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TECHNOLOGY Wednesday 22 March 2017

Apple cuts prices on lower-end iPads, releases red iPhones

ANICK JESDANUN
AP Technology Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Apple is
cutting prices on two iPad
models and introducing
red iPhones, but the com-
pany held back on updat-
ing its higher-end iPad Pro
tablets.
A much-speculated 10.5-
inch iPad Pro didn’t ma-
terialize, nor did new ver-
sions of existing sizes in the
Pro lineup, which is aimed
at businesses and creative
professionals. The new de-
vices are mostly refreshes of
existing models. Apple un-
veiled them through press
releases Tuesday rather
than a staged event, as it
typically does for bigger
product releases.
The iPad updates come as
the tablet market contin- This photo provided by Apple shows the family of iPads, from left, the iPad mini 4, the new iPad, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and the 12.9-
ues to decline, after a few inch one, along with the Apple Pencil.
years of rapid growth. Ac- Associated Press
cording to IDC, tablet ship- and AIDS programs. And a 10.5-inch version might iPads. Unit sales of iPads fell the extra storage costs Ap-
ments fell 20 percent to Apple is doubling the stor- have been enough for ex- 19 percent from the previ- ple far less than the extra
53 million worldwide in the age on the smaller iPhone isting iPad owners to up- ous year. Yet Apple CEO $100 that model sells for,
final three months of 2016, SE while keeping the $399 grade. Tim Cook has expressed Vela said.
compared with the same starting price. A 10.5-inch version may still optimism because many CHALLENGERS
period in 2015. The new iPad Mini 4 is avail- come this year, closer to people were buying iPads Apple remains the mar-
THE NEW LINEUP able right away, while the the holiday shopping sea- for the first time, indicating ket leader, accounting for
The iPad Air 2 is replaced standard-size iPad comes son, along with updates to that the market had yet to about a quarter of all tab-
by a new model simply out next week, with orders existing Pro sizes. reach saturation, the point lets shipped in the fourth
called the iPad. It retains a to begin Friday. The new Jackdaw Research analyst at which everyone who quarter, according to IDC.
9.7-inch screen, but gains iPhone SE comes out Fri- Jan Dawson said Tuesday’s wants a particular product Samsung beat Apple to a
a little weight and thick- day, while the red iPhones announcement makes it already has one. tablet announcement by
ness. The display is brighter are expected by the end of “even clearer that there Dawson agrees that the nearly a month, though
and the processor faster. Its the month, with advance are two very distinct iPad number of tablet owners is Samsung’s Android-based
price starts at $329 for 32 gi- orders beginning Friday. tiers now — the iPad Pro still growing, even if over- Galaxy Tab S3 doesn’t ac-
gabytes of storage, down THE MISSING DEVICE and the basic iPads. The all sales are declining be- tually start selling until this
from $399. The standard- IDC analyst Jorge Vela had iPad Pros will likely continue cause people aren’t up- Friday, for $600.
size iPad is now cheaper high hopes for a 10.5-inch to get all the best new fea- grading often. He said the Vela doesn’t consider it
than the smaller Mini mod- iPad. He said such a size tures, while the basic iPad new $329 price for the 9.7- a serious threat to Apple.
el. might have offered room will get occasional updates inch iPad should help spur Even though the Tab S3 is
The 7.9-inch iPad Mini 4 for a better keyboard, and new features a little lat- sales. New 9.7-inch mod- more in line with iPad Pros
now comes with 128 giga- compared with the 9.7-inch er than the Pros, lagging a els have previously cost at in quality, Vela said people
bytes of storage starting iPad Pro, and it wouldn’t generation or two behind.” least $499. tend to buy Samsung tab-
at $399, rather than $499 have been as bulky as the The processor in the new Far from holding a clear- lets as media-consumption
before. Apple is eliminat- 12.9-inch version. standard-size iPad, for in- ance sale, Vela said Apple devices, something they
ing the 32-gigabyte model, And Apple typically sparks stance, is akin to what’s in is merely taking advantage can do with the cheaper
which used to sell for $399. consumer interest when it the iPhone 6S from 2015. of lower prices for older iPads. Samsung also has
Nothing else is changing. has new sizes and designs, The Mini’s processor is even components. And Apple two Windows 10 tablets
Apple is also releasing a Vela said, as seen by a jump older. might be able to preserve coming. Called the Galaxy
red edition of the iPhone 7 in sales following the intro- DOWN BUT NOT OUT higher profit margins by Book, the Windows devices
and 7 Plus; for each phone duction of larger iPhones In the last three months of pushing people into a are more likely to chal-
sold, Apple is donating an in 2014 (iPhone sales have 2016, iPhones generated model with four times the lenge Microsoft’s Surface
unspecified amount to HIV since dropped.) Vela said 10 times the revenue as storage, or 128 gigabytes; than iPads. q