Apple’s $499 iPad mini drops to $349 for Cyber ​​Monday — its lowest price ever

The iPad mini hits the sweet spot for me. It’s about the size of my Kindle, but much better for reading magazines. It crushes my iPhone for FaceTime and watching videos, and unlike my full-size iPad, it fits much easier in my bag when I fly. Even better, it’s down to $349 for Cyber ​​Monday — its lowest price ever by quite a bit — so if you’ve been tempted, this is a smart time to pounce.

Prefer something a little bigger? You are lucky. There are other enticing Cyber ​​Monday iPad deals right now, with several of the larger models at or near record lows this week.

Why is this a good one? Cyber ​​Monday business? 💰

At $150 off, this tablet is incredibly affordable. But here we go: Cyber ​​Monday ends in just a few hours, and we don’t expect the discount to stick around much longer.

Why do I need this? 🤔

Think this is just a slightly bigger version of your phone? Think again. With a 3:2 aspect ratio compared to the iPhone’s 2:1, the iPad mini is much wider, and if you’re using the tablet for reading, it can fit more text and feels more like a book or magazine in your hand. Speaking of room in your hand, it’s less bulky than a full-size iPad, making it great for traveling or slipping into a backpack for commuting.

In terms of features, this little tablet is packed. It’s powered by the A17 Bionic chip, so you should experience zero lag (which I certainly can’t say for my Kindle). It has a 12-megapixel camera on both the front and back, and with its smaller size, you won’t look ridiculous holding it up to take a photo. The optional (but highly recommended) Apple Pencil Pro can turn this tablet into an art studio, whether your medium is photography or digital art.

This is also the first iPad mini with Apple Intelligence. What is Apple Intelligence, you ask? It’s Apple’s way of making your device even more useful and personalized. It learns from your habits and preferences to suggest things like appointment reminders, photos from certain events, or predictive text as you type, making things go smoother and faster.

What the reviewers say 💬

Shoppers can’t get enough of the iPad mini – it has over 2,000 five-star ratings on Amazon.

Pro 👍

“I love the iPad mini, especially for use when traveling and when I have to take it to family gatherings. It’s much more manageable than my larger iPad,” said this on-the-go fan. “At first I was concerned about the smaller screen, but since you can enlarge the type in the accessibility feature on the iPad mini, I had no problem using it. For portability, you can’t [beat] The smaller iPad”.

“Having used various larger iPads, I feel this model strikes an ideal balance between being more expansive than a phone but more compact than a laptop,” wrote a second reviewer. “Its size is perfect for productivity and entertainment on the go.”

“I had the iPad mini previously and sold it to upgrade to this one,” noted one repeat buyer. “It’s exactly the same great build quality and gorgeous display, but with twice the storage of my last (128GB) and a much better processor… Apple Intelligence might sound like a gimmick, but I’ve been using the iPadOS 18.2 beta and I’m blown away by the picture app. It alone is worth the price of admission for me to Apple Intelligence.”

Against 👎

“It really brings the Apple experience into a smaller package,” said this iPad enthusiast, who offered this note of caution: “If you’re upgrading from the mini 6, be aware: the improvements are minor, mostly focused on chip performance.”

And if you’re an Apple Pencil 2 fan, you know this: “If you upgrade, the Apple Pencil 2 you bought to use with the 6 won’t work with the 7. You’ll have to buy a new Apple Pencil Pro.”

Amazon

With a 3:2 screen ratio, it feels much more like a book in your hand than the iPhone.

Save $150 | Lowest price ever

$349 on Amazon

Speaking of the Apple Pencil Pro, it’s also on sale:

Amazon

Want to draw, color, take notes, or mark up documents on your iPad mini? This is the companion you’ll need – and it charges magnetically by sticking to the side of your tablet. That’s one less cable to worry about!

“I’m constantly using this Apple Pencil Pro with my new iPad,” said one fan. “I really like the way it charges when stored on the side of the iPad. It always charges when I want to use it. It even keeps the screen cleaner from fingerprints. I had a generic one before that had to be plugged in to charge and I rarely used it and it wouldn’t last long when I needed it. This is great!”

$95 on Amazon

If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not a member yet? 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 cited above reflect the latest versions at the time of publication.