Apple updated its core iPad proposition, the 9.7-inch screen tablet, taking the product to what it described as “its most affordable price ever”.

In real terms, the device is little more than an incremental refresh of the previous generation, which carried the iPad Air badge. However, the $329 price point for the base model is significantly lower than the $499 price tag the iPad Air 2 carried at launch.

With the iPad line – and tablet market in general – having lost some of its lustre, cutting the price seems a reasonable way of maintaining demand. However, the device is probably not enough of an upgrade to entice existing users to trade-up if their existing tablet still has some life left.

Earlier reports suggested a broader refresh was on the cards. It is not clear if Apple is now keeping its powder dry for another update later this year.

The company talked up the new iPad’s “bright Retina display with over 3.1 million pixels…enclosed in a sturdy yet thin aluminium unibody enclosure weighing just one pound”.

It is powered by an A9 processor. Other features include fingerprint scanner and Apple Pay support, and an integrated LTE version is available.

As with its most recent iPhones, Apple upped the minimum onboard memory provision to 32GB, with a 128GB model also available. In comparison, the base iPad Air 2 had 16GB.

Available in silver, gold and grey, the new 9.7-inch iPad is available for order now, with delivery to customers and retail outlets next week. Initial availability is in more than 20 markets, with more to follow through April and May.

Also in the iPad line, Apple took the iPad Mini 4 down to a single device, with 128GB capacity. Pricing is $399 for the Wi-Fi only version.

iPhone (Product)Red
Apple also unveiled a (Product)Red version of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which it said “gives customers an unprecedented way to contribute to the Global Fund and bring the world a step closer to an AIDS-free generation”.

The devices will be available in 128GB and 256GB models, with prices starting from $749.

Also updated was iPhone SE, with 32GB and 128GB models doubling the capacity of the existing 16GB and 64GB smartphones, with the same starting price of $399.