Prime Day is ending soon, so make sure you don't miss this incredible iPad 11 discount — it can be yours for $279

iPad 11 with a prime day deal sticker
(Image credit: Future)

There are a bunch of perks to having an iPad, 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 — albeit slightly less advanced.

That's especially true 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. Unfortunately this discount isn't going to last forever, which means you'll have to hurry if you want to pick up the iPad 11 for its lowest ever price.

Apple iPad 11-inch
Apple iPad 11-inch: was $349 now $279 at Amazon

If you're looking for an iPad, you don't need to spend a lot of money on an iPad Pro or iPad Air. The entry-level iPad 11 works perfectly for all your basic tablet needs, whether you want to read, write, draw or stream movies. But hurry! This deal is only going to last as long as Prime Day — so grab it while you can.

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.

Apple Pencil (USB-C)
Apple Pencil (USB-C): was $79 now $69 at Amazon

If you want to do some doodling or handwriting on your iPad 11, you'll need to pick up a stylus. Specifically, the Apple Pencil (USB-C). This stylus offers pixel-perfect precision, tilt sensitivity and low latency. Almost like writing on a real sheet of (very glossy) paper.

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. But with Prime Day coming to an end very soon, you'll want to take advantage of this discount while you still can. Because it's not going to be here forever.


For more great discounts, be sure to check out our Amazon Prime Day deals live blog right now.

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Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.

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