For the better part of 2019, the iPad 9.7 (not to be confused with the iPad Air and iPad Mini) was on something of a pricing rollercoaster. Apple continued to charge $329 for the 32GB model, but vendors such as Amazon, MassGenie and Walmart frequently sold it for $249. Then came the new iPad 10.2, which sort of reset the pricing model back to $329 (though you can currently save $29 if you preorder the iPad 10.2 with 128GB of storage).
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Ah, but where does that leave the trusty sixth-generation iPad 9.7? Well, right now, Alldayzip (via Rakuten) has the 2018 iPad 9.7 (Wi-Fi, 32GB) for $238 when you apply promo code SAVE15 at checkout. It's available in gold and space gray; silver is sold out. You'll also bag 280 Rakuten points and, if you're signed up for Rakuten's cash-back program, 1% cash back. Note that CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of the products featured on this page.
This isn't the all-time lowest price I've seen for the iPad 9.7, just the lowest one right now. I do predict a bunch of clearance sales in the months to come, so it might be possible to scoop one of these up for closer to $200, maybe even less. Still, $238 represents a solid discount, especially considering that this previously sold for $91 more.
OK, but what about the Amazon Fire HD 10, which costs just $150 and often goes on sale for as low as $100? Great tablet, no question, but the iPad offers faster performance, much better cameras, more apps to choose from, an ad-free user experience and other benefits. I also find iOS -- sorry, iPadOS -- much easier to navigate than Amazon's clunky Fire OS, but that's just my two cents.
Oh, one more thing: My daughter, who's away at college, now uses this very iPad model -- along with the Apple Pencil -- to take notes in class, instead of a laptop. She absolutely loves it.
What do you think? Is $238 a good price for an almost-current-gen iPad? Or will you wait and see if it dips lower?
Read more: 6 new uses for your old iPad
Originally published earlier this year. Updated to reflect new sale prices and availability.
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