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Get the Apple iPad at it’s lowest price ever for back to school
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The Apple iPad is one of CBS Essentials readers’ favorite tablets, and for good reason. With back-to-school shopping on the horizon, there’s no better time to outfit your child (or yourself) with a new tablet to handle all that homework. There’s a heavily discounted iPad on offer right now that you can get for half the price of the next model up, and it’s a powerhouse that you and your family can count on.
Amazon is now selling the 10.2-inch 9th-gen Apple iPad for just $250, its lowest price ever. That’s $79 off its normal list price. This price applies to both the silver and space gray color options in only the 64GB Wi-Fi configuration. You won’t want to miss out on this sale, as this model rarely dips below $270.
Apple iPad 9th Generation (64GB, Wi-Fi only): $249 (save 24%)
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Perfect for younger users or non-tech-savvy people who don’t need advanced features and functions, the iPad 9th Generation is the perfect starter tablet.
This version of the iPad features a 10.2-inch Retina display that offers a 2,160 x 1,620 pixel resolution. It has a built-in fingerprint scanner used to unlock the device and authorize online purchases. The front of the tablet includes a 12MP ultra-wide camera (for video calling), while the 8MP rear camera can capture still photos or videos at up to 1080p resolution.
This is an older version of the iPad (and one of Apple’s least expensive models). Choose between a space gray or silver casing and between 64GB or 256GB of storage. At the time of purchase, you must also choose between a Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi + cellular option. It runs using the older Apple A13 Bionic processor.
For a limited time, the iPad 9th Generation is on sale from Amazon, with a starting price of just $249. That’s 24% off its usual price.
More Apple iPad back-to-school deals
Keep reading for more Apple iPad deals to make this back-to-school season the best yet.
Apple iPad 10th Generation (64GB, Wi-Fi only): $300 (save 14%)
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The iPad 10th Generation is slightly more powerful than the 9th Generation version of Apple’s starter tablet. It’s suitable for younger users, as well as middle- and high-school students, or anyone not looking to spend a fortune on an iPad.
The iPad 10th Generation has a 10-inch Liquid Retina display. Like all iPads, it’s powered using a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 10 hours. This model is available in your choice of four casing colors — silver, blue, pink or yellow. The base model comes with 64GB of storage, but at the time of purchase, you can upgrade this to 256 GB. You can also choose between a Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi + cellular model.
Compared to the iPad 9th Generation, this model is powered using Apple’s slightly faster and more powerful A15 Bionic processor. It also supports Wi-Fi 6 and comes with a 12MP front and rear-facing camera.
This tablet’s price has been reduced by 14%, so you can buy it for a starting price of just $300.
Apple 2024 11″ iPad Air (M2 processor, 128GB, Wi-Fi only): $559 (save 7%)
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Released in May, the new lineup of Apple iPad Air tablets are the thinnest and lightest yet. You can choose between one with an 11-inch Liquid Retina display (offering 2,360 x 1,640 pixel resolution), or a 13-inch Liquid Retina display. The base model comes equipped with 128GB of storage, but at the time of purchase, this can be upgraded to 256GB, 512GB or 1TB.
Both a Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + cellular version of the iPad Air is available. It comes in your choice of a light blue, purple, space gray or starlight casing. The tablet is equipped with a 12MP front- and rear-facing camera. And it supports Wi-Fi 6E for wireless connectivity.
With a starting price of just $559, the 11-inch iPad Air is a robust little powerhouse that runs using Apple’s M2 processor, making it great for back to school. This makes it considerably faster and better performing than the iPad 9th Generation or iPad 10th Generation. It’s a really great option for anyone looking for a powerful and sleek general purpose tablet.
The 11-inch iPad Air measures just 9.74 x 7.02 x 0.24 inches and weighs a mere 1.02 pounds. Battery life is up to 10 hours.
Apple 2024 13″ iPad Air (M2 processor, 128GB, Wi-Fi only): $738 (8% off)
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The 2024 13-inch iPad Air features everything people love about the 11-inch iPad Air, but with a larger Liquid Retina touchscreen display. The larger screen makes it perfect for multitasking. The larger screen is also ideal for streaming TV shows and movies, editing photos or video, or performing tasks that require extra on-screen real estate.
