The cameras remain the same, for better or worse, with an 8-megapixel shooter on the back and a 1.2MP FaceTime cam at the front.

For most, the biggest deal may simply be the price. The upgraded iPad is available on March 24th, starting at $329 for the 32GB WiFi version, and $429 for the 128GB model ($130 more will get you an LTE variant of each). That's the lowest starting price yet for a mid-size iPad, and it's clear that this is the new budget option. In fact, Apple has gone so far as to make the iPad mini 4 more expensive: It's now available with 128GB of storage only for $399, and there's no iPad mini 2 to pick up the slack. Apple clearly feels that 9.7 inches represents its mainstream size going forward.

Update: After a careful look at Apple's iPad comparison page, we've found the new iPad's Achilles' heel. Its screen isn't laminated to the glass and doesn't have the anti-reflective treatment found on the screen of every other iPad. The iPad Air 2, by comparison, had a fully-laminated screen, which removes a visible gap between the display and the glass cover. If you've used a device with a laminated screen (which includes most phones out there now), the notion of going backwards there isn't promising.

Indeed, as a device that is basically meant to be a giant window to the internet, skimping on the screen here is a bummer. The new iPad's price point is still excellent, but there's no doubt this is a budget iPad compared to the Pro.