Apple announced this week that rising RAM costs will force price increases across its product lineup. Before that happens, the entry-level iPad (Wi-Fi, 128GB) is down to $299, off its $349 list price and the lowest-priced iPad Apple currently sells. This deal is open to all Amazon customers with no Prime membership required, and at $299 it has been holding steady at this price for months without needing a sale event to get there.
A16 chip, 11-inch Liquid Retina, 12MP cameras, Wi-Fi 6
The newest iPad base model runs the A16 chip, the same silicon that powered the iPhone 14 Pro and delivers a meaningful performance jump over the A14 that the previous generation used. For browsing, streaming, video calls, note-taking, drawing, light photo editing, and gaming, the A16 handles everything without hesitation and with enough headroom that it will not feel slow for several years of typical use. The 11-inch Liquid Retina display runs at 2360-by-1640 resolution at 264 pixels per inch with True Tone, and at 11 inches it is large enough for comfortable reading and video watching without the bulk of a 13-inch tablet.
Both cameras are 12MP: the front camera includes Center Stage, which automatically tracks and frames you during video calls without manual adjustment, and the back camera handles 4K video, document scanning, and photos with a True Tone flash. Wi-Fi 6 covers fast transfers and streaming on modern home networks, and the USB-C connector handles charging, accessories, and external display output with cables that are already in most households.
iPadOS, Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard Folio, Touch ID
iPadOS brings Stage Manager for multi-window multitasking, Scribble for handwriting-to-text input with an Apple Pencil, and over a million apps designed specifically for the iPad’s screen size and input methods. Apple Pencil USB-C is compatible for drawing and note-taking, and the Magic Keyboard Folio adds a full keyboard with trackpad and a protective case that doubles the iPad’s utility for productivity work. Touch ID in the top button handles unlocking, app sign-in, and Apple Pay without Face ID, which is the trade-off at this price point against the iPad Pro and iPad Air above it in the lineup.
128GB of storage covers apps, photos, downloaded videos, and documents for most users without requiring constant management. For anyone whose iPad usage centers on streaming, browsing, note-taking, and communication, 128GB is the configuration that makes sense rather than paying extra for storage that will sit unused.
Apple’s entry iPad has been the default answer to “which iPad should I buy” for most people for years, and the A16 upgrade makes that recommendation stronger than ever. With 25,144 reviews averaging 4.7 stars and over 10,000 units sold per month, this is the iPad that covers streaming, gaming, school, video calls, drawing, and light productivity without requiring a Pro or Air to do it.
At $299 before Apple raises prices, buying the cheapest iPad in the lineup has rarely felt more straightforward.