It’s hard to get much better than Apple’s own Magic Keyboard if you want a case that will turn your tablet into an acceptable laptop replacement. iPads magnetically attach to it, hovering above the keys and trackpad, while allowing you to angle it from 90 to 130 degrees to get the right viewing position. It feels surprisingly sturdy, and the keyboard itself is great to use for long periods of time. It doesn’t have the same stability a standard laptop would if you’re using it on your lap, but you won’t feel like your setup will collapse at any moment either. The glass trackpad is another standout — it’s wide enough for gestures and generally a breeze to use, even if it’s noticeably smaller than one you’d get on a full-sized MacBook.
While it does offer one of the best typing experiences you can get with the selection of iPad Pro cases and other models, there are two major drawbacks to the Magic Keyboard: it doesn’t provide a ton of drop protection, and it’s expensive. The edges do not wrap around the iPad, so this is not the best buy if you’re particularly prone to dropping things. Also, the Magic Keyboard costs $300 to $350, depending on the size of your iPad. Without a doubt, it’s the most luxurious iPad case on this list, but those who want to make their iPad as functional as possible will get a lot of use out of it. If you want a cheaper, yet Apple official alternative, you could consider Apple’s Smart Keyboard Folio, which comes in at a more affordable $179.
Creating a child-friendly iPad takes a few extra steps, but Apple’s tools make the process relatively straightforward. From creating a child’s Apple ID to adjusting Screen Time and privacy settings, you can shape how your child uses the device and protect them from inappropriate content. The process varies slightly depending on whether the iPad is new or already in use, but the principles are the same: set up a managed account, connect it to Family Sharing and fine-tune the controls that keep your child’s digital space safe.
Create an Apple ID for your child
Every kid using an iPad should have their own Apple ID. This allows you to manage their account through Family Sharing and gives them access to features like iCloud, the App Store and Messages under your supervision. Apple requires parents to create accounts for children under 13, which can be done directly from your own device.
Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, tap your name at the top and select Family. Tap Add Member, then Create Child Account, and follow the onscreen prompts. You’ll need to provide your child’s name and birth date, along with parental consent using your own Apple ID password. Once created, the account is automatically added to your Family Sharing group.
If your kid already has an account, you can invite them to join your Family Sharing setup instead. On the iPad, go to Settings > Family > Add Member, then select Invite People to send a request to their existing Apple ID email address. When they accept, you’ll be able to manage parental controls from your own device.
Add your child to Family Sharing
Family Sharing brings all your family’s Apple devices together under one umbrella. It lets you share subscriptions, purchases and iCloud storage, while giving you oversight of your child’s activity. The Ask to Buy feature, for example, requires your approval before your child can download apps or make in-app purchases, helping to avoid surprise charges.
To enable Family Sharing on your iPad, go to Settings > [your name] > Family, then tap Add Member if your child isn’t already added. You can manage shared purchases, location sharing and Screen Time settings from here. Linking devices through Family Sharing also makes it easier to locate a lost iPad and maintain consistent restrictions across all your family’s devices. For broader setup advice, see Engadget’s guide on how to set up a phone or tablet for a child.
Set up Screen Time and parental controls
Once your child’s account is linked, you can use Screen Time to manage how the iPad is used. Screen Time is found under Settings > Screen Time, and it lets you set time limits, restrict certain apps, and monitor usage reports.
When first opening Screen Time on your child’s iPad, tap This is My Child’s iPad. You’ll be prompted to create a unique Screen Time passcode. This passcode is different from the iPad’s unlock code and prevents your child from changing settings without permission, so make sure you remember it. From here, you can configure several key features.
Downtime allows you to block all but essential apps and calls during certain hours, such as bedtime or homework time. App Limits sets daily time limits for categories such as games, entertainment or social networking. You can also set Communication Limits to control who your child can contact throughout the day and during Downtime, which is useful for if you only want them to message family members or trusted friends. The Always Allowed section lets you choose essential apps, such as Messages or educational tools, that remain accessible at all times.
You can adjust these settings from your own device if your child is part of your Family Sharing group. Screen Time reports provide detailed insight into how the iPad is used, so you can see which apps are used the most and make adjustments as needed.
Enable Content and Privacy Restrictions
Content and Privacy Restrictions offer finer control over what your kid can and cannot do with their iPad. To enable them, go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions, and toggle them on.
Within this menu, you can manage App Store purchases and downloads, disabling in-app purchases or preventing your child from installing or deleting apps. You can also filter explicit content in Apple Music, TV, and Books, and apply web restrictions in Safari to limit adult content. Under Web Content, choose Limit Adult Websites or specify certain sites that are allowed or blocked.
Privacy controls extend beyond content. You can manage location services, camera and microphone access and other sensitive permissions. For example, turning off location sharing in certain apps can help safeguard your child’s privacy. You can also prevent changes to accounts, passcodes and cellular settings, ensuring that restrictions remain consistent.
Fine-tune privacy and safety settings
Beyond Screen Time, Apple includes additional tools to make iPads safer for children. In Safari, you can enable SafeSearch to filter explicit results in search engines. Restrict AirDrop under Settings > General > AirDrop to limit sharing to Contacts Only or turn it off completely, reducing the potential for exposure to unsolicited files.
Messages includes a Communication Safety feature that uses on-device machine learning to detect sensitive images. When enabled, the iPad will blur images that contain nudity and offer guidance before the child can view them. You’ll find this under Settings > Screen Time > Communication Safety. It works entirely on the device and doesn’t send data to Apple, preserving privacy while offering extra protection.
If your child uses Game Center, you can limit multiplayer games, profile visibility and the ability to add friends. These small adjustments can prevent unwanted social interactions or exposure to inappropriate content in online games.
Use Guided Access for younger children
For younger children or toddlers, Guided Access can keep them focused on a single app and prevent them from accidentally navigating elsewhere. To enable it, open Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access, then toggle it on and set a passcode.
Once it’s active, open the app you want your child to use and triple-click the top button (or the Home button on older models). Guided Access locks the iPad to that app until you end the session with your passcode. You can disable hardware buttons or touch input areas to avoid navigating elsewhere in the app or accessing playback controls. This feature is ideal when you want your child to watch a video or use an educational app without interruption.
Keep everything up to date
After initial setup, it’s important to revisit these settings occasionally. Children’s needs change as they grow, and Apple regularly adds new parental features with each iPadOS update. Keep the iPad updated by going to Settings > General > Software Update, and review restrictions periodically to ensure they still fit your child’s age and usage patterns.
Setting up an iPad for your child isn’t just about managing screen time or blocking certain apps. It’s about creating a space that encourages safe exploration while maintaining healthy boundaries. With Apple’s parental tools, you can find the right balance between freedom and supervision, making the iPad a secure and educational part of your child’s digital world.
The iPad A16 is now on sale for $274 for Black Friday, giving you a chance to pick up Apple’s newest entry-level tablet at a discount. It’s the most affordable iPad in the current lineup, offering quick performance, strong battery life and all the essentials for everyday use.
Apple’s latest 11-inch iPad uses the A16 chip, the same processor found in the iPhone 15, delivering fast and reliable performance for most tasks. Whether you’re watching videos, editing documents or using creative apps, it feels responsive and capable. The A16 chip also helps future-proof the device, ensuring it stays compatible with new iPadOS updates for years.
Apple
This is the lowest price we’ve seen on Apple’s cheapest tablet.
The tablet’s 11-inch Liquid Retina display (2360 x 1640) offers sharp detail and vivid color at up to 500 nits of brightness. While it doesn’t have the ultra-bright XDR panel of the iPad Pro, it’s more than crisp enough for streaming or sketching with the Apple Pencil. The design follows Apple’s familiar flat-edge style, with slim bezels and an aluminum build that keeps it light and durable.
The iPad includes a 12MP rear camera and a 12MP front-facing Center Stage camera, which automatically adjusts to keep you in frame during video calls. The front camera is positioned along the longer landscape edge, which gives a more natural angle for calls or recordings. You also get Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C for charging and data transfer, plus Touch ID built into the top button. Battery life runs up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi, which is consistent with Apple’s other models.
Accessory support covers the Apple Pencil (USB-C) and the first-generation Apple Pencil with the USB-C adapter, along with the Magic Keyboard Folio. It doesn’t work with the Apple Pencil Pro, but for casual drawing, note-taking or quick document markup, these accessories add plenty of flexibility.
The A16 iPad sits at the entry point of Apple’s lineup, but it shares a lot of what makes its pricier siblings appealing. You get a polished display, dependable performance and the familiarity of iPadOS without the premium cost. It’s an ideal choice for students, casual users or anyone who wants a reliable tablet for daily use.
If you’re still deciding which model fits you best, check out our guide to the best iPads to compare the A16 against the Air and Pro models. At $274, this iPad deal offers excellent value for Apple’s newest entry-level tablet. Also on sale for Black Friday is the 11-inch iPad Air M3, which is down to $449.
On November 8, an offer for loyalty card holders appeared on the website of MediaWorld, a European electronics retailer. The deal: an iPad Air for 15 euros (about $17) instead of the usual €879 (about $1,012). No catch, no strings attached. The proximity to Black Friday only made the offer more plausible. And so several consumers immediately purchased the product by choosing the “payment and pickup in store” opetion, on paper the safest to avoid unexpected problems.
The process was seamless, even for those ordering online. According to the accounts of some users on Reddit, their order was accepted, and after about 40 minutes they received an email confirming the availability of the product.
In the store, the €15 payment went through successfully and MediaWorld delivered the iPads as expected. The terms and conditions attached to the order make no mention of any clause regarding pricing errors or the possibility for the company to request subsequent additions.
MediaWorld’s About-Face
Eleven days later, however, MediaWorld sent a simple email—not a formal communication via certified mail—stating that the published price was “clearly incorrect.” The company then asked affected customers to choose between two solutions: Keep the iPad and pay the difference to match the price, but with a €150 discount, or return it and receive a refund of the €15 and a €20 discount voucher for their inconvenience.
MediaWorld’s Response
Following the incident, WIRED contacted MediaWorld for comment. “We confirm that, in a very short period of time, due to a clearly recognizable technical error caused by an extraordinary and unexpected glitch on our ecommerce platform, some products were mistakenly displayed at prices that, due to their clear and objective disconnect from the true market value and the correct promotional price, should never have been displayed. This was a manifest error, making it economically unsustainable and not representative of our commercial offering,” a MediaWorld spokesperson explains.
