Starting at $469, the newly announced "iPad" is Apple's cheapest 9.7-inch iPad yet. Technically designed as a successor to the iPad Air 2, the iPad is ostensibly the new entry-level iPad for those who don't want to take up one of Apple's two "Pro" models.
Key specifications include a 9.7-inch Retina Display, a 10-hour battery life, an A9 processor, 8MP rear-facing camera, and Touch ID fingerprint reader. Unlike the iPad Pro, the iPad doesn't have a True Tone display, quad audio speakers, or support for the Apple Pencil or Smart Keyboard.
iPad will go on sale at 2:01am AEDT on March 25 in a choice of silver, gold, or space grey. Pricing is as follows:
- 32GB iPad, Wi-Fi: $469
- 128GB iPad, Wi-Fi: $599
- 32GB iPad, Wi-Fi + 4G: $669
- 128GB iPad, Wi-Fi + 4G: $799
We're still waiting to see if any of the local telcos offer the 4G models on a contract.
Notably, Apple has discontinued the iPad mini 2, leaving the iPad mini 4 as the only remaining 7.9-inch iPad. At present, the iPad mini 4 is only available in a 128GB configuration, starting at $579 for the Wi-Fi only model.
Alex Choros
