Apple on Tuesday unveiled a new 9.7-inch iPad that will be available for schools in the US for just $299 ($329 for consumers) with classroom software.
The move by Apple is an attempt to take on Google’s dominant presence in the US education market thanks to its Chromebooks and also budget Windows hybrids.
In India, the iPad with support for Apple Pencil will be available from April, starting at Rs 28,000, while the 32GB WiFi+ Cellular variant has been priced at Rs 38,600. Apple Pencil is available for purchase separately for Rs 7,600.
Although new, the 2018 variant of the iPad is just an incremental update which features a large retina display, a better A10 Fusion chip and advanced sensors that help deliver immersive augmented reality, and is very portable and offers all-day battery life.
The new iPad offers support for the Apple Pencil which was first introduced for iPad Pro. The Pencil doesn’t come bundled with the package, and you’ll have to spend an extra $99 to get it.
The Apple-designed A10 Fusion chip with 64-bit desktop-class architecture delivers 40 percent faster CPU and 50 percent faster graphics performance for seamless multitasking and graphics-intensive apps.
The front- and rear-facing cameras offer exceptional low-light performance and HD video recording for document scanning, moviemaking and "FaceTime" calls. On the rear is an 8-megapixel camera with an f/2.4 aperture and a 1.2-megapixel front camera with f/2.2 aperture on the front.
Along with the above, it also has advanced cameras and sensors that enable incredible AR experiences.
The new iPad for schools comes with 200GB of free iCloud storage and also offers some new classroom software and a creative curriculum called "Everyone Can Create".
A new free app "Schoolwork" lets teachers distribute handouts, make assignments, assign specific activities within apps and check on students' progress.
(With inputs from IANS.)
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