Regarding the subsequent intervention to try to recover the products sold, the representative added: “By virtue of the provisions of the current regulations, we found it necessary to intervene, resorting to a legal principle aimed at preserving the contractual balance in the event of an error of this magnitude. Our approach was to prioritize the relationship with the customer and to offer solutions that went beyond the mere application of law. For this reason, we promptly contacted all affected buyers, proposing two alternatives.”
The MediaWorld spokesperson also confirmed to WIRED the two solutions first highlighted by Reddit users. “We offer product retention: The customer has the option to keep the purchased item, paying the difference between the price paid and the correct promotional price. We have also offered a further discount on the amount to be paid. Or return the product: The customer can choose to return the item free of charge, receiving a full refund of the amount already paid. In this case too, we have offered a MediaWorld shopping voucher. We firmly believe that these proposals demonstrate our willingness to support customers and maintain transparency and fairness. We continue to work to improve our shopping experience and maximum protection for our consumers.”
The Legal Issue: Is the Error Really Recognizable?
On the web, many lawyers point out that Article 1428 of the Italian Civil Code allows a contract to be voided if the error is fundamental and recognizable. But the issue, according to consumer lawyer Massimiliano Dona, is more nuanced than it seems.
“The premise is that the November 19 letter—in which MediaWorld demanded the return or purchase of the iPad at near-real price—is not a formal warning or formal notice, especially if sent by ordinary mail, as it is a proposal for a binary agreement. If the consumer ignores it, MediaWorld will evaluate whether to take formal action,” Dona says.
“That’s why the key issue is whether, from a legal standpoint, MediaWorld’s claim is well founded or not. To void a contract, it is necessary to demonstrate the consumer’s awareness of abusing the seller’s error. But to have this proof, it is not enough to claim that the 98 percent discount makes the error obvious in the eyes of the customer.” Furthermore, Dona also points to the fact that “today prices are not as standard as they once were. Between limited-time offers, flash sales, promotions, and contests (offered mainly on social or in apps), everything is more variable, plus now we are in the midst of the Black Friday discount season. Given these elements, perhaps we can consider it reasonable that the consumer thought it was an advertising technique.”
How Does MediaWorld Test Consumer Awareness?
Dona also claims that there is no threshold beyond which the customer must necessarily notice the mistake: “There are other factors to consider. If the buyer is Mrs. Maria, who finds a deal and decides to take it, that’s one thing. If, on the other hand, it’s someone who buys five tablets and then immediately puts them back on sale, or even someone who resells electronics for a living, that’s another matter. In that case, the awareness of the mistake would be more obvious.”
The decisive issue, he says, is the recognizability of the error: “From a legal point of view, everything revolves around the buyer’s ability to recognize that the price was incorrect. This is the real deciding factor, which must be contextualized both with respect to sales channel used by MediaWorld and the buyer’s professionalism.”
For now, then, the picture remains an evolving one: a public offer completed without dispute, a U-turn that came days later via email, and a legal assessment that would revolve around whether the consumer was able to recognize the error.
This story originally appeared onWIRED Italiaand has been translated from Italian.
Apple’s most recent iPad release is the iPad Pro with the new M5 chip (we called it “perhaps the most impressive piece of hardware Apple sells” in our review). Despite being only weeks old, it already has a $50 discount on the base configuration, bringing it to $949. As for the other iPads, we’re seeing a discount on the standard iPad with the A16 chip that drops it to $299. A handful of other Apple gear is on sale too, and we included those discounts below. There aren’t nearly as many hot deals as there were for October Prime day — we’re assuming most of the really steep discounts are being held in reserve for Black Friday — but until then, these are the best iPad deals we could find, along with other Apple discounts that are worth your time.
Best iPad deals
Apple
The new base-model iPad now comes with twice the storage of the previous model and the A16 chip. That makes the most affordable iPad faster and more capable, but still isn’t enough to support Apple Intelligence. We didn’t think that was a issue and said so in our review, calling the slate “largely well-built and plenty quick for reading, watching and playing things.” It went as low as $279 in October and will likely do so again for Black Friday, but if you need one now, this is a decent discount. Also at Best Buy and Walmart.
Apple iPad Pro (M5, 11-inch) for $949 ($50 off): Apple’s newest iPad came out earlier this month and is already seeing a $50 discount. That makes the model with 256GB of storage and Wi-Fi connectivity $949 instead $999. Both the silver and black colorway are currently discounted. We gave the new iPad Pro an 85 in our review and called it more powerful and capable than ever. It has an amazing screen and the build is stunning. It’s powerful enough to do just about anything a laptop can, but it’s almost impossibly thin and portable. That said, it’s probably overkill for most people, and the cost is almost prohibitively high. This discount makes it a little easier to take. Also at Best Buy and Walmart.
Apple iPad Air (11-inch, M3, 1TB) for $949 ($150 off MSRP): The most recent iPad Air is a relatively minor update, as the only major addition is a more powerful M3 chip. However, we still recommend the Air over the base model in our iPad buying guide: Its display is laminated, more color-rich and better at fending off glare (though it’s still 60Hz); its speakers are more robust; it works with Apple’s best accessories and its performance should hold up better in the years ahead. This deal is only for the maxed-out model with 1TB of storage, but it ties the lowest price we’ve seen all the same.
Best Apple deals
Apple
The base configuration of Apple’s latest MacBook Air comes with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and is currently $200 off. It tops our list of the best MacBook computers and is currently our favorite laptop overall. The performance is exceptionally excellent thanks to the M4 chip and the battery will last for 18 hours so you can get in a full day of work. It earned a 92 in our review thanks to its thin and light design, great keyboard and trackpad, and fast performance.
Apple Mac mini (M4) for $499 ($100 off): The newest version of Apple’s tiny desktop PC has a smaller overall footprint, a faster M4 chip, 16GB of RAM as standard (finally), two front-facing USB-C ports, an extra Thunderbolt 4 port and the ability to drive three external displays. It doesn’t have any USB-A ports, however. We gave the M4 Pro model a review score of 90. This deal is for the entry-level version with a base M4 chip, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD — we’ve seen it fall as low as $469 in the past, but this is still a decent savings. Also at Walmart.
Apple Pencil Pro for $99 ($30 off): The top-end option in Apple’s confusing stylus lineup, the Pencil Pro supports pressure sensitivity, wireless charging, tilt detection, haptic feedback and Apple’s double tap and squeeze gestures, among other perks. It’s a lovely tool for more intricate sketching and note-taking, but the catch is that it’s only compatible with the M4 iPad Pro, M2 and M3 iPad Air and most recent iPad mini. We’ve seen this deal fairly often over the course of the year, but it’s a fine discount compared to buying from Apple directly. Also at Walmart.
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 512GB) for $999 ($200 off): Apple’s latest MacBook Air is the top pick in our guide to the best laptops, and it earned a score of 92 in our review. It’s not a major overhaul, but the design is still exceptionally thin, light and well-built, with long battery life and a top-notch keyboard and trackpad. Now it’s a bit faster. (Though we’d still love more ports and a refresh rate higher than 60Hz.) This discount ties the all-time low for the model with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.
Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) for $389 ($10 off): The latest flagship Apple Watch only hit store shelves last month, but Amazon is already selling it for $10 off. It doesn’t show up as a percentage off, but you’ll see some models listed at $389 instead of Apple’s $399 MSRP. If you’re new to Apple’s wearables or are ready to upgrade from a Series 9 or older, this is a good model to grab. If you’re coming from a Series 10, however, there’s not much need to upgrade as the only major change from last year’s model is a slightly larger battery and a tougher screen.
Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm) for $240 ($9 off): There’s a similar stealth discount for the newest budget model, the Apple Watch SE 3, at Amazon. It normally goes for $249 — again, not a big discount, but better than nothing if you’re looking to get onboard early. Apple gave this model some badly needed updates compared to its predecessor, including an always-on display, faster charging, better sensors and the same processor that you’ll find in the new Apple Watch Series 11.
Hot iPads are a different kind of problem than hot phones. iPads are more often caseless, since many users keep them at home, and they often rest directly on a user’s lap. An iPad is also huge compared to a phone, and the Pro version is often used in processor-intensive ways—such as for music recording, gaming, and onboard AI apps, all of which can be slowed down for safety when that powerful M5 starts pulsating with heat.
But cutting-edge vapor cooling looks like it’s coming to the rescue. According to Mark Gurman, the Apple leaks guy at Bloomberg, a vapor chamber for the iPad Pro is now “on the company’s road map.”
Heat became a major problem for the iPad’s sibling the iPhone back in 2023, probably brought on by the switch from stainless steel to titanium for the device’s frame. It was rumored that the heat was so bad, even those weird people who use their iPhones caseless had to case up when they got iPhone 15s, not to protect their investments from damage, but instead as one would use an oven mitt—to spare their fingers from getting seared.
Apple evidently heard the ensuing user complaints, and brought vapor chambers to the iPhone 17. The cooling from that change to the iPhone’s guts, along with the relocation of the processor for similar reasons, was flagged in Gizmodo’s iPhone 17 review as a selling point.
And now, according to Gurman, iPad Pros should be getting vapor chambers in fairly short order too.
Apple didn’t invent these. Samsung phones, for instance, could boast vapor chambers all the way back in 2019. But Apple’s version of this system—a nearly empty gap sandwiched between two paper thin wafers of metal—is a fascinating piece of tech ingenuity all the same. They contain literal water, which literally boils inside your device in order to help dissipate heat.
Gurman notes that the product cycle for the iPad Pro is currently 18 months, meaning an updated device with advanced cooling should be in users’ delicate hands in spring of 2027.
The just-released iPad Pro with the M5 chip tops our list of the best tablets and the standard iPad is our pick for the best budget slate. While the former is expectedly not on sale yet, we are seeing a modest discount for the cheaper iPad. The lovely iPad Air (13-inch, with cellular) is down to a record low as well. Of course, you won’t find deals on Apple’s own website, but we keep an eye on Amazon, Target, Walmart and other retailers to find the best iPad deals out there and round them up each Friday. This week, the discounts aren’t as good as they were for Prime Day earlier this month — chances are, we won’t see a huge influx of Apple deals until Black Friday sales start up. Until then, here are the top deals on iPads and all the other Apple gear we could find.
