We waited several years for a new Apple iPad Mini, but the 2024 model launched less than two weeks ago, on October 23rd. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait that long for the first deals to start showing up. Today, the Apple iPad Mini with an A17 Pro chip has hit a new record-low price of just $399.99. That is a really lovely $99.01 discount!
This deal is available from Amazon, and maximum savings are only reached after manually clipping a coupon on the purchase page. Another critical factor to keep in mind is that this offer is not available for the Space Gray model. The coupon only appears for the Blue, Purple, and Starlight models.
This deal changes things up a bit. We usually recommend the 2021 Apple iPad Mini to most people because it’s still great, and the latest discounts have brought it down to $349.99. Now that the 2024 iPad Mini is only $399.99, though, the $50 upgrade is definitely much more enticing.
The new Apple iPad Mini comes with an A17 Pro chip and 8GB of RAM, which will definitely offer a performance bump. It will also get support for Apple Intelligence, while the 2021 model won’t. Those who care for stylus support will also enjoy Apple Pencil Pro and USB-C Apple Pencil support. The 6th-generation iPad Mini only takes advantage of the 2nd-generation Apple Pencil and USB-C Apple Pencil.
Aside from those improvements, the 7th-generation iPad Mini is pretty much identical to the 6th-generation one. Apple didn’t try reinventing the wheel here, as the 6th-generation iPad Mini was already outstanding. You’ll get the same aluminum design with squared-off edges and thin bezels. Of course, the tablet is still very small and portable, measuring 195.4 x 134.8 x 6.3mm. You’ll love the 9.3-inch screen, which has a sharp 2,266 x 1,488 resolution and can reproduce the whole DCI-P3 color gamut. It’s ideal for anyone who values color accuracy. And if you care for battery life, it’s the same size at 5,078mAh. We can assume the experience will be very similar, and the 2021 iPad Mini gave us about seven hours of screen-on time.
You best act quickly, as this is a very significant discount on a premium Apple tablet that launched less than two weeks ago. It’s rare to see such excellent sales so soon, and we’re unsure how long this offer will last.
Extra deal: Apple iPad 9th Generation goes back to just $199.99
Apple 10.2-inch iPad (9th gen)
Apple 10.2-inch iPad (9th gen)
A 10.2-inch Retina display with True Tone for incredible detail, vivid colors, and a comfortable viewing experience.
Now, while we’re not recommending the 2021 Apple iPad Mini this time around, those of you who want to save some cash have another great option. The 9th-generation Apple iPad is only a cent under $200 right now. This is half what you would pay for the 2024 Apple iPad Mini at its current discounted price.
While this 2021 model won’t compare to modern iPads, it actually does very well and will serve casual users perfectly. It could be the best value per dollar in the world of Apple tablets. You get an Apple A13 Bionic processor and 3GB of RAM. I’ve personally used it for editing RAW photos using Adobe Lightroom, and encountered no issues or slow-downs. This means your average apps will operate perfectly, and you can even run mobile games comfortably.
The screen is larger at 10.2 inches, and it has a nice 2,160 x 1,620 resolution. You still get an aluminum design, but it’s the older one with bigger bottom and top bezels. But if you’re a fan of Touch ID, this one still has it! It also still uses the Lightning port. If you can live with those few downsides, this is a fantastic tablet at just $199.99. It could be a great alternative for casual users or kids.
All that said, if you don’t like either of these, there are plenty of other great options out there. Here’s our list of the best Android tablets, where you’ll find a bevy of alternatives.