"Be still my pretty, you're free now."
Those were the last words the 9.7-inch iPad Pro whispered into the SIM port of the iPad Air as it slowly disconnected its Lightning cable for the last time.
Well, we assume that's how it went down. What's certain is Apple's iPad Air is no more, as the Cupertino firm doubles down on the iPad Pro range.
It's not all bad news, as the iPad Air 2 is still available at a new lower price point - although its 128GB variant has been scrapped.
Before the Apple launch on March 21 you would have paid US$499 (£399, AU$699) for the 16GB, Wi-Fi-only version of the Air 2.
That's now down to US$399 (£349, AU$599), meanwhile the 64GB Wi-Fi only model's new price is US$499 (£429, AU$729). If you fancy paying a bit more you can get both storage sizes with 4G connectivity too.
Born survivor
The iPad Mini 2, however, has managed to stand the test of time.
It launched at the same time as the iPad Air back in November 2013, but thanks to the flop that was the Mini 3, this pint-sized slate keeps its place as the entry level offering in the iPad line with prices starting at US$269 (£219, AU$369).
The writing may be on the wall for the mini 2, and it'll be looking over its beautifully rounded aluminium shoulder waiting for a successor to pounce.
- Read our in-depth reviews: 9.7-inch iPad Pro (hands on) | iPad Air 2 | iPad Mini 2
