The 9th-gen iPad supports Apple’s Pencil and keyboard folio. Jason Cipriani/ZDNET
Buying a tablet this Prime Day? Ask yourself this: What will I use the tablet for? Will it be your on-the-go web browsing device? Are you setting it down on the kitchen top for recipes and music at a tap? Or are you getting experimental and want a portable smart home monitor? The 9th-generation iPad can do all of that, even if it’s not the newest tablet from Apple.
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In fact, it’s still offered at the Apple Store, brand new, for $329. That’s a great price for a great tablet. But right now, you can snag one for even less. Amazon’s Prime Day is doing Apple one better with a sweet $80 discount on the iPad model, bringing it down to its all-time low in pricing history at $249.
For the price, you’re getting a 10.2-inch tablet that’s capable of running the latest version of iPadOS, Apple’s ever-improving software that brings widgets, optimizations, and other enhancements to the iPad experience. The form factor of the 9th-gen iPad can be characterized as sleek and familiar. It’s the only Apple tablet that still features a physical home button, which is fantastic if the navigation gestures and all just aren’t for you, and bezels beaming from side to side.
Review: Apple iPad (9th Gen): If it’s not broke, don’t fix it
That same home button doubles as a TouchID sensor for unlocking and permitting App Store purchases, and some would argue that it’s better positioned than the side-mounted ones on the newer iPads.
What I wouldn’t rely on so much is the cameras on the front and back of this iPad model. They’re not the sharpest sensors on the market, and I’d generally advise against using a tablet for photos and videos, but they are good enough for video calls, which you may find yourself doing.
All in all, this is the cheapest iPad deal during Amazon’s Prime Day, and I don’t use that adjective often. If you want a tablet that just works, and will give you your money’s worth, look no further than this offer.
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