How fast is the iPad 7th Gen (2019) compared to earlier regular iPad models? How fast is it compared to the iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro?

Please note that the iPad 7th Gen models have been discontinued. However, this Q&A can be quite helpful for anyone considering one of these models on the used market.

In the company press release for the iPad 7th Gen, Apple notes that the tablet has a "powerful A10 Fusion chip" and the device provides "up to two times faster performance over the top-selling Windows PC."

In fine print, Apple clarifies that this performance claim is "when compared to the top-selling Windows PC laptop in the US for the first half of 2019."

Compared to some unspecified bargain basement Windows notebook from months earlier, the iPad 7th Gen very well may be substantially faster. The simple fact that Apple declines to compare the iPad 7th Gen to its predecessor or other iPad models is a good clue that the iPad 7th Gen is not particularly high-performance, though. It is the cheapest new iPad, so performance is not its main selling point.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (iPad 7th Gen with Smart Keyboard)

As a quick review of the EveryiPad.com comparison of the iPad 6 and iPad 7 would tell you, both tablets have the same processor. Although the newer iPad has 3 GB of RAM instead of just 2 GB like its predecessor, it also has a larger display with more pixels to push. The performance of the two devices would be expected to be similar.

It also is worth noting that the A10 Fusion chip is rather old; first used with the iPhone 7 introduced in 2016. It was far from Apple's highest performance processor when the iPad 7th Gen was introduced in 2019.

Because Apple doesn't even provide official performance data, independent benchmarks are especially necessary to objectively evaluate the speed of the iPad 7th Gen.

Benchmark Performance Overview

For a helpful general overview of the performance differences between the iPad 7th Gen and other iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch devices, Everyi.com's own Ultimate iComparison makes it quick to compare side-by-side Geekbench benchmark averages for hundreds of possible performance comparisons.

Compared to other recent iOS devices, the iPad 7th Gen performs accordingly:

iPad 7th Gen Compared To:	Percent Faster (Single Core)	Percent Faster (Multicore)
iPad (5th Gen)	36%	34%
iPad (6th Gen)	1%	1%
iPad Air 2nd Gen	93%	42%
iPad Air 3rd Gen	-28%	-48%
iPad Pro 11" (3rd Gen)	-31%	-67%
iPhone 7	1%	3%
iPhone 8	-17%	-41%
iPhone XR	-27%	-45%
iPod touch 7	35%	29%

With a review of the above, you can see clearly that the Geekbench 4 benchmark shows the iPad 7th Gen is significantly slower than its iPad Air 3rd Gen and iPad Pro 11" (3rd Gen) contemporaries, both of which have newer processors. The iPad Air 3rd Gen and iPad Pro 11" (3rd Gen) models cost significantly more, though.

The Geekbench 4 benchmark also shows that the iPad 7th Gen effectively is the same speed as the iPad (6th Gen) that came before it and the iPhone 7 from 2016.

However, the iPad 7th Gen smokes the current iPod touch 7 as well as older iPad and iPad Air models.

Performance Summary

Ultimately, the iPad 7th Gen is not a powerful tablet. In fact, with the exception of the inexpensive -- and downclocked -- iPod touch 7, the iPad 7th Gen is the slowest iOS device that Apple sells.

This isn't to say that the iPad 7th Gen is not worth buying; it can meet basic needs quite well. However, those who place emphasis on performance, whether for media editing or gaming, for example, the more expensive iPad Air 3 or iPad Pro 11" would be money well spent.

For those on a tight budget, the iPad 6th Gen also remains well worth consideration. It has a smaller display and slower LTE, but it is effectively the same speed and available at a discount on the used market.

In the US, site sponsor Adorama sells new iPad models with free shipping for all.

In the UK, site sponsor Hoxton Macs has a large number of used and refurbished iPad models with a one-year warranty and free next day delivery throughout the UK. Delivery across Europe also is available starting at just £9.99 for two-day delivery to France and Germany.

In Australia, site sponsor Mac City may have used iPad models in stock, as well. All Macs and devices are available with a free warranty and fast shipping across Australia.

Also see: What are all the differences between the 10.2" iPad 7th Gen (2019) models and the 9.7" iPad 6th Gen (2018) models replaced?