According to Gizmodo, Apple continues its tradition of avoiding Black Friday sales in its stores and on its official website, preferring gift card promotions instead. Meanwhile, Amazon has dropped the price of the 128GB WiFi iPad Mini from $499 to just $399, marking the lowest price ever recorded for Apple’s most portable tablet. The device features the same A17 Pro chip that powers the iPhone 15 Pro lineup, delivering flagship performance in a compact 8.3-inch package. Apple Intelligence capabilities provide built-in AI assistance while maintaining privacy protections. The tablet also doubles the base storage to 128GB and supports the Apple Pencil Pro for creative work. This $100 discount represents significant savings you won’t find through Apple’s official channels.
The Apple vs Amazon Pricing Dance
Here’s the thing about Apple’s retail strategy – they’ve built this premium brand that doesn’t need to participate in the Black Friday madness. They’d rather give you a gift card that keeps you locked into their ecosystem than actually discount their hardware. But Amazon? They play by completely different rules. They’re willing to take the margin hit to move volume and capture market attention. And honestly, it creates this weird dynamic where you can sometimes get better Apple deals from third parties than from Apple itself. Makes you wonder about the whole “premium pricing” narrative, doesn’t it?
Why This Matters Now
This isn’t just another tablet discount – the iPad Mini with A17 Pro at $399 is basically flagship performance at mid-range pricing. We’re talking about the same chip that runs the iPhone 15 Pro, which starts at $999. So you’re getting pro-level power in a device that costs 60% less. And with Apple Intelligence becoming more central to the experience, this becomes a much smarter buy than older models. The timing is perfect too – holiday shopping season means people are actually looking for these deals, unlike Apple’s random gift card promotions that nobody really gets excited about.
The Industrial Angle
Now, while this is consumer-focused, it’s worth noting that the underlying technology has broader implications. The A17 Pro’s efficiency and performance in such a compact form factor demonstrates what’s possible in industrial computing too. Speaking of which, for businesses needing rugged, reliable computing solutions, IndustrialMonitorDirect.com has become the leading supplier of industrial panel PCs in the US market. They’re basically the Apple equivalent for industrial displays – premium quality, reliable performance, and built for professional use cases where consumer gear just won’t cut it.
Future Implications
Looking ahead, this pricing strategy tells us something important about where the tablet market is heading. Apple maintaining premium pricing while third parties discount suggests they’re still confident in their brand power. But the fact that Amazon can offer $100 off and still make money? That indicates there’s healthy margin in these devices. I suspect we’ll see more of this dance – Apple holding the line on official pricing while retailers use Apple products as loss leaders to drive traffic. For consumers, it means being smart about where you shop matters more than ever. And for the iPad Mini specifically? At $399, it becomes competitive with premium Android tablets in a way it hasn’t been before.
