Actually, it was the price cuts that boosted sales.
https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/1/16079060/apple-earnings-q3-2017-ipad-sales
Again, to you ProMotion and True Tone are great. To me, and I have owned literally every model iPad released except for the two last minis, this two are incremental upgrades. ProMotion does not come into play unless you are scrolling or using the Apple Pencil, and it's not like the prior experience was horrible, an True Tone, well, let's just agree that it's an individual topic. Plenty people hate it, others love it and a big batch are in between.