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Amazon Prime Day 2021 is in full swing, and there’s only a limited amount of time to snatch up the best deals. That includes discounts on iPads in all shapes and sizes, including the iPad Pro. With the clock ticking on Prime Day, now is the time to hop on these offers before they’re gone.
Whether you’re looking for a light tablet like the iPad Air or would rather have the most powerful tablet on the market, there’s a Prime Day deal that will save you some money on the latest in Apple electronics.  ipad-apple-ipad-10-2-inch-2020-credit-apple
Credit: Apple

The Top Deals You Can Find on iPads Right Now

The tech world has not been shy about spin-offs in recent years and the iPad joins this trend with four variants of its own. And you can find great deals on each of them during Prime Day 2021.

iPad Pro

iPad

iPad Air

iPad Mini

Deciding When and Which iPad to Buy

While you can purchase an Apple iPad from the Apple Store or Amazon at any time, you won’t enjoy any substantial savings. In addition to Prime Day, try to check for savings during the big shopping holidays, including Memorial Day, during graduation season and back-to-school, or around Black Friday and the holiday shopping season.
Another great time of year to pick-up your new iPad is just after the newest model has been released for the year, which tends to happen around September. Apple usually updates its devices every year, which means there’s pretty much always a good deal on an older model floating around.
If you’re an avid deal hunter, you’re likely to find iPad deals year-round from various retailers, especially if you’re willing to go for a bundle deal or shop pre-owned models. Just be careful, as not all refurbished or used iPads are created equal. While you can definitely trust any refurbished deals you see on the Slickdeals Frontpage, shadier merchants may try to lure you in with prices that seem too good to be true. If you’re not familiar with a merchant, do some research to find out the public opinion – as well as the store’s return policy for pre-owned items – before purchasing.
If you don’t mind a used device from a trusted seller, you can save yourself between $70 and $100 on your next iPad. BestBuy, BHPhoto.com, Newegg.com and other retailers with “Apple Authorized Dealer” status are generally good places to start for quality refurbished devices.

Check Deals at:

Best BuyBHPhotoNewegg

Students can also get a bit of a leg-up on Apple products – including the iPad – through various college discount programs. Apple has its own discounted pricing for students, but one of the best options is the College Student Deals discounts program through BestBuy. Signing up for the program earns students $50 or more in savings on Apple and other products.
 

ipad-apple-gold-white-pen-keyboard

Credit: Apple

Apple iPad Models

To help you decide which iPad best suits your needs, here’s a list of the features offered by each model.

iPad

Credit: Apple

iPad ($329-$559)

Best For: The Everyday User

  • Silver, Space Gray, and Gold
  • 32Gb, 128GB
  • 10.2-inch Retina display
  • A12 Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture
  • 1.2-megapixel front camera
  • 8-megapixel back camera
  • Compatible with the Apple Pencil
  • Lightning connector

If you’re on a budget, the standard iPad is a great tablet to start with. This version may not be the best fit for avid selfie-takers (as it only features a 1.2MP front camera) but thanks to Apple’s photo technology, you can still take some nice pictures with the 8-megapixel back camera. The standard iPad is perfect for casual users who don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for a solid tablet.
At less than half the price of the iPad Pro, the standard tablet is still quite a capable device. From your kids to your grandma, the iPad can provide hours of entertainment whether it’s playing games or streaming movies. Thanks to the millions of apps on the App Store, you can find just about anything to boost your productivity as well. Though this is an entry-level tablet, Apple sets the bar high so you won’t be disappointed.

iPad Minis

Credit: Apple

iPad mini ($399-$679)

Best For: Portability

  • Silver, Space Gray, and Gold
  • 64GB, 256GB
  • 7.9-inch Retina display
  • A12 Bionic Chip with an embedded M12 coprocessor
  • 7-megapixel front camera
  • 8-megapixel back camera
  • Compatible with the Apple Pencil
  • Lightning connector

