We're seeing the biggest shakeup in the world of iPad mini deals following the release of the new iPad mini. The latest version of Apple's smaller tablet has been available to buy for a few months now and it's starting to get considerable discounts. As the last generation model disappears from sale, too, it's really the only model worth buying as it offers such a huge performance upgrade for a similar cost.
The starting price of the iPad mini (2021) is $499/£479 – a considerable jump up from the older version. However, it's already been discounted by $100 at Amazon - and is regularly less than the recommended price by $40 / £20.
The price increase is justified by a larger 8.3-inch screen, 12MP front and back cameras, and the new A15 Bionic chip that gives the tablet a massive 40% CPU and 80% GPU performance upgrade. Effectively, it's more in line with what you would expect from an iPad Air, albeit in a much smaller form factor.
Of course, there are other cheap tablet deals out there on small devices. However, with Apple's excellent OS and Retina display on this tablet, it's certainly in its own class. So, here are all the best iPad Mini prices available right now - but if you are after something a bit bigger, be sure to check out our regular iPad deals page.
The new 2021 iPad mini was the highlight of the recent Apple Showcase. It's been two years since a refresh of this model and it seems like it was well worth the wait.
When looking at pure improvements over the 2019 mini the numbers really speak for themselves. Thanks to the A15 Bionic chip, you'll see a 40% CPU and 80% GPU performance upgrade. The front and rear cameras have been massively improved up to 12MP, while the new tablet will support Touch ID and sport a USB-C port.
Many consider it to be in line with the iPad Air but in a smaller form factor. Of course, all those upgrades come at a price. The 2021 iPad mini is priced at $499/£479, so it's clearly an expensive bit of kit. We've spotted a few pre-order deals that have taken around $40 off the price, but it's likely going to be Black Friday when we see the best iPad deals next.
The 2019 iPad Mini came with a starting price of $399 / £399 / AU$599. Of course, the device itself benefited from upgraded spec and a better screen over the older models, although you'd be forgiven for not seeing much difference in the look of the device.
The updated Retina screen has a 2048 x 1536 resolution, which is seriously intense for a 7.9-inch screen. The battery will keep you going for a superb 10 hours of web surfing and media playback. You're getting the A12 Bionic Chip under the hood, first seen on the iPhone X - so nothing too old to run the latest iPad OS. If the regular iPads are a bit too big for you, but you want something bigger than your phone for long reads, browsing the net or watching video content, the latest iPad Mini is going to take some beating as one of the best devices you can get.
You'll also be able to use the Apple Pencil with the iPad Mini 5, so it might be worth checking out the cheapest Apple Pencil prices and deals available now.
Is the iPad Mini price worth it?
If you're going for performance and display quality, the iPad Mini might not be the tablet for you. At a good deal more than the latest 8th generation iPad, you're going to be picking up older specs for more cash and that's never a good thing. However, if you prefer that smaller form factor over the larger 10.1-inch devices making up the rest of Apple's tablet line up, then the iPad Mini is your only option.
That A12 Bionic chip will still hold its own today, and the entry level 64GB RAM is also double that of the 8th generation iPad which is, in itself, a pretty serious consideration. To get that level of storage on the newer releases you'll be paying just over $400 / £400 for a 128GB device. If you don't quite need that much room, then, the iPad Mini is a worthy investment.
When can you find iPad Mini deals available?
iPad Mini deals are usually an ongoing affair, with a few dollars or pounds shaved off the original MSRP at a range of retailers. However, you'll find more significant discounts during bigger sales periods - in particular during Amazon Prime Day , September's Back To School discounts, and across Black Friday and Cyber Monday in November.
GPU prices are crashing – will the Nvidia RTX 3080 finally be affordable?
Graphics cards from both AMD and Nvidia have been steadily stabilizing over the last few months, with prices plummeting yet again during April – though progress has been notably slower for Nvidia GPUs.
According to German retailer 3D Center , GPU prices have declined by an average of 13%, though if we look at the data provided, Nvidia only manages an improvement of around 6%. Still, prices are consistently falling across the board, with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 series sitting at around 19% over MSRP, while the AMD's Radeon RX 6000 series is now just 12% over MSRP.
Is this still expensive? Well yes, but relative to the massive inflation we were seeing just after both Ampere and RDNA 2 were released to the market back in 2020, this is a significant improvement, and not out of the realms of affordability. According to additional data from 3D Center, AMD and Nvidia GPUs were sitting at 83% and 87% respectively over their official retail prices just a few months ago in December 2021.
3D Center notes in its report that the recently released Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 Ti was purposefully omitted from the data as it was so widely expensive that it was purchasable at its official MSRP from its launch date, and this would unnecessarily falsify the average results.
Snapping up a new GPU from either Team Red or Team Green has been almost impossible for the entire lifespan of each card so far, with a mixture of the chip shortage and competition from cryptominers causing almost the entire market to wildly inflate.
These results certainly feel like the news we've all been waiting to hear, but it does come with some salt being rubbed into our wounds. For one, as these prices are based on the German market, they don't necessarily reflect the worldwide market with the same accuracy, so while prices do appear to be falling in other regions across the rest of Europe and the USA, the percentages we're seeing won't be applicable.
3D Center does note that this works both ways though, as the fluctuations between the US Dollar and Euro have caused the fall of graphics card pricing to slow in Germany. We're also seeing that cards are becoming easier to find on shelves, which should decrease demand and keep the prices falling. Who knows, perhaps by the time the GeForce RTX 40 and RDNA 3 series are released, the current generation of GPUs might finally slip below their launch prices.
Analysis: It's not all good news
It's not all good news, at least if we look at historical graphics card pricing and market fluctuations. Tom's Hardware mentions in its own reporting that GPU prices should be around 10-20% lower than their original list price by now as both Nvidia and AMD prepare to announce the next generation of hardware.
Computex is also just around the corner, starting on May 24, so we're running out of time to see the same market affordability as years gone by, and if we see similar inflation with the release of cards like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 and AMD RX 7900 XT , there's nothing to prevent prices spiking again for the current generation of GPUs.
Truly 'cheap' graphics cards are a long way off, and may even be a thing of the past entirely depending on what you believe to be a budget GPU, but at least the situation is improving. Who knows, maybe you'll soon be able to get your hands on your dream card without having to sell all of your prized possessions to finance it. Intel could also help to stabilize the market with the release of its desktop Arc Alchemist graphics cards. Pricing and a release date have yet to be confirmed, but with early benchmarks showing some promise for gamers targeting high frames at a