Get the 9th Gen iPad For New Record Low Price of $199

[jimimac71]

$199 is better than the $209 my iPad 7 cost (refurbished) in late 2021.
If I didn't already have my iPad, it would be worth getting.
Mine will run iPad OS 18 and get non-OS updates for 2 more years after that.
Nobody makes a tablet for that price with better value! Nobody!

 

[NewOldStock]

I use 8th gen Daily Daily driver with only 32Gb and use only half of that.
Not much on it of course but for me its perfect.
This would be an upgrade.. I paid $249 for mine years ago when it came out.

 

[artifex]

wait people were still paying 329 for that dinosaur?😂

No, it was often on sale for $230-250 for the base 64GB model. Like when I bought mine, last February I think?

I know it won't get any onboard AI features, and that's fine. I'm now just looking to see what stuff iPadOS 18.x will have for it that might be worth upgrading, and whether the new version will bog things down just from overall system load, regardless. Might just stay on the 17.x otherwise, as long as I can. I only use it for games, mostly, and media consumption.
edit: but not web browsing. Even my cheap Android tablet is safer/better for that, as long as it has Firefox and uBlock Origin.

 

[jimimac71]

I use 8th gen Daily Daily driver with only 32Gb and use only half of that.
Not much on it of course but for me its perfect.
This would be an upgrade.. I paid $249 for mine years ago when it came out.

My iPad 7 is 32 GB and I had to strip almost all the Apple Apps.
The OS uses half the storage. I do like the big Home button and don't care about USB-C versus Lightning.

 

[MikeSmoke]

Last chance for an iPad with headphone/audio line output. Try overdubbing with Bluetooth headphones and you'll know why it's an important feature. No need for a dongle to charge and monitor audio simultaneously.

 

[applefan8254]

cool. Can we get multiple user profiles? Would be nice to have completely separate user spaces. Thank you.

 

[Wando64]

Any grandma type users may find this price interesting who just consume YouTube, Google Search, Facebook, WhatsApp (Sorry, you can’t do WhatsApp in iPad LOL)….This price will be ok. Apple may have stopped making them all long ago and spares may be difficult to get after couple of years.

You can use WhatsApp on an iPad, as long as it is linked to a phone.
As for spares, Apple must provide them until they officially declare the device obsolete.

 

[JosephAW]

My nephew just got the iPad when it was at $224. Doh

 

[svish]

Good price for a basic iPad.

 

[walraven]

This is the last iPad with a 3.5mm headphone jack. I’m glad I’ve got one!

 

[Christopher Kim]

As many other have said, this is a great iPad for kids and/or those who want a headphone jack, or don’t need the latest/greatest.

I bought one of these for my young kid back when it hit $229 last Black Friday 2023. Since then, it was regularly on sale for $249 (eg. $80 off or ~25% off the $329), but $199 is a really good price.

Every now and then I use it as I help my kid install an app or watch a video, and really, the only thing I notice coming from my new M4 iPP is the non-laminated screen, and the weaker 2-speakers (only on the bottom of the iPad, so in landscape, you notice it more only coming from one side).

Especially being a “newer device”, it feels snappy with the A13 (it was even “better” in many ways than the A12X that was in my 2018 iPad Pro up until a few months ago when I got the M4 iPP), and in particular, having a brand new battery, the battery life lasts a long time. At $199, it’s really a fantastic value.

 

[stinkhorn9]

Come off it, it’s not going to be ‘bricked’ in 4-5 years. My original 2010 iPad still works… ! Perhaps you just mean outdated / not getting updates?

I recently got an iPad Pro to replace my 9th gen, and although it’s obviously a huge upgrade overall there are things I still prefer about the 9th gen. Even just as a big iPod, it‘s the last iPad to have a headphone jack, which Macrumors and others always seem to forget to point out for some reason.

This business about the headphone jack is the reason I'm ultra-happy with my ninth gen. But in the UK, on Amazon they're about £80 more than in the US right now!

 

[deevey]

You'll be happy until all the USB-C internal ports start failing.

Apple have one of the best designed USB-C ports of any devices on the market, not a flimsy strip of plastic suspended in mid air that can break off like many other manufacturers, but supported with metal cast into the chassis supporting each side of the contact board to prevent that happening.

They didn't adopt it until they knew could be as long-lasting as a lightning connector.

