In-store sales of Apple’s new 9.7-inch iPad began on Friday, with a quick survey of online stores showing that the device is available in many locations in the US and Canada as well as Australia and major markets in Asia such as Japan and Singapore.
Locations in Europe including the UK and Germany received stock on Saturday but in-store pickup estimates have not yet been displayed anywhere else. However, ship times are expected to be slated for one business day.
Apple revealed its sixth-generation iPad at the “Let’s Take a Field Trip” event in Chicago last Tuesday. At 9.7-inches, this device retails for $329 and includes a few internal improvements from last year, including support for Apple Pencil.
Apple’s A10 Fusion processor with 2GB of RAM powers the device, something that first debuted in the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Compared to its predecessor, this chip provides a 40 percent increase in processor performance and a 50 percent boost in graphics performance making it suitable for augmented reality apps.
Everything else with the iPad stays very much the same. There’s an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera,front-facing 1080p FaceTime HD shooter, non-laminated display and Touch ID module for biometric authentication. The design is very similar to the 2017 iPad with finishes in Silver, Space Gray and Gold.
As part of a renewed push toward making devices accessible in the classroom, Apple is offering this device to schools and education customers at a discounted retail price of $299.
For everyone else, the iPad starts at $329 for a Wi-Fi version with 32GB of storage and increases to $429 for a model with 128GB of flash memory. Cellular models are also available for $459 and $559.
