Apple’s iPad Mini is $50 off at Amazon today

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Ars Technica

Today’s Dealmaster is headlined by a nifty discount on the iPad Mini, as 64GB models of Apple’s 7.9-inch tablet are currently down to $350 on Amazon. That’s $50 off Apple’s MSRP and about $35-40 off the street price we’ve typically seen online over the past few months.

While we’ve seen the iPad Mini hit this price a few times in the past, this is the second-best deal we’ve tracked for the tablet in total, trailing only a brief drop to $330 in April. As of this writing, the discount only applies to the Space Gray variant. If you want more storage space, the 256GB model is $50 off as well, bringing it down to $500.

The iPad Mini is more or less exactly what its name suggests: a smaller iPad. It has the same benefits as most Apple tablets: sturdy hardware, a sharp (at 326 pixels per inch) and quality display with no air gap, well-supported software, and a rich app library. With its large bezels and lack of USB-C support, its design is decidedly more dated than the pricier iPad Pro, but its size makes it a more natural fit for ebook or magazine reading, with the occasional YouTube video or Apple Arcade game thrown in. The Mini is probably too cramped to be a reliable multitasking machine—and unlike the iPad Air, it doesn’t support Apple’s Smart Keyboard accessory—but iPadOS still tends to work better as a media-consumption platform than a productivity one. That said, the iPad Mini runs on Apple’s A12 Bionic chip, which remains more than powerful enough for most of the tasks you’d do here. It also supports Apple’s Pencil stylus.

You can check out our full review from last year for a more detailed rundown. The latest rumors peg Apple as launching an overhauled iPad Mini in the first half of 2021, but if you want a capable small tablet for you or the family right now, the iPad Mini remains the best you can buy. If you don’t, though, we also have deals on Ars-approved board games, Amazon devices, USB-C wall chargers, Nintendo Switch games, and much more. Have a look for yourself below.

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Top 10 deals of the day

Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite.
Enlarge / Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite.
Valentina Palladino

Amazon device deals

Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K media streamer.
Enlarge / Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K media streamer.

Laptop and desktop PC deals

  • Lenovo ThinkPad T490 laptop – Intel Core i5-8265U, 14-inch 1080p, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD for $749 at Lenovo (use code: THINKDEAL – normally $1,050).
  • 34-inch Dell UltraSharp U3419W curved monitor – 3440×1440, 60Hz, IPS, USB-C for $647.99 at Dell (use code: STAND4SMALL – normally $720).
  • CalDigit TS3 Plus Thunderbolt 3 dock – 2x Thunderbolt 3, 5x USB-A, USB-C 3.1 Gen 1, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2, DisplayPort 1.2, Ethernet, SD for $209.99 at Amazon and B&H (normally $250).
  • WD My Passport (5TB) portable external HDD for $99.99 at Amazon (normally $110).
  • WD Black SN750 (500GB) NVMe PCIe internal SSD for $69.99 at Amazon (normally $77).
  • WD Blue SN550 (1TB) NVMe PCIe internal SSD for $104.99 at Amazon (normally $125).
  • Samsung T7 (500GB) portable external SSD for $79.99 at Amazon (normally $105).
  • Samsung 970 Evo Plus (2TB) NVMe internal SSD for $349.99 at Amazon (normally $435).
<em>Luigi's Mansion 3</em>.
Enlarge / Luigi’s Mansion 3.

Video game deals

<em>Azul</em> in play—a two-player game in progress.
Enlarge / Azul in play—a two-player game in progress.

Gaming deals

  • Wingspan board game for $48.49 at Amazon (normally $60).
  • Azul board game for $23.33 at Amazon (normally $30).
  • Razer BlackWidow Elite mechanical gaming keyboard – Razer Green/Razer Orange switches for $99.99 at Amazon (normally $120).
  • Razer Basilisk v2 wired gaming mouse for $64.99 at Amazon (normally $75).
  • 8Bitdo Gbros. Wireless Adapter controller adapter for Nintendo Switch for $14.42 at Amazon (normally $20).
<em>Wingspan</em>, another Ars-approved board game.
Enlarge / Wingspan, another Ars-approved board game.
Aaron Zimmerman

Electronics deals

The iPad mini.
Enlarge / The iPad mini.
Samuel Axon

Accessories and miscellaneous deals

  • AmazonBasics USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 to USB-A cable (3ft, 5-pack) for $27 at Amazon (normally $37).
  • Apple Leather Case for iPhone 11 Pro for $14.99 at Amazon (normally $36).
  • Aukey PA-D5 USB-C wall charger – 63W total, 60W USB-C PD, 18W USB-C PD, GaN for $21.09 at Amazon (use code: JFNG8978 – normally $35).
  • Aukey PA-D3 USB-C wall charger – 60W total, 60W USB-C PD, USB-A, GaN for $19.59 at Amazon (use code: M5T6C7IM – normally $30).
  • Aukey PA-D1 USB-C wall charger – 30W total, 30W USB-C PD, USB-A for $12.99 at Amazon (clip $7 coupon – normally $21).
  • Samsung Bar Plus (128GB) USB 3.1 flash drive for $19.99 at Amazon (normally $23).

https://arstechnica.com/?p=1700205