Best iPad deals
Apple
The most recent iPad Air in the 13-inch size with cellular connectivity and 512GB of storage is currently cheaper than the Wi-Fi only configuration. The discount only applies to the Starlight colorway, but if that color appeals to you, you’ll save $350 over the MSRP.
Engadget’s Nate Ingraham gave the 13-inch iPad Air a score of 89 when it was released in March. It has a bigger and slightly brighter display than its 11-inch counterpart but is otherwise the same. If you plan to keep your iPad hooked up to a keyboard, the extra screen space is lovely for multitasking or just taking in movies.
Apple iPad (A16, 256GB) for $399 ($50 off): The latest entry-level iPad comes with a faster A16 chip, 2GB more RAM and more base storage. It earned a score of 84 in our review — if you only need a tablet for roaming the internet, watching shows and doing some lighter productivity tasks, it should do the job. With the recent iPadOS 26 update, it also has most of the same multitasking features available on the more expensive models. It does lack Apple Intelligence, but to be candid, that isn’t a big loss right now. This deal isn’t an all-time low for the model with 256GB of storage but it takes $50 off Apple’s list price. Also at Best Buy.
Apple iPad Air (11-inch, M3, 1TB) for $949 ($150 off MSRP): The most recent iPad Air is a relatively minor update, as the only major addition is a more powerful M3 chip. However, we still recommend the Air over the base model in our iPad buying guide: Its display is laminated, more color-rich and better at fending off glare (though it’s still 60Hz); its speakers are more robust; it works with Apple’s best accessories and its performance should hold up better in the years ahead. This deal is only for the maxed-out model with 1TB of storage, but it ties the lowest price we’ve seen all the same.
Best Apple deals
Apple
The best Bluetooth tracker for iPhones is still the AirTag. We’re waiting for a refreshed version to come out, but after announcing the iPhone 17 in September, followed by devices with the new M5 chip in October, Apple hasn’t revealed new tags. These are still eerily accurate in finding lost items using the vast network of anonymous iPhones and the Find My app — just keep in mind you’ll need an accessory to attach the discs, as these are one of the few trackers out there that doesn’t have an attachment point. This price matches the lowest we’ve seen on the tags so far.
Apple Pencil Pro for $99 ($30 off): The top-end option in Apple’s confusing stylus lineup, the Pencil Pro supports pressure sensitivity, wireless charging, tilt detection, haptic feedback and Apple’s double tap and squeeze gestures, among other perks. It’s a lovely tool for more intricate sketching and note-taking, but the catch is that it’s only compatible with the M4 iPad Pro, M2 and M3 iPad Air and most recent iPad mini. We’ve seen this deal fairly often over the course of the year, but it’s a fine discount compared to buying from Apple directly. Also at Walmart.
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 512GB) for $999 ($200 off): Apple’s latest MacBook Air is the top pick in our guide to the best laptops, and it earned a score of 92 in our review. It’s not a major overhaul, but the design is still exceptionally thin, light and well-built, with long battery life and a top-notch keyboard and trackpad. Now it’s a bit faster. (Though we’d still love more ports and a refresh rate higher than 60Hz.) This discount ties the all-time low for the model with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.
Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) for $389 ($10 off): The latest flagship Apple Watch only hit store shelves last month, but Amazon is already selling it for $10 off. It doesn’t show up as a percentage off, but you’ll see some models listed at $389 instead of Apple’s $399 MSRP. If you’re new to Apple’s wearables or are ready to upgrade from a Series 9 or older, this is a good model to grab. If you’re coming from a Series 10, however, there’s not much need to upgrade as the only major change from last year’s model is a slightly larger battery and a tougher screen.
Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm) for $240 ($9 off): There’s a similar stealth discount for the newest budget model, the Apple Watch SE 3, at Amazon. It normally goes for $249 — again, not a big discount, but better than nothing if you’re looking to get onboard early. Apple gave this model some badly needed updates compared to its predecessor, including an always-on display, faster charging, better sensors and the same processor that you’ll find in the new Apple Watch Series 11.
Apple is back with the latest version of the iPad Pro, and like the iPad Air earlier this year the surface-level changes are minimal. Like that iPad Air, there’s a new chip on board here. It’s the M5, which was also added to the 14-inch MacBook Pro and Vision Pro. There are new Apple-designed networking chips: the N1 handles Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread, while the C1X handles 5G connectivity. Both of those chips debuted in the iPhone Air last month, so this is the first time they’re in an iPad. Finally, the iPad Pro supports fast charging for the first time; you can get to a 50 percent charge in about 30 minutes using a 60W power adaptor.
Compared to the redesign Apple introduced with the M4 iPad Pro in 2024, this is very much a minor spec bump. It makes sense for Apple to ensure the iPad Pro has its most performant chips as soon as they are released. If you’re charging customers upwards of $1,000 for an iPad Pro, it had better be on the bleeding edge. (The 13-inch iPad Pro I’m testing with 1TB of storage and 5G connectivity costs $2,099, plus the $349 Magic Keyboard.)
As such, the iPad Pro M5 is fairly easy to understand. Want a new iPad Pro? You’re now getting exactly what Apple offered a week ago, plus some impressive performance gains for specific tasks. Almost no one who bought an M4 iPad Pro should upgrade to this one, but anyone using an older model will find a ton to appreciate here.
And while the hardware hasn’t radically changed, iPadOS has. The recent iPadOS 26 release introduced an entirely new multitasking system, a significantly improved Files app and more support for background processes, to name just a few of the highlights. Those things are best appreciated on a powerful device with a large screen like the 13-inch iPad Pro M5 I’m reviewing here. For years, the question that has dogged the iPad Pro is when its software would match up to its undeniably impressive hardware. I think the combo of iPadOS 26 paired with this hardware is a winner, but as always the price is going to be a sticking point.
Apple / Engadget
The iPad Pro remains perhaps the most impressive piece of hardware Apple sells, and it’s more powerful and capable than ever. Too bad it’s so incredibly expensive.
Pros
M5 chip is a significant update for some GPU-powered tasks
Possibly the best screen I’ve ever seen
Extremely thin and light
First iPad with fast charging
iPadOS 26 is a major improvement
Cons
Prohibitively expensive
Accessories like the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro make it cost even more
As mentioned, the M5 chip is the big change for the iPad Pro, and if you’re coming from a device older than last year’s M4 model you can expect a big performance increase when you start pushing the envelope of what you can do.
Before getting into the nitty gritty, here’s a rundown of what’s different from last year. Probably the most significant change is that the M5’s GPU now includes a “neural accelerator” on each of its 10 cores, an architectural tweak that’ll unsurprisingly give the chip more muscle when using the GPU for AI-related tasks. Beyond the neural accelerators, the GPU is also up to 30 percent faster in graphics performance, and the third-generation ray-tracing engine here is up to 45 percent faster in apps using ray tracing.
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
The standard CPU cores (four performance, six efficiency) are also faster than last year’s model, though less dramatically so. That’s not a surprise, as each successive M-series chip has gotten similar modest performance gains over the years. (Note that the iPad Pros with 256GB or 512GB of storage only get three performance cores. They also come with 12GB of RAM compared to the 16GB in configurations with more storage, but that’s more than the 8GB of RAM in the last generation’s equivalent options.) The Neural Engine has been upgraded, as well. Apple is also promising big gains in memory bandwidth, which now hits 153GB/s (nearly 30 percent higher than on the M4). Finally, read/write speeds to storage are up to two times faster than in last year’s model.
Doing some benchmarking with the Geekbench 6 and Geekbench AI apps show the expected major gains for GPU and AI performance. Single-core and multi-core CPU tests with Geekbench 6 come in at about 15 percent and 10 percent better than the iPad Pro M4, but GPU performance has increased more than 32 percent.
Things are more dramatic when you look specifically at the Geekbench AI results. The app offers three scores (single precision, half precision and quantized) and can be run on three different chip backends (CPU, GPU and Neural Engine). When running the CPU- and Neural Engine-based benchmarks, the M5 only bested the M4 by single-digit percentages. But when using the GPU, the M5’s single-precision score was 22.4 percent better than the M4. Half precision and quantized performance was even more impressive — the M5 scored 85 percent and 101 percent better than the M4, respectively.
The story this tells is that unless you’re hitting your GPU hard with AI tasks, the M5 isn’t massively better than the M4. Not a huge surprise, and most people who shelled out for an iPad Pro in the last 18 months should still be plenty happy with their purchases. But those GPU scores show off exactly where the M5 can stretch its wings compared to its predecessor.
As I’ve only had the iPad Pro M5 for less than a week, I’m still comparing the M4 to M5 iPad Pro on specific AI-focused tasks and in certain apps and will update this review with more details later this week.
The caveat with all of this is that while the M5 is incredibly powerful, it’s also overkill for most things that people are going to use an iPad for. An iPad Pro with the M2 chip from 2022 still feels plenty responsive for most standard tasks that don’t require exceptional speed or power. Yes, there are definitely people buying an iPad Pro and maxing out its impressive capabilities, and those who do so will appreciate the performance here. But for everyone else, the M5 alone isn’t going to change how you use the iPad Pro on a day-to-day basis.
Apple’s 13-inch iPad Pro M5 is on the left; the 11-inch iPad Pro M4 is on the right.
(Nathan Ingraham for Engadget)
Hardware and display are still stunning
Anyone upgrading from an iPad Pro older than last year’s M4 model is in for a treat far beyond sheer performance. The iPad Pro M5 is physically identical to the prior one, but that doesn’t matter because I think this is still the single most impressive device Apple makes. I went deep into the many changes Apple made last year in my review of the iPad Pro M4, and everything I said there still applies.
But to recap, the iPad Pro is extremely portable despite its performance chops. Apple made it about 20 percent thinner and about a quarter-pound lighter than the iPad Pro models Apple sold from 2018 through 2023. This radically improves the experience of using it. If you’re holding it like a tablet, the 13-inch model is now light and thin enough to be comfortable for extended use without having to put it down. Doing anything with the on-screen keyboard while holding it is still pretty awkward and the 11-inch option still feels like the best size for hand-held tasks. But the 13-inch iPad Pro I’m reviewing is noticeably easier to hold than the iPad Air because of its reduced weight and slimmer profile.
