Apple will introduce new, low-cost iPads at its first product event of 2018 next week in Chicago, according to a report from Bloomberg. The company sent out invitations last week for an education-focused event at a prep high school in Chicago on March 27th, in which it said that it would share “creative new ideas for teachers and students.” Alongside the affordable iPad model, Apple will also reportedly show off new education software.
Apple has struggled to compete with Microsoft and Google in schools, but a cheap tablet packed with teacher-friendly software could be the inroad that the company needs to become a player in the field. No further details about the iPad were unveiled, but Bloomberg’s sources claim that it will be “a new version of [the] cheapest iPad.”
Rumors have been swirling about new iPads for month, but most of those rumors have focused on a new model that will do away with the home button and feature the same Face ID sensors as the iPhone X. Providing the model Apple plans to show off at the event will be its cheapest to date, it’s hard to imagine that it will be packed with the latest and greatest technology. Rather, it seems more likely that this is the 9.7-inch model we heard about last year.
While the iPad will likely be the highlight of the March event, Bloomberg also reports that Apple is working on “a new, cheaper MacBook” as well. The laptop will supposedly cost less than $1,000 and will serve as a replacement for the MacBook Air, but it seems unlikely that it will be ready in time for next week’s event.
