Apple iPad (10.2-inch

Which model this is

This is the iPad (8th generation), Apple’s entry-level tablet from 2020: the same 10.2-inch Retina screen, aluminum body and 32 GB or 128 GB storage as the 2019 model, but with the faster A12 Bionic chip. Colors are Silver, Space Gray and Gold, and you can buy it Wi-Fi only or with cellular data.

Apple publishes no model numbers or FCC identifiers on the specification page for this tablet, so identify it by generation and screen size rather than by part number. The Amazon listing for this model is ASIN B08KZ8GXK8.

Do not confuse it with the 7th-generation 2019 iPad, the 9th-generation 2021 iPad, or the iPad Air and Pro lines. The 2019 model shares the same design, screen size and storage, and the differences that matter are the chip, the accessories and the age of the design.

Screen, speed and battery

Tom’s Guide measured 484 nits of average brightness against Apple’s 500-nit claim, with 97% sRGB coverage and a Delta-E of 0.32, where 0 is perfect. A Delta-E of 0.32 sits close to that ideal.

The A12 Bionic is the reason to step up from the 2019 model: Geekbench 5 scores went from 1,429 to 2,685, while the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite managed 1,291 in the same test.

Battery life is where the tablet beats its own spec sheet. Apple claims up to 10 hours of web surfing on Wi-Fi and up to 9 hours on cellular. Tom’s Guide ran continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi for 12 hours 57 minutes, against 11 hours 58 minutes for the 2019 10.2-inch iPad and 12 hours 40 minutes for the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. CNET did not run a battery benchmark and reported a full day of mixed use on a charge instead.

Storage, stylus and what you give up

The 32 GB base is the first thing to check. Reviewers recommend the 128 GB version for anyone downloading many apps, and the step up adds $100. Software updates arrive through iPadOS releases.

Accessories are the second decision. This model takes a first-generation Apple Pencil and the older Apple Smart Keyboard through the Smart Connector. It does not take the second-generation Pencil or the Magic Keyboard, so a buyer who wants the newest stylus is looking at a different tablet.

The rest is 2020 design. CNET also found the screen cramped for two-app multitasking.

Accessories and running costs

Accessory cost matters more here than on most tablets. Apple priced its first-generation Pencil at $99 and the Apple Smart Keyboard or Logitech Combo Touch at $159 in the 2020 pricing Tom’s Guide recorded, so add one of those to the tablet cost if you want a stylus or a keyboard cover.

There is no subscription and no consumable to replace. The running cost of this tablet is apps and whatever accessories you add later, and the included 20 W USB-C adapter charges faster than the previous generation’s, according to Tom’s Guide.

Is it worth it?

At Apple’s 2020 launch price of $329 for the Wi-Fi model, the package is strong: an A12 Bionic, a 10.2-inch Retina screen, Pencil and Smart Keyboard support, and a battery that outlasts its claim. The Wi-Fi + Cellular model launched at $459 and the 128 GB version at $429. CNET notes the tablet often reaches about $300 at retail.

Above roughly $400, the 2020 iPad Air at $599 becomes the step-up if you need USB-C, a bigger screen or second-generation Pencil support.

Two things to weigh first. The 32 GB base is not enough for heavy use, and the accessories this tablet accepts are the older ones. If you want the newest Pencil today, buy a tablet that takes it.

Nobody has published a failure rate for this model, and no owner threads were reachable during research, so treat the durability picture as untested rather than proven.

Sources

Manufacturer:

• Apple iPad (8th generation) technical specifications (via Wayback Machine)

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

• No owner threads for this model were accessible during research, so owner experience is not covered in this review.