Apple gadgets — Macs, iPads and iPhones – made up half of the devices sold to American classrooms in 2013. But over the last few years, the company has been losing share in the education market to the likes of Microsoft Windows and Google Chromebooks. All this could change in Apple’s favor though, thanks to its latest iPad.
Will Apple make a comeback in the education market?
Just days ago, the company released a new tablet, and it is not calling the device by the Air designation or numbering scheme; instead it is simply sticking to “iPad.” The device, which is priced at just $329, will go on sale starting Friday. Many analysts believe the low-cost iPad could bring the company to a higher place in the education market.
Futuresource analyst Mike Fisher feels, “Education will play a heavy focus for this product.”
Some are even joking that the tech giant should probably call the iPad an “education edition,” mostly because of its low price, notes Business Insider. In comparison to the iPad Air 2, the price of the iPad is $70 less.
Though there is still a huge price gap when it comes to Chromebooks and Windows devices (below $200), one must not forget that Apple’s products come in the “premium” category. Therefore, this new iPad will surely attract buyers who want a premium product at an affordable price.
What Apple’s new iPad offers
Apple’s new iPad comes with a base configuration of 32GB of storage ($429 for 128GB) and an A9 processor, making it useful for almost every user. The iPad has adequate specs for most apps, and this makes it even more competitive in tablets. According to Forbes, the iPhone maker’s market share in the $200+ segment was already high, and this new iPad will only help.
It is a bit similar to the iPhone SE, as it is also made from bits of technology from previous Apple products, notes Macworld. However, the processor of the $329 iPad is better than the processor used in the original iPad Air. The iPad Air and the new 9.7-inch iPad share almost the same body and feature a screen with anti-glare coating and no lamination.
The new device packs a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, a 9.7-inch Retina display, an 8-megapixel FaceTime HD camera, and a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera. The device runs iOS 10 out of the box, and its battery life is 10 hours on a single charge. The device weighs only 1 pound and comes in gold, space gray and silver.