These smaller tablets are perfect for kids as they’re a great size for smaller hands, and offer access to educational and entertainment apps and games. Plus, at the lower price point, it won’t be too big of a deal if it gets a little banged up. The mini is a good option for a high school or college student who wants something for quick notes or help with organization (and obviously, it’s still great for browsing the web and playing games). It won’t take the place of a laptop, but it’s a good portable option.

iPad Airs

Credit: Apple

iPad Air ($599-$879)

Best For: The Intermediate User

  • Silver, Space Gray, Rose Gold, Green and Sky Blue
  • 64GB, 256GB
  • 10.9-inch Retina display
  • A14 Bionic chip
  • 7-megapixel front camera
  • 12-megapixel back camera
  • Compatible with the Apple Pencil
  • Lightning connector

For slightly more intensive users, the next leg up is the iPad Air, with Wi-Fi models starting at $599 ($879 for the top of the line 256GB, fully-connected device). Going back to selfies, the front camera jumps to 12MP and can record 4K video at 60 fps. If you enjoy gaming during your downtime, the iPad Air is a solid choice over the standard version.
The iPad Air is the go to for anyone looking for a little more oomph than the standard version. Hosting a slightly smaller screen than the iPad Pro, this is a great compromise in price and power for those that find the iPad Pro to be a little over budget.

iPad Pros

Credit: Apple

iPad Pro

This iPad is Best For: The Creative Professional
11-inch Price: ($799-$1,449)
12.9-inch Price: ($999-$1,649)

  • Silver and Space Gray
  • 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
  • 11-inch or 12.9-inch Retina display
  • A12Z Bionic chip with embedded M12 coprocessor
  • 7-megapixel front camera with Portrait mode, Portrait lighting, Smart HDR
  • 12-megapixel Wide & 10-megapixel Ultra Wide back camera
  • Compatible with the Apple Pencil
  • USB-C connector

Moving up the line, Apple’s iPad Pro offers the fastest processor, the largest, most vibrant display, the highest resolution and the best front and back cameras. If watching movies or TV is going to be a big part of what you do on your iPad, you’ll want the larger screen of these models. They also have larger storage capacities if you like to download shows or movies from apps like Netflix or Prime Video.
Heralded as one of the best iPads ever made, this tablet is the perfect work companion for any creative professional. The thinner bezel, larger screen, unparalleled power and reimagined Apple pencil come together to give you a lot of eye-hand satisfaction.
While this iPad was created more for the work setting, it doesn’t mean the average at-home user would not benefit from it. For regular tableteers, the hefty price tag of the iPad Pro is justified by its excellent media capabilities thanks to the liquid retina display and some fantastic new speakers.
These Pro models are for the on-the-go professional; they’re laptop replacements for the fast-paced world.
Finally, keep in mind that the prices given are the suggested prices from Apple itself, so you may see variations in price from retailer markups or fees.
 

ipad-apple-pro-pencil-2019-credit-apple

Credit: Apple

Bottom Line

As other high-quality tablets enter the market, competition for sales on iPads, and tablets in general, has grown. While the sales-war style discounting is bad for the retailer’s bottom lines, it’s a boon for you.
Ultimately, the best way to get a good deal is to do a little research. Figure out which iPad works best for your needs and your budget, then find out if a new variant is coming out soon. Prices on new models won’t be too steeply discounted, but mid-cycle or previous models may have some prices that are up your deal-loving alley. And if you’re willing to wait for a holiday sale, all the better.
Check out some of the great deals for the many models of Apple iPad by browsing the Slickdeals tablet deal page and setting a Deal Alert to be notified when a new deal is posted.
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Eric Vega

Eric Vega is a Puerto Rican writer and filmmaker working out of Burbank, California. He has covered a plethora of topics in his writing including the looming threat of invasive species, the true spirit of the Juggalos, and why space travel will always be a carnival of nightmares.