The Latest: Apple hopes to regain ground in US classrooms

The Latest on Apple's education event in Chicago (all times local):

3:30 p.m.

Apple is hoping it can regain ground that its products have recently lost in U.S. classrooms, but a longtime technology analyst believes the company must be willing to cut prices to do that.

And that's a concession Apple isn't ready to make quite yet. The company hammered that point home Tuesday when it unveiled the latest model of its cheapest iPad.

The new version will have a few things that last year's model didn't but will still start at $329 for the general public and $299 for schools.

That means the iPad will remain more expensive than most laptop computers running Google's Chrome operating system. Many of those Chromebooks sell for $200 to $250.

Analyst Patrick Moorhead predicts the ongoing pricing gap will discourage most budget-conscious schools from switching from Chromebooks to iPads.

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11:45 p.m.

Apple is rolling out a new educational app and giving away extra online storage to teachers and students in an attempt to reclaim some of the ground that it has lost in U.S. classrooms.

The additional features announced Tuesday include an app called "Schoolwork" that is designed to help teachers make assignments and monitor their students' progress. Apple is also offering teachers and students 200 gigabytes of free storage in its iCloud service so they can access documents, photos and other digital content from any internet-connected device.

Apple gives all accountholders five gigabytes of storage before charging for additional space. The company normally charges $3 per month for 200 gigabytes of storage.

The company announced its new classroom products at a Chicago high school to underscore its commitment to education.

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11 a.m.

Apple is adding the ability to use a digital pencil to draw and write on its cheapest iPad model in an attempt to make the tablet more compelling for creating, teaching and learning.

Apple's pencil previously worked only on its more expensive iPad Pro line.

The company unveiled its latest iPad Tuesday in a Chicago high school to signal a renewed emphasis on education. Apple's products have been losing ground in U.S. classrooms to Google and Microsoft during the past few years.

Many analysts had expected Apple to roll out a cheaper iPad to help spur sales to budget-strapped schools that have been embracing Google-powered laptops selling for $200 to $250. But the new 9.7-inch iPad will sell for $329, with a $30 discount for schools — the same pricing as last year's model.

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10:05 a.m.

Apple has started an education-focused event in Chicago as it looks to get its high-tech products into classrooms.

CEO Tim Cook is opening the show by noting that Chicago Public Schools has been working with Apple to teach coding to hundreds of thousands of public students.

The trend-setting company is expected to provide more details about its renewed emphasis on education Tuesday at a Chicago high school. The curriculum may include a lower-priced iPad and a variety of services tailored for students ranging from kindergarten through high school.

Apple is trying to regain ground lost to rivals Google and Microsoft during the past few years.

Google has emerged as the education leader in the U.S. market, thanks largely to laptop computers running on its Chrome software. Some of those so-called Chromebooks sell for $200 to $250 while the cheapest iPad currently costs $329.

An even-lower priced iPad could help Apple teach Google a lesson.

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midnight

Apple is hoping to return to the head of the class in the competition to get high-tech products into U.S. classrooms.

Apple is trying to regain ground lost to rivals Google and Microsoft during the past few years.

An even-lower priced iPad could help Apple teach Google a lesson.