TL;DR: Both storage configurations of the current Apple iPad mini are sitting at record-low prices as of June 14.
2021 Apple iPad Mini (WiFi, 64GB)(Opens in a new tab) — $399.99 $499 (save $99.01) at Best Buy
2021 Apple iPad Mini (WiFi, 256GB)(Opens in a new tab) — $539.99 $649 (save $109.01) at Amazon
Two retailers are gearing up for next month’s release of iPadOS 16 by reviving some all-time low pricing on the latest Apple iPad mini.
As of June 15, you can grab the 64GB base model at Best Buy(Opens in a new tab) for $399.99 (normally $499) or upgrade to the 256GB version via Amazon(Opens in a new tab) for $539.99 (usually $649) — a savings of $99 and $109, respectively. Neither tablet has been this cheap since(Opens in a new tab) early May(Opens in a new tab) and probably, maybe won’t dip any lower come Prime Day, so scooping one up is a smart move. (Also, some colors will arrive within a day or two if you need an impressive last-minute Father’s Day gift for a tech-savvy dad.)
Promising up to 80 percent faster performance than the previous generation (from 2019), this iPad mini features a zippy A15 Bionic chip, an all-screen design with bright 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, a versatile USB-C port, an upgraded selfie camera with Center Stage, Apple Pencil support, and a battery life of up to 10 hours per charge. The only thing it’s really missing is a 3.5mm headphone jack (RIP), but the overall package was enough to earn it one of our coveted Mashable’s Choice Awards and the following review from senior editor Stan Schroeder:
The iPad mini is as close to perfection as an iPad can get. It’s a smaller iPad Air that does nearly everything better. It’s missing some Pro features, but few that I would pay extra for. It’s practical, pretty, and portable.
iPad OS 16 is set to arrive sometime in July, FWIW, bringing with it “an entirely new multitasking experience” and “desktop-class apps.” Culture reporter Elizabeth de Luna has the deets.
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Haley is a Mashable shopping reporter based in Chicago. Before joining the team, she covered politics for The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, wrote about exotic pet ownership for the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, and blogged for several Jersey Shore stars. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games and hanging out with her parrot (Melon) and dog (Pierogi). You can follow her on Twitter at @haleyhenschel(Opens in a new tab) or reach her via email at [email protected].