Much along expected lines, the Apple March event did yield a new iPad, complete with support for Apple Pencil. Not much of a surprise on the pricing front as well as the tablet has been priced a quite low $299, which however applies to only students of up to K12. The Apple Pencil will have to be sourced extra and is priced $89 for the students.
Regular buyers too can go for the new iPad though they will have to shell out a higher $329 for the same. That applies to the Pencil as well which too costs slightly more at $99 for regular buyers.
Apple also stated the lower price point does not make the new iPad any slouch, given that it comes powered by the A10 Fusion chip. The tablet will also feature Touch ID and will have HD FaceTime camera at the front. An 8-megapixel rear camera too is standard.
Apple is also claiming 10 hours of battery life with the new iPad, along with LTE support as an option for instant net connectivity. Up front, it is going to be the familiar 9.7-inch retina display which allows for enough clarity and color reproduction for easy comprehension of teaching material. The tablet will be available in color options of space gray, silver and a new tone of gold finish.
However, the new Apple Pencil compatible iPad is just a part of the story, with software making up the rest. For Apple also used the Chicago event to announce new apps to make studying all the more fun and interesting.
One of it is Schoolwork which is a free cloud-based app. Meant for teachers; the app can be used to set assignment, monitor progress made by the students or share PDF docs with ease. The app though is still in the making and will be available only in June.
Meanwhile, the Classroom app that is already in vogue has been updated. That way, while the app allowed teachers to keep an eye on their wards, the updated app will let them cover more students at one go. That is not all as the app has now been made available on the Mac desktop as well.
Those apart, Apple also announced during the event that existing apps like Pages, Numbers, and Keynote will be updated to allow for Pencil support. Plus there will be apps launched in future that will let teachers create book or assignment for a student to focus on.
Apple proposes new set of emoji aimed at representing people with disabilities
On the whole, Apple first big event for 2018 has been dedicated entirely to the education segment. Also, it has been an all-round effort as well with new iPad launched with support for Apple Pencil. Complementing the new hardware is apps that will let the students unleash the creativity and potential in them while allowing teachers to make the most of their pupil’s ability.
