As much as we truly and deeply love the Pro and Air models of Apple’s venerable iPad, we totally get the fact that sticker shock coming out of Cupertino is a real thing. That’s why we’ve always had a soft spot in our heart for the “base model” iPad, which performs like anything but a base model now that it’s armed with the A16 chip. This 11-inch workhorse is back under $300 at Amazon right now, which is a real opportunity to score a great tablet at a great price.
The A16 is the same processor that powered the iPhone 15 Pro, which means the performance headroom is well beyond what most tablet tasks demand — browsing, streaming, and note-taking barely get it to break a sweat, while heavier workloads like photo editing, immersive gaming, and multitasking across split-screen apps run without the lag that older iPads started showing. All-day battery life means the iPad goes from morning to night without reaching for a charger, which is the practical requirement for a device that travels between a couch, a desk, and a bag.
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You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best
The 11-inch Liquid Retina display has always been the main reason people buy iPads over cheaper Android tablets and don’t look back. Colors are accurate, text is sharp, and True Tone adjusts the white balance to match ambient lighting so the screen stays comfortable whether you’re reading in bed or working near a window. For streaming, it’s a better panel than most TVs people watch from across a room — and you’re holding it two feet from your face, where quality differences are impossible to miss.
