Device hub · Tablets · Desk research
iPad (9th generation)
iPad (9th generation) is the September 2021 $329 leftover 10.2-inch Retina slate: A13, Lightning, Home-button Touch ID, Pencil 1st gen.
Product images
Placeholder — OEM press not licensediPad (9th generation)
Credit: GadgetShowdown labeled placeholder (not an Apple asset). View official product image
Studio still only. Manufacturer press JPEGs are not hosted here. See the official product page for the real product photo.
Placeholder — OEM press not licensediPad (9th generation)
Credit: GadgetShowdown labeled placeholder (not an Apple asset). View official product image
Studio still only. Manufacturer press JPEGs are not hosted here. See the official product page for the real product photo.
In short
iPad (9th generation) is the September 2021 $329 leftover 10.2-inch Retina slate: A13, Lightning, Home-button Touch ID, Pencil 1st gen. Buy leftover if you still want the last Lightning / headphone-jack base iPad. Skip it if you want USB-C — that is 10th gen, then iPad (A16).
Who it is for
- Leftover / refurb shoppers who still want a Home-button 10.2-inch iPad with Lightning, a 3.5 mm jack, and Smart Connector.
- People comparing 9th gen vs 10th gen vs iPad (A16) on connector (Lightning vs USB-C), radio (Wi-Fi 5 / LTE vs later USB-C 5G), and Pencil generation.
- Classrooms that still stock first-generation Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard.
Who should skip it
- Anyone who wants the current base iPad. That is iPad (A16) at /tablets/ipad-a16/.
- Buyers who want USB-C, landscape Center Stage as the default front camera, or 5G. That starts at iPad (10th generation).
- People who want Pencil Pro, Pencil (2nd generation), hover, or ProMotion.
Key differentiators
- Last Lightning base iPad on Support 111898: Lightning connector, Lightning to USB-C cable in the box, 3.5 mm headphone jack, Home button / Touch ID.
- A13 Bionic + Neural Engine. Support does not print a CPU/GPU core split or a RAM figure — do not invent 6-core / 3GB from a teardown.
- Pencil (1st generation) only on the display block. Smart Keyboard (Newsroom), not Magic Keyboard Folio.
- Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) 2x2 up to 866 Mbps; Bluetooth 4.2. Cellular SKUs are Gigabit-class LTE (model A2603), not 5G.
Caveats
- Every nits and battery-hour line is an Apple claim. GadgetShowdown has not lab-tested this iPad.
- RAM is not on Support 111898 — keep the tablets-v1 memory key and write “not published.”
- The Support display block we pulled does not list P3, full lamination, or antireflective coating. Do not copy those Air rows.
- Apple product photography is not hosted here.
Tablet-category specs
Same rows on every tablet page (iPad Pro / Air / mini, Galaxy Tab S, Pixel Tablet).
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Display size | 10.2-inch (diagonal) Retina; LED-backlit IPS Multi-Touch | Apple Support 111898 |
| Display type | Retina; LED-backlit IPS Multi-Touch (not Liquid Retina — that name starts on later base iPads) | Apple Support 111898 |
| Display resolution | 2160 × 1620 at 264 ppi | Apple Support 111898 |
| Peak brightness (OEM) | 500 nits | Apple Support 111898 |
| Refresh rate | Not published | Apple Support 111898 |
| Display features | True Tone; fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. P3 / full lamination / antireflective coating / hover are not on the Support 111898 display block we pulled. | Apple Support 111898 |
| Sold size(s) | One size: iPad (9th generation), 10.2-inch | Apple Newsroom, 2021-09-14 |
| Dimensions | 250.6 × 174.1 × 7.5 mm | Apple Support 111898 |
| Weight | Wi-Fi 487 g (1.07 lb); Wi-Fi + Cellular 498 g (1.09 lb) | Apple Support 111898 |
| Finishes | Silver; Space Gray | Apple Support 111898; Newsroom |
| Chassis / enclosure | Not published | Apple Support 111898 |
| Chip / processor | A13 Bionic chip; Neural Engine. Support 111898 does not print a CPU/GPU. | Apple Support 111898 |
| Memory (RAM) | Not published | Apple Support 111898 |
| On-device storage | 64GB or 256GB (no microSD). Newsroom: 64GB start is double the previous-generation starting storage. | Apple Support 111898; Newsroom 2021-09-14 |
| Operating system | iPadOS (Apple Support names the OS family). Newsroom at launch highlighted iPadOS 15. Confirm the current signed iPadOS on apple.com/ipados — do not freeze 2021 launch software. | Apple Support 111898; Newsroom 2021-09-14 |
| Pencil / stylus | Supports Apple Pencil (1st generation). Neither Pencil is in the box. Pencil (2nd generation), Pencil (USB-C), hover, and Pencil Pro are not on the 111898 display block. | Apple Support 111898 |
| Keyboard / cover (OEM) | Smart Keyboard (Newsroom). Smart Connector on the chassis. Sold separately. Do not write Magic Keyboard Folio onto this leftover Home-button iPad. | Apple Newsroom, 2021-09-14; Support buttons/connectors |
| Biometrics | Touch ID in the Home button | Apple Support 111898 |
| Speakers | Stereo speakers (Support wording — not “landscape stereo”) | Apple Support 111898 |
| Microphones | Dual microphones for calls, video recording, and audio recording | Apple Support 111898 |
| Cellular | Wi-Fi models: none. Wi-Fi + Cellular: Gigabit-class LTE (model A2603); nano-SIM + eSIM. Not 5G — later 10th gen / A16 sheets add 5G. | Apple Support 111898 |
