Tablets have become essential tools for everything from streaming shows to taking notes in meetings. However, finding one that delivers premium performance without premium pricing remains a challenge. Apple dominates the tablet market thanks to its tight ecosystem integration and refined hardware. The 11-inch iPad with the A16 chip is currently the most affordable entry point into that experience.
Priced at $299 on Amazon—down from its standard retail price of $349—this 2025 WiFi 128GB model delivers the core iPad experience at the lowest price this configuration has ever reached. Meanwhile, Apple’s official website still sells this exact model at full price, making Amazon’s discount genuinely noteworthy.
[See it on Amazon]
### The Sweet Spot for Most Users
Powered by the A16 chip, which comes straight from Apple’s iPhone lineage, this iPad brings smartphone-class efficiency and processing power to tablet computing. It easily handles multiple running apps simultaneously. Whether you’re flipping between Safari tabs, responding to messages, editing photos, or streaming video, you won’t experience the sluggish performance common in cheaper Android tablets.
The A16 Bionic’s neural engine significantly accelerates machine learning tasks such as photo recognition, voice processing, and augmented reality applications, enhancing your overall user experience.
### Display and Camera Technology
The 11-inch Liquid Retina display strikes an ideal balance between portability and usable screen space. Featuring True Tone technology, the display automatically adjusts its color temperature based on surrounding light conditions. This reduces eye strain when moving from bright outdoor environments into warm indoor lighting.
Surprisingly, the camera system is far better than what most expect from tablets. The 12MP rear camera captures sharp photos and 4K video, making this iPad perfect for documenting events, scanning documents, or recording video content when your phone isn’t handy. The front 12MP camera is oriented in landscape mode, centering you perfectly for video calls when the iPad sits naturally on a desk or in a stand.
### Storage and Connectivity
With 128GB of storage, this iPad handles typical usage without the need for constant file management. You can download a good library of Netflix shows for offline viewing, store thousands of photos, install dozens of apps, and keep important documents locally accessible. Apple’s iCloud integration also provides seamless cloud storage expansion for files you don’t need immediate access to.
This storage capacity hits the sweet spot for most users—offering enough space to avoid frustration without paying extra for storage you won’t use. It eliminates the anxiety commonly associated with 64GB models, which tend to fill up frustratingly fast.
The inclusion of WiFi 6 connectivity delivers faster wireless speeds and better performance on crowded networks compared to older WiFi standards. This improvement makes a noticeable difference when downloading large files, streaming high-resolution video, or using the iPad in busy environments with many competing devices. Additionally, WiFi 6’s increased efficiency contributes to better battery life by allowing the wireless radio to transmit data faster and return to low-power states more quickly.
### Seamless Apple Ecosystem Integration
One of Apple’s biggest strengths is its ecosystem integration, and this iPad fits right into that environment. You can start typing an email on your iPad and finish it on your iPhone or Mac. The Universal Clipboard lets you copy text or images on one device and paste them on another, while Handoff allows you to start a task on one device and pick it up exactly where you left off on another.
This seamless continuity works so transparently that you stop thinking about which device you’re using and focus entirely on what you want to accomplish.
### User Satisfaction and Value
With a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars based on over 12,000 reviews, this iPad clearly earns high marks for performance and reliability from real users who use the device daily. This positive feedback offers confidence that the experience lives up to Apple’s promises.
At $299, this 11-inch iPad with the A16 chip represents Apple’s most accessible premium tablet offering to date. It brings the iPad experience within reach of buyers who previously considered it too expensive, making it an exceptional value for anyone seeking a powerful, portable, and well-integrated tablet.
https://kotaku.com/dont-buy-your-ipad-at-an-apple-store-amazon-just-dropped-the-base-wifi-model-to-pocket-change-2000642394