Amazon’s October Prime Day is finally here, and Apple’s iPad lineup is finally showing some real savings. The early deals were mostly small cuts on the base models, but the main event has delivered three deals worth chasing: $50 off the standard iPad, $100 off the M4 iPad Air, and up to $200 off the iPad Pro.
“a tablet that thinks it’s an AI laptop”
The discounts aren’t record lows, but they are meaningful given that Apple raised iPad prices earlier this year. Mashable’s tech experts have rounded up the best deals, and we’re here to explain what each one actually means for buyers.
The Standard iPad Drops to $399
The standard iPad with the A16 chip is the cheapest way to get a new Apple tablet, and it remains our favorite for budget shoppers. Mashable’s Samantha Mangino wrote that even though its tech is basic compared to the advanced iPad Air and Pro, it’s great for someone who wants a portable screen for streaming, playing games, and reading.
This model runs on a battery good for up to six hours, ample for most everyday duties. The base iPad comes with 128GB of storage at a discount of $50, applying equally to the Wi-Fi and cellular editions. That reduction puts it at $399, the lowest point since Amazon raised it to $449 earlier this year.
The $50 cut is modest, but it’s a relief after Apple’s price hike. For anyone who wanted a basic tablet without spending too much, this is the moment to buy.
iPad Mini Drops $100 Off Its List Price
The iPad mini stands apart from ordinary e-readers with its compact build and anti-reflective screen. That’s why Mashable names it our top tablet for reading. Right now, the price on offer makes the choice even more appealing than anticipated.
The iPad mini was supposed to drop $70 during the earlier Prime Big Deal Days. Instead, it’s now $100 off its $599 list price, bringing it to $499. That’s a full 100 off, which is a bigger cut than the earlier prediction.
For people who read frequently yet prefer something more than an e-reader, the mini works well. Its display is gentler on the eyes, and its performance surpasses what a Kindle or comparable device can handle.
M4 iPad Air Gets $100 Off
The M4 iPad Air is the newest tablet in the lineup, and it’s a solid pick for students, artists, and creators. In his 4.5-star review, Mashable’s Timothy Beck Werth called it “a tablet that thinks it’s an AI laptop,” which sums up its ambition.
This year’s tablet keeps the same lightweight aluminum build and vivid Liquid Retina display from the previous model, while the M4 processor and improved smart chip speed up AI functions. Voice notes get turned into text nearly at once, and picture work moves along just as fast.
Beck Werth noted that the M4 model only offers “iterative upgrades over last year’s model” and can feel “overpowered for casual users.” That’s exactly why the $100 price drop makes sense. Paying full retail for an incremental spec bump is a hard sell, but catching it on sale makes the extra speed, 256GB of storage, and creator-grade power worth the tag.
The price of the M4 iPad Air has dropped by $100, which brings it down to $649.
iPad Pro Deals Run Up to $200 Off
The iPad Pro is the top-end model, and it’s where the savings are biggest. Leading up to the sale, we saw discounts of up to $200 on last year’s M4 model rather than the freshest M5 version.
An iPad Pro measuring 11 inches paired with 2TB of storage and a nano-texture display is selling for $1,899. The cost remains considerable. For a cheaper Pro model, the 11-inch iPad Pro equipped with the M5 chip and 256GB of storage is marked down by $60.
The other Pro models show smaller savings:
- Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) — $1,139 ($1,199, save $60)
- Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) — $1,399.99 ($1,499, save $99.01)
- Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 512GB) — $1,549.99 ($1,699, save $149.01)
- Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 512GB Cellular) — $1,799 ($1,899, save $100)
The 11-inch M5 model with 256GB is the sweet spot for most buyers. $60 off isn’t huge, but it’s better than nothing, and the M5 chip is a generation newer than the M4.
What Buyers Should Know Before Buying
The deals are live now, but they won’t last forever. Amazon’s official Prime Big Deal Days prices are locked behind a Prime account. However, you don’t have to pay the $14.99 monthly fee to shop the sale.
If you haven’t been a member recently, you can sign up for a 30-day free Prime trial, grab your iPad at the discounted price, and cancel before the month is up. It’s a simple workaround for anyone who doesn’t want a long-term commitment.
If you hold off, there’s a danger involved. Apple raised iPad prices earlier this year, and these reductions from $50 to $100 are about as good as it gets at the moment. You could possibly save an additional $10 or $20 by waiting until late November, but you’re taking a real chance that the most wanted colors and storage tiers will sell out before that date.
Who Put These Deals Together
Mashable’s Senior Shopping Reporter Haley Henschel works out of Chicago and reviews and tracks deals on popular tech, including laptops, gaming consoles, and VPNs. With years of experience covering shopping holidays, she knows what’s actually worth buying on Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day.
She has studied what moves the digital shopping world, looking at everything from knockoffs to 12-foot skeletons.
The Bottom Line on These Deals
If you’re looking for a basic streaming and reading device, the standard iPad at $399 is a sensible starting point. For the best value, the iPad mini at $499 delivers a full $100 off its list price. The M4 iPad Air at $649, meanwhile, sits somewhere in the middle as a compromise between raw power and cost.
The deals for the iPad Pro are scattered across several different offers. The larger 2TB version represents a significant investment. The $200 reduction on it is considerable. Among the more modest Pro models, the 11-inch M5 with 256GB stands out as the best combination of cost and capability.
The current offers are on right now, and all of them’re likely to sell out fast. Popular colors and storage tiers have a habit of disappearing quickly during these sales, so the safest move is to grab what you want while it’s remain up for grabs.
For most buyers, the M4 iPad Air at $649 is the best combination of power and price. It’s faster than last year’s model, it has plenty of storage, and the $100 discount is a real saving. The mini is the standout value if you’re a reader, and the standard iPad is the simplest route if you just need a portable screen.
Amazon’s October Prime Day is the start of the holiday shopping season, and these iPad deals are the best we’ve seen so far. The savings aren’t record lows, but they are real, and they come after Apple raised prices earlier this year. That makes them worth paying attention to.
Source material: “The best October Prime Day deals on iPads, according to Mashables tech experts,” Mashable.
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