Skip to main content

Apple to Unveil Lower-Cost iPad Next Week (?)

Apple has a launch event scheduled next week. The invite suggested that it would focus on the ed tech market, and now it appears that the presentation will center on a price cut for the iPad.

From Bloomberg:

Apple is preparing to introduce new low-cost iPads and education software next week in a bid to win back students and teachers from Google and Microsoft.

In its first major product event of the year, Apple will return to its roots in the education market. The event on Tuesday at Lane Technical College Prep High School in Chicago will mark the first time Apple has held a product launch geared toward education since 2012 when it unveiled a tool for designing e-books for the iPad. It’s also a rare occasion for an Apple confab outside its home state of California.

In Chicago, the world’s most-valuable technology company plans to show off a new version of its cheapest iPad that should appeal to the education market, said people familiar with the matter. The company will also showcase new software for the classroom, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private plans. Apple declined to comment.

Steve Jobs made schools a priority for Apple early in its life. But as the company has driven toward mass-market and higher-margin products in recent years, Google and Microsoft have had success breaking into classrooms with inexpensive laptops and tablets. Last year, the global educational technology market generated $17.7 billion in revenue, according to research firm Frost & Sullivan.

This is of course only a rumor, but it does make sense and it fits with Apple’s past trends.

Apple has cut the price on the iPad several times. The lowest-priced 9.7″ model now costs $329, down from $499 when the iPad launched 11 years ago, so it makes perfect sense that Apple could be planning to cut the price again.

This is great news for me. I lost my iPad, in 2016, and now will be a good time to replace it.

Similar Articles


Comments


Will Entrekin March 23, 2018 um 6:48 pm

I’m thinking:
-Lower cost iPad and some update on iPad Mini (either update or . . . killed?), with side upgrade to Pencil
-Update on low-cost MacBook laptops (either much lower cost MacBook Air or that’s killed off and lower-cost MacBook)
-New Books features
-New Books creators features (new Books Author? Finally a web upload for ebooks?)


Allen F March 24, 2018 um 10:00 am

Too little too late for me. 😉


Syn March 25, 2018 um 1:22 pm

Is the iPad market or tablet market that bad in general? I’m guessing its pretty stall so they are trying to add another stream by taping education. Apple doesn’t play the low-cost game. They use to reduce the previous years model too. I wouldn’t want less than what I have on my iPad Pro. I do hope they make a Pro Mini too.

I think it’s too late for education market or unless it’s really compelling and they can’t lose the pen. You have always needed the pen to be any good for school work or a physical keyboard. You need to be low cost because governments are cheap. They’ll spend all your money on defense for stuff they are probably stirring up themselves behind the scenes, but they give you the finger at properly funding schools or anything else that might benefit your tax dollars.

That’s why Chromebooks are taking off. They’re cheap, have a physical keyboard, now they have access to Andriod apps too its pretty much a no-brainer.


Frank March 26, 2018 um 9:41 am

Lowering the price of the $329 iPad (released last year) will likely be what will happen.


Frank March 27, 2018 um 1:46 pm

The new school iPad starts at $299 ($329 for consumers) and has Apple Pencil support (previously, only the Pro models had it) and has a faster CPU.


| The Digital Reader March 27, 2018 um 2:03 pm

[…] expected, Apple launched a new iPad in Chicago on Tuesday, but it's not really cheaper than previous models, […]


Write a Comment