Apple has just launched its latest tablet, the 8th Gen iPad at its Time Flies event alongside the Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch SE, and the new iPad Air. The 8th Gen iPad features a 10.2-inch Retina display that supports stylus input courtesy of the Apple Pencil, complete with pressure sensitivity and tilt detection.

It is powered by the Hexa-core A12 Bionic chip that delivers 40% higher processing power and 2x jump in the graphics prowess. It is the first time that the vanilla iPad is using the company’s Neural Engine chip. And now that we are doing comparisons, Apple claims that the 8th Gen iPad is 2x faster than the top-selling Windows laptop, 3x faster than the top-selling Android tablet, and 6x faster than the top-selling Chromebook. 

The design remains unchanged. You still get thick bezels all around, and the Touch ID sensor embedded in the home button is here to stay as well. It still features a Lightning port, while the new iPad Air has moved to the USB Type-C port.

You get a single rear as well as front camera, and there is no fancy LiDAR sensor at the back, one that made its debut on the iPad Pro earlier this year. It uses 100% recycled aluminum enclosure and is free of harmful substances when it comes to their packaging as well. Apple is squarely targeting students with the new iPad, during times when home learning has given a huge push to the sale of tablets.

Apple’s latest affordable iPad runs iPadOS 14 that introduces new stylus capabilities such as one-tap quick action, shape recognition, smart selection, and the ability to copy and paste hand-written text as a txt file.

Talking about software, iPadOS 14 will be released tomorrow for older compatible iPads, while the 8th Gen iPad will ship with it. It works with the full-sized smart keyboard as well as third-party keyboard cases offered by the likes of Logitech. The 8th Gen iPad starts at $329 and can be ordered starting today, while shipments begin this Friday. 

In India, the 8th Gen iPad comes with a starting price of Rs. 29,900 for the Wi-Fi model, while the cellular variant will set you back by Rs. 41,900. It can be picked up in 32GB and 128GB storage variants, and comes in silver, space grey, and gold color options. Apple says the device will be available soon from Apple Authorized Resellers in the country, but hasn’t provided a concrete date yet.