There are a bunch of perks to having an iPad. The large screen is great, and the Apple Pencil stylus is excellent. But I've never been convinced that the more expensive iPad Pro and iPad Air models are worth it. Not when the entry-level iPad 11 is just as functional — even if it isn't quite as advanced.
Especially when you consider how cheaply you can pick up Apple's basic iPad during sales events like Amazon Prime Day. Right now, you can pick up the iPad 11-inch for just $279 at Amazon. That's 20% off the usual $349 price tag, and saves you $70 on the usual retail price.
While the more premium iPads offer a lot of extra features and hardware, to the point where they seem to be muscling in on the laptop market, they've never actually been able to replace my laptop. But that doesn't mean I don't want to enjoy all the things a tablet can offer. Especially considering how much bigger the screen is compared to my phone.
The iPad's 11-inch display means I have plenty of space to stream movies and TV shows, and read books or comics without squeezing everything down to a phone-friendly format. It does suffer with glare in particularly bright environments, but not so much that I've ever had to stop watching or reading anything.
Plus, the fact that the iPad supports the Apple Pencil (USB-C) means I can continue my love of handwriting, rather than being forced to type everything out with a keyboard. It's not quite the same as writing on paper, but it's a lot more convenient. Not to mention the fact that it lets you draw and annotate on the screen as much or as little as you like. Or, if typing is your thing, the Magic Keyboard Folio is definitely worth checking out so you don't have to rely on the smooth, featureless touchscreen keyboard.
Another thing I like about the iPad 11 is that it's one of the few Apple products to still support Touch ID, rather than Face ID, with the power button hiding a fingerprint scanner. Honestly, if you don't already know about it, odds are you won't ever realize that it's there. And it sure as heck beats adding a notch or Dynamic Island in the middle of the screen.
Combine it all with some casual web browsing, and access everything the App Store has to offer, and there's certainly nothing else I need out of an iPad. It's why I love the cheapest model so much, and it is well worth the $279 Amazon is currently charging for it. Don't miss out on this bargain price during Prime Day.
For more great discounts, be sure to check out our Amazon Prime Day deals live blog right now.
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