I never travel without my iPad mini, and it's $100 off at Amazon right now in selected colors

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple just refreshed the iPad Air and entry-level iPad, and while both are discounted as part of Amazon's Big Spring Sale, the standout deal for me is on my all-time favorite iPad, and the most compact one – the iPad mini, which is an excellent $100 off right now.

• Shop Amazon's full Spring Sale

It's now in its seventh generation and is powered by the A17 Pro chip, which ensures excellent performance for really any task, supports the Apple Pencil Pro, and even offers Apple Intelligence. None of that makes it my favorite, though.

The clincher for me is its ultra-portable size and the excellent, vibrant 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display. What makes the iPad mini even more appealing right now – beyond its 4.5 out of 5 star rating in our iPad mini (2024) review – is that it's back down to the lowest price ever on Amazon.

Today's best iPad mini deal

Given the 8.3-inch screen size, the iPad mini is basically the size of a classic Moleskin notebook. This makes it excellent for travel, with a big-enough screen to split it between two apps: watching a movie, taking a FaceTime call, browsing the web, or even getting some work done.

Considering it weighs under a pound, you can easily bring the iPad mini with you, and it's wrapped in a sleek aluminum build. And whenever I'm headed out on a trip, the iPad mini is my tablet of choice thanks to its size, which still feels expansive, and strong battery life.

The best part, though, are the colors the iPad mini comes in: Starlight, Space Gray, Blue, or Purple.

While they all look great, the Purple mini does it for me – it's a gorgeous light lavender, and thanks to the matte finish the hue will change depending on how the light hits it.

The iPad mini is also up to the challenge for pretty much anything you would want to accomplish within iPadOS, thanks to the A17 Pro chip inside. You can even draw or take notes on it with the more advanced Apple Pencil Pro.

Whether you have an aging iPad at home and have been waiting to make the upgrade, or you've been contemplating which model to get, the latest iPad mini should be at the top of your list for its sheer specs, and doubly so thanks to this excellent discount. It's a return to the lowest price we've ever tracked: just $399 (or $399.99 if you're picky about your colors) and you get a sizeable 128GB of storage with the entry-level model.

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Jacob Krol is the US Managing Editor, News for TechRadar. He’s been writing about technology since he was 14 when he started his own tech blog. Since then Jacob has worked for a plethora of publications including CNN Underscored, TheStreet, Parade, Men’s Journal, Mashable, CNET, and CNBC among others.

He specializes in covering companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google and going hands-on with mobile devices, smart home gadgets, TVs, and wearables. In his spare time, you can find Jacob listening to Bruce Springsteen, building a Lego set, or binge-watching the latest from Disney, Marvel, or Star Wars.