| Wireless (Wi-Fi / Bluetooth) | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) with 2x2 MIMO; speeds up to 866 Mbps; Bluetooth 4.2 | Apple Support 111898 |
| Ports / expansion | Lightning connector; 3.5 mm headphone jack; Smart Connector; SIM tray on cellular SKUs. External display: up to 1080p through Lightning Digital AV / Lightning to VGA adapters (sold separately). | Apple Support 111898 |
| Rear camera | 8MP Wide, ƒ/2.4; 1080p video at 25/30 fps (not 4K on this sheet) | Apple Support 111898 |
| Front camera | 12MP Ultra Wide, 122° field of view, ƒ/2.4; Center Stage; 1080p video; Retina Flash | Apple Support 111898; Newsroom 2021-09-14 |
| Battery (OEM) | 32.4Wh. Up to 10 hours Wi-Fi web or video; cellular models up to 9 hours web on cellular | Apple Support 111898 |
| Charging (OEM) | Lightning to USB-C Cable and 20W USB-C Power Adapter in the box. Support: charging via power adapter or USB-C to computer. | Apple Support 111898 |
| Durability / ingress | Not published | Apple Support 111898 |
| Location / GNSS | All models: digital compass, Wi-Fi, iBeacon. Cellular models add GPS/GNSS | Apple Support 111898 |
| US MSRP (launch) | Wi-Fi $329; Wi-Fi + Cellular $459 (US, 14 September 2021). 64GB start; 256GB also listed. | Apple Newsroom, 2021-09-14 |
| Price band | Previous entry Apple tablet ($329–$459+ US launch before Pencil/Keyboard) | Derived from Apple launch prices |
| Announced | 14 September 2021 | Apple Newsroom |
| Availability | Order from 14 September 2021; Apple said stores from Friday 24 September 2021. Still sold beside 10th gen at the October 2022 10th-gen launch ($329 / $459). Superseded as current base iPad by iPad (A16) on 4 March 2025. | Apple Newsroom 2021-09-14; 2021-09-24 availability; 2022-10-18 10th-gen post |
iPad (9th generation) extras
Unique to this line or SKU. Other tablets keep the first table aligned and swap this extras list.
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Last Lightning base iPad | Lightning connector + Lightning to USB-C cable in the box + 3.5 mm headphone jack. 10th gen moves to USB-C and drops the Home button. | Apple Support 111898 |
| Home button / Touch ID | Home button with Touch ID on the front bezel — not the later top-button Touch ID. | Apple Support 111898 |
| In the box | iPad (9th generation); Lightning to USB-C Cable; 20W USB-C Power Adapter | Apple Support 111898 |
| Leftover predecessor | iPad (8th generation) is live at /tablets/ipad-8th-generation/ — A12, 32/128GB, 1.2MP 720p front camera, Gold still listed. | Apple Support 118451 |
| Later leftover sibling | iPad (10th generation) is live at /tablets/ipad-10th-generation/ — USB-C, landscape Center Stage, A14, 10.86-inch Liquid Retina. | Apple Support 111840 |
Overview
iPad (9th generation) is the September 2021 Home-button 10.2-inch base iPad — the last Lightning model in that line. Current base sell-in is iPad (A16). This hub stays so leftover and classroom shoppers, and the vs mesh, have an OEM first table instead of mixing Lightning ports with later USB-C A16 language.
We have not used this iPad. Newsroom “most popular iPad” and “all-day battery” stay labeled as Apple claims.
Display, chip, Pencil
Retina IPS 10.2-inch, 2160 × 1620 / 264 ppi, 500 nits, True Tone, oleophobic coating. No ProMotion, no P3/lamination/AR on 111898. A13 Bionic + Neural Engine; RAM not published. Pencil is 1st generation only.
Ports and radios
Lightning + 3.5 mm jack + Smart Connector. Wi-Fi 5 / Bluetooth 4.2. Cellular is LTE, not 5G. External video is 1080p over Lightning adapters — do not copy later 4K/60 USB-C rows.
Battery
32.4Wh; 10 hours Wi-Fi / 9 hours cellular. 20W USB-C adapter + Lightning to USB-C cable in the box.
How this page compares on a desk (not a vs-page)
| Desk fact (OEM) | iPad (9th gen) | iPad (10th gen) | iPad (A16) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 10.2-inch Retina / 2160×1620 | 10.86-inch Liquid Retina | 10.86-inch Liquid Retina |
| Chip | A13 (cores not on sheet) | A14 6-core / 4-core GPU | A16 5-core CPU / 4-core GPU |
| Port | Lightning + 3.5 mm | USB-C 2.0 480Mb/s | USB-C 2.0 480Mb/s |
| Pencil | 1st gen | USB-C + 1st gen | USB-C + 1st gen |
| US Wi-Fi start | $329 (Sep 2021) | $449 (Oct 2022) | $349 (Mar 2025) |
Sources
- Apple Newsroom — Apple’s most popular iPad delivers even more performance and advanced features — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple Newsroom — iPhone 13 lineup, new iPad mini, and ninth-generation iPad arrive worldwide — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple Support — iPad (9th generation) tech specs — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Is 9th generation still the current base iPad?
No. Current base iPad on 19 September 2026 is iPad (A16). 10th generation (October 2022) is the leftover USB-C sibling.
USB-C or Lightning?
Lightning. Support 111898 lists a Lightning connector and a Lightning to USB-C cable in the box. USB-C starts on iPad (10th generation).
How much RAM?
Not published on Support 111898. Do not invent 3GB from a teardown.
5G?
No. Cellular SKUs on 111898 are Gigabit-class LTE (model A2603) with nano-SIM + eSIM.
Official product page: iPad (9th generation). Tech specs: iPad (9th generation) specs.