This version of the iPad is powered using Apple’s M2 processor. The base model comes with 128GB of storage, but you can upgrade this to 256GB, 512GB or 1TB at the time of purchase. Choose between a light blue, purple, space gray or starlight casing color and between a Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi + cellular configuration.
The 13-inch iPad Air also comes equipped with a 12MP front- and rear-facing camera and supports Wi-Fi 6E for wireless connectivity. Battery life is up to 10 hours. This larger-sized version of the tablet is still very lightweight and thin. It measures 11.04 x 8.46 x 0.24 inches and weighs just 1.26 pounds.
We recommend the iPad Air to any student who wants a powerful, slim and versatile, general-purpose tablet.
Apple 2024 11″ iPad Pro (M4 processor, 256GB, Wi-Fi only, Standard glass): $919 (8% off)
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At the same time Apple upgraded its lineup of iPad Air tablets, it also gave a major overhaul to the premium iPad Pro models. Both the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro tablets now feature a stunning Ultra Retina XDR display (with a 2,420 x 1,669 pixel resolution). This is the brightest and most detailed display ever offered in an iPad.
The iPad Pro is powered using Apple’s premier M4 processor. The base model comes equipped with 256GB of storage, but you can upgrade this to 512GB, 1TB or 2TB at the time of purchase. You can also choose between a silver or space black casing.
The front and rear of the tablet are equipped with a 12MP camera, but the rear of the device also has an integrated LiDAR scanner (used for augmented reality and certain other specialized applications). The iPad Pro supports Wi-Fi 6E for wireless connectivity and also comes in a Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi + cellular configuration.
This is the tablet you want in your hands when performing higher-end tasks that require extra processing power — like photo or video editing, working with massive spreadsheets, gaming or doing any type of content creation. At the time of purchase, if you upgrade the iPad Pro to a 1TB or 2TB configuration, you’re also given the chance to upgrade the display to utilize Apple’s new nano-texture glass. This increases the vibrancy and detail of what you see on the touchscreen, while reducing glare.
Now that the latest iPad Pro is on sale during Amazon’s after-Prime Day sale, it’s well worth upgrading your tablet to this high-end model. The iPad Pro allows you to experience all of the best functionality and highest level of performance that an iPad has to offer.
Apple 2024 13″ iPad Pro (M4 processor, 256GB, Wi-Fi only, standard glass): $1,198 (8% off)
Amazon
Hands down, the 13-inch version of the 2024 iPad Pro is the most powerful tablet that Apple has ever released. When you use it with the newly redesigned Apple Magic Keyboard (now on sale for $339) and Apple Pencil Pro (now on sale for $119), the tablet rivals what’s possible using an Apple MacBook Pro laptop.
The larger size touchscreen is perfect for multitasking or running apps that require extra screen space. Plus, the performance of this tablet is lightning-fast and extremely efficient, thanks to the new M4 processor.
The iPad Pro is ideal for handling tasks that require lots of computing power, like editing 4K (or even 8K) video, editing high-resolution photos, doing any sort of graphic arts or computer aided design (CAD) work, managing advanced spreadsheets, experiencing high-end games and so much more. Plus, the display makes TV shows and movies look absolutely amazing, especially when you upgrade to Apple’s nano-texture glass for the display.
The iPad Pro offers all-day battery life (up to 10 hours) and supports Wi-Fi 6E for wireless connectivity. It also comes in your choice of a space black or silver casing. Now is the ideal time up purchase this high-end tablet, since you’ll save some serious cash.
Be sure to check out our hands-on iPad Pro review to discover everything our in-house tech experts love about this latest tablet. And if you’re wondering how the Apple 2024 13-inch iPad Pro stacks up against the top-of-the-line Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra tablet, we’ve done an in-depth comparison between these two devices.
Apple iPad Mini 6th Generation (A15 Bionic processor, 64GB, Wi-Fi only): $469 (save 6%)
Amazon
Powered by the older Apple A15 Bionic processor, the iPad Mini tablet hasn’t been updated since 2021. However, people still love this model because of its compact size. You get all of the features and functionality of an iPad, but it comes with a smaller 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display that features 2,266 by 1,488 pixel resolution.
The iPad Mini also includes a 12MP front- and rear-facing camera and has a built-in fingerprint (TouchID) scanner that’s used to unlock the device or authorize an online purchase.
