Apple event - as it happened: No new iPhones, but plenty of education updates and an affordable, upgraded iPad

New iPad features support for computer learning in schools

Apple has held its latest product launch, revealing new iPads and sweeping updates to its education offering.

The event didn't bring with it many new announcements, despite expectations that Apple could update the iPhone SE or other products. Those sorts of updates have been expected early in the year, but it's likely that it will either be in a press release sent out after the event or in another announcement later on.

Instead, the event focused on education, revealing a range of new releases intended to be used in the classroom. They're ranged from new products – most affordable iPad ever, which can support the Apple Pencil – to software that allows teachers to more easily use Apple computers in their classroom.

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[27 March 2018 16:24 · Andrew Griffin]

And that's all for iPad: onto the other thing. iBooks Author!

[27 March 2018 16:27 · Andrew Griffin]

Oh no, that was just a brief diversion into iBooks. We're hearing much more about the iPad itself.

[27 March 2018 16:28 · Andrew Griffin]

Apple keeps calling it the most affordable iPad. But hasn't said how affordable that is, since it hasn't announced the price.

[27 March 2018 16:28 · Andrew Griffin]

Onto augmented reality. Like Apple's other new products, and its software, it's built for this: it has sensors, cameras and a big screen ready to put virtual things into the real world.

[27 March 2018 16:29 · Andrew Griffin]

Tim Cook spoke to The Independent about why he loves AR so much last year.

[27 March 2018 16:31 · Andrew Griffin]

You can look through history and art while not actually being there, using the iPad

[27 March 2018 16:32 · Andrew Griffin]

We have a price: $329 for consumers, $299 for education. (You can expect it's the same number of pounds and euros, too.)

That can be fairly called a bargain, I reckon. (Enough of a bargain that you'd expect it to challenge the iPad Pro...)

[27 March 2018 16:32 · Andrew Griffin]

You can order it today. It'll be arriving in shops and in pre-orderers houses this week.

[27 March 2018 16:33 · Andrew Griffin]

Shared iPad is here, too. Until now, there's only been one user per iPad. But with this, you'll be able to log in wherever you want, and the tablets themselves will be able to be shared between people in the classroom. (You've been able to do that on the Mac forever, but it's been a very obviously missing thing from the tablets.)

[27 March 2018 16:34 · Andrew Griffin]

Lots of special stuff being revealed for school IT staff. They can create Apple IDs for students en masse, for instance (1,500 in a minute!) and they'll have new ways of using those and managing storage.