iPad (10th generation) vs iPad (A16)

iPad (10th generation) was the 2022 redesign: the first all-screen base iPad, with no Home button, the front camera on the long edge and USB-C in place of Lightning. Apple announced it on 18 October 2022 and had it in stores on 26 October 2022. iPad (A16) replaced it on 4 March 2025, reached stores on 12 March 2025 and was still the base iPad on 19 September 2026. Apple didn’t touch the shape this time: both measure 248.6 × 179.5 × 7mm and weigh 477 grams with Wi-Fi, 481 with cellular.

The differences at a glance

Spec	iPad (10th generation)	iPad (A16)
Announced	18 October 2022; stores 26 October 2022	4 March 2025; stores 12 March 2025
US launch price	$449 Wi-Fi, $599 cellular (64GB)	$349 Wi-Fi, $499 cellular (128GB)
Storage	64GB, 256GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Chip	A14 Bionic: 6-core CPU, 4-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine	A16: 5-core CPU, 4-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory	Not published	Not published
Cellular	5G; nano-SIM and eSIM, data only; model A2757	5G; eSIM only; model A3355
Bluetooth	5.2	5.3
Front camera	Landscape 12MP Center Stage, f/2.4	Same, plus Retina Flash
External display	Resolution not published	One display up to 4K at 60Hz
Display	10.86-inch Liquid Retina, 2360 × 1640, 264 ppi, 500 nits	Same
Size and weight	248.6 × 179.5 × 7mm; 477g Wi-Fi, 481g cellular	Same
Apple Pencil	Pencil (USB-C); 1st generation with an adapter	Same
Port	USB-C at USB 2.0, up to 480Mb/s; Smart Connector	Same
Wireless	Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)	Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Battery	28.6Wh; up to 10 hours Wi-Fi, 9 hours cellular web	28.93Wh; same ratings
Rear camera	12MP Wide, f/1.8	Same
Colors	Silver, Blue, Pink, Yellow	Same
In the box	1m USB-C cable, 20-watt adapter	Same

More storage for less money

This is the change you’ll actually notice. The 10th generation came in 64GB or 256GB, with nothing in between. iPad (A16) comes in 128GB, 256GB or 512GB, with no 64GB or 1TB model; Apple pointed out at launch that the starting storage had doubled.

The price went the other way. The 10th generation launched at $449 for Wi-Fi and $599 with cellular, both with 64GB. The A16 launched at $349 and $499 with 128GB, so the newer iPad started cheaper and with twice the storage.

Five CPU cores instead of six

Counting cores gets this one backwards. The 10th generation’s A14 Bionic has a 6-core CPU; the A16 has a 5-core CPU. Both have a 4-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine. Apple says the A16 iPad is faster than the base iPad it replaced, and that’s Apple’s claim; there’s no benchmark beside it, and Apple doesn’t publish RAM for either.

Wi-Fi is Wi-Fi 6 on both. Bluetooth moves from 5.2 to 5.3.

The SIM tray is gone

The 10th generation’s cellular model, A2757, has a nano-SIM tray as well as eSIM, and Apple marks it data only. The A16’s cellular model, A3355, is eSIM only and isn’t compatible with a physical SIM. If you swap a plastic SIM between a phone and a tablet, the 10th generation is the one with the slot. If your carrier does eSIM, the A16 is fine, and its cellular model launched $100 below the older one. Only the cellular models of either have GPS.

What didn’t change

The screen is the same 10.86-inch Liquid Retina panel at 2360 × 1640 and 264 pixels per inch, rated 500 nits. Apple sold the 10th generation as the 10.9-inch iPad; measured as a rectangle, it’s 10.86 inches on both.

Pencil support matches: Apple Pencil (USB-C), or the 1st-generation Pencil with Apple’s adapter, and no Pencil Pro or hover on either. So does the port, USB-C at USB 2.0 speed (up to 480Mb/s) with a Smart Connector for a keyboard folio sold separately. For an external display, Apple rates the A16 at up to 4K and 60Hz.

Both have Touch ID, landscape stereo speakers and a 12MP Wide rear camera at f/1.8. The front cameras match too, a landscape 12MP Center Stage at f/2.4, with a Retina Flash added on the A16. Batteries are 28.6Wh and 28.93Wh with the same rating, up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi and 9 hours of cellular web. The colors are the same four, and both boxes hold a 1-meter USB-C cable and a 20-watt adapter. Apple puts the A16’s recycled content at 40 percent.

Price, new or used

Education pricing brought the A16 down to $329 and $479, and the 256GB and 512GB models cost more.

A used 10th generation only makes sense if it costs clearly less than a new A16 and 64GB will do, if it’s a 256GB model at a good price, or if you need the nano-SIM tray. Check the storage and the SIM type on any listing before you buy.

If you want Pencil Pro or a USB 3 port, neither base iPad has them: see iPad (A16) vs iPad Air (M4). For an 8.3-inch iPad, look at iPad mini (A17 Pro).