July 4th is almost upon us, and we’re finally seeing the first wave of 4th of July sales wash ashore. Shopping is just as much of an American pastime as baseball, and July 4th — and the week leading up to it — is one of the best times during the summer to score bargains on all sorts of stuff from home goods to electronics. It’s a particularly good chance to find discounts on Apple stuff (which doesn’t go on sale a lot). If you could use a new tablet, there are plenty of 4th of July iPad sales running now that offer big savings on the new 10.2-inch iPad, the sleek iPad Air, the travel-friendly iPad Mini, and the beefy iPad Pro — and we’ve rounded up all those juicy 4th of July iPad deals right here.
Apple still makes the best tablets on the market, and whichever one you pick, it’s hard to go wrong. There are four models available today and your choice will largely come down to your budget. The latest update of the standard iPad is our recommendation for most people, and it’s a fantastic value. It boasts a gorgeous 10.2-inch display (a half-inch increase over the previous model thanks to slimmer bezels) and great performance, and it now sports a Smart Connector which allows you to attach an Apple Smart Keyboard — no fussy Bluetooth connection required.
Moving up in price a bit brings you to the 10.5-inch iPad Air, which is so good you might wonder why you’d even bother with the iPad Pro. The iPad Air is a fantastic “middle” option if you’re willing to shell out a bit more for better hardware and a sleeker design. In the same price bracket is the travel-friendly iPad Mini, which, like the Air, also saw a refresh in 2019. If portability is your main priority, this 7.9-inch tablet is your best bet and punches well above its weight when it comes to performance. We suggest sticking with the latest 2019 models of the 10.2-inch iPad, iPad Air, and iPad Mini, given that these represent excellent values and ongoing iPad deals often let you score them for surprisingly cheap.
At the top of the heap is the premium iPad Pro, available with either an 11-inch or 12.9-inch Retina display. The Pro is pricey, but if you want the best tablet Apple has to offer, the 2020 iPad is the one. The iPad Pro is an especially good option if you intend to pair your tablet with an Apple Smart Keyboard Folio for use as a 2-in-1, as the faster hardware and superb (not to mention larger) displays of the Pro models are more conducive to laptop-like use.
One exception to the “buy current-gen” rule is the 2018 iPad Pro. The last-generation Pro is still a good buy in 2020, owing to its impressive hardware that won’t feel long in the tooth, and since the release of the 2020 iPad Pro, prices on the 2018 models have steadily fallen. That said, don’t wait too long or expect the price to come down that much further, as we don’t know how long those 2018 iPad Pro tablets will remain in stock. If you’re considering an iPad Pro and are willing to buy a last-gen model to save some cash, it’s a good idea to jump on a good deal as soon as you find it.
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