The only complaint I might have about that thinness is it prevents Apple from shoving a bigger battery in here. The iPad Pro M5 gets the same 10-hour battery life rating (for surfing the web or watching videos) that every iPad has gotten since the tablet was released in 2010. But in recent years, Apple has, to some degree, stopped focusing on making every device as thin as possible at the potential expense of things like performance or battery life. Clearly, performance isn’t an issue here. But the same people who value extended battery life in a thicker device when using things like the MacBook Pro might feel the same here.
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
That’s a valid opinion, but a tablet is meant to be held in your hands and carried around with you even more so than a laptop, so I understand why Apple values portability over extending the iPad Pro’s battery life. Plus, the iPad Pro M5’s fast-charging capabilities make it pretty easy to extend its life. Using Apple’s new 40W Dynamic Charger that can automatically step up to 60W, I got from 23 percent to 70 percent in 35 minutes. That’s a tad slower than the 50 percent charge in 30 minutes Apple claims, but we’re well within the “close enough” range.
One thing I didn’t get to test last year with the iPad Pro M4 was its durability. The tablet’s extremely thin design reminded people of past Apple devices that had had some issues with flexing. After over a year with the previous iPad Pro, I’m not at all worried about this one. I’ve taken an iPad Pro M4 all around the US and internationally with no issues. Granted, it’s usually in its keyboard case, but I’ve also traveled with it in the basic Smart Folio Apple sells and have seen no evidence of bending. I also don’t remember seeing any reports about durability issues from owners over the last 18 months, so I wouldn’t worry about its long-term durability.
I don’t have a great read on how long the iPad Pro M5 lasts away from its charger just yet — in the first few days with a new device it’s often downloading a lot of data from backups and doing some optimizing, thus not giving you a great feel for how long it’ll usually last. But so far, performance seems similar to the iPad Air M3 and iPad Pro M4 I’ve reviewed recently. I was getting between seven and eight hours while using the Magic Keyboard, and I’m guessing that I’ll blow past the 10-hour estimate when watching locally-stored video. More details on that to come.
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
Performance, check. Design, check. The third thing that continues to impress me about the iPad Pro is its screen. It quite simply has the nicest display I have ever seen on a portable device, be it a laptop, phone or tablet. Apple’s tandem OLED display (two OLED panels layered on top of each other) is the same in all respects as it was last year. That means the 13-inch screen has a 2,752 x 2,064 resolution (264 ppi) and standard brightness that can hit 1,000 nits, or up to 1,600 nits peak for HDR content. Aside from the OLED display, the only display improvements the iPad Pro has that the iPad Air doesn’t is ProMotion support for 120Hz refresh rates as well as a nano-texture glass option for the 1TB and 2TB models.
To be clear, though, the iPad Pro’s screen is in a completely different ballpark than the one on the iPad Air. Between the much faster refresh rate, high brightness levels, completely dark blacks and wonderful contrast, there’s no question this screen far surpasses what you’ll find on any other iPad. Professionals who do detailed work in video, photography, drawing with the Apple Pencil Pro or graphic design will appreciate all of these features. But it also makes something like kicking back on a plane to watch a movie more enjoyable.
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
iPadOS 26
In last year’s iPad Pro M4 review, I wrote: “Apple has shown no indication it’s going to make iPadOS more like a Mac.” As such, I recommended people not buy an iPad Pro unless they were happy with the limitations that have been inherent to iPadOS for a long time. It took Apple until this summer, but its latest updates rendered my earlier words invalid. With iPadOS 26, Apple pretty much said “screw it” and addressed nearly every big software complaint users have had.
As a quick refresher: apps still open in full screen by default, but you can now grab the corner and resize it to any shape you see fit; you can then stack up as many windows as you want in that view. Apps are also much better at remembering their size and position on your screen than ever before. If you swipe up and dismiss all the apps you’re working with and then re-open one, it’s right in the same place you left it. If you want to throw something back in full-screen, the familiar “stoplight” controls from the Mac are available for easy window management.
You can swipe up and hold for a second from the bottom of the screen to enter Expose, which shows every open window in your view. Swiping right shows all the full-screen apps you have open. If you have an app in full screen, you can switch back to a windowed app that’ll just float on top of what you’re working in. There’s also a menu bar at the top of the screen that makes it easy to access advanced controls for whatever you’re using.
As I said when I first started testing out iPadOS 26 in the summer, the end result of all these changes is that your iPad (no matter which kind) will feel significantly more capable with this software update. And there are other features that power users will appreciate, like a significantly improved Files app. Since it’s easier to have multiple windows, moving things around or dragging and dropping things into apps is a lot simpler. And there are improved sorting options as well, while PDFs finally open in the new Preview app rather than within Files .
Background task capabilities have also been significantly expanded. For example, Final Cut Pro can now render video in the background, whereas before, switching to a different app would put the lengthy and intensive process on pause. And developers can tap into this API to use it for their own apps, too.
I can’t say for sure that this will answer all the complaints of various iPad Pro owners out there, but I think Apple has gotten about as close as it can without just putting macOS on the device and calling it a day. Even with the big updates to iPadOS, an iPad Pro isn’t for everyone. Plenty of people will still choose a traditional laptop. But the iPad has always offered a pretty unique blend of power and portability, and with better software it’s a more viable option than ever.
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
Wrap-up
My viewpoint on the iPad Pro hasn’t changed since last year. I still find it a wildly impressive device that is unlike much else you can buy. Just like the last model, it has Apple’s newest chip, the best display Apple has made (aside from its $5,000 Pro XDR monitor) and a physical design that feels almost impossible given how much technology is crammed inside. It’s truly delightful, and it’s even more capable than before thanks to the combination of iPadOS 26 and the M5 chip.
However, I still can’t stomach that price. $1,299 for a 13-inch iPad with 256GB of storage, no 5G connectivity and no Magic Keyboard is a lot of money, even if it is as capable as a similarly-priced laptop. Given the incredible technology inside of the iPad Pro, I can understand why it’s so expensive. And it’s powerful enough that some buyers will be able to use it for three, four, even five years before they feel the need to update, which makes the up-front investment a little less burdensome. It’s not the kind of device you need to replace annually, that’s for sure. But unless you are going to use it as your main computer — all day, every day — and know exactly what benefits you’ll get from the iPad over a more traditional laptop, you’re probably better off buying an iPad Air and saving yourself a lot of money.
Interestingly, Apple did not completely revamp its MacBook Pro lineup with the M5 chip. Instead, there’s just one new model: a 14-inch MacBook Pro with four storage options (512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, or 4 TB) and three unified memory options (16, 24, or 32 GB). The base version starts at $1,599, like before, but if you max out all of the upgrades, it can cost as much as $3,369. We’ll likely see M5 Pro and M5 Max chip options in 2026 alongside a 16-inch MacBook Pro.
You’ll see similar speed increases like on the iPad Pro M5—3.5x faster AI performance, 1.6x faster graphics over the prior M4-powered MacBook Pro, and 2x faster SSD performance. Otherwise, this is the same 14-inch MacBook as before, with the claimed “24-hour” battery life, mini-LED display with the nano-texture glass option, a six-speaker system, and a 12-MP webcam. There are three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI, an SDXC slot, a headphone jack, and the MagSafe charging port.
COURTESY OF APPLE
The New Vision Pro
Widely regarded as a miss with consumers, Apple’s Vision Pro mixed reality headset is back but with no major changes to the hardware. Well, there’s a new headstrap: the Dual Knit Band. It’s included in the box and Apple says it’s soft and cushioned, allowing for a comfier fit. The headset is now powered by the M5 chip, which enables faster performance, sharper details throughout visionOS 26, and better battery life. Specifically, Apple says the M5 renders 10 percent more pixels on the micro-OLED displays than before, and the refresh rate can also jump up to 120 Hz.
Battery life is now two and a half hours of general use, as opposed to just two hours on the original Vision Pro. That extends to three hours with video playback.
Unfortunately, the price remains firm at $3,499. It’s arriving right before Samsung is expected to unveil its Android XR mixed reality headset, Project Moohan, which will hopefully come with a lower price tag.
Every time there are rumors that a new iPad might be on the way, people get excited about whatever new features might be coming. That makes sense—new things are exciting, even when they’re just new versions of something you already know.
I generally don’t care about rumors, though they are becoming more difficult to ignore. What I do know is true is that Apple will continue to give us new products for a long time to come—iPad included.
When I say I don’t care, I should clarify that I think the iPad is great. It’s one of my favorite Apple devices, and the current M4 iPad Pro is so good I don’t even know what else there is to do to it to make it any better.
I do, however, dream about the day that Apple brings back what I think is the absolute best iPad accessory that Apple has ever made—the Smart Folio Keyboard. For that matter, I’m pretty sure I can make the case it’s the greatest accessory—period—that Apple has ever made.
An Inc.com Featured Presentation
Don’t talk to me about the Apple Pencil, which is fantastic, but most people do not need, nor will they ever use with their iPad. We have a handful of iPads in our house, and I’m the only person who ever thinks about using an Apple Pencil at all. Without question, I could use my iPad Pro just fine without it. It’s great, but extra.
What makes a perfect accessory
The Smart Folio Keyboard, on the other hand, is the Goldilocks of iPad cases. It’s not too small, not too heavy. It’s just right. And yet, Apple killed it off with the latest version of the iPad Pro, and the way I use an iPad has been mostly ruined ever since.
I do like to write using my iPad Pro, and the Magic Keyboard is arguably the best keyboard ever made for a tablet. The trackpad is good and the keys themselves are a delight considering how compact the whole thing is. But if I’m not using my iPad in laptop mode, I’m just stuck with an awkwardly heavy case.
The thing is, right now, if you want to put your iPad in a case, you have basically two vectors on which to choose from. One option is to get a bulky (and heavy) keyboard case that feels great to type on, but is a pain to carry around. Or, you can get a thin, lightweight case to protect your screen, but that offers very little additional functionality.
I guess there’s a third option, which is to get a thick, bulky case meant to protect your iPad from being dropped by children or employees in a retail store. That’s fine, but no one who wants to carry around an iPad on a regular basis wants to use one of those.
