Apple has launched a new, re-designed iPad with the faster A14 Bionic chip and four vibrant color options to choose from. The new model also features upgraded cameras, a USB-C port for charging, and a Touch ID fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button.
It’s the biggest overhaul we’ve ever seen for the baseline iPad, and it gets a lot right. But does the iPad (2022) have a headphone jack?
Despite all the cool new features, the Apple iPad (2022) still doesn’t feature a headphone jack. In fact, none of the recent Apple devices come with a headphone jack, so you’re left to use wireless earbuds like the AirPods for enjoying your music.
Is this surprising given Apple’s other headphone jack-less gadgets? Not at all. But it is still disappointing for people who use and rely on wired audio gear.
Apple got rid of the headphone jack shortly after it purchased Beats and launched its first wireless earbuds, the first-gen AirPods. While everyone predicted it was a strategy to boost earbud sales, Apple also cited space-saving reasons to dump the good old headphone slot.
“Maintaining an ancient, single-purpose, analog, big connector doesn’t make sense because that space is at a premium,” Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller said during the iPhone 7 launch where Apple first removed the headphone jack from its devices.
Whether you’re new to using wireless earbuds or a veteran looking to switch things up, here are the best options you can use with the iPad (2022).
AirPods Pro (2nd generation), Apple’s latest offering, comes at a steep price but gives you the best sound quality with excellent noise cancellation. Apple has added some exciting features like Personalized Spatial Audio, Adaptive Transparency, and customizable cases, making the 2nd-gen AirPods Pro some of the best earbuds to pair with the iPad (2022). The biggest benefit of using the AirPods versus other brands’ earbuds is that both devices are made by Apple and connect better, giving you more features and control to enhance your listening experience.
If you want something Apple-made but not quite the AirPods, go for the Beats Powerbeats Pro. They’re not the best earbuds in the market, but they offer decent sound quality, work with Siri, and last quite long, making for an OK AirPods alternative for iPad users.
If you’re not a fan of the AirPods, consider these powerful Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds that give you Adaptive Sound Control, Automatic Wind Noise Reduction mode, and superior noise cancellation technology. They also offer excellent call quality and long-lasting battery, giving you the best bang for your buck. They’re also a nicely colored alternative to the plain white AirPods.
You don’t have to limit yourself to earbuds, though. Over-the-ear wireless headphones like the Apple AirPods Max and the Sony WH-1000XM5 also work well if earbuds aren’t your thing.
Affinity’s new all-in-one creative app is finally coming to the iPad, nearly a year after Canva launched the redesigned desktop version for Mac and Windows. Creatives have been asking for the iPad release ever since, especially because files created in the new Affinity app cannot be opened in the older V2 iPad apps.
Affinity already has Photo, Designer, and Publisher apps on iPad, but the new release combines those tools into the same unified app that Canva launched on desktop last year.
Touchscreen laptops have been around for years. You can get them in all sizes and shapes. Just not from Apple. For years, the Cupertino giant has treated the idea of a touchscreen MacBook the way I treat a meeting that could have been an email: with open contempt. However, Wednesday looks like the day the company could finally change its mind.
The latest Apple invite puts the “Pro and Tell” showcase in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) on October 28, 2026. Instead of a regular live-streamed keynote, it is an invitation-only, hands-on event for a handful of press and creators (similar to what the company did for the MacBook Neo earlier this year).
Apple has just launched its latest iPad mini with a notable set of upgrades, including an OLED screen, improved speakers, and a more resilient build. It also gets a new chip, and the whole package costs $200 more than its predecessor. But if you look closely at Apple’s online store, you’ll realize that $699 isn’t enough to get you the most powerful version of the A20 Pro chip inside this tablet. In fact, even if you pay $800 for the 256GB model, you still won’t get the beefiest variant. Only when you jump to the 512GB trim, which costs an absurd $999, do you get the most powerful flavor of the A20 Pro.
The $999 model gets more than extra storage