As Apple Plans to Launch New Low-Cost iPad, Google Debuts First Chrome OS Tablet

On the eve of Apple's education-focused event where the company is expected to debut new low-cost iPads, Google and Acer have debuted the first Chrome OS tablet.

The new Acer Chromebook Tab 10 is the first tablet to run Chrome OS, which has previously been available on laptops, desktops, and tablet/PC hybrids.

acerchromebooktab10
According to Google, the Acer Chromebook Tab 10 is designed to give schools the "easy management and shareability of Chromebook laptops" in a lightweight device that offers touch and stylus functionality along with Google Expeditions AR integration.

It features a 9.7-inch 2048 x 1536 display in a 9 inch by 6.6 inch body that weighs just over 1.2 pounds. Like other Chrome OS devices, it supports Google Play, giving students and teachers access to millions of Android apps, and it can be managed by IT professionals right alongside other Chromebook devices a school might already have in use.

acerchromebooktab102
There's a built-in 2-megapixel HD webcam at the front of the tablet, along with two speakers and a microphone. A 5-megapixel rear camera is designed to allow children to capture photos and videos, and it features a 9-hour battery for all-day usage.

Inside, the Chromebook Tab 10 is powered by a 6-core 3399 RockChip processor and it includes 4GB of RAM and 32GB integrated memory. It charges via an included USB-C port that can also power other devices.

Each Chromebook tablet comes equipped with a low-cost Chromebook Wacom EMR stylus that doesn't require charging or pairing. It uses advanced machine learning to "predict student writing for a natural writing experience" with zero-latency digital input for drawing, taking notes, and more.

Chromebooks are popular, easy-to-use low-cost options that many schools have already adopted, which is what Apple has to compete with through its rumored low-cost iPad. Acer plans to sell the Chromebook Tab 10 for $329 starting in April, and that's a price point Apple may be planning to beat.

Rumors have suggested Apple's new low-cost iPad will have a price tag as low as $259, and to match some of the features available with Chrome OS devices, Apple may be planning to include support for the Apple Pencil.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said last week that Apple Pencil support is "likely" for the new low-cost iPad. It's not clear if Apple will introduce a lower-cost Apple Pencil to go along with the tablet, though, as the Apple Pencil is currently priced at $99.

Aside from Apple Pencil support and a possible price tag, we don't know much about the tablet that Apple plans to introduce tomorrow, but we don't have long to wait to find out details. Apple won't be live streaming its event, but we'll have coverage here at MacRumors.com and on our MacRumorsLive Twitter account.

For more on what we might see at tomorrow's event, make sure to check out our what to expect post.

Related Roundup: iPad
Tags: Acer, Google
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPad

Top Rated Comments

69Mustang Avatar
78 months ago
Shot's fired.:p Apparently Google does not plan to cede the .edu market to Apple. They are trying to hold on to that majority market share.

Apple better be announcing more robust backend support or they're basically wasting their time with tomorrow's announcement. Hardware is only a part of why Google took their lunch and punched them in the grapes.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DNichter Avatar
78 months ago
A complete package for cheap with a included Wacom stylus is a no brainer in the educational market. The best buy deals will make this even cheaper. A full desktop OS with android apps really does rival anything Apple has to present tomorrow.....
Ah he's back. A "full desktop OS", that is pretty funny. You always provide a good laugh.
[doublepost=1522093666][/doublepost]I am not sure I would want this advertising data mining machine in the hands of the youth. Seems dangerous.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jamesrick80 Avatar
78 months ago
A complete package for cheap with a included Wacom stylus is a no brainer in the educational market. The best buy deals will make this even cheaper. A full desktop OS with android apps really does rival anything Apple has to present tomorrow.....
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
A MacBook lover Avatar
78 months ago
Google is such a joke
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DNichter Avatar
78 months ago
Troll? Or just extremely uninformed/ignorant? Than again this is the internet, and not everyone has equal knowledge...
Not sure what you mean. Chrome OS is not a full desktop OS and Google's products and services only exist for advertising data.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jamesrick80 Avatar
78 months ago
It's Android. Would you honestly want your heart felt children using that platform? Android has no class. Period!
Its Chrome OS which already has the educational market. The android apps are just a nice addition.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
iPhone Home Screen Gradient Blank Spaces 1

Sources: iOS 18 Lets Apps Be Placed Anywhere on Home Screen Grid

Sunday March 24, 2024 1:33 pm PDT by
iOS 18 will give iPhone users greater control over Home Screen app icon arrangement, according to sources familiar with the matter. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, to ensure there is some uniformity, our sources say that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18. For example, we expect that the update will introduce...
iPad Pro 2024 Landscape Camera Feature

New iPad Pro Again Rumored to Feature Landscape Front-Facing Camera

Monday March 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature a landscape-oriented front-facing camera for the first time, according to the Apple leaker known as "Instant Digital." Instant Digital reiterated the design change earlier today on Weibo with a simple accompanying 2D image. The post reveals that the entire TrueDepth camera array will move to the right side of the device, while the microphone will...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
sonoma desktop wwdc

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 With Fix for USB Hub Bug

Monday March 25, 2024 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, a minor update for the macOS Sonoma operating system that launched last September. macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 comes three weeks after macOS Sonoma 14.4. The ‌‌‌‌macOS Sonoma‌‌ 14.4‌.1 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. There's also a macOS 13.6.6 release for those who...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18 Will Finally Bring This Android Feature to iPhone

Monday March 25, 2024 6:42 am PDT by
iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen grid, according to sources familiar with development of the software update. This basic feature has long been available on Android smartphones. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, our sources said that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18....
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...