Balance of form and function
The Smart Folio Keyboard, on the other hand, was the perfect combination of form and function, which—I always thought—was Apple’s sweet spot. It was a good keyboard experience without being heavy when you just wanted to use it as a case. It wasn’t as thin and light as the Smart Folio, but it was definitely within the margin of “I could carry this all the time.”
Really, it was ideal for people who primarily wanted to use the iPad as a tablet, but wanted the ability to sometimes use it as a laptop with a keyboard. That feels like the perfect balance for a lot of users.
Look, obviously, Apple has a lot more information about how people use iPads, keyboards, and cases than I ever will. My personal experience is just mine. Maybe there really weren’t that many people who were buying Smart Folio Keyboards.
It’s time, Apple
I still can’t figure out why Apple discontinued such a great product. The new generation of iPad Pro is very much not compatible with the previous Smart Folio Keyboard, and Apple hasn’t released a new version that would work. I think it’s time that it did.
My reason is simple: There isn’t anything else that even comes close. You can buy alternatives to the Magic Keyboard—the Logitech Combo Touch is a great option with a solid keyboard and touchpad. There is an even wider range of alternatives to the Smart Folio. The Smart Folio Keyboard, however, was the singular option for a lightweight cover with a very good keyboard.
That’s why I think Apple should bring it back. It fills a need that no one else seems to care enough to fill. Apple is making the very best tablets of any company. It would just be nice if it would bring back the greatest accessory it ever made.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
I love the iPad. I’ve always loved the iPad, both as a work device and as a way to read, stream video, or edit photos and podcasts. I currently have an M4 iPad Pro, and it’s probably my favorite computing device Apple has ever made.
For all of the ways I love the iPad, it’s had one major drawback—doing more than one thing has always been pretty clunky. I guess you could argue that’s more of a benefit if what you want is to use your iPad as a focus device. But, if you want to do normal work things, the iPad’s complicated multitasking was more of a chore than it was worth.
Then, Apple announced iPadOS 26, and with it, the company gave the iPad the one thing its biggest fans had been asking for–windowing. Not the watered-down version of multitasking, but actual windowing. In this wonderful new iPad world, you can place windows pretty much anywhere and make free-form adjustments.
Killing off the best feature
There was just one problem: with all the changes, Apple killed what might have been its best features—Slide Over. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, I get it. Slide Over was kind of a power-user feature that basically let you dock an app to the side of the display, and slide it in and out of view as needed.
An Inc.com Featured Presentation
Surely, Apple knows how many people use Slide Over, and I have to think the number isn’t huge. It’s the kind of feature that is incredibly intuitive and useful to people who use it all the time. At the same time, it’s the kind of feature you could use an iPad for years and never notice.
Which is why it seemed strange that Apple killed it. You don’t have to think that Slide Over is a good idea to recognize that it was a bad idea for Apple to remove it. It doesn’t cost you anything for this particular feature to exist, but for people who benefited from it, Slide Over was a super useful productivity feature.
A clever way to interact with apps
I’m sure Apple assumed that its windowing changes would meet the needs of power users, but Slide Over offered something that you couldn’t get from just the ability to put two windows next to each other. It meant you could keep apps you use often, but not as your primary focus (think messaging apps and email), just a swipe away.
That’s why so many people were bummed that Apple killed it off. It might not have been the most obvious feature, but it was very useful.
Everyone’s favorite feature is back
Now, however, in the iPadOS 26.2 beta, Slide Over is back. Well, sort of. It’s mostly the same, though it’s a tad more finicky, presumably due to the underlying windowing control that Apple built into iPadOS 26.
The two major differences are that you can only have one app in Slide Over at a time. Previously, you could have a stack that you swiped through at the bottom. Now, you only get one, and if you try to add a second, it’ll boot the first back to the “desktop.”
The other difference is how you get an app into Slide Over. Previously, you could just drag the app up to the side of the screen, and it would anchor itself there. Now, you open the app, then tap and hold the green traffic light icon and select the “Open in Slide Over” option.
It’s definitely more work and more limited, but for people who were used to having Slack or Messages always a swipe away, it’ll be a welcome update. More importantly, I think it’s a very good sign that Apple is paying close attention to how people want to use the iPad. I don’t think there’s any question that iPadOS 26, overall, was the biggest improvement to iPadOS, maybe ever. Now, it’s even better for those of us who know that Slide Over was the iPad’s very best feature.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
If you want to upgrade your iPad experience, finding the best iPad accessories can do the trick. It’s certainly much cheaper than buying a new tablet, and often times, all you need is a few well-chosen accessories to make a familiar device feel fresh again. From a slim folio for iPad that protects your screen to a Magic Keyboard case that turns it into a full-blown laptop alternative, there are dozens of solid accessories to choose from. Accessories aren’t just about looks, either. Swapping out worn pencil tips, grabbing a longer Lightning cable or finding the right stand can make a big difference in how smoothly you move through your favorite apps. We’ve tested a plethora of accessories over the years, and these are the best iPad accessories you can get right now.
Quick Overview
Table of contents
Which iPad generation do you own?
Before you splurge on a bunch of accessories, you should double check which iPad generation you own. There are a couple of ways to do this: first, you can check the back of your tablet for its model number, which will start with an “A” and end with a series of numbers. You can also go into Settings on your iPad, then General and look up the model number in the top section. If you see a series of letters and numbers with a slash (“/“) in it, just tap that to reveal the iPad’s true model number.
The most important iPad details to consider before buying accessories are the charging port, screen size and Apple Pencil compatibility. Most iPads now have USB-C charging, save for the now discontinued 9th-gen iPad that still requires a Lightning cable. Make sure to double check your iPad’s screen size before buying a folio for iPad or a screen protector — especially if you have the new iPad Air 11-inch. As for the Apple Pencil, check out this guide to how to choose the right Apple Pencil (and even replacement pencil tips) to make sure you’re getting the right one for the tablet you have.
Best iPad accessories for 2025
iPad cases
OtterBox
Otterbox is an expert when it comes to protection, as seen with their phone cases, but its Symmetry Series 360 series shows that it has design chops, too. Symmetry cases look similar to the Apple’s Smart Cover, but the clear, scratch-resistant back is sturdy without adding a lot of weight to the iPad. Plus, the edge protection is substantial, so you won’t have to worry about damage from the inevitable, accidental bumps your tablet takes. I also like the extra flap Otterbox added that keeps the iPad screen cover closed and holds the second-generation Apple Pencil to the side of the iPad Pros. Symmetry Series 360 cases are available for most iPad models, and while they’re more expensive than some no-name iPad case you might find on Amazon, they’re worth it if you want a great balance of protection and style.
Speaking of cheaper iPad cases that fill up Amazon’s search result pages, some that are actually worthwhile are from Moko and ProCase. If you like the look and feel of Apple’s Smart Cover, but don’t want to drop $50-plus on one, both of these brands have dupes that give you that style at a fraction of the cost of the first-party option. — Valentina Palladino, Deputy Editor
If you really want to indulge, Apple’s own Magic Keyboard is the way to go. This expensive keyboard folio magnetically attaches to the latest iPad Pros and keeps them “floating” above the keyboard and trackpad. We praised the Magic Keyboard for its typing comfort and precise trackpad, but dinged it for its limited range of motion. It’s easily the fanciest keyboard case available for the iPad and it’s one to consider if money is no object — or if you want the most stylish iPad keyboard money can buy. — V.P.
Of the plethora of iPad stands I’ve used, Twelve South’s HoverBar Duo is the one that has come closest to perfect. The “duo” in the name refers to the fact that the gadget can either prop your iPad up using an arm attached to a weighted base, or the same arm just attached to a desk or table using its included clamp. The stand comes fully assembled on the weighted base, but it’s pretty easy to switch to the clamp thanks to the included instructions and basic tools in the box. If you spring for the latest model, it’ll be even easier thanks to a new quick-switch tab that lets you swap between the weighted base and the clamp attachment with any extra tools.
It wasn’t hard to secure my 11-inch iPad Pro in the vice-grip that is the HoverBar Duo’s tablet clip, although it did take some force to move the arm into the right position. That’s probably for the best because it showed how strong the arm is; it stayed in place without buckling, sliding down or otherwise breaking a sweat. I mostly used the HoverBar Duo with the clamp attachment, which allowed me to use my iPad Pro as a secondary screen while working. The included clamp should fit most desks and tables too, as it can accommodate surface thickness from 0.4 inch to 1.4 inches.
If you’re willing to sacrifice flexibility for something more elegant, Elago’s P2 stand for iPad may be a good fit. It’s made of a single piece of aluminum with a ledge for your iPad and a few well-placed cutouts that you can snake a charging cable through. The ledge is also wide enough to accommodate most iPad cases. It may not be foldable or adjustable, but its minimalist design will make it an attractive addition to your desk. — V.P.
Working at a computer can be a pain in the neck (literally), so I wanted a way to play with my iPad after work without having to lift my head off the couch. Sure, I could use my arms, but that gets tiring. This Tablift iPad holder looks a little funny, like some mech-spider attacking your chest, but it works exactly as I’d hoped. The adjustable legs are repositionable but quite sturdy once they’re in place, and three slots hold your tablet at different angles, including a forward-leaning one that’s particularly nice for lying down. It’s a little bulky, so I curl up the legs and store it under my couch. The slots and securing clip perform best if your device is naked, though I’ve been able to use it with a Smart Folio attached with little issue. — Amy Skorheim, Senior Reporter
If you plan on pushing your iPad Pro to its limits as a daily driver, you’ll probably need more than the tablet’s single USB-C port. Apple has provided little guidance to which USB-C hubs and adapters work best with the iPad Pros — there’s no MFi certification for accessories like this yet. Some hubs specifically advertise that they work with the newest iPad Pros, and if you want to be extra safe, I recommend buying one of those that comes from a reputable brand.
Satechi’s $100 Aluminum Stand and Hub is a favorite for its foldable design and how it packs ports and charging capabilities into a compact iPad accessory. The holder itself rotates outward, revealing a hidden, attached USB-C cable and a rubber bumper that keeps the stand in place in your desk. On the back edge are a 4K HDMI socket, one USB-A port, a headphone jack, both SD and microSD card slots and a 60W USB-C connection for charging.
I liked the versatility of Satechi’s hub. I could easily use it when I needed to prop my iPad up to watch a YouTube video, and by just plugging in the attached cable, I could switch to using my iPad as more of a work device with all of the necessary connectors in place. It’s also surprisingly light at 10 ounces. Combine that with its foldable design and you have a full-featured hub that can easily be stuffed in a bag. — V.P.
