iPad A10 Fusion 2018

Marketed with a strong emphasis on education but also sold to the general public, the 9.7-Inch iPad (6th Gen), introduced in "Early 2018," is primarily notable for being the first non-Pro iPad to support the Apple Pencil. It essentially combines many internals from the iPhone 7 with a design similar to the iPad (5th Gen) it replaced.

All iPad (6th Gen) devices, including this Wi-Fi and Cellular-equipped model, are housed in white and gold, white and silver, or black and "Space Gray" cases. They feature a 9.7" 2048x1536 (264 ppi) LED-backlit IPS touch-sensitive "Retina" display that is not fully laminated or antireflective but supports the Apple Pencil. It includes a "Touch ID" fingerprint sensor. Each is powered by a four-core 2.3 GHz Apple A10 Fusion processor, has 2 GB of RAM, and comes with 32 GB or 128 GB of flash storage.

Other key features include dual cameras: a rear 8-megapixel "iSight" camera for stills, Live Photos, and 1080p 30 fps video, and a front 1.2-megapixel "FaceTime HD" camera for stills, Live Photos, and 720p video. It supports dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi with HT80 with MIMO, Bluetooth 4.2, and has stereo speakers. A Lightning port provides power and connectivity. It lacks a "Smart Connector" for the Apple Smart Keyboard but can be used with a Bluetooth keyboard.

The battery life is rated for 10 hours of "surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music."

This Wi-Fi/Cellular-equipped iPad (6th Gen) supports A-GPS/GLONASS, GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA, CDMA EV-DO, and most importantly, LTE bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, and 41. In the US, this single device is designed for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon networks and includes an "Apple SIM" for easier carrier switching globally.

Compared to the iPad (5th Gen) it replaced, this iPad (6th Gen) model is faster, offers more LTE bands, adds Apple Pencil support, and includes Retina Flash. It was also available at a lower price for educational customers.

The 6th generation iPad with cellular was a game-changer for the education market and mainstream consumers, primarily because it added Apple Pencil support to the most affordable cellular iPad. This made it an incredibly versatile and portable tool for note-taking and creative work on the go. The A10 Fusion processor provided a welcome speed boost, ensuring smooth performance for most apps and games. This A1954 model featured broad LTE support, making it a reliable connected device for students and professionals who weren't always near Wi-Fi. The tablet retained the familiar, older design and a non-laminated screen, but these trade-offs were widely accepted in exchange for its lower price point and new capabilities. It was hailed as an exceptional value, successfully combining solid performance, the magic of the Apple Pencil, and go-anywhere connectivity into a single, budget-friendly package.