Looking forward to Amazon Prime Day (July 15 - 16), I realized there's one sale I'm keeping my eyes out for, and how it relates to the iPad's constant sale pricing. As the person responsible for updating the Laptop Mag Best Tablets page, I'm aware of the constant ups and downs of tablet pricing.
9.7-inch iPad: Wait for a better sale price
Yes, Apple's entry-level, 9.7-inch iPad may have an MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price) of $329, but it's been much cheaper for a while. Since Black Friday 2018, when it dropped to an historic low of $229, the 9.7-inch iPad has sat at $249 on Amazon.
So, if you want a new iPad on Prime Day, my advice is to not settle for this now standardized price, even though it looks like a deal. If you see it for $229, definitely consider it, because that's a low price worthy of headlines.
Me, though? I'm aiming for an even lower price, because I'm thinking of accessories. If the iPad hits $199, I get to stop worrying about spending $99 on an Apple Pencil (the 1st Gen model, as newer one is for the iPad Pro only), which plays an increasingly large role for what makes iPadOS stand out in comparison to iOS.
With the Pencil, you unlock full functionality in Sidecar mode, as the macOS Catalina interface on the tablet won't respond to your finger taps. You also get supereasy markups by dragging the Pencil tip from the corner of the screen.
12.9-inch iPad Pro: Get it for less
I've also got a long-shot hope for another iPad-related sale: I want the $999 2018 12.9-inch iPad Pro for under $700. During a short-term sale this past week, the 64GB model has already hit $849, so I know I'm reaching a bit in terms of price.
Again, the need for a lower bottom line falls to accessory pricing. I'm already planning to spend $169 on the Brydge Pro keyboard case (my favorite iPad Pro keyboard case) and $129 on the Apple Pencil (2nd Gen), which charges and attaches to the tablet in a much more elegant way.
This is the deal I'm looking out for because I don't have a laptop that's the apple of my eye, especially with Apple's now-shorter list of MacBooks.
My advice
So, readers, to avoid being tricked by a sale that isn't worthy of the name Prime Day, be sure to figure out what that product normally sells for. In our deals at Laptop Mag, we're going to point that out, but we also recommend using The Camelizer, a Chrome extension.
This way, no matter what you're looking for on Amazon, you can see its complete price history. Check back in with Laptop Mag on Monday and Tuesday to get an easy-to-digest view on the top Prime Day 2019 deals.
Image Credit: Laptop Mag
