The iPad (A16) is perfect if you don’t want to overspend, especially at this lower price
The slate offers good performance and makes a solid all-rounder.
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The best choice for users who want a reliable tablet on a budget. | Image by PhoneArena
Thanks to that lovely discount, you can currently snatch the Wi-Fi model for less than $400, making it a suitable choice for anyone on a budget or looking for a tablet for basic tasks like watching videos and browsing the web. Of course, the A16 is still pretty capable, so you’ll also be able to play games on it, just likely not at their highest graphics settings. My point is, it’s a solid choice for daily life and entertainment on the cheap.
Speaking of entertainment, you get an 11-inch LCD panel with a 2360 × 1640 resolution that offers pleasant visuals on the go. Sure, it lacks the vibrant colors and deep blacks of Apple’s OLED screens, but both the new iPad mini with the A20 Pro silicon and the iPad Pro with the M5 chip will set you back way over $400. So, I’d say the picture quality is great for the price.
That said, the screen is capped at a 60Hz refresh rate and the maximum brightness is only 500 nits. While 60Hz in 2026 is not ideal, it’s something most people can get used to. However, 500 nits of peak brightness means you might have a hard time using the slate in direct sunlight outdoors. You won’t have issues indoors, though, so this won’t be a problem if you plan to use it mostly at home or in the office.
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