This $120 Prime Day iPad mini discount has me feeling tempted

I can certainly spot a great phone or tablet deal when I see one, but it’s rare that I feel personally tempted by a tech discount. Right now, though, I’m feeling annoyed that I don’t live in the US, because you can get the iPad mini with the A17 Pro chipset for $379 (was $499) at Amazon.

• See all of today’s best Amazon Prime Day deals

This Amazon Prime Day deal knocks $120 off Apple’s small-form-factor tablet. The iPad mini sports an 8.3-inch screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio, and has remained a fan favorite thanks to its portability and potential for one-handed use, and its full support for the Apple Pencil and Apple Intelligence.

I’ve always found the iPad mini charming, but a touch too expensive to pick up considering I’ve already got a larger iPad Pro. At $379, though, I’d be tempted nab one as a secondary tablet to use as a travel companion, e-reader, and notepad – alas, in the UK the iPad mini is only £20 off at £479 (was £499) at Amazon.

Amazon Prime Day deal: iPad mini

Being a somewhat niche product with a number of dedicated fanbases (it’s a noted favorite of recreational pilots), the iPad mini is normally priced at a fairly steep $499 for the model with 128GB of storage, to this Prime Day deal is a genuinely good one.

For such a compact slate, the iPad mini has plenty going on under the hood. It’s got the A17 Pro chipset lifted from the iPhone 15 Pro, and 8GB of RAM, which enables Apple Intelligence and smooth multitasking. That’s a lot of power for such a portable device.

Like most iPad models, the iPad mini managed battery life of around 10 hours in testing for our iPad mini (2024) review, which is impressive considering it has a moderately-sized 5078mAh cell.

And I can’t believe I’ve made it this far without mentioning the design – thanks to that taller aspect ratio, the iPad mini might be my favorite-looking iPad in Apple’s lineup. The rounded corners, flat edges, and single camera come together to offer something elegant, minimal, but still fun thanks to an array of color options.

So, if you’re after a powerful personal tablet, secondary iPad, or a cheap gateway to Apple Intelligence, the iPad mini could be the one for you – I know it would be for me at a price this great, if only I lived in the States.