Skip to main content

Apple’s most affordable 2018 iPad is now even cheaper on Amazon at $249

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The iPad Pro may boast the latest and greatest iPad design and most powerful hardware, but the vast majority of people don’t need anything anywhere near that powerful — or expensive. Thankfully, however, there’s a much cheaper iPad — the entry-level iPad with a 9.7-inch display. And, the device is being discounted by $80 on Amazon.

All three colors are available with the discount, so you can go for gold, silver, or space gray, depending on your preferences. With the discount, the device comes at $249 — down from its normal price of $330. That’s for the 32GB model. The cellular model is being discounted, too — so if you prefer to get an iPad that can connect to a wireless network, you can get one for $380, which is down from $460.

The 9.7-inch iPad in general is known for its excellent value-for-money. It includes an A10 Fusion chip, along with an 8-megapixel front-facing camera and up to 10 hours of battery life. We scored the tablet a 9/10 in our review, noting that it worked excellently with the Apple Pencil, performed great, and boasts good value for money. In other words, if you’re in the market for a good tablet for home use, this is the one to go for, especially at this price.

The last-generation iPad Pro is also getting a bit of a discount. The 10.5-inch iPad Pro from 2017 may not have the new edge-to-edge design, but it’s still incredibly powerful thanks to its A10X Fusion chip, plus the larger 10.5-inch display is great for artists, gamers, or those that simply want to watch movies in bed. It is a bit pricier than the standard iPad but all three storage capacities of the iPad are available for  $150 off. That means you will get the 64GB model for $500, the 256GB model for $650, and the 512GB model for $850.

It’s likely Apple will update the iPad lineup a little at some point in 2019, though given the major refresh that the iPad Pro received in 2018, we probably won’t see much of a change. Safe to say, if you’re looking for a great tablet, now is an excellent time to buy.

the device is being discounted  iPad Pro is also getting a bit of a discount

Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…
iOS 18.5 arrives as Apple edges closer to big iOS 19 reveal
The iOS 18.5 update waiting on an iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Apple has released iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5, the latest software updates for its iPhone and iPad models. As the version numbers suggest, Apple is gradually getting closer to the announcement of iOS 19, which will almost certainly be one of the main topics during its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) keynote which takes place on June 9. In the meantime, here’s what you need to know about iOS and iPadOS 18.5.

Apple iPhone and iPad owners can check their devices for the update now by opening the Settings app, tapping General, and then Software Update. If iOS 18.5 or iPadOS 18.5 is available, it’ll show up here and you only need to follow the instructions to install it. What will you find once it’s all up and running?This isn’t a big software update, so don’t expect to spot any major alterations. Likely the most obvious will be a new wallpaper in Apple’s 2025 Pride collection, which follows the recent release of a special Pride 2025-themed Sport Band for the Apple Watch. If you’re a parent and your child has an iPhone, you’ll receive a notification when the Screen Time passcode is used, provided both devices have iOS 18.5 installed. 

Read more
How a $30 accessory made my iPad Air perfect for travel and streaming
Rolling Square Edge Pro Core attached to iPad Air 2025.

I have an iPad Mini and a 13-inch iPad Air (2025), which reside in a folio case and a Magic Keyboard, respectively. While the iPad Mini is my favorite, most portable tablet, the Magic Keyboard + iPad Air combo makes the bigger device too heavy for tasks like video consumption and using it as a second screen, which covers more than 50% of my use case. I could swap the Magic Keyboard for a folio case to save weight, but that limits me to a single viewing angle and I lose a physical keyboard.

That’s why I added the $30 Rolling Square Edge Pro Core to my iPad Air. It has made my big tablet more portable and user-friendly without forcing me to sacrifice flexibility. My use case differs from the one advertised, but here’s how I use two of these simple accessories to get more out of my 13-inch iPad Air.

Read more
My main computer is an M4 iPad Pro, but a 2021 iPad still surprises me
Rear shell of 2021 iPad Pro.

This might sound controversially ridiculous, but for the past few years, my primary computer has been an iPad Pro. I first got interested in pushing tablets this way when the M1 version came out, and I’ve kept using them all the way up to the newest M4-powered model. 

A few weeks ago, I went back to my M1 iPad Pro to see how well it handles next-gen apps that are pushing the boundaries of graphics and AI on a mobile device. So, the big question is whether the four-year-old slate can still serve as a reliable workhorse in 2025?

Read more