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. Black Friday 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."

The entry-level iPad A16 combines affordable pricing with solid performance, reliable battery life, and an 11-inch display suited for media, work, and gaming. The current sale price of $274 presents significantly better value than discounted iPad Pro models that remain costly. The A16 lacks Apple Intelligence support for now, while early rumors point to Apple Intelligence arriving in a potential 12th-generation iPad in early 2026. iPadOS 26 adds windowing and multitasking features including resizable windows and Slide Over, and Bluetooth keyboard support enables extended typing. Pencil support is limited to first-gen Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil USB-C, and the display is not fully laminated, creating an air gap that makes sketching less ideal.

Read at www.wired.com