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Apple’s New 9.7″ iPad Costs $329

With no innovative new features ready for release, Apple has responded to flagging tablet sales the only way they could: they released a new tablet, and knocked $70 off the standard price.

Apple unveiled an updated version of its iPad tablet on Tuesday. The price starts at $329 and it is available to order from Friday.  

Apple’s new 9.7″ iPad is called simply "iPad". It ships with an Apple A9 CPU (not A9X) with a 1.2MP front camera, an 8MP rear camera, and a Touch ID fingerprint sensor.

The new iPad weighs in at 469 grams and measures 7.5mm thin, making this tablet almost identical in size to the first iPad Air. It also has the 2048 x 1536 resolution screen found on previous models, although of course we don’t know whether the quality will be the same.

You can pre-order the new tablet on Friday. It is scheduled to ship next week.

Coincidentally, Apple is dropping the iPad Air 2 model, leaving just the iPad Pro and iPad tablets in the 9.7″ size. The Air 2 used to retail for $399, but now that it has been discontinued we should be able to find it at a discount.

The tech giant is keeping the iPad Mini 4, however, only now that tablet ships with 128GB storage for $399. And the iPad Mini 2 has been retired.

 

 

 

 

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Comments


Mackay Bell March 22, 2017 um 1:27 am

Actually, the rumor is Apple has a bunch of new iPads coming out soon (a few weeks?), and this was just setting the stage with a new low cost model before those high priced "pro" versions came out.

Nate Hoffelder March 22, 2017 um 9:11 am

Setting the stage?

I don’t understand why Apple would bother. No, this was the only iPad launch this spring; I don’t expect any new models until the fall, at the earliest. (We might not see anything new until next year.)

Mackay Bell March 22, 2017 um 1:55 pm

Apple doesn’t want to emphasize low cost products. This was no big announcement, simply a press release. Rumor is Apple has some significant new versions of the iPad Pros coming. Including something sized between their 9.7 inch and 12″. We’ll find out.

The theory is that this was a cheaper iPad primarily targeted for large educational purchases to slow some of the bleeding in that market.

Mackay Bell June 5, 2017 um 3:45 pm

Yes, I am petty enough that I must point out that I was right that the $329 iPad was just setting the stage for new IPad Pro introductions. And yes, Apple wasn’t going to wait to introduce them in the fall when they might compete against the new iPhone release. They did wait until June, but I still will say, I told you all so.

Frank March 22, 2017 um 9:42 am

Apple has never had major product releases twice in a season. The earlier a new iPad Pro could come out is summer, but more likely in the fall (if at all).

Mackay Bell March 22, 2017 um 1:58 pm

This was not a major product release. The product wasn’t significant and very low key PR about it.

If Apple has some new iPad Pros in the works, it doesn’t make sense to release them in the fall when they will be pushing their new iPhones (which are supposed to be a very big upgrade). Better to get them out now.

Liz March 22, 2017 um 12:26 pm

The Fall is the 10 year anniversary of the iPhone so if they wanted to make a big splash with a new iPad model that would be the time to do it.


Mary March 22, 2017 um 9:10 am

Sad about discontinuing the Air 2. That one is the Sweet Spot for me. The mini, while great for some things, is a tad small for others. When my Air 2 goes belly up, I guess I will have to put out the money for the 9.7 Pro which has identical dimensions and weight with the Air 2. I would love to have the Apple pencil available so that part is a plus, but the price is not. One can only hope that the 9.7 Pro drops a little in price.

Frank March 22, 2017 um 2:35 pm

Tablets, especially ones by Apple, have a long lifespan at least four years. As long as you don’t drop the Air 2, by the time it dies or becomes hard to use, there will be a better replacement than the iPad 2017 that is not priced like the iPad Pro.

Mary March 22, 2017 um 8:32 pm

Frank, you are right about the life span of the iPad. They just will not die if one takes good care of them. I still have the first mini as well as an iPad 3, both of which are perfectly functional, although they cannot be upgraded to the latest OS.


TinkerDave March 22, 2017 um 9:46 am

Apple is now just a phone company now. They quit on making usable computers when they dropped the word Computer from their corporate name. I was heavily involved in Apple computing back before Steve Jobs was forced out and then when he came back – back when they were the most innovative company around. Now they are just a hack company making crappy hardware that does not meet user need. I am using a 2009 iMac because it still works and nothing that is current is as good. Even the current OS is crap.

Mackay Bell March 22, 2017 um 2:02 pm

Apple wisely focuses most of its resources on iPhones because that’s where huge profits lie. But it’s making terrific computers. (I love the latest laptops.) And it’s growing in enterprise markets. Meanwhile, windows systems are in decline, both on the high end from Apple, and being eaten from the bottom by cheap Chromebooks. Apples total revenue from desktops and laptop computers (even leaving out tablets) continues to rise, even as that market becomes less important from a profit standpoint.


TinkerDave March 23, 2017 um 12:55 pm

Making computers that cannot be upgraded or have components replaced when they die does not in my mind deserve the being called terrific. Nor does making them with only one external port. Form must follw function & Apple used to know that, but not any more. Everything is about making hardware that is thin, but there comes a point where that no longer serves the user. I remember when their products were not only up-gradable, but extensible, without having to buy add-on ports and other gadgets just to make them usable. As to their tablets, Apple could rule the world if they would only provide an SD card slot or make them OTG cable compliant – but then that would ruin their pricing strategy. Doing away with scroll arrows in the OS and making the GUI so flat, has created a frustrating work environment – especially for older users whose vision is not as it was 25 years ago. So as I say, in my opinion, Apple is not even close to the company it once was.


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