iPad 11 just crashed to under $300 at Amazon and it's the iPad I'd recommend to most people

The iPad is an extremely versatile gadget, and one of my favorite products in Apple's line-up, but I don't think most people need the power of an iPad Pro or even an iPad Air for general use.

That's why I was very pleased to see the Apple iPad (11th gen) drop back down to under $300 at Amazon today. The 11-inch, 128GB tablet is currently enjoying a 14% reduction that brings it down to just $299 while the deal lasts.

Save 14% ($50)

Apple 11" iPad (11th Gen): was $349 now $299 at Amazon

Apple's latest iPad (11th Gen) can just about do it all thanks to its upgraded A16 chip, larger 128GB base storage and longer battery at over 11 hours (it even beats the iPad Air M3 and iPad mini 7). In our 4-star iPad 11 review, I called it the Apple tablet for most, as it's a great device for watching shows.

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Apple may have just turbocharged the iPad Air with the new iPad Air M4, but as we pointed out in our iPad 11 review, it's still very capable of doing all the things that most users need: streaming shows, playing some lightweight games, reading websites, and controlling smart home devices or hosting a video call.

Although it's the entry-level model, Apple made some welcome upgrades to this tablet when it introduced it last year. Storage now starts at 128GB and the A16 Bionic chip keeps the performance nice and speedy. It keeps the same refreshed design as the iPad 10, which means no more Home button and slimmer bezels, giving the 11-inch Liquid Retina (2360 x 1640) display even more prominence.

The screen is crisp and vivid and whether you want to watch movies or play some lightweight games with Apple Arcade, it's more than up to the task.

The other big area of improvement for this tablet was in the battery department. During our testing, which involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi with a device’s display set to 150 nits of brightness, the iPad 11 lasted 11 hours and 25 minutes. That not only tops its predecessor, but it also beats the iPad Air M3 and iPad mini 7.

Are there some downsides? A couple: it would be nice if the screen got a little brighter and it's also a bummer the iPad 11 doesn't support the Apple Pencil Pro or the Apple Pencil Gen 2. Considering one of the best use-cases for a tablet is drawing and note-taking, it would have been nice to see them supported. Instead, you'll have to just stick with the Apple Pencil (USB-C).

But considering this is the most affordable iPad you can buy, I can't be too harsh on its shortcomings. Especially since you can pick it up in a choice of bright colors: Silver, Blue, Pink, Yellow — just beware the blue color only has a 6% discount compared to the 14% on the other versions.

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