Best Buy is selling the iPad 3 for $314 – Is it making room for a new model?

By Joshua Pramis April 4, 2013

Have you been longing to buy yourself the latest iPad version, but the steep price has been just out of reach? There’s hope! The Chicago Tribune announced that electronics megastore Best Buy has started to offer the iPad 3 (which has a Retina screen, but isn’t the latest versino) for 30 percent off; prices range from $314 for the 16GB to $454 for the 64GB.

When asked about the junior version of the tablet, Best Buy spokesperson Carly Morris said that the company would not be offering any discounts on the iPad Mini, but did confirm the reduced cost of all iPad 3s.

While we all can appreciate a good sale, the significance of this runs much deeper than just saving a few dollars … at least, as far as any tech fan is concerned. Ask yourself: why does a store typically reduce prices on items? Sure, sometimes it’s just a means to draw in new customers. But for the most part, it’s to clear out excessive inventory to make room for new products.

Does Best Buy know something the rest of us don’t? Or is the chain just making a decision based on the rumors that have been floating around? We originally thought the fifth generation iPad would make its debut last month. That didn’t pan out, but since many of the rumors have proven to be fairly accurate, give or take a missed date or two, there’s a good chance the launch is fast approaching.

So if you’ve gone this long without an iPad, you have two options: save a few bucks and enter the iOS tablet world with a well-priced third-generation iPad, or hold off just a little bit longer, and debut with the latest, top-of-the-line models.

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