Like clockwork, Apple has unveiled a slew of new products. Everything from new iPhones to new operating systems and, of course, new iPads. The question is, however, are the new iPads really that new? If you really look at them, the sad answer is no.

Granted, the new iPads are undoubtedly the best to date. Fresh technology, better displays, and a new look. Hell, the new iPads are the "thinnest" yet -- shouldn't that alone be enough to buy them?

It could be. The iPad remains the industry standard for tablets and not just because it's pretty or the first one popular. The iPad series has always been an incredibly successful tablet, combining a pleasant form factor with solid, reliable performance. The new iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 continue the trend, and you would be hard-pressed to find a more pleasing tablet to use unless you abhorred Apple's ecosystem.

The new iPads gets a nice overhaul under the hood, and its CPU and battery performances remain strong as ever. It's great on paper, but ends up feeling like the same old thing once it's in your hands.

Sadly, the iPads leave much to the imagination. Even after countless iterations, iPads lack a very basic functionality, USB support. There's still no USB port to connect a mouse or external hard drive to (or any of the other millions of USB devices). The lack of USB is mind-boggling, considering that it could add an unlimited amount of storage to the iPad and allow users to utilize tools they would normally use on a PC. A USB port would allow for an easy-to-connect keyboard. In fact, it's on almost everything, including printers, and the fact that you cannot easily transfer files using a thumb drive to an iPad only makes things worse and hinders its push into the enterprise market.

So why hasn't Apple added a USB port to the new iPads? It's unclear, although one thing is certain: Apple had its back against the wall with this lineup.

iPad sales have steadily been slumping as consumers find that Android tablets can be cheaper and can offer more functionality. Apple didn't address the functionality issue with the new iPads (unless you count the fingerprint Touch ID sensor a new "functionality") but it did do everything else right.

The new display is better, the A8X processor is impressive, and the cameras (for those who do use tablets as cameras) are crisper than ever.

Sure, the new iPads will enjoy good sales, but only time will tell if consumers finally want more than something pretty to look at.

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