The most appealing thing about the iPad Mini is that it measures just 7.69 x 5.3 x 0.25 inches and weighs 0.65 pounds. This makes in comfortable to hold in your hands for extended periods.
People who enjoy reading e-books love the iPad Mini since it’s able to display the content of a book (or graphic novel) in full color and the tablet is light enough to hold in one hand while reading. Thanks to its smaller size, the iPad Mini is also more convenient to carry around. And you still get up to a 10-hour battery life per charge.
For a limited time, Amazon has slashed the price of the iPad Mini by 6%, which brings its starting price down to an affordable $469.
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Washington — Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned Friday that his agency could suffer “serious” consequences if Congress fails to pass legislation funding federal agencies and averting a government shutdown in the next few hours.
In an interview with “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Mayorkas said many components of the Department of Homeland Security would be affected by a lapse in funding, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), FEMA and Border Patrol.
The homeland security chief added that a failure by lawmakers to pass a stopgap spending bill before Saturday would also mean staff at the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office would be redirected to other parts of his department.
“The implications and the consequences are serious, especially when it comes to Homeland Security,” Mayorkas said.
He urged Congress to approve legislation that would keep government agencies operating before midnight, when a short-term extension enacted in September will expire.
House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled earlier this week a legislative package negotiated with Democrats that would have extended government funding through March 14, provided more than $100 billion in disaster aid for states impacted by extreme weather events, and given members of Congress a pay raise, among other provisions.
But the proposal was swiftly met with pushback from some conservative Republicans, who balked at the size and scope of the 1,550 page deal. Crucially, it was also criticized by billionaire Elon Musk, an ally of President-elect Donald Trump, and then by the incoming president himself.
Trump and Musk torpedoed the package, with Musk taking to X, the social media platform he owns, to lambaste provisions of it. The president-elect further upended negotiations over a funding deal when he called on Republicans to address the debt limit — which is set to be reinstated Jan. 1 — in their plan.
Johnson unveiled a second measure Thursday, which would have funded the government for three months, suspended the nation’s borrowing limit until January 2027 and provided $110 billion in disaster relief. The more tailored legislation, which Trump backed, also included health care provisions, a one-year renewal of the farm bill and funding for rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which collapsed in March.
But that package failed to pass the House with the necessary support after it was opposed by most Democrats and more than three dozen Republicans.
That defeat sent Johnson and GOP leaders back to the drawing board, with the prospect of a shutdown rising with each passing hour. Republicans are now discussing voting on three provisions of the package individually, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News: a clean extension of government funding; billions of dollars in disaster aid; and assistance to farmers.
Mayorkas told “Face the Nation” that a shutdown just before the holidays — when tens of millions of Americans are traveling — would mean TSA employees at airports throughout the country would be forced to work without pay. However, they would likely receive backpay after a shutdown ends, as has happened before after previous funding lapses.
“We’re going to have tens of thousands of TSA employees working an incredibly high volume of passenger traffic throughout our airports across the country, and they will be doing so keeping the American public safe without pay,” he said.
The Homeland Security secretary also said those impacted would include U.S. Border Patrol agents stationed along the U.S.-Mexico border.
“There are people in government service who are dedicating their talent and their energy to the well-being of the American people, who rely on their paychecks to make ends meet, and it is the holiday season, after all, but our men and women on the border will be guarding the border of the United States at no pay if funding doesn’t come through,” Mayorkas said.
The $110 billion in disaster assistance that will likely be included in a spending deal includes money for FEMA, which has been responding to the hurricanes that devastated the southeast this fall.
Mayorkas said that inaction by Congress would impact those states hit by the storms, including North Carolina and Florida.
“What FEMA will need to do, another significant impact of the failure to fund the federal government, is they will now need to delay — they’ll put on pause certain contracts, certain projects that are actually repairing communities devastated by extreme weather events, by tornados, by hurricanes, by fires, and that will delay the rebuilding of communities and really delay the ability to deliver for people who have suffered so much,” he said.
Mayorkas said a shutdown occurring over the holidays would force the Department of Homeland Security to “make difficult decisions now to delay projects.”
Lawmakers representing those storm-ravaged states have pushed for disaster relief to be included in any legislative package funding the government.
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