Apple's fantastic iPad mini from 2021 has returned to its all-time low price

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TL;DR: Both storage configurations of the current Apple iPad mini are sitting at record-low prices as of June 14.

2021 Apple iPad Mini (WiFi, 64GB) — $399.99 ~~$499~~ (save $99.01) at Best Buy
2021 Apple iPad Mini (WiFi, 256GB) — $539.99 ~~$649~~ (save $109.01) at Amazon

Two retailers are gearing up for next month’s release of iPadOS 16 by reviving some all-time low pricing on the latest Apple iPad mini.

As of June 15, you can grab the 64GB base model at Best Buy for $399.99 (normally $499) or upgrade to the 256GB version via Amazon for $539.99 (usually $649) — a savings of $99 and $109, respectively. Neither tablet has been this cheap since early May and probably, maybe won’t dip any lower come Prime Day, so scooping one up is a smart move. (Also, some colors will arrive within a day or two if you need an impressive last-minute Father’s Day gift for a tech-savvy dad.)

Promising up to 80 percent faster performance than the previous generation (from 2019), this iPad mini features a zippy A15 Bionic chip, an all-screen design with bright 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, a versatile USB-C port, an upgraded selfie camera with Center Stage, Apple Pencil support, and a battery life of up to 10 hours per charge. The only thing it’s really missing is a 3.5mm headphone jack (RIP), but the overall package was enough to earn it one of our coveted Mashable’s Choice Awards and the following review from senior editor Stan Schroeder:

The iPad mini is as close to perfection as an iPad can get. It’s a smaller iPad Air that does nearly everything better. It’s missing some Pro features, but few that I would pay extra for. It’s practical, pretty, and portable.

iPad OS 16 is set to arrive sometime in July, FWIW, bringing with it “an entirely new multitasking experience” and “desktop-class apps.” Culture reporter Elizabeth de Luna has the deets.