Looking for a budget-friendly iPad you can use for everyday tasks, like catching up on emails and messages, then reading the latest news before streaming a show? This might be the deal for you. The A16-powered iPad (a model that Apple released just a few months ago) has dipped to $299. That’s $50 off the list price.
The tablet briefly dropped to $278 at one point. However, this is the best price we’ve seen for this iPad otherwise.
Apple
This 11-inch iPad has 128GB of storage and has Wi-Fi 6 connectivity (no LTE capabilities here). The discount applies to all four colorways: blue, pink, silver and yellow.
This is our current pick for the best budget iPad. We gave it a score of 84 in our review.
We feel that Apple could stand to upgrade the entry-level iPad’s display, which does not have an anti-reflective coating and has a 60Hz refresh rate (which is the bare minimum for a new device these days). The screen isn’t laminated, either — there’s a gap between the actual panel and the glass that encases it. While this is good for repairability, we feel that it makes the screen look cheaper. Actions like writing notes with an Apple Pencil feel less natural than on the likes of the iPad Air too.
Speaking of the Apple Pencil, the A16 iPad isn’t compatible with the second-gen model or the Pencil Pro. As such, the only pressure-sensitive Apple Pencil that works with this iPad is the original model from 2015, which doesn’t attach to the tablet magnetically. The USB-C Pencil can stick to the tablet, but it does not offer wireless charging or pressure sensitivity.
Still, perhaps you don’t care about doodling or taking handwritten notes on an iPad. If that, the screen issues and the lack of Apple Intelligence generative AI features (this model doesn’t support them) don’t matter to you, this iPad might be all you need.
The chip is fast enough to handle everyday tasks, while the storage and RAM increases compared to the previous model are very welcome — especially considering that Apple didn’t bump up the price. The build quality and battery life are still solid overall too.
Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
