Ahead of Cyber Monday, You Can Get Apple's iPad for just $274 Right Now

"The iPad has always been the perfect tablet. A great price, a good amount of performance, solid battery life, and a big enough screen. That's why it's even more noteworthy when this humble slate goes on sale. Cyber Monday iPad deals abound, but no, you don't really need to buy that discounted iPad Pro that still costs nearly $1,000. Buy Apple's entry-level iPad for $274 instead, and save your cash for all the other hours you're not staring at this screen."

"The iPad A16 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) arrived early this year and is the only device in Apple's lineup that doesn't support Apple Intelligence. Maybe that's a good thing, considering that many of those artificial intelligence features aren't very useful right now. However, early rumors suggest that Apple is readying a 12th-gen iPad in the first few months of 2026, and expect to see Apple Intelligence support. It's otherwise expected to be a processor bump, so don't expect much else."

"This iPad recently got a whole lot more versatile with the iPadOS 26 update, which adds windowing features, turning the iPad experience into a Mac. You can resize windows, flick them to the sides for split-screen, and iPadOS 26.1 brings back Slide Over, so you still have some options on how you want to multitask. Connect it with a Bluetooth keyboard, and you can easily spend hours on this slate typing up emails or doing some other kind of light work."

Apple's entry-level iPad A16 offers strong value with an 11-inch screen, solid battery life, and enough performance for most apps and games. Cyber Monday prices can push the model down to about $274, making it preferable to much pricier Pro models for many users. The A16 lacks Apple Intelligence but benefits from iPadOS 26 windowing features that enable resizable windows, split-screen, and restored Slide Over multitasking. The device supports only first-gen Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil USB-C and has a non-laminated display with an air gap, which reduces drawing fidelity. Rumors point to a 12th-gen iPad in early 2026.

Read at www.wired.com