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Amazon flips the bird to Apple — drops iPad (A16) price back down to pre-hike level
It was the news none of us wanted to hear, but at the turn of the new financial year in Australia, Apple made the move to raise Australian prices across its entire product lineup. The tech giant has often been better than other tech companies at absorbing increased supply-chain costs, but the current RAM and component crisis meant it could no longer hold out.
Perhaps the biggest and most upsetting increase affected the delightfully affordable MacBook Neo, but even the iPad wasn’t immune, with the company’s entry-level iPad (A16) seeing its price surge to AU$749, an increase of AU$150.
If you were hoping to grab one for yourself, but were put off by the increase (we wouldn’t blame you), then Amazon could have just answered your prayers, as it has knocked it back down to its pre-increase price of AU$599.
Beating its Prime Day price by a cool AU$70, now is prime time (pardon the pun) to scoop up Apple’s most affordable iPad at a price that’s slightly easier to stomach. The A16 chip is a good fit for streaming, browsing, note-taking, video calls and light productivity, while our iPad 11-inch (2025) review found it zippy for everyday apps. It doesn’t support Apple Intelligence, but that’s unlikely to bother most casual tablet buyers.View Deal
OK, so this might not be the absolute best iPad discount ever — it dropped to AU$499 during the recent EOFY sales — but for Amazon to bring the asking price back down to its longtime RRP is worth shouting about.
At its previous full price of AU$599, we could confidently say that the iPad 11-inch (2025) ranks as the best iPad for most people and the best cheap tablet overall.
Not only does the aforementioned A16 chip mean it’s quick in use, but a 10-hour battery life and crisp 10.9-inch screen make it a stellar choice for scrolling, streaming, video calling and light gaming.
Amazon has only discounted the 128GB variant, and while the Cellular model also gets a discount, it’s nowhere near as impressive as the Wi-Fi-only alternative. Do note, however, that the AU$150 saving only applies to the silver and pink models. The blue colourway is down to AU$699, while yellow has been left untouched.
I don’t expect this discount to last forever, and it’s anyone's guess if and when it’ll receive a similar saving in the future. If you missed out during EOFY and weren’t taken by the Prime Day price, this is an opportune time to pounce.
