Heads up! Amazon’s Black Friday Week sale is in full swing, and the price of the 10th generation iPad has dropped by an impressive $99. If you’re after a deal on a high-quality tablet, this might be the best Black Friday bargain out there.
The latest model in Apple’s lineup combines impressive performance with seamless access to a vast ecosystem of apps and accessories. It’s a great choice for work, streaming and gaming whether you’re a student, professional or artist.
Plus, it comes in four colors and works with a handful of accessories like the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil. Need more than 64GB of storage? No problem, there’s a 265GB option on sale too.
Amazon
With a bigger, brighter, more vibrant screen and multiple colors to choose from, can you really go wrong?
$250 at Amazon
Why is this a good Black Friday deal? 💰
It’s rare to see significant discounts on Apple’s latest iPads. Getting the newest generation at a lower price is always a major score — not to mention that our own Rick Broida named this the best overall tablet of 2024, bar none. You’ll save the most on blue and yellow, but pink and silver are also on sale, for just a few dollars more.
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Why do I need this? 🤔
Look, you may not need the newest iPad, but life’s a whole lot smoother with it around. It’s an ultra-light, thin gadget that’s powerful enough to replace your laptop for most tasks but slips into your bag without a second thought. With a larger 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, you’re swiping and scrolling your content in vibrant color and sharpness that makes any screen that came before it feel like an old tube TV.
If you’ve got a habit of toggling between a dozen apps, streaming videos and replying to messages at once, you’re in for a treat. This iPad is ready to keep up with whatever you throw its way. And if you’re into gaming, the graphics capabilities mean you can play even demanding games without dropping a frame.
And let’s talk accessories — with the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil (both of which, as you would expect, work like a dream with this model), you can turn it into a creative powerhouse or a productivity machine whenever you feel the urge, whether you’re doodling on Procreate, jotting down ideas in Notes or typing out a big presentation. The only thing it can’t do is support Apple Intelligence. For that, you’ll have to snag an iPad Air, iPad Pro or the new iPad mini.
What reviewers say 💬
This iPad has received over 17,000 ecstatic reviews from fans plus one from our trusted tech tester, Rick Broida.
Pros 👍
“There’s just something about the iPad,” Broida says. “Give Apple credit for crafting a tablet that’s really desirable despite the out-of-whack price. In fact, following a 2022 redesign, it got even out-of-whackier: Apple bumped the semi-affordable $329 price tag to a disappointing $449.” (Puts the sale price in perspective, huh?)
Rick went on to say, “Apple also made a bunch of under-the-hood improvements, including a faster processor, more RAM (4GB instead of 3GB), Bluetooth 5.0 (up from 4.2) and a USB-C charging port. (So long, Lightning!) None of these upgrades are what I’d consider must-haves, but they do make an already excellent tablet even better.”
This five-star review comes from a longtime fan: “This is an excellent update for my daughter’s ancient iPad. She’s constantly exclaiming about how much faster this one is, how easily it runs games, and how beautiful the graphics are. We’ve had zero technical issues with it, and like most Apple devices, set up was a total breeze. [The] 10th generation is neat because of the color choices. The pink one was such a hit. The battery life is pretty awesome. She can watch shows or play games for hours and hours without having to plug it in.”
“As I get older, vision challenges make it inconvenient to spend a lot of screen time on my iPhone — whether it’s checking emails, Facebook posting or playing games,” said another shopper. “I decided to bite the bullet and move up to the iPad, and although it’s only been a couple of weeks, I’m extremely pleased with my investment (and it was an investment, as I went with the newer model and higher memory). It’s extremely convenient and the screen is amazingly clear.”
Cons 👎
“The bad? The smallest memory size is too small for heavy users and there is a pretty stiff upcharge for the larger configuration,” said one five-star reviewer, who added the “new design has reverted to the square-edged design language for the body, I prefer the curved body style (i.e. 8th or 9th gen).”
One of the bigger gripes was the absence of Face ID. “No Face ID is ridiculous at this point, and the fingerprint scanner being located in the power button, while fast acting, isn’t as handy as when it was easier to access on the front panel.”
Amazon
Are you a budding artist? Pair up this iPad with Apple Pencil and ProCreate (quite possibly the most powerful app to be found for under $10) and you’ve got yourself a mobile digital art studio.
$250 at Amazon
If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage here. Shop the best expert-picked Black Friday deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. And find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.