Forget the iPad mini 6 — the iPad mini 5 with 256GB of storage is on sale for $480

The iPad mini 5 is on sale for a rare price
Apple iPad mini 5 (Image credit: Laptop Mag)

The next-gen iPad mini 6 could tote an LED display for the first time. However, the latest iPad mini 5 with a Retina display is still one of the best tablets to buy. 

In a rare deal, the iPad mini with 256GB of storage is on sale for $479.99 at Amazon. That's $69 off this iPad mini's $549 list price and just $30 shy of its lowest price ever. As far as iPad deals go, it's among the best available right now.  

iPad mini 5 deal

Apple iPad Mini 5 (256GB): was $549 now $480 @ Amazon

Apple iPad Mini 5 (256GB): was $549 now $480 @ Amazon
Rarely on sale, the 256GB model iPad mini is $69 off right now. It packs a 7.9-inch Retina display, Apple's powerful A12 Bionic CPU, and 256GB of storage. It outperforms the previous-gen iPad mini and lasts nearly 13 hours per charge. 

Apple's 5th generation iPad mini remains one of the fastest mobile devices around. Despite its compact size, it's as powerful as the iPad Air. The iPad mini 5 in this deal sale packs a 7.9-inch Retina display, Apple's A12 Bionic chip, 256GB of storage, Apple Touch ID and Apple Pencil support (sold separately). Apple Pencil makes it easy for artists and note-takers to sketch and jot down ideas in the Notes app.      

As we state in our iPad Mini 5 review, it flaunts a bright, colorful display and delivers solid performance. Its battery life is also impressive — hitting 12 hours and 40 minutes in our Laptop Mag Battery Test. We gave the iPad mini 5 an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars. 

During one test, the iPad mini 5's mighty A12 Bionic chip took on multiple apps simultaneously with no lag. The gameplay on the tablet was also fast and fluid. In our lab, the iPad mini 5 notched 11,515 on the Geekbench 4 overall performance test. It beat the iPad Air (11,471). With a weight of 11 ounces and 8 x 5.3 x 0.2 inches, the iPad mini is much lighter and just as thin as the iPad Air (16 ounces, 9.8 x 6.8 x 0.2 inches).

Simply put, the iPad mini is a solid choice if you want a small tablet that's good on performance. As with all Apple deals, this one won't last long, so be sure to catch it while you can. 

Hilda Scott

Hilda Scott uses her combined passion for gadgets from laptops to TVs and her bargain-shopping savvy to bring you the best prices on all things tech. She has a bachelor’s degree in film and media studies from Hunter College and over a decade of experience in tech journalism. Her work has been featured on Tom’s Guide, iTechPost, Examiner.com, Parlemag, Enstars, and Latin Times. When she's not scouting for the best deals, Hilda’s catching up on her favorite TV series and combat sports.