I don't think Apple cared that much about the edu market. I mean they already change the port to USB-C, rendering a lot of lightning cables and accessories obsolete.
70+% of college students use iPads, and almost 20% of school devices are Apple. You bet your life they care.
Aside from the pencil, that many do not use, what other lightning accessories are students using that are rendered "obsolete"? Cables and chargers are provided in the box.
So that's already a punch to those markets. Sticking to Pencil 1 seems more of an excuse to upsell people to the Air than a compromise for edu market.
Existing folk who have an older iPad will already have a Pencil 1 or Logitech Crayon. No need to spend another $129 - nice. Everyone else can save $30-60
Thus ipad feels more of literally a product designed by MBAs and marketing as a decoy product to upsell people to the Air. The fact that they keep the old ipad 9 in the lineup showed it as well. People in the budget would get the iPad 9, while people already willing to spend $500+ will think "oh might as well just get the Air".
Enter this decoy iPad 10 for $450. People looking for cheap iPad will remain buying the iPad 9, but those on the fence whether to get the Air or not would now be more likely nudged to get the Air, as the price difference now is only $150 between that and the iPad 10.
Not everyone has an extra $150 to spend on new toys. If it's within budget you were probably going to buy the Air anyhow.
If you were on the fence between the 9th and 10th, you are going to get more longevity of the 10th gen, and it will hold its' value a little better being USB-C. Lightning though, by the time it comes to resell will be a thing of the past.
Well, from normal for-profit perspective, wouldn't you want those few people who are interested in Apple Pencil buy the more expensive Pencil 2 instead?
1. Used for anything other than the most basic scribbling, it makes no sense, or difference to use the more expensive Pencil on a unlaminated display IMHO.
2. It would cost existing pencil owners $129 to "upgrade". I'd guess alot of these ipads will be replacements for old models rather than first-time purchases.
Prior to this iPad 10, there's a huge gap between the $329 iPad 9 and the $600 iPad Air that was only filled with the iPad mini. I'm sure many consumers on the fence would lean more towards the $329 iPad 9 as they probably don't think the iPad Air is worth almost double the price.
It
does make complete sense for an
individual to buy the Air 4 or 5, especially if it's on sale and you can shop around.
Corporations, fleets, police departments, stores, schools however will be attracted to the better camera, speed bump over their older units, and lower cost of repairs vs the Air.
They also do not have to spend on new Pencils as replacements for ones already issued, just a couple of cheap adaptors if required.