 

[Tripps9000]

Cheap for the 9th generation iPad I have this one myself bought it when it first came out I going to hang on to it until apple releases the iPad 11!

 

[taliz]

I've had one since 2021. Over the last year or so it's become really slow and laggy. The CPU is from the iPhone 11, which is from the previous decade, so it's to be expected I suppose. Also very limited RAM, tabs in safari more or less always reload and sometimes even crash.
No way I'd buy a new one now, even the 10th gen is many years outdated.

 

[Tripps9000]

I've had one since 2021. Over the last year or so it's become really slow and laggy. The CPU is from the iPhone 11, which is from the previous decade, so it's to be expected I suppose. Also very limited RAM, tabs in safari more or less always reload and sometimes even crash.
No way I'd buy a new one now, even the 10th gen is many years outdated.

I agree with you on the 10th gen not worth to buy that one either hopefully the 11th gen gets released before the end of he year!

 

[longhorn2004]

Apple needs to unload 10th gens as the 11th-gen debut nears. Next month we may see similar prices on the 10th gen.

 

[JosephAW]

None of these older devices will support the majority of the AI features in the next few iterations available of iPadOS. But for the majority of people that’s perfectly fine.

 

[kltmom]

Any grandma type users may find this price interesting who just consume YouTube, Google Search, Facebook, WhatsApp (Sorry, you can’t do WhatsApp in iPad LOL)….This price will be ok. Apple may have stopped making them all long ago and spares may be difficult to get after couple of years.

This is a perfect iPad for either elders or younger kids, those two ends of the spectrum; they don't need tons of storage or the latest and greatest processors. I got my MIL an 8th gen 32 gb iPad a few years ago which is perfect for her--all she does is stream videos on YouTube, and that's it, nothing else. Doesn't text, doesn't email, no social apps, doesn't need picture storage, nothing else. Her previous iPad? A hand-me-down from me, the 2nd gen iPad from 2011--which she used with absolutely no problems until 2020. That's right, 2020!!!

Same goes for little kids such as my nephew who just streams videos, does simple educational kids apps and simple kids' games on his iPad. He also has a similar iPad.

That's why I hope Apple always offers a cheaper, no-frills, low-storage iPad option exactly for those situations where anything more is too much. This $199 iPad is an incredible deal.

 

[jimimac71]

Last chance for an iPad with headphone/audio line output. Try overdubbing with Bluetooth headphones and you'll know why it's an important feature. No need for a dongle to charge and monitor audio simultaneously.

I didn't realize the headphone jack was gone.
I purchased an audiobook from Apple only to experience DRM was not dead.
Used the headphone output to go from iPad to PC and make a linear recording of the book I purchased.
iPad should have GPS without paying for the cellular. Samsung does that well.
If iPad had FM radio as well, then the headphone jack would be more important.
Yes, FM is kind of rare with Android too. Comes in handy in fire country like California.
Apple seems to put their wants ahead of the consumer.

 

[turbineseaplane]

None of these older devices will support the majority of the AI features

(heads straight to the buy now button!)

Sounds fantastic!

 

[USB-Adapter]

This is the type of device that's perfect for my six year old. He can read, consume media (sigh) and do schoolwork on it at a fairly low price point.

In a few months, or even weeks, your iPad will be full of photos and videos, and you will have problems updating the firmware or apps because there is no more free space. I speak from experience.

 

[Neepman]

that design still shoulda been discontinued. that whole design with the home button on iPads has looked dated since they first made em. the 10th gen should be 199

It may be and look dated. But a home button is very useful for those with unsteady hands. Granted thats a niche market. I hope those that shame and mock the home button will not be in need of a device with one for themselves one day.

 

[Rychiar]

It may be and look dated. But a home button is very useful for those with unsteady hands. Granted thats a niche market. I hope those that shame and mock the home button will not be in need of a device with one for themselves one day.

its not good for old people that's for sure. neither of my parents have enough of a fingerprint left to actually use Touch ID. they both do way better with the newer phones

 

[mjs916]

I forgot how long ago the Gen 9 released. I wouldn't buy this at this price myself, because it will most likely be slowed down greatly due to AI software. I'd be better off spending the extra money on the next gen version, when it becomes available.

Worth the buy? Price sounds awesome... would hate for it to be bricked in 4-5 years with AI software etc

What AI software is this getting? Not Apple Intelligence. The cutoff for that is the M1 and A17 Pro. This device has the A13 if I've got the right device in mind.