Apple may have just released flashy new versions of the iPad mini and iPad Air, but there’s still nothing wrong with the regular ol’ 9.7-inch iPad. It’s the lowest-priced tablet in Apple’s current lineup, especially with a big $100 discount that Amazon is currently offering on the 128GB version with Wi-Fi. That discount drops the price down from $429 to $329, which is essentially the retail price of the entry-level 32GB model. That means you’re getting a lot more space for a reasonable price.
You can also find this deal at Walmart, where the space gray, silver, and gold models are all available for the same price.
The 32GB model with Wi-Fi is also on sale, as Amazon dropped the price from $329 to $249.99.
As a reminder, the latest 9.7-inch iPad supports the first-generation Apple Pencil, much like all of Apple’s current-generation Lightning cable-supporting iPads. (The second-generation Apple Pencil only works with the 2018 iPad Pros, which have a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port). Unfortunately, you’ll have to buy the Pencil separately.
The 9.7-inch iPad also sports the A10 Fusion chip (while the new iPad mini and iPad Air contain the A12 Bionic chips that are familiar from the iPhone XS and XR). I find it’s still more than capable of handling whatever games and apps I toss its way.
If you want more information, be sure to read my review from last year. As I said at the time:
“In our review of last year’s 9.7-inch iPad, we said it was a ‘better choice than the iPad Pro for a lot of users,’ and the addition of Apple Pencil support and a faster processor makes that especially true for this year’s model. For $329, you’re getting a stellar tablet that feels as though it’s very capable, although without some quality-of-life features. For a general-purpose tablet for school, business, or pleasure, it currently doesn’t get any better than this.”
