Business

Apple iPad 2021 Review: Still the Best Tablet For Most People

Apple iPad 2021 review: still the best tablet for most people

Apple’s updated low-end iPad looks set to continue its dominance of the market with newer chips, twice the storage and a brilliant new video-calling camera.

The 10.2in iPad costs £319 ($329/A$499) – £300 for students – making it Apple’s best-value tablet, sitting below the £479 iPad mini and £579 iPad Air.

Unlike most of its tablet models, Apple has taken to updating the internal components of the standard iPad once a year while keeping its cost and design the same, ensuring its long line of accessories such as keyboards, cases and pens remain compatible.

As such the experience of using the 2021 iPad is the same as the 2020 iPad, but with the updated iPadOS 15 and a few new additions that keep it firmly in pole position.

Faster chip, double the storage but same battery life
The battery still lasts over nine hours for video or general purpose apps, which is really good compared with the competition. But it also still takes up to three hours to fully charge via lightning cable. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
The iPad now has Apple’s A13 Bionic processor from 2019’s iPhone 11. It’s not Apple’s newest chip but it is considerably more powerful than most lower-cost rivals and easily able to handle anything you can do with an iPad. The tablet now comes with twice the minimum of storage compared with the previous version, at 64GB, which will be enough for those who mainly stream content rather download vast movie libraries.

Centre Stage camera and better screen
The low-end iPad now has Apple’s high-end video calling camera, which makes for a tremendous upgrade on previous efforts. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
The new 12-megapixel wide-angle “Centre Stage” camera removes some of the annoyance of video calls by automatically panning and zooming to keep you and friends in frame without having to think about it. It also has much better low-light performance, meaning everyone gets a better, easier view, which will be particularly useful for remote education.

The screen has had a minor but welcome upgrade with the addition of Apple’s “true tone” technology, which keeps colours looking true to life adjusting to ambient light. The display is otherwise still crisp and bright and significantly better than many cheaper rivals.

Sustainability
The recycled aluminium case feels and looks just as good as previous iPads. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
Apple does not give a rated lifecycle for the iPad battery, typically 500 full-charge cycles in similar devices, but it can be replaced for £99. The tablet is generally repairable, with an out-of-warranty service costing £246.44, which includes the screen.

The Apple iPad uses 100% recycled aluminium in its case, 100% recycled tin in the solder of its main board, more than 65% recycled rare earth elements and at least 60% recycled plastic in multiple other components. Apple breaks down the tablet’s environmental impact in its report.

Apple also offers trade-in and free recycling schemes, including for non-Apple products.

Observations
The iPad has the old Touch ID home button but you can also use the more modern swipe gestures to get to the home screen and recent apps menu. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
The iPad only has wifi5 and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity, not wifi6 and Bluetooth 5 that has been available on most new devices for the last few years.
The rear 8MP camera is slightly improved, but still miles off a good smartphone camera.
Price
The iPad (9th generation) costs £319 ($329/A$499) with 64GB of storage or £459 ($479/A$729) with 256GB. 4G-capable models cost £120 ($130/A$200) more.

For comparison, the iPad mini costs £479, the iPad Air costs £579 and the iPad Pro costs from £749, Amazon’s Fire HD 8 costs £90, the Fire HD 10 costs £150 and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S7 costs £519.

Verdict
The 10.2in iPad is still the best tablet for most people offering an unbeatable combination of value, performance, software and longevity.

It’s not flash and it has some older technology, such as the lightning cable and wifi5, but its old design means accessories made for many previous models still fit. Doubling the storage to 64GB is welcome, the faster chip and better display too, but it is the Centre Stage auto-tracking video call camera that is a biggest upgrade and will be particularly useful.

Pros: great performance, good battery life, good screen, iPadOS, plenty of apps, good speakers, very long support, recycled aluminium, Centre Stage camera.

Cons: older design, no USB-C, fairly slow charging, no multi-user support, more expensive than budget rivals.

Business

FG denies report of increasing VAT to 10% despite hardship in Nigeria

The Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has denied a report of a potential hike in the Value-Added Tax (VAT) rate from 7.5% to 10%.

In a statement released Monday, Edun clarified that the VAT rate is still firmly set at 7.5%, as outlined in Nigeria’s tax laws.

“The current VAT rate is 7.5% and this is what the government is charging on a spectrum of goods and services to which the tax is applicable. Therefore, neither the Federal Government nor any of its agencies will act contrary to what our laws stipulate,” Edun affirmed.

He elaborated on the need for a balanced tax system, emphasizing that Nigeria’s tax framework operates on three key components: tax policy, tax law, and tax administration.

