The iPad (A16) is today's entry-level iPad: same body and same philosophy as the 10th generation, with a faster processor and one difference you only notice when you go looking for the SIM tray. Because there is no tray any more.
On the Cellular versions Apple has moved to eSIM only: no tray, no card to remove, no mechanical part to break.
Free diagnostics. It is a recent model, so it almost always arrives after a fall.
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The change that matters for repair is connectivity: on Cellular versions this iPad is eSIM only and does not accept physical SIMs. The tray is gone, and with it goes an entry point for dust and liquids. On the other hand, if you want to move the line to another device, that happens through the carrier profile rather than by pulling out a card.
On this iPad the glass with the digitiser is a part separate from the panel. In practice: if the glass is cracked but the image is clean and touch responds, often only the glass is replaced and it costs far less than on an iPad Air or Pro. If instead the image has lines or black areas, the panel is gone too and that has to be replaced as well. It is the first thing we check.
Touch ID stays in the top button and the panel is still a non-laminated Liquid Retina IPS: two choices that keep the cost of a replacement low compared with an iPad Air. On a tablet bought for school or for children that is exactly what is needed — because that is the tablet that gets dropped.
| Release year | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Display | 10.86" Liquid Retina |
| Resolution | 2360 × 1640 pixels, 264 ppi |
| Lamination | Non-laminated display: glass and panel are separate parts |
| Processor | Apple A16 |
| Battery | 28.93 Wh |
| Connector | USB-C with DisplayPort, USB 2.0 |
| 3.5 mm headphone jack | Absent |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, or Cellular with eSIM only: no physical SIM accepted |
| Biometric unlock | Touch ID in the top button |
| Stylus | Apple Pencil USB-C; Pencil 1st generation with adapter |
| Housing | 100% recycled aluminium with metal frame |
Device specifications published by the manufacturer, given here so you can identify your model. Feasibility and turnaround for each repair are confirmed at the diagnosis stage.
ElectrONIK Lab is an independent workshop: it is not an authorised service centre and is not affiliated with the manufacturers. The trademarks named here belong to their respective owners and are used only to identify the devices we work on. Your statutory consumer rights towards whoever carries out the repair are unaffected.
Free diagnostics, a clear quote and the part chosen by you.