Best Buy sale shaves $100 off 16GB iPad Mini 3
The sale comes a few days before Apple is expected to release the iPad Mini 4. Should you buy it or wait for the new model?
Best Buy is offering a Labor Day sale on several tech products, including the 16GB flavor of Apple's iPad Mini 3, the version released in 2014.
The sale cuts $100 off the price of the 16GB Wi-only iPad Mini 3, bringing the cost down to $300 from $400. The iPad Mini 3 is available in a choice of three colors -- gold, silver or space gray. The sale itself, which started on Friday, runs through Monday, September 7, and is valid both in-store and at Best Buy's website.
A $100 savings is always worth considering. But a new iPad Mini may be waiting in the wings. Reports suggest Apple will unveil its next-generation iPads at its traditional iPhone launch event, scheduled for September 9. Typically, the company holds a separate event in October to introduce its new iPad lineup. But this time around, a single event may do the trick. If so, the iPad Mini 4 is likely to be one product to take the stage.
So should you wait for a possible iPad Mini 4 or grab the iPad Mini 3 now and save $100? That's hard to say since we don't know for sure what the Mini 4 may offer. Apple typically upgrades each year's iPad with one or two new features but mostly minor enhancements. That was true of the iPad Mini 3, which added a gold option and the Touch ID fingerprint sensor but otherwise was identical to its predecessor.
So far, rumors say the iPad Mini 4 will be thinner than the Mini 3, include a faster processor, better cameras and a possible split-screen view that would allow you to see and run two apps as the same time. So as always, the choice comes down to saving money to buy the current model or dolling out more cash for a potential new model with a few improvements.
Still, another option is just waiting. If Apple does introduce an iPad Mini 4 and continues to sell the Mini 3, it will likely cut the cost of last year's model by $100, just as it did with the iPad Mini 2.
Best Buy also has a few other Labor Day sales designed to entice consumers.
Those interested in Microsoft's 128GB Surface Pro 3 can save $200 on the Core i7 model. Looking for a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro instead? You can save $150 on select models of either machine. And finally, Best Buy is offering $300 off a Samsung 60-inch Smart 4K Ultra HD TV.
All Labor Day sales run through September 7 and are good both in-store and online, according to Best Buy. Still, it's a good idea to call your local Best Buy store to confirm the sale price of the product you want before you head on over.