Apple has officially announced a new model of iPad aimed at schools. Unlike most of the other tablets by Apple, this is a low-cost device. It will be launched in the U.S. with a price tag of just $329, that is hundreds of dollars lower than most of the other iPads. Further, schools will have the chance to order this tablet for just $299 a unit. Even though it is an entry-level tablet compared to other Apple devices actually in commerce, it supports the Apple Pencil for handwriting and drawing.
It also supports Logitech Crayon, a new third-party pen which is not pressure-sensitive like the Apple Pencil, but it will be sold with a more affordable price tag. The Apple Pencil will continue to have a price of $99, but it will cost $10 less for schools. The new Apple iPad for students comes with a suite of apps dedicated to school: Pages, Numbers, Keynote and more. All of these apps support the input from the Apple Pencil.
The shipping date of the tablet has been confirmed just one day after the official announcement. Apple Store will start shipping the tablet in the U.S. starting from April 2, as well as AT&T. BestBuy is actually giving a $25 gift card to the ones who choose to buy the new iPad. On the Apple Store, the tablet is also available bundled with a Logitech Slim Folio Case with keyboard and an Apple Pencil for a total price of $500.
The specs sheet of the new iOS tablet includes a 9.7-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels. The display has an anti-reflective coating, the TrueTone technology which adapts colors to the surroundings, ProMotion which enables the 120 Hz response rate and wide-gamut color. Under the hood, there is a quad-core Apple A10 Fusion chipset which can run at a max frequency of 2.3 GHz. In case you do not know, it is the same SoC as the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, that is great for a $329 tablet. The main camera of the new Apple iPad has a resolution of 8 MP and it can record videos in 1080p. There is also a 5 MP front snapper. The new Apple iPad will start shipping from April 2 in the following variants:
- Wi-Fi 32 GB ($329)
- Wi-Fi + cellular 32 GB ($459)
- Wi-Fi 128 GB ($429)
- Wi-Fi + cellular 128 GB ($559)
(Via)
