Apple iPad 8th Gen Review: A Great Value, Kid-Friendly Tablet

If you have an older child who’s already going to school, investing in a tablet that can both serve as a tool for their learning process and entertainment needs might be a pretty wise thing to do. And what’s a better tablet to do that kind other than the Apple iPad 8th Gen? If you’re still on the fence about it, come read our dedicated review of the 2020 iteration of Apple’s popular device right here.

See Where The Apple iPad 8th Gen Ranks In Our Top Picks For The Best Tablets For Kids In 2021 Here.

Overview Of The Apple iPad (8th Gen)

When you compare the iPad to tablets that are targeted at kids in the market, the first thing you notice is that it definitely gives you a huge price jump. Especially if you have been heavily considering or checking out the Amazon Fire tablets up until now.

However, Apple’s iPads have been successful and popular to the vast majority for plenty of good reasons. While they’re not technically targeted towards kids, this particular model will be more than great if you’re also planning on using this tablet for your kid’s school works.

Most tablets for kids are inferior when it comes to the hardware and processor Apple uses alone. This is understandable because most tablets for kids are mainly used for streaming and gaming. Not so much for productivity. And this is exactly where the Apple iPad shines.

As you might already know, Apple reigns supreme when it comes to tablets in general in the market. Apple offers a lot of amazing tablet apps to choose from thanks to their amazing app library, great customer support, and it will surely last you and your kid for a long time. So you won’t feel the need to upgrade to a newer model every year.

So even if your kid reaches a certain age, the iPad will still be pretty usable and can even double as a pseudo-laptop for your kid’s school.

Is The Apple iPad Appropriate For Kids?

This might be a question lingering on every parent’s mind. Because unlike the Amazon Fire HD tablets for kids, the parental controls might not be as robust.

But not to worry, the 2020 Apple iPad does have a decent amount of tools and setting options that act as parental controls and will allow you to monitor your kid’s overall tablet use as well as keep an eye on what applications they’re accessing, using, and for how long.

These same settings also let you filter and block content that you might not want your kid to view or have access to. In addition to that, parental controls also help you avoid incidents wherein your kid might purchase stuff online without your consent or permission.

Not to mention, compared to the Amazon Fire tablets dedicated to kids, the Apple iPad has easily the more powerful processor and hardware that can take on even the most demanding games your kids might want to play. The better screen resolution thanks to the Retina Display also means your kid can watch their shows on the most vibrant and colorful screen.

And if you’re worried about the price, fortunately for you, iPads have lowered in price tremendously since this model’s release. Because currently, a more updated version has been released this 2021. And honestly, you don’t really need all the updated features the 2021 iPad has if your kid will be the only one using it. You definitely don’t need to spend that much money unless you can afford it.

So all in all, you’ll get even more bang for your buck with this model in terms of overall performance and value.

Features & Specifications

Here’s a preview of the 2020 Apple iPad 8th Gen that you can watch below.

Want To Check Out Other Tablets For Your Kids? Click Here To Read Our List Of The Best Tablets For Your Kids In 2020.

What We Love About The Apple iPad 8th Gen

Powerful Processor

A huge advantage Apple has with their iPads is their powerful and fast processor built into their devices. And things got even bigger when the 8th generation of Apple iPads last 2020 received a major upgrade. Now, it has an A12 Bionic Chip processor built into its system.

Apps made for kids usually don’t require a lot of power, but the A12 Bionic Chip means the apps your kids will use will now run a lot smoother and faster.

Great For School

Personally, if you’re only planning to make your kids watch shows and play games on their tablet, it’s best to stick with more affordable tablets like the Amazon Fire HD series. They offer plenty enough content that will surely keep your children happy and satisfied. However, when it comes to productivity and school purposes, the Apple iPad has no competition at all.

Younger kids usually don’t need a lot of demanding tools or apps to keep up with their school work, but the iPad is amazing in terms of providing productivity tools to help your child’s education and learning process a lot easier. As you might now know, Apple is the best when it comes to tablet apps, thanks to their excessive app library that offers you access to endless apps you and your child can use.

Our Least Favorite Things

Storage Is Not Expandable

A huge letdown with the Apple iPad is that its storage is not expandable. That’s actually a running theme with all of Apple’s devices. Some of you might be used to its if you’re an avid Apple user, but sometimes sticking to the built-in storage might just not be enough. And getting the one with a larger storage capacity can make you spend a whole lot more money than you can afford.

The Price Point Might Be Too High For A Kid’s Device

While I have previously stated that the Apple iPad has great value since you’re getting a lot from its faster and stronger performance, to some parents, paying over $400 for a kid’s tablet might just be too much.

Though it’s not Apple’s fault entirely. After all, the iPad is not meant solely for children’s use.

However, Apple products, in general, have always been fairly expensive. Their premium and high-end devices after all.

So overall, that’s a huge downside since that means not anyone can get their hands on Apple’s products. So if you’re a parent on a budget, you might want to look for more affordable tablets to get for your kids.

In A Nutshell

Now that we have covered the things we liked and disliked about the Apple iPad, here’s a narrowed-down list of the good and the bad with this impressive tablet.

Our Final Verdict

Overall, the Apple iPad 8th Gen is an impressive and versatile tablet that your kid can use both for educational and entertainment purposes. They’ll last you a long time before you need to upgrade to a more recent model and it has a very powerful processor that will surely make your kid’s playtime a breeze.

Already own the Apple iPad 8th Gen? Or are you still deciding? Let me know in the comments section below if you have any questions, suggestions, experiences, or insights to share. I would love to hear all your thoughts!

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