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Need a cheap tablet for school? iPad 10.2 now down to only $310

Jacob Silver
By
Digital Trends

Everyone knows that the best computer for a student returning to school is a laptop. But what if that’s no longer true? With the advancement in tablet capabilities, as well as their accessories, tablets can now do much, if not all, of the work a laptop could, at a fraction of the size and price. One of the models at the top of the heap is the Apple iPad 10.2, which is currently on sale for just $310 at Amazon, that’s $19 off the regular price of $329. It’s not a massive discount, but it’s one that should not be ignored, especially when you see what an iPad can do.

Something important to consider before buying any machine for back to school — where will you be using it? With laptops, the wisdom used to be that you also go for the one with the most storage space — that it was always worth the extra money. But most campuses and homes now have high-speed Wi-Fi, connecting us with our cloud storage options, making that advantage more of an albatross, in terms of price. Simultaneously, accessories for tables, especially those for iPad — like the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil have made it so that, functionally, your tablet can serve as a laptop, and more, at a moment’s notice. In fact, be sure to check our our recommendations for the best cases for the iPad 10.2.

Now, if your work involves heavy video or photo editing, you may need a MacBook Pro or something similar, but for most everyday uses, from taking notes and talking over Zoom to gaming and watching Hulu.

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When Apple debuted the iPad 10.2 in 2019, they also premiered iPadOS, which was a huge upgrade and gave iPad its very own operating system. This is guided by an A10 Fusion chip, which will make every move swiftly and smoothly. Apple is legendary for its screens, and this one is no exception, featuring Retina display with nearly 3.5 million pixels, as well as an 8MP camera and 1080p HD video recording to ensure the tightest, clearest Facetime and Zoom calls.

There’s more, the iPad 10.2 has a full day’s battery life (10 hours), a lightning connector, and boasts 32GB standard and is ultra portable, measuring 9.8 inches by 6.8 inches, while only 0.29 inches thick, and weighing 1.07 pounds. That’s ultralight compared to other tablets, and downright tiny compared to a laptop. Throw a case and a screen protector on there and it’s a student’s dream.

Affordability is more important than ever, which is one of the best reasons to consider an iPad over, or in addition to, a traditional laptop when heading back to school this year. In fact, we’ve rounded up all the best cheap iPad deals to help you find the one right for you, in addition to all of the other great tech at our back-to-school sales. The iPad 10.2 has everything a student needs for everyday computing, and right now it’s $19 off, or just $310 , down from the regular price of $329, at Amazon.

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Jacob Silver
Jacob Silver
An avid cook, boxer, reader, and binger of Netflix (and Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon and more) Jacob Silver writes deals posts about…
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