Why you'll love it: The 2018 9.7-inch iPad is an absolute steal at $330 with a gorgeous sharp screen, high-end metal design, and support for the Apple Pencil.
Apple's iPads have always been the best tablets you can buy, but the high price tags made it tough to find an iPad on a budget. All that has changed with the 2018 9.7-inch iPad. It costs a mere $330, and it offers nearly all of the same high-end specs and features as the top-of-the-line iPad Pros.
If you own an aging iPad or iPad Mini, the new 9.7-inch iPad is an excellent upgrade. Obviously, if you have an iPad Air 2 or an iPad Pro, you don't need to get the new one. The 2018 iPad is for anyone who has always wanted an iPad, but couldn't afford the $500+ price tag. It's an absolute steal at $329.99.
The 9.7-inch screen is sharp and clear with its 2,048 x 1,536-pixel resolution, the A10 processor is very capable (even though it's not the iPhone X's A11 chip), the battery life should be great, and you can even buy things on it with Apple Pay, thanks to the Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
Best of all, it supports the Apple Pencil, an incredible stylus with virtually no lag. You will have to pay $100 extra for the Pencil, but if you like to take notes or draw on your iPad, it is well worth it. Naturally, any Bluetooth keyboard also works with the iPad, so if you want to use it as a quasi-laptop, you can pick up a great keyboard.
You simply can't beat those specs at that price point. Comparable Android tablets cost hundreds of dollars more, and the iPad still has a better app library and accessory support.
The aluminum build looks and feels premium, and the 9.7-inch screen size makes it a very portable device that's easy to stow away in your bag. It's quite light, too, so you can happily binge-watch Netflix in bed on your new iPad. Tech nerds will say it's a boring old design, but it's tried and true. Plus, the aluminum build is durable.
Pros: Incredible price for an iPad, powerful A10 processor, slick aluminum design, Touch ID for security and Apple Pay, gorgeous screen, supports the Apple Pencil, iOS 11
Cons: Not the latest A11 processor found on the iPhone X
Buy the 9.7-inch Apple iPad from Best Buy for $329.99+ (price varies by storage and connectivity)
Buy the Apple Pencil from Best Buy for $93.99 (originally $99.99)
Buy the 9.7-inch Apple iPad from Apple for $329+ (price varies by storage and connectivity)