Hurry! Apple's 10.2-inch iPad drops to $249 just days before Christmas

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

The clock is ticking on getting gifts in time for the holiday celebrations. Fortunately, we found an epic last-minute deal on a tablet that will make the perfect affordable gift for any friend or family member. 

Best Buy is selling the 10.2-inch iPad for $249, or $80 off its retail price. Better yet, savings jump to $100 for the high-end configurations, and the discounts apply to both Wi-Fi and cellular models. 

The savings match what we saw during most of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so this deal is about as good as it gets. 

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Apple iPad (Wi-Fi, 32GB): was $329 now $249
The least expensive iPad now costs less than ever before. The iPad is an excellent tablet with a bright display, long battery life and keyboard support. This base model comes with 32GB of storage.

Apple iPad (Wi-Fi, 128GB):

Apple iPad (Wi-Fi, 128GB): was $429 now $329
If you need more storage, Amazon is also selling the 128GB model for $329 after a $99 discount. Again, this is the lowest price we've seen thus far on a tablet that rarely goes on sale. 

Apple iPad (LTE, 32GB): was $459 now $379

Apple iPad (LTE, 32GB): was $459 now $379
Don't want to be tethered to your home Wi-Fi all the time? Spend a bit more on the cellular version of the iPad, which lets you browse the web using an LTE connection.

Apple iPad (LTE, 128GB): was $559 now $459

Apple iPad (LTE, 128GB): was $559 now $459
With loads of storage and the ability to connect to the internet using cellular, this is the most capable iPad model on the market. If you're going to use the tablet for travel, we recommend this one. 

This 10.2-inch iPad is one of the latest tablets released by Apple. In our iPad review, we gave the low-cost model props for its new keyboard support and larger display, which is both bright and vivid. 

We also appreciate the improvement to battery life, which helped the 10.2-inch iPad endure for 11 hours and 52 minutes on our battery life (continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits). That result means you can use the slate throughout work and still have some juice left for your morning news the next day.  

Yes, the 10.2-inch iPad's A10 Fusion chip is older than the processors in more expensive models, but we didn't have any problems using it to browse the web or checking social media during our testing. 

With Christmas just a few days away, now is the perfect time to jump on this deal and put a smile on someone's face. 

Phillip Tracy

Phillip Tracy is the assistant managing editor at Laptop Mag where he reviews laptops, phones and other gadgets while covering the latest industry news. After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Phillip became a tech reporter at the Daily Dot. There, he wrote reviews for a range of gadgets and covered everything from social media trends to cybersecurity. Prior to that, he wrote for RCR Wireless News covering 5G and IoT. When he's not tinkering with devices, you can find Phillip playing video games, reading, traveling or watching soccer.