Those looking to upgrade from an aging tablet to a new iPad could do much worse than the new iPad A16. We already consider it the best budget iPad at its standard going rate, but currently it’s on sale for $299 at Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy. That’s the lowest price we’ve tracked and $50 off Apple’s MSRP. Note that this deal applies to the entry-level configuration, which includes 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM, and covers all four of the device’s color options.
Apple released the iPad A16 back in March, and we’ve since named it the budget pick in our iPad buying guide. It’s not quite as refined or powerful as the iPad Air, as it’s a bit slower for more involved tasks, and its non-laminated display has a harder time fending off glare. That said, it costs significantly less, and it’s still more than enough tablet for the things most people do with an iPad. We gave it a score of 84 in our review.
Apple
Apple’s entry-level iPad is now a little cheaper. The A16 iPad has dropped to a record low of $299.
$299 at Amazon
Apple didn’t increase the price of this latest base iPad compared to the previous model, but it added 2GB of RAM, doubled the storage space and slotted in a more powerful chipset that’s fast enough for most common tasks, including moderate gaming and lighter media editing. However, the iPad doesn’t support Apple Intelligence — which may be a positive or negative, depending on your feelings about generative AI.
The build quality is still as solid as ever, while the battery lasts around 10 hours on a charge, depending on the tasks you carry out with it. On the downside, the accessory situation isn’t ideal. It only supports the more basic USB-C and first-gen Apple Pencils, neither of which can charge wirelessly when you magnetically attach them to the tablet’s side — instead, you’ll need a USB-C cable and/or USB-C to Lightning adapter to juice those up. The Magic Keyboard support isn’t great either, as the model that works with this base iPad is tough to stabilize on your lap.
Still, if the accessory fussiness doesn’t bother you, this might be the right iPad for your needs. Sure, the iPad Air and Pro lineups have more powerful chipsets, but if all you’re looking for is an iPad to watch some movies on while you’re flying or to read the news without breaking the bank, this should be the way to go.
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.
