iPad 8 vs iPad 7: Should you upgrade?

Many iPad 7 owners wondered if the new iPad 8 was worth upgrading to after Apple released it. The 8th and 7th Generation iPads are identical. However, we discovered some interesting results when we took a look at the inside of the iPad 8. This iPad 8 vs iPad7 face-off allows you to compare the new king on our best tablet lists to its predecessor.

Both tablets run iPadOS14 so you can get some really cool new features like Scribble or widgets. Did our iPad 2020 Review prove that this slate is worthy of our $329 investment?

• The Best Tablets To Buy Now
• Checking out Apple’s new iPad OS 14 in hands-on mode

To answer this question, we have put these tablets against each other in an eight-round match-up to see how far the iPad has come in the past year. This is how the iPad 8 is compared to the iPad 7.

iPad 8 vs. iPad 7.

iPad 8 vs iPad 7. Price and Value

The iPad 8 and 7 start at $329. They are sold at Apple and other retailers, while the iPad 7 is only available at Amazon. As sellers attempt to clear stock, the iPad 7th Generation will likely see more frequent discounts. For example, the $299 silver iPad (32GB/WiFi only) is currently available on Amazon.

The iPad 8 will likely be available at a sale price. Amazon Prime Day 2020 Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the iPad 7 were big holidays shopping seasons last year.

With cellular connectivity, the iPad 8 is $459. You can also upgrade to 128GB storage for $100.

While both tablets are solidly priced, we still hope Apple will release a tablet under $300. The iPad 8 is $299 with an education discount.

iPad 8 vs iPad 7. Design

The new iPad is identical to the 7th-generation iPad that it replaces. The new iPad and the 7th-generation iPad have a 10.2-inch Retina display and a 9.8x6x0.29-inch body. They are available in the three standard Apple device colors, silver, space gray, and gold. If you are looking for thinner bezels at iPad Pro costs, Apple offers the iPad Air4.

The iPad 8’s screen is slightly brighter. The screen of the iPad 8 was rated at maximum of 484 nits by our colorimeter, while that of the iPad 7 reached a maximum output of 450 nits. Both tablets should offer a similar experience when you watch movies or shows.

iPad 8 vs iPad 7. Performance

We now see the actual changes to the iPad 8’s hood. Apple has finally replaced the A10 Fusion CPU (it was released in September 2016), and instead, it introduced the A12 Bionic chip which is half the age and will be available in September 2018.

Apple claims that the A12 chip allows the iPad 8 to have 40% faster CPU performance than the iPad 7, but benchmarks show Apple is being modest.

The iPad 8 scored a 2,685 on the Geekbench 5 multicore general performance benchmark. This is almost twice the iPad 7’s 1,429.

We were impressed by the speed with which the Mortal Kombat, Sayonara Wild Hearts and Pixelmator games ran on the iPad 8. However, I noticed that the iPad 7 could have been a little faster when I tested it.

iPad 8 vs iPad 7: Cameras

The iPad 8 has the same camera set that the iPad 7 did, starting with the 8MP wide rear camera (with an aperture of f/2.4) that supports Live Photos and HDR photos. Both have a 1.2MP FaceTime HD cam on the front.

there is a distinction, however, thanks to image processing help from the A12 Bionic chip & its Neural Engine — this was the first time that the iPad had the former component. During our testing, the iPad 8 handled natural light well, with no issues, even for long exposures. We also saw a lot of detail in flowers.

However, Zoom calls and Hangouts are not going to make a huge difference.

iPad 8 vs iPad 7. Apple Pencil & Keyboard

Both the iPad 8 and 7 have the same Apple accessories, the original Apple Pencil as well as the Smart Keyboard Folio. The Apple Pencil is still a great tool for drawing and notes, but it is not the best. The Apple Pencil can be paired to an iPad by removing the cap at the bottom of its stylus. You then plug it into the Lightning port on the iPad. This is how you charge your Pencil. However, the Pencil does not feel as reliable once it is plugged into the iPad.

It is a good idea to have a cup to keep the Pencil’s cap at your desk. This pencil is small and easy to lose due to its rounded edges. Apple should have found a way for the 2nd Generation Apple Pencil to work with the iPad. It snaps neatly onto the iPad Air 4, and iPad Pro thanks to magnets that allow pairing and charging. However, neither the entry-level iPads get this perk.

The Apple Smart Keyboard is solid enough to write on, but it pales in comparison to the Magic Keyboard. This keyboard can be used with the iPad Pro or iPad Air 4 and has a lot more vertical travel.

iPad 8 vs iPad 7. iPadOS’ Special Features

The iPad 8 and iPad 7 both get a new feature in iPadOS 14, Scribble. If you have the Apple Pencil you can hand-write with it in any text area. Then, the iPad will convert your chicken scratch into typed letters, numbers, and characters.

iPadOS 14 also brings widgets, default mail, and browser apps to your iPad. These perks are available on both the iPad 8/7 and iPad 14. You don’t have to upgrade.

iPad 8 vs iPad 7. Battery life

Apple’s track record in battery life has been excellent. This trend continues with the iPad 8. It lasted 12 hours and 56 minutes in our Wi-Fi-based battery testing, surpassing Apple’s conservative estimate of 10 hours.

Apple also gave the iPad 7 a 10-hour rating. It lasted 11 minutes and 58 seconds on the same test. Even though the extra hour won’t make a huge difference if your iPad is older than a year, it’s wonderful to see Apple produce a tablet that lasts longer. Any way to reduce the chance of picking up a tablet that will need to be plugged in again.

Scorecard: iPad 8 vs iPad 7.

iPad 8 vs iPad 7. Should you upgrade?

The iPad 8 from Apple is almost identical to the iPad 7. Despite this, iPadOS’ productivity tools will continue to improve and the iPad 8’s performance will likely drive sales.

If you only use your iPad to stream Netflix, listen to music, and keep up with emails, the iPad 8 is unnecessary. You can also get the iPad 7 at a huge discount. The iPad 9 will hopefully bring some change to the table with a new design. But that’s something for next year.