Apple announced a new iPad with a bunch of backslapping about how much they love education today at their event held at Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago. It’s an updated version of last year’s iPad Cheap with an A10 system-on-a-chip that also works with their stylus, the Pencil. The 2018 iPad Cheap is still missing a ton from the more expensive iPad Pro line, like more modern display technology with a variable framerate. The iPad Mini still hasn’t been updated in almost 3 years despite Apple charging $400 for the iPad Mini 4 versus $330 for this new iPad Cheap.
As usual, I round numbers up to the nearest whole dollar because I don’t care for deceptive pricing.
Here’s an updated rundown of their iPad lineup:
- 2018 iPad Cheap at 9.7
- non-laminated (thicker) display
- A10 processor
- 2GB RAM
- Supports the ($100) Apple Pencil.
- Old ass 1st generation Touch ID.
- 32GB ($330) or 128 GB ($430) wifi only
- 32GB ($460) and 128GB ($560) with cellular
- iPad Mini 4 at 7.9
- laminated (thinner) display
- A8 processor
- 2GB RAM
- 128GB ($400) wifi only
- 128GB ($530) with cellular
- iPad Pro at 12.9
- laminated (thinner) display
- Wide color gamut (for professional color accuracy and better looking photos and videos)
- True tone (makes the screen match the color temperature of the environment like a sheet of paper would)
- ProMotion (variable frame rate)
- A10X processor
- 4GB RAM
- Smart connector
- 64GB ($800) 256GB ($950) wifi only 512GB ($1150)
- 64GB ($930) 256GB ($1080) and 512GB ($1280) with cellular
- iPad Pro at 10.5
- laminated (thinner) display
- Wide color gamut (for professional color accuracy and better looking photos and videos)
- True tone (makes the screen match the color temperature of the environment like a sheet of paper would)
- ProMotion (variable frame rate)
- A10X processor
- 4GB RAM
- Smart connector
- 64GB ($650) 256GB ($800) 512GB ($1000) wifi only
- 64GB ($780) 256GB ($930) 512GB ($1130) with cellular
Since I last revisited the table of confusing iPad decisions, Apple bumped up the price of some storage tiers.
Apple also updated their free iWork office utilities today with new features like smart annotation. Additionally, they announced other software for educators, students, and developers who want to work with the new ClassKit API.
New hardware was announced from Logitech, including a cut-down $50 version of Apple’s Pencil, called the Crayon that lacks pressure sensitivity but has a better external design for normal human beings. It appears that this device will only be sold through educational sales channels.
One good thing that Apple announced is that students and teachers get 200GB of iCloud storage as long as the Apple ID they use is managed through their organization. Regular iCloud accounts have a tiny 5GB of storage for all their photos and other data. Apple typically charges $3 per month for 200GB of iCloud storage.
Apple’s extended warranty program with accidental damage insurance was dropped in price to $70 for this iPad Cheap as well as the Mini.
Overall, I don’t think that this new iPad Cheap is at all an approachable device for many educators who are still scrounging for basic materials like paper and pencils, while their students are dealing with hunger and homelessness. The $30 discount offered for schools who want to buy this new iPad Cheap is probably meaningful with large purchases, but it won’t mean anything for the poorest schools and students.
The education theme of the event is an extension of the ongoing co-option of public resources by private businesses. Just like NASA ceding their public work and research to private industries, using expensive closed platforms for public schools is not a good look. One Apple presenter even referenced JFK’s “We Choose to go to The Moon” speech.
Apple spend a large part of the presentation advocating for the iPad as a device for creation, but also for coding software. To treat the iPad as a replacement for the modern computer in creative endeavors, or a device for coding, is especially ridiculous when you realize that you can’t ship a game or app for Apple’s app store without using a Mac. iPads don’t have Xcode.
For anyone else who wants an iPad with support for Apple’s Pencil stylus, almost as much processing power as the current Pro models, but is OK giving up enhanced display technologies and half the RAM, the 2018 iPad Cheap is a fine choice and a decent upgrade to last year’s model. It’s available today and I would expect more updates to the iPad line later this year.
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