Not everyone needs, or wants, to spend $100 on a dock for their iPad. (If you’re using it as a laptop replacement, it’s worth the investment.) If you’d rather spend less, or just want something a bit more lightweight, Anker’s 7-in-1 USB-C hub is a good choice. It has most ports that you could ever want, with the only exception being an Ethernet jack. The slim dongle houses two USB-A ports, two USB-C connections, SD and microSD card slots and a 4K/30Hz HDMI port. We also like that it provides up to 85W of pass-through charging, which means you can power up your iPad while using Anker’s hub as the main connector between the tablet and its charging cable. Anker makes a couple of versions of this hub, including one that does have that coveted Ethernet port, but it’s hard to beat $35 for the standard 7-in-1 model. — V.P.
One of the best Bluetooth keyboards I’ve used recently is the Logitech MX Keys Mini. It’s not designed specifically for the iPad, but it works quite well with it. It combines a lot of the ergonomics and the general look and feel of the MX lineup into a compact and portable keyboard. The Keys Mini has a slim profile that’s slightly raised due to its top bar, plus comfortable backlit keys that are a dream to type on. The backlight is one of my favorite features because it automatically comes on when it senses your hands getting close to the keyboard. That way it only stays illuminated when you’re typing, conserving battery life in the long run. Logitech estimates the Keys Mini will last up to 10 days, depending on backlight use, or up to five months without any backlight use.
Logitech’s $100 MX Keys Mini may be on the expensive side, but it’s one that could be both your iPad keyboard and your main desk typing device. It can connect to up to three devices at the same time, allowing you to swap between them quickly with just a press of a key, and it has a few other handy keys too like one that brings up the emoji picker and another that mutes your microphone (quite useful on Zoom calls). But if you want an iPad keyboard that’s even more affordable, or even thinner, we still like the Logitech Keys to Go, which we’ve recommended in the past and you can usually find for between $50 and $70. — V.P.
We called Logitech’s MX Anywhere 3S a “nearly ideal travel mouse.” It’s light at just 95 grams and the buttons are nearly silent so you won’t bug anyone in the room with your furious clicking. The improved 8K DPI optical sensor works on just about any surface — including, for example, the upholstered arm of your couch. Depending on the color you pick, the MX Anywhere 3S is made from between 61 and 78 percent post-consumer recycled plastic. And the rechargeable battery lasts around 70 days on a charge. This generation doesn’t include a USB dongle (which wouldn’t work with your iPad anyway) but we never noticed any lag in Bluetooth performance in our tests anyway. — A.S.
This likely won’t come as a surprise, but the Apple Pencil Pro is the best stylus you can get for the iPad. All models of the Apple Pencil are designed to work specifically with iPads and it shows in their smooth writing performance. The latest stylus has a double-tap feature that you can customize to a certain degree, and pressure-sensitivity allows you to add as much or as little detail as you want to digital artwork. Plus, it still supports wireless charging when you snap it magnetically to the side of your tablet. I highly recommend shelling out the extra money for an Apple Pencil if you’re an artist — you won’t be disappointed. — V.P.
There are other options that are more affordable than the Apple Pencil, though, like Logitech’s Crayon. It’s just as good in terms of latency and accuracy — drawing in Procreate was a lag-free experience and my strokes always ended up exactly where I wanted them to be – and it’s even more grippy by default thanks to its oval-shaped design. But as someone who primarily uses an Apple Pencil for digital art, I missed pressure sensitivity when using the Crayon.
Aside from that, the other biggest annoyance is that you have to use a Lightning or USB-C cable to charge it. (Even the newest model for the iPad Pros doesn’t magnetically attach to the tablet for charging.) While I wouldn’t suggest the Crayon for serious artists, I would recommend it for anyone who’s on a strict budget, especially digital journal-keepers, committed note-takers and the like. — V.P.
If I were trying to pack light and could only choose one fast charger to bring with me, it would be Anker’s 67W three-port wall charger. Not only is it even more compact than the previous model, it has three ports (including one USB-A) and a max output of 67 watts. That’s enough to support most tablets and ultraportable laptops. And thanks to Anker’s PowerIQ 4.0 tech, the brick can detect which device plugged into its USB-C ports has the lowest battery before allocating additional juice to that gadget. For anyone who likes this design but wants something with a higher power output, Anker has a 100W model that’s also really compact. — Sam Rutherford, Senior Reporter
Of all the power banks we tested, the Nimble Champ Pro was the second fastest to refill an iPad. The fastest overall was Mophie’s massive Powerstation Pro, but that one is really overkill if you’re just using it for a tablet. The Champ Pro, on the other hand, has a slim profile, a handy carrying strap and two USB-C ports. On a fifth-generation iPad Air, it moved the battery gauge from five percent to full in under two hours — and it still had enough juice leftover to give it another 75 percent bump. This is the pack I grab when I’m enjoying my iPad on the couch and don’t want to get up to revive its dying battery. — A.S.
If you’re a heavy user of the Apple Pencil or some other stylus, you should consider getting a screen protector for your new iPad. They pull double-duty: Not only do they act as a first line of defense if your iPad goes careening onto concrete, but they can also enhance the digital drawing and writing experience. Using a stylus on an iPad is strange at first because gliding the stylus nib over a glass surface feels nothing like “normal” writing. Matte screen protectors can get closer to replicating the pen-on-paper experience, and they also prevent the stylus nib from wearing down as quickly.
Paperlike
Paperlike is the most popular brand in this space, with matte screen protectors for every model of iPad. A set comes with two sheets and includes guide stickers to help you get the protector positioned properly. The two-pack typically sells for $40 ro $45, depending on the size of your iPad. For something a little cheaper, Bersem’s screen protectors are a great value at $11 for a pack of two. Not only does the matte finish help when you’re drawing or taking digital notes, but it also reduces screen glare and doesn’t interfere with FaceID on the newest iPads. — A.S.
Bellemond’s “Kent Paper” overlay has the most satisfying texture of the paper-feel screen protectors I’ve tried. The blur is minimal and the friction between the stylus and the screen is just right for drawing. I miraculously managed to get the Bellemond affixed with minimal bubbles after watching the video linked with the QR code on the box. Two sheets come in a pack, so you can revert to a naked screen for a while then go back to the paper-feel down the road. If you’d like a little more help with proper placement of your screen protector, you might appreciate Zagg’s GlassFusion+ Canvas which comes with a mounting tray for application. It’s also made from a polymer designed to absorb and protect your screen from impact. — A.S.
All paper-feel protectors impart a slight blur, which is why magnetic covers that you can reposition make solid alternatives. They offer texture when you’re drawing or writing, but you can remove them easily when you want to watch Star Trek with full clarity. The PenMat from PenTips uses thin magnets along the edges to affix the film to your screen and comes with a plastic sleeve to store the cover when you’re not using it. Application and removal is dead simple, and also, there are no bubbles! The hold is surprisingly secure and the mat has a pleasing, velvety texture. I did notice a few faint squeaks when drawing with the Pencil, which didn’t bother me but might bug those who are sensitive to sounds. — A.S.
Apple’s four iPad models each have their value — the mini is super portable, the standard model with the A16 chip is ideal for casual use while the Pros can handle complex tasks better than some laptops. The iPad Air falls somewhere in between, offering a balance between power and price. But these popular tablets don’t come cheap, which is why we keep track of sale prices on iPads and round them up each week. We’ve reviewed every current model so if you want to check out our thoughts before you buy, you can. Here are the best iPad deals you can get right now, along with discounts on other Apple gear we recommend.
Best iPad deals
Apple
The latest iPad Air is a relatively minor update; the only major addition is a more powerful M3 chip. However, we still recommend the Air over the base model in our iPad buying guide: Its display is more color-rich and better at fending off glare, its speakers are more robust, it works with Apple’s best accessories and its performance should hold up better in the years ahead. (Though both have most of the same benefits released with iPadOS 26.) This $150 discount matches an all-time low and applies to several color and storage configurations. Also at Walmart, Best Buy and Target.
Apple iPad (A16) for $299 ($50 off): The most recent entry-level iPad comes with a faster A16 chip, 2GB more RAM and 128GB of storage by default. It earned a score of 84 in our review — if you only need a tablet for roaming the internet, watching shows and doing some lighter productivity tasks, it should do the job. With the new iPadOS 26 update, it also has most of the same multitasking features available with the more expensive models. We’ve seen this price for most of the past several months, but it’s still a bit cheaper than buying direct from Apple. Also at Walmart and Best Buy.
Apple iPad Air (13-inch, M3) for $649 ($150 off): Engadget’s Nate Ingraham gave the 13-inch iPad Air a score of 89 when it was released in March. It has a bigger and slightly brighter display than its 11-inch counterpart; otherwise, the two slates are the same. If you plan to keep your iPad hooked up to a keyboard, the extra screen space is lovely for taking in movies and multitasking for work. This is another all-time low, and it applies to several color options and storage configs. Also at Walmart.
Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, M4) for $899 ($100 off): The iPad Pro is much more tablet than most people need, but it’s the ultimate iPad for those who can stomach its price tag. It’s wonderfully thin, its OLED display is one of the best we’ve seen on a consumer device and its M4 chip can handle virtually anything you’d ever do on an iPad. It’s also the only Apple tablet with Face ID and it has a better speaker setup than the iPad Air. We gave it a score of 84 in our review, with the only real drawback being its price. Also at Best Buy, Target and B&H.
The 13-inch model is on sale for $1,099 as well, a $200 discount, but be warned: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple could release updated iPad Pros as soon as October. So if you can hold out, you probably should.
Best Apple deals
Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) for $389 ($10 off): The latest Apple Watches only hit the market last week, but Amazon is already offering a $10 discount on certain colorways. It doesn’t show up as a percentage off, but you’ll see some models listed at $389, while others show up at the full price of $399. If you’re new to Apple’s wearables or are ready to upgrade from a Series 9 or older, this is a good model to grab. If you’re coming from a Series 10, however, there’s not much need to upgrade as the only major change from last year’s model is a slightly larger battery and a tougher screen.
Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm) for $240 ($9 off): You’ll see a similar stealth discount on Apple’s newest budget model, the SE 3 at Amazon. It goes for $249 regularly. Apple gave this model some badly needed updates from its predecessor, including a faster charging battery, better sensors and the same processor that you’ll find in the new Apple Watch Series 11.
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4) for $799 ($200 off): Apple’s latest MacBook Air is the top pick in our guide to the best laptops, and it earned a score of 92 in our review. It’s not a major overhaul, but the design is still exceptionally thin, light and well-built, with long battery life and a top-notch keyboard and trackpad. Now it’s a bit faster. (Though we’d still love more ports and a refresh rate higher than 60Hz.) This discount ties an all-time low for base config with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Models with more memory or storage are also $200 off. Also at Best Buy.
Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M4) for $999 ($200 off): The 15-inch MacBook Air is nearly identical to the smaller version but has better speakers and a more spacious trackpad alongside its roomier display. Outside of one very brief drop around $980 in June, this ties a record low for the base model. Other configs are similarly discounted if you need more power. Also at B&H and Best Buy.
Apple Mac mini (M4, 16GB/256GB) for $499 ($100 off): The newest version of Apple’s tiny desktop PC has a smaller overall footprint, a faster M4 chip, 16GB of RAM as standard (finally), two front-facing USB-C ports (finally!), an extra Thunderbolt 4 port and the ability to drive three external displays. It doesn’t have any USB-A ports, however. We gave the M4 Pro model a review score of 90. This deal is for the entry-level version with a base M4 chip, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD — we’ve seen it fall as low as $469 in the past, but this is still a decent savings. Also at Best Buy, Walmart and B&H.
Apple Mac mini (M4, 16GB/512GB) for $689 ($110 off): If you want your tiny Apple desktop to have a little bit more storage capacity, you may want to spring for the 512GB model. It’s currently $110 off at Amazon and B&H Photo. The model with 24GB of RAM is down to $904 after a $95 discount.
Apple AirTags (4-pack) for $75 ($24 off): We may see an updated model by the end of 2025, but the current AirTags are the best Bluetooth trackers for iPhone users thanks to their vast finding network and accurate ultrawide band features that make it easy to locate things that are close by. Just note that you’ll need a separate AirTag holder to attach them to your keys, wallet or bag. This isn’t a great deal for a four-pack — the bundle was as low as $65 in July — but it’s still a bit lower than its list price. Also at Walmart.
Apple Pencil Pro for $99 ($30 off): The highest-end option in Apple’s confusing stylus lineup, the Pencil Pro supports pressure sensitivity, wireless charging, tilt detection, haptic feedback and Apple’s double tap and squeeze gestures, among other perks. It’s a lovely tool for more intricate sketching and note-taking, but the catch is that it’s only compatible with the M4 iPad Pro, M2 and M3 iPad Air and most recent iPad mini. We’ve seen this deal fairly often over the year, but it’s a solid discount compared to buying from Apple directly. Also at Walmart, Best Buy and Target.
Apple 35W Dual USB-C Port adapter for $39 ($20 off): It’s always good to have a few extra ports around. This is the adapter that ships with the M4 with 10‑core GPU MacBook Air, and it can quickly charge iPads, iPhones and anything else powered by USB-C, too. Walmart is also selling Apple’s 2-meter fast charge cable for $23 (a $6 discount).
It’s been a big week in Apple world: The new iPhone 17, iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pros went up for sale globally on Friday, while the latest major updates for iOS, macOS and Apple’s other operating systems were released to the public on Monday. If you’re looking to buy a new iPad, meanwhile, there isn’t much new on the hardware front — but there are a few good deals on the devices already on the market, including a $150 discount on the iPad Air. We’ve rounded up all of the best iPad deals we could find this week below, alongside some noteworthy discounts on other Apple devices that are available right now.
Best iPad deals
Apple
The latest iPad Air is a relatively minor update; the only major addition is a more powerful M3 chip. However, we still recommend the Air over the base model in our iPad buying guide: Its display is more color-rich and better at fending off glare, its speakers are more robust, it works with Apple’s best accessories and its performance should hold up better in the years ahead. (Though both have most of the same benefits released with iPadOS 26.) This $150 discount matches an all-time low and applies to several color and storage configurations. Also at Walmart, Best Buy and Target.
Apple iPad Air (13-inch, M3) for $649 ($150 off): Engadget’s Nate Ingraham gave the 13-inch iPad Air a score of 89 when it was released in March. It has a bigger and slightly brighter display than its 11-inch counterpart; otherwise, the two slates are the same. If you plan to keep your iPad hooked up to a keyboard, the extra screen space is lovely for taking in movies and multitasking for work. This is another all-time low, and it applies to several color options and storage configs.
Apple iPad (A16) for $299 ($50 off): The most recent entry-level iPad comes with a faster A16 chip, 2GB more RAM and 128GB of storage by default. It earned a score of 84 in our review — if you only need a tablet for roaming the internet, watching shows and doing some lighter productivity tasks, it should do the job. With the new iPadOS 26 update, it also has most of the same multitasking features available with the more expensive models. We’ve seen this price for most of the past several months, but it’s still a bit cheaper than buying direct from Apple. Also at Walmart, Best Buy and Target.
Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro) for $399 ($100 off): The iPad mini is exactly what it sounds like: the smaller iPad. This latest iteration has an improved A17 Pro chip — which is enough to support Apple Intelligence — along with 128GB of storage in the base model and Apple Pencil Pro support. As before, you’d buy it if you value the smaller 8.3-inch display and want a tablet you can more easily hold with one hand. This deal is only $20 more than the lowest price we’ve tracked. Also at Target and Best Buy.
Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, M4) for $899 ($100 off): The iPad Pro is much more tablet than most people need, but it’s the ultimate iPad for those who can stomach its price tag. It’s wonderfully thin, its OLED display is one of the best we’ve seen on a consumer device and its M4 chip can handle virtually anything you’d ever do on an iPad. It’s also the only Apple tablet with Face ID and it has a better speaker setup than the iPad Air. We gave it a score of 84 in our review, with the only real drawback being its price. Also at Best Buy, Target and B&H.
The 13-inch model is on sale for $1,099 as well, a $200 discount, but be warned: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple could release updated iPad Pros as soon as October. So if you can hold out, you probably should.
Best Apple deals
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4) for $799 ($200 off): Apple’s latest MacBook Air is the top pick in our guide to the best laptops, and it earned a score of 92 in our review. It’s not a major overhaul, but the design is still exceptionally thin, light and well-built, with long battery life and a top-notch keyboard and trackpad. Now it’s a bit faster. (Though we’d still love more ports and a refresh rate higher than 60Hz.) This discount ties an all-time low for base config with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Models with more memory or storage are also $200 off. Also at Best Buy.
Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M4) for $999 ($200 off): The 15-inch MacBook Air is nearly identical to the smaller version but has better speakers and a more spacious trackpad alongside its roomier display. Outside of one very brief drop around $980 in June, this ties a record low for the base model. Other configs are similarly discounted if you need more power. Also at B&H and Best Buy.
Apple Mac mini (M4) for $499 ($100 off): The newest version of Apple’s tiny desktop PC has a smaller overall footprint, a faster M4 chip, 16GB of RAM as standard (finally), two front-facing USB-C ports (finally!), an extra Thunderbolt 4 port and the ability to drive three external displays. It doesn’t have any USB-A ports, however. We gave the M4 Pro model a review score of 90. This deal is for the entry-level version with a base M4 chip, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD — we’ve seen it fall as low as $469 in the past, but this is still a decent savings. Also at Best Buy, Walmart and B&H.
Apple AirTags (4-pack) for $75 ($24 off): We may see an updated model by the end of 2025, but the current AirTags are the best Bluetooth trackers for iPhone users thanks to their vast finding network and accurate ultrawide band features that make it easy to locate things that are close by. Just note that you’ll need a separate AirTag holder to attach them to your keys, wallet or bag. This isn’t a great deal for a four-pack — the bundle was as low as $65 in July — but it’s still a bit lower than its list price. Also at Best Buy and Walmart.
Apple Pencil Pro for $99 ($30 off): The highest-end option in Apple’s confusing stylus lineup, the Pencil Pro supports pressure sensitivity, wireless charging, tilt detection, haptic feedback and Apple’s double tap and squeeze gestures, among other perks. It’s a lovely tool for more intricate sketching and note-taking, but the catch is that it’s only compatible with the M4 iPad Pro, M2 and M3 iPad Air and most recent iPad mini. We’ve seen this deal fairly often over the year, but it’s a solid discount compared to buying from Apple directly. Also at Walmart, Best Buy and Target.
Apple 35W Dual USB-C Port adapter for $39 ($20 off): It’s always good to have a few extra ports around. This is the adapter that ships with the M4 with 10‑core GPU MacBook Air, and it can quickly charge iPads, iPhones and anything else powered by USB-C, too. Walmart is also selling Apple’s 2-meter fast charge cable for $23 (a $6 discount).
Remember to set aside some storage on iPhone, as the update will demand a good chunk. iOS 26 showed up as 6GB for me on my iPhone 14 Pro, coming from version iOS 18.6. (Apple is also pushing out iOS 18.7 today.) Our senior editor, Raymond Wong, got the update on his iPhone 16 Pro and noted it was 14.9GB. So your mileage will vary depending on your device and software version.
Along with iOS 26, Apple also released iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, visionOS 26, and all the rest. The iPhone 17 lineup, from the 17 Pros to the Air, will come preinstalled with the new software update when those new phones launch on Sept. 19. Every Apple product now shares a similar design language centered on the “Liquid Glass” look. The UI is full of semi-transparent windows and bubbles that can distort and contort text and images underneath it, as if you were looking through a convex glass lens. It’s a means of separating the controls from the content itself. The changes are both subtle and overt. For instance, the “Search” button on iPhones may blend more into your background wallpaper. In apps like Apple Music, the “Now Playing” bar will display a hint of the album artwork underneath it.
The iOS 26 release may be the most controversial since the drastic changes made to iOS 7 back in 2013. Users didn’t appreciate having to watch short animations before getting into their apps. Many complained about the UI hiding useful buttons, making it harder for power users to find the right tools for the job. Despite the controversy, skeuomorphism—where Apple tried incorporating more familiar images and designs, such as the battery image representing battery life—still remains to this day. That brings us to now and the emphasis on “glassmorphism,” emphasizing opaque windows for a pseudo-3D effect.
