Apple’s new affordable iPad 9.7 is probably all the iPad you will ever need

First we had the new Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S. then, we got Huawei’s absolutely insane P20, P20 Pro and Mate RS flagship smartphones. Now, it’s Apple’s turn and they’ve launched an affordable iPad.

Do they seem outgunned? Maybe. But this affordable iPad may just be exactly what the people have been asking for.

Although it looks pretty much the same as any other iPad, this new 9.7″ iPad is mostly all new. Up front, you’re greeted with a Retina display that pushes a resolution of 2,048×1536 pixels for a crisp 264 pixels per inch.

One of the new things with this display, however, is the fact that it now supports the RM419 Apple Pencil, unlocking a whole world of creative options. It’ll also feature stereo speakers for a better media consumption experience.

Inside, the iPad features Apple’s A10 Fusion processor which debuted on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus which means performance on this new iPad should be pretty solid. Besides that, it’s also got an 8MP main camera for photos and a 1.2MP FaceTime HD camera for selfies.

Apple’s also included a Touch ID sensor under the home button that you can use to unlock the iPad and authenticate Apple Pay transactions. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack and you can connect it with a Bluetooth keyboard for added productivity.

As usual, the new iPad will come running iOS 11 and all the tablet goodies it comes with, including split-screen multitasking and the dock for your favourite apps. Apple also boasts up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge so it should easily last an entire day.

In the States, this new iPad is targeted primarily at students, coming with a special USD299 (around RM1,150) price tag for the iPad and USD89 (around RM345) for the Apple Pencil. In Malaysia, there doesn’t seem to be that same special discount. With that in mind, here are all the new iPad variants:

iPad 32GB WiFi — RM1,449
iPad 128GB WiFi — RM1,849
iPad 32GB WiFi + Cellular — RM1,999
iPad 128GB WiFi + Cellular — RM2,399

These new iPads will also come in three colours — Space Gray, Silver and a new Gold variant. For now, there isn’t a date for when these iPads will go on sale in Malaysia so stay tuned for that.

It’s hard to deny that the tablet market is in decline and it’s not that people don’t want tablets, it’s just hard to justify them. This new affordable iPad, however, may be good enough to change that. It’s got everything that makes an iPad good plus the flexibility of an Apple Pencil for a far more affordable price. What more could you need?

Well, when I say affordable, I mean by Apple standards. Even the most basic combination (32GB WiFI) and Apple Pencil will cost you RM1,868. Still, if you’re looking for a tablet I don’t think anyone does tablets better than Apple. Maybe Logitech’s USD49 (around RM189) Crayon will make it to Malaysia and you can pick that up instead.

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