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Best back-to-school iPad deals: Get an Apple tablet for $220

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This article is part of our Back to School sales coverage, where we help you beat the rush and save money by shopping early.

If you need one of the best iPad deals for taking back to school, or simply for fun, we’re here to help. With some great iPad deals going on right now, we’ve highlighted some of the best of the bunch. Below, we’ve picked out iPads covering various different budgets so there’s something for everyone here from the basic iPad to the iPad Pro. Let’s take a look at what’s best for you.

Apple iPad (64GB, Wi-Fi, 7th Gen) — $220, was $249

The iPad 10.2 being used.
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

This Apple iPad 7th generation might not be very new anymore but thanks to Apple supporting its products for a while to come, it remains a good option for those wanting to keep costs down. This particular model is refurbished so it’s had a previous owner but has since been restored to excellent quality, just like if you bought it new. It offers a 10.2-inch Retina display with a 2160 x 1620 resolution, Apple A10 Fusion chip, and a massive 128GB of storage space. It also has a 8MP camera although it’s best suited for occasional snaps or video calls rather than pure photography. It’s a great introduction to tablets if you want something iPadOS based without spending a lot.

Apple iPad (64GB, Wi-Fi, 8th Gen) — $413, was $449

Apple iPad 9th Gen. 2021 on porch with toys.

The latest Apple iPad offers a lot to love. On a basic level, it looks great with a choice of color schemes for matching your aesthetic at school. It also has a delightful 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone support so the display is adjusted to the color temperature of the room for excellent picture quality at all times. The A14 Bionic chip ensures decent performance for this price range while there’s 64GB of storage space. A 12MP ultra wide front camera is useful for video calls thanks to Center Stage support, while there’s a 12MP wide back camera for taking snaps.

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Apple iPad Mini (64GB, Wi-Fi, 6th Gen) — $469, was $499

The Apple Pencil attaches to the iPad mini magnetically.
Adam Doud/Digital Trends

A little powerhouse of an iPad, the Apple iPad Mini is ideal if you need the most portability possible from your tablet. Its 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display looks great with True Tone support, as well as P3 wide color and ultralow reflectivity. The tablet is powered by the A15 Bionic chip which is pretty good for gaming as well as editing content such as images or videos. It also has a 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage support, along with a 12MP Wide back camera with True Tone flash. Its smaller size makes it great for anyone who prefers to travel light.

Apple iPad Air (64GB, Wi-Fi, 5th Gen) — $559, was $599

iPad Air 5 alongside the iPhone and MacBook.
Digital Trends

Topping our look at the best iPads, the Apple iPad Air is the best choice for most people. It uses the M1 chip you see in slightly older iPad Pros and MacBooks so you’re gaining laptop levels of performance here. For the screen, there’s the ever gorgeous 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone support along with P3 wide color to ensure that images look sharp and vibrant at all times. Besides being a productivity powerhouse, the Apple iPad Air supports the Apple Pencil (2nd generation) so it’s a reliable option for anyone who wants to sketch out designs and have the advantages of a magnetically charged pencil compared to the first gen one that other tablets support. Suitably versatile, this is a tablet ideal for pretty much all situations.

11-inch Apple iPad Pro (128GB, Wi-Fi, M2) — $749, was $799

Woman using an iPad Pro 11-inch feat image.

The latest Apple iPad Pro 11-inch is a supremely powerful tablet. It uses the M2 chip we see in MacBooks so you gain the latest in laptop levels of performance. It has an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU so it’s great for everything from gaming to video editing, all while on the move. Alongside that, the 11-inch Liquid Retina display looks great with ProMotion support ensuring no motion blur, True Tone for great colors in any light, along with P3 wide color support too. Basically, you’re gaining a laptop in tablet form with the option to add on the Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard for more functionality.

12.9-inch Apple iPad Pro (128GB, Wi-Fi, M2) — $1,049, was $1,099

Someone holding the 12.9-inch version of the iPad Pro (2022).
Joe Maring/Digital Trends / Digital Trends

For the ultimate iPad experience, buy the Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch M2. Its screen is truly stunning with the 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display offering up to 1,000 nits of brightness with 1,600 nits of peak brightness. A 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, reference mode, ProMotion, True Tone, and P3 wide color all add to the stunning quality of the display. It’s also powered by the M2 chip with 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU so it can handle anything you throw at it. If you want a life that’s laptop-free, this iPad just made it possible.

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Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen
Deals Writer
Jennifer Allen is a technology writer with over 10 years of experience. She primarily writes about the best deals coverage…
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