first time. Starting at just RRP A$499 inc. GST, the upgrade packs even more value into the most popular and affordable iPad, featuring a stunning 10.2-inch Retina display, advanced cameras, and great all-day battery life.1 Customers can order iPad today, with availability beginning Friday, 18 September.

“We’re excited to offer customers an even faster and more powerful experience with the eighth-generation iPad,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “With its beautiful 10.2-inch Retina display, the performance boost from the A12 Bionic, great cameras, and so much more, the new iPad is an incredible value at a time when, more than ever, our customers need powerful and versatile ways to work, play, learn, and connect with loved ones.”

A12 Bionic with Nural Engine Delivers the Most Powerful Entry iPad Experience Ever

The eighth-generation iPad with the A12 Bionic chip delivers a huge leap in performance, with 40 percent faster CPU performance and twice the graphics capability.2 This makes the new iPad up to two times faster than the top-selling Windows laptop, up to three times faster than the top-selling Android tablet and up to six times faster than the top-selling Chromebook. For the first time on iPad, A12 Bionic introduces the Neural Engine for next-level machine learning capabilities, including people occlusion and motion tracking in augmented reality (AR) apps, enhanced photo editing, Siri performance, and more.

In combination with A12 Bionic, the power of iPadOS, and Apple Pencil (1st generation),3 the new iPad is perfect for drawing, note-taking, marking up documents, and more. With its thin and light design, iPad is portable and durable with ultra-fast wireless performance, support for gigabit-class LTE connectivity,4 and all-day battery life, giving customers the freedom to work, learn, and connect at home or on the go. With Touch ID, unlocking iPad is simple and secure using just a finger, to keep important information safe.

Distinct iPad Experience with iPadOS 14

iPadOS 14 is available beginning Thursday, 17 September, for all supported iPad models including the new eighth-generation iPad. iPadOS 14 brings new features and designs that take advantage of the unique capabilities of iPad, its large Multi-Touch display, and versatile accessories. iPadOS 14 further integrates Apple Pencil into the iPad experience for better note-taking capabilities and new ways to work with handwritten notes. When taking notes on iPad, Smart Selection uses on-device machine learning to distinguish handwriting from drawings, so handwritten text can easily be selected, cut, and pasted into another document as typed text using the same familiar gestures. Shape recognition allows users to draw shapes that are made geometrically perfect and snap right into place when adding diagrams and illustrations in Notes. Data detectors work seamlessly with handwritten text, recognising phone numbers, dates, addresses, and links, making it easy for users to perform actions like tapping a handwritten number to make a call.

iPadOS 14 also brings Scribble to iPad, allowing Apple Pencil users to handwrite directly in any text field, making actions like replying to a quick iMessage or searching in Safari fast and easy — all without ever needing to put Apple Pencil away. Scribble uses on-device machine learning to convert handwriting into typed text in real time, so writing is always kept private and secure.

iPadOS 14 makes the iPad experience even more distinctive and powerful in other ways, including:

  • All-new compact designs for incoming FaceTime and phone calls, Siri interactions, and Search to help users stay focused on the task at hand.
  • Universal Search to quickly find practically anything, from locating and launching apps, to accessing contacts, files, and information, to getting answers to common questions about people or places.
  • New sidebars for many apps including Photos and Files, and streamlined toolbars that consolidate controls into a single place, making them more useful than ever.
  • Beautifully redesigned widgets that present timely information at a glance right on the Home Screen.

Most Environmentally Friendly, Most Advanced iPad Lineup Ever

The new eighth-generation iPad is designed to be environmentally friendly and supports Apple’s plan to become carbon neutral by 2030. iPad uses a 100 percent recycled aluminium enclosure and 100 percent recycled tin for the solder on its main logic board, remains free of harmful substances, is highly energy efficient, and uses wood fibre packaging that is recycled or comes from responsibly managed forests.

The new eighth-generation iPad joins the new iPad Air, the powerful iPad Pro, and iPad mini to form the most advanced iPad lineup ever. With support for Apple Pencil, best-in-class performance, advanced displays, and all-day battery life, whether customers prioritise portability, power, or price, there’s an iPad for everyone. Learn more about the iPad family at apple.com/au/ipad/compare.

Pricing and Availability

  • The new iPad (8th generation) is available to order starting today on apple.com/au and in the Apple Store app in more than 25 countries and regions, including Australia. iPad will be available beginning Friday, 18 September, with a starting price of RRP A$499 inc. GST for the Wi-Fi model and RRP A$699 inc. GST for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model, and comes in silver, space grey, and gold finishes in 32GB and 128GB configurations.
  • iPadOS 14, the powerful operating system designed specifically for iPad, ships for free with the new eighth-generation iPad and new iPad Air and will be available as a free software update Thursday, 17 September, for all iPad Pro models, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, and iPad mini 4 and later.
  • Apple Pencil (1st generation), available for purchase separately, is compatible with iPad (8th generation) for RRP A$145 inc. GST.
  • Smart Keyboard for iPad is available for purchase separately for RRP A$235 inc. GST with layouts for over 30 languages, including simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish.
  • Smart Covers for iPad are available for RRP A$79 inc. GST in black, white, and three new seasonal colours including deep navy, cyprus green, and pink citrus.
  • Education pricing for individuals, including current and newly accepted university students and their parents, as well as faculty, staff, and homeschool teachers of all grade levels, is available starting from RRP A$469 inc. GST for iPad (8th generation). The first-generation Apple Pencil is also available for RRP A$129 inc. GST and Smart Keyboard for RRP A$219 inc. GST. For more information, visit apple.com/au-hed/shop.
  • Apple One is the easiest way to get many Apple subscription services at a great value, so customers can choose the one plan that is right for them or their whole family. Customers can sign up for Apple One starting this spring.
  • For a limited time, customers who purchase a new iPad, iPhone, Apple TV, Mac, or iPod touch can enjoy one year of Apple TV+ for free.5
  • Customers looking for convenient, contactless service are able to find many of the same shopping and support services from apple.com/au. Customers can chat with an Apple Specialist and get shopping help, choose monthly financing options, trade in eligible devices, and get Genius support and no-contact delivery. In-store pickup is also available. Customers are encouraged to check apple.com/au/retail for more information on the health and safety measures in place, and the services available at their local store.
  • Customers in Australia can trade in their eligible device for an Apple Gift Card or credit toward their purchase. If the device isn’t eligible for credit, Apple will recycle it for free.6
  • When customers buy online from Apple, they can make iPad their own with free engraving.
  • Customers can get up to two years of expert technical support and accidental damage coverage with AppleCare+.
  • Every customer who buys iPad from Apple can enjoy a free Online Personal Session with an Apple Specialist to help them explore and discover all the amazing things they can do with their new iPad.


About the Author

agun@impulsegamer.com'

Adrian lives in Melbourne Australia and has a huge passion for gaming, technology and pop culture. He recently finished his a Bachelor of Journalism and is currently focusing on games journalism. When not writing and playing video games, Adrian can be found in Comics 'R' Us debating the pros of the DC Universe and cons of the Marvel Universe.


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