As somebody who has used multiple versions of the iPadOS 26 and macOS 26 betas extensively during the beta period this past summer, I appreciated some design changes more than others. Apple removing the opaque layer for the menu bar at the top of the Mac screen helps make the screen feel larger without sacrificing functionality. Spotlight has also been beefed up to take actions directly in apps like Messages without having to click on the icon and type out your text to a recipient. The Mac is now more connected to the iPhone than ever with Live Activities, letting you monitor iPhone notifications without unlocking and fiddling with the device. Clicking on those notifications also opens up the iPhone Mirroring, a feature that was introduced in last year’s macOS Sequoia. It’s not all great, however. There’s no more Launchpad available in the dock, and to bring it back you need to muck around in Terminal. Instead, you’re granted an “Apps” folder that is overloaded with all your iPhone apps in addition to those you installed on Mac.
macOS 26 also sports a few more minor additions, like the largely ineffectual Game Overlay. All that functionality is now bedecked in the translucent layer of glass, from your app icons to the Control Center. The real innovation was saved for Apple’s tablets. The iPad is now far more usable as a dedicated laptop replacement for all your tasks. Apple added the ability to have multiple apps open on-screen at once. You can tile them just by flicking them to the right or left side of the screen. If you want to watch YouTube and type up your notes, it’s now easier than the previous Stage Manager or dual-screen solutions.
Apple has fine-tuned Liquid Glass from its initial dev beta into the public beta and again for the final release. The early versions were practically incoherent, especially with text layered over text. Follow-up betas dialed back some of the glass and liquid effect for a more “frosted glass” aesthetic. The latest public betas honed in on the current design, where you can catch a hint of content underneath menus, as if staring into a pool of glassy water. The effect wants to evoke something tangible, like you’re doing more than scrolling pixels on a pane of glass. After months of playing with all the various betas, I still would prefer a version of Liquid Glass that matches up to the name.
Regular Apple users who use their iPhone for little more than accessing their camera or their TikTok feeds may not understand the hate, but the most-dedicated iPhone aficionados may grow impatient with the new design. Critics say Liquid Glass distracts you from the functions of each app. Some developers publicly lambasted the new design that sticks important functionality behind hamburger menus (those three horizontal bars that open up drop-down menus). Then again, that’s a fact of life for living in Apple’s ecosystem. The company is more concerned with devices that focus apps for specific use types.
Inevitably, you’ll run up against a single instance where the glass garbles words or distracts you from an important part of a text or email. In that moment, you’ll wish to scrap the entire exercise, decry Apple’s hubris, and wish to switch back to iOS 18. After those fleeting moments where the raw hate overflows, you’ll just keep using your devices the way you always have.
If you’ve been on the fence about getting a new iPad then now might be the time to hop off it. Apple’s iPad Air M3 is down from $599 to the record-low price of $450. The 25 percent discount applies to the 11-inch Wi-Fi model.
We gave the iPad Air M3 an 89 in our review, thanks, in part, to its new chip. The M3 chip gives this generation’s iPad Air a big boost over the M2 model — despite coming out less than a year apart. Plus, even without the discount, it’s a more affordable option across Apple’s iPad range.
Apple
In fact, we named the iPad Air M3 as our choice for the best iPad for most people. Unless you plan to use your iPad as a substitute computer or really want a top notch screen, then you probably don’t need the iPad Pro. The iPad Air M3 strikes a great balance of features for a lot less money.
Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
An iPad might be the most versatile Apple device you can buy. They can run apps and games like your phone yet they’re as powerful as some laptops. You can use them to read books like on an ereader or watch shows like its a mini TV. But they’re not the cheapest tablets out there, so it’s wise to look for sales when you can find them. You won’t see discounts directly from Apple, but Amazon, Target, Best Buy and B&H Photo often offer discounts on Apple’s slates. All week long, we keep an eye out for deals on tech and we’ve rounded up the best iPad deals we could find right here. (We also threw in a few deals on other Apple gear that were too good not to mention.)
Best iPad deals
Apple
The new base-model iPad now comes with twice the storage of the previous model, plus the A16 chip. That makes the most affordable iPad faster and more capable, but still isn’t enough to support Apple Intelligence. We didn’t find that to be a problem and awarded it an 84 in our review, calling it “plenty quick for reading, watching and playing things, with solid battery life and an eternally easy-to-use OS.”
Amazon has sold it at this price for a few months now, though it went as low as $280 during Amazon Prime Day. Also at Best Buy, Walmart and Costco.
Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, M4) for $899 ($100 off): The iPad Pro is much more tablet than most people need, but it’s the ultimate iPad for those who can stomach its price tag. It’s wonderfully thin, its OLED display is one of the best we’ve seen on a consumer device and its M4 chip can handle virtually anything you’d ever do on an iPad. It’s also the only Apple tablet with Face ID and it has a better speaker setup than the iPad Air. We gave it a score of 84 in our review, with the only real drawback being its price. Also at B&H, or BJ’s for $20 less if you have a membership there.
Best Apple deals
Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $199 ($50 off): Now that the AirPods Pro 3 is open for pre-orders, the Pro 2 model isn’t likely to be around much longer. But there’s no telling when the new version will see a discount. The third-gen earbuds do have a bunch of new features, but if you don’t need the latest model, you may be perfectly happy with the second-generation buds. We gave them an 88 in our review and they held a top spot in our best earbud guide for years.
Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS only, 46 mm) for $429 ($70 off): This is another Apple device that’s soon to be gone from the shelves — but it’s worth noting that the new Series 11 and this model have the same hardware design (though the new one has a tougher screen) and both use the same processor chip. We named the Series 10 the best smartwatch you can buy (just expect it to be usurped by the new generation) and gave it a 90 in our review. But if you want the latest watch, the Apple Watch Series 11 is open for pre-orders now.
Apple EarPods for $16 ($3 off): Some people prefer a wire with their earbuds. If that’s you, you can snag these for just $16, which makes it one of the cheapest Apple-branded items you can get. They don’t have the bells and whistles of the new AirPods Pro 3. But they’re far more affordable.
Apple AirTags (4-pack) for $75 ($24 off): We may see an updated model by the end of 2025, but the current AirTags are the best Bluetooth trackers for iPhone users thanks to their vast finding network and accurate ultrawide band features that make it easy to locate things that’re close by. Just note that you’ll need a separate AirTag holder to attach them to your keys, wallet or bag. This isn’t a great deal for a four-pack — the bundle was available for $70 last week and $65 during Amazon’s Prime Day — but it’s still a bit lower than the four-pack’s list price. Also at Best Buy and Walmart.
Apple 35W Dual USB-C Port adapter for $39 ($20 off): It’s always good to have a few extra ports around. This is the adapter that ships with the M4 with 10‑core GPU MacBook Air, and it can quickly charge iPads, iPhones and anything else powered by USB-C, too. Walmart is also selling Apple’s 2-meter fast charge cable for $23 ($6 off).
After more than a decade of requests, Instagram is finally giving iPad users their own app—with a few new twists to the familiar feed
Courtesy Somnath via Adobe StockCredit: Courtesy Somnath via Adobe Stock
Instagram is finally unveiling an app dedicated to iPad users. Starting Wednesday, September 3rd, the app built specifically for iPad users will be available for download on the device. There will be some slight differences as opposed to the mobile app.
The most notable difference between the mobile and iPad app is that the iPad app opens on the Reels page. With the larger screen, comments on Reels will be visible beside the video, and DMs will have the inbox alongside chats. Stories will still show in a horizontal line atop the home page, and users will still be able to follow other users and view feeds.
According to Meta, the new look is also “coming soon” to Android tablets.
After 15 years of consumer requests, Instagram has finally launched this iPad-friendly option, possibly inspired by the rise of the so-called “iPad kid” generation.
Instagram has also been adding features to Reels, such as longer clip lengths and the ability to fast forward or repost them.
The social media platform Instagram as a native app. It only took 15 years, as the app first launched all the way back in 2010. We knew and, well, now it’s here.
The iPad is a different platform from a smartphone, so the tablet-based app features redesigned elements. For instance, the app opens directly into a feed of Reels. The iPad app also lets users organize posts and Reels into a chronological list, with recent posts appearing first. This is how social media used to work, before the almighty algos started choosing stuff for us. This “new” feature has also begun popping up once again on the standard app.
Otherwise, the redesign takes full advantage of the increased screen real estate. Comments on Reels will appear right next to the videos and the DMs page will include the inbox alongside the actual chat. This is reminiscent of how the web client of Messenger works.
This move is fascinating, as two years ago Instagram head Adam Mosseri said the iPad simply wasn’t a big enough market to fast track an app. “It’s still just not a big enough group of people to be a priority,” . “Hoping to get to it at some point, but right now we’re very heads down on other things.”
Apple debuted the iconic and now wildly popular iPad in 2010. A few months later, Instagram landed on the App Store to rapid success. But for 15 years, Instagram hasn’t bothered to optimize its app layout for the iPad’s larger screen.
That’s finally changing today: There’s now a dedicated Instagram iPad app available globally on the App Store.
It has been a long time coming. Even before Apple began splitting its mobile operating system from iOS into iOS and iPadOS, countless apps adopted a fresh user interface that embraced the larger screen size of the tablet. This was the iPad’s calling card at the time, and those native apps optimized for its precise screen size are what made Apple’s device stand out from a sea of Android tablets that largely ran phone apps inelegantly blown up to fit the bigger screen.
Except Instagram never went iPad-native. Open the existing app right now, and you’ll see the same phone app stretched to the iPad’s screen size, with awkward gaps on the sides. And you’ll run into the occasional problems when you post photos from the iPad, like low-resolution images. Weirdly, Instagram did introduce layout improvements for folding phones a few years ago, which means the experience is better optimized on Android tablets today than it is on iPad.
The fresh iPad app (which runs on iPadOS 15.1 or later) offers more than just a facelift. Yes, the Instagram app now takes up the entire screen, but the company says users will drop straight into Reels, the short-form video platform it introduced five years ago to compete with TikTok. The Stories module remains at the top, and you’ll be able to hop into different tabs via the menu icons on the left. There’s a new Following tab (the people icon right below the home icon), and this is a dedicated section to see the latest posts from people you actually follow.