“The tax system stands on a tripod, namely tax policy, tax laws, and tax administration. All the three must combine well to give us a sound system that gives vitality to the fiscal position of the government,” the minister explained.

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Edun addressed concerns from the public about policies that might seem burdensome, assuring that fiscal measures are designed to foster sustainable growth and reduce poverty, not the opposite.

“Our focus as a government is to use fiscal policy in a manner that promotes and enhances strong and sustainable economic growth, reduces poverty as well as makes businesses flourish,” Edun stated.

In response to media reports suggesting the government is imposing undue hardship on citizens, Edun refuted such claims.

Edun also pointed out recent government actions aimed at reducing the financial strain on Nigerians, particularly by eliminating import duties on key food items like rice, wheat, and beans.

“The imputation in some media reports on the issue of VAT and the opinion articles that have sprouted from them seem to wrongly convey the impression that the government is out to make life difficult for Nigerians. That is not correct. If anything, the Federal Government has, through its policies, demonstrated that it is committed to creating a congenial environment for businesses to thrive.

“In fact, it is on record that the Federal Government, as part of efforts to bring relief to Nigerians and businesses, recently ordered the stoppage of import duties, tariffs, and taxes on rice, wheat, beans, and other food items,” Edun noted.

Edun reiterated that the VAT rate remains at 7.5% and will continue to apply to all eligible goods and services.

“For emphasis, as of today, VAT remains 7.5% and that is what will be charged on all the goods and services that are VAT-able,” he concluded.

Business

FG imposes levy on transactions above N10,000 on Opay, others

The federal government has imposed a N50 deduction for every electronic money transfer (EMTL) of N10,000 and above, affecting customers of fintech platforms such as Opay and Moniepoint.

The deduction, which is in line with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) regulations, is set to take effect from September 9, 2024.

The announcement was made by the fintech companies through notifications to their customers.

In a statement, Opay informed its customers, “Dear valued customers, please be informed that starting September 9, 2024, a one-time fee of N50 will be applied for electronic transfer of N10,000 and above paid into your personal or business account in compliance with the Federal Inland Revenue Service regulations.”

The company clarified that these deductions are part of the government’s requirements and not a revenue stream for fintech companies. “It is important to note that OPay does not benefit from these charges in any way as it is directed entirely to the Federal Government,” the statement added.

Similarly, Moniepoint, another major fintech platform, issued a brief notice, stating: “A N50 fee would be charged on inflows you receive of N10,000 and above from Monday, September 9, 2024. Your BRM is available to answer questions you might have.”

Business

NNPC not the sole offtaker, market open to lower prices from any domestic refinery

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has said it has no desire or intention to be the sole offtaker of petrol produced by the Dangote Refinery Limited, DRL.

NNPC Ltd said this while reacting to claim by the Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC that the Dangote Refinery Limited (DRL) is being undermined by actions of the NNPC Ltd.

MURIC had in a statement issued on Friday claimed that recent changes to the pump price of petrol will prevent the Dangote Refinery from selling the product at lower prices to Nigerians.

The group also claimed NNPC Ltd. has become the sole offtaker of all products from the refinery to the detriment of Nigerians.

However, Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd in a statement on Saturday dismissed the claims of MURIC.

While puncturing the claims of the group, NNPC LTD in the statement, noted that the pricing of petroleum products from any refinery, including the Dangote Refinery Ltd. (DRL), is determined by global market forces.

The company thefore noted that recent changes in PMS prices have no impact on the DRL or any other domestic refinery’s access to the Nigerian market.

“In fact, if current prices perceived as high, it presents an ideal opportunity for the refinery to sell its products at lower prices in the Nigerian market.

“Furthermore, we emphasize that there is no guarantee of lower prices associated with domestic refining compared to any global parity pricing framework, as confirmed by the DRL.

“The NNPC Ltd. will only fully offtake PMS from the DRL if the market prices of PMS are higher than the pump prices in Nigeria.

“The DRL and any other domestic refinery are free to sell directly to any marketer on a willing buyer, willing seller basis, which is the current practice for all fully deregulated products.

“NNPC Ltd. has no desire or intention to become the distributor for any entity in a free market environment, and therefore, the notion of becoming a sole offtaker does not arise.

“The NNPC Ltd. cannot undermine a business in which it holds a billion-dollar stake.

“As an advocacy group for fair and just treatment, MURIC should have verified the facts before making statements that are entirely flawed and has the potential to incite ordinary Nigerians against the NNPC Ltd.”