The iPad 2022 finally adds USB-C connectivity to Apple’s entry-level tablet, joining the iPad mini 6, iPad Air, and iPad Pro that have been using the connector for some time. But, as it turns out, the change comes with a few caveats — including Lightning Layer data transfer speeds.
As The Verge points out, the new iPad‘s USB-C port is limited to USB 2.0-class data transfer speeds. That’s about 480 Mbps, the same as Lightning, and pretty paltry compared to the 5 Gbps speed offered by the iPad mini 6’s USB 3.1 port. The iPad Air also offers 10 Gbps data transfer, while the iPad Pro with the Thunderbolt M1 can reach 40 Gbps.
YouTuber Max Tech also did their own comparison, stating that it took 10 minutes and 27 seconds to transfer a 25GB video file from an SSD to an iPad 2022. Meanwhile, the same file takes a minute to transfer to his Mac and the latest iPad Air. Mike Rumor has also conducted its own tests and confirmed the data transfer rate.
Of course, the changes to USB-C aren’t just superficial. First, Max Tech is able to connect the new iPad to a portable SSD, which cannot be connected to the 2021 model via Lightning. Again, our own testing shows that the USB-C connector does seem to reduce charging times.
We found that the new iPad successfully charged to 26% in 30 minutes, while the 2021 model only hit 19% in the same time. It’s a small boost, to be sure, but it’s still an upgrade. Also, while we all want batteries to last longer, faster charging speeds are very useful.
That said, it’s rather a shame Apple didn’t upgrade the ports to USB 3.0. Considering the iPad 2021 starts at $329 from day one, and the new model starts at $449, we expect Apple to do better.
There are of course other upgrades compared to the iPad 2021. They include the A14 Bionic processor, Wi-Fi 6 and 5G support, a larger 10.9-inch display, and a 12MP (f/1.8) rear camera. But that’s still a glaring oversight, another example of only supporting the first-generation Apple Pencil.
This is the case with entry-level iPads, so one might not care too much about slow data transfer speeds. However, anyone who cares about being able to move large files in and out of a tablet might want to look elsewhere — and pay more for the privilege. At least you can plug in the iPad 2022 with the same cable as pretty much every other non-iPhone device, which is definitely something to celebrate.
>>>>>>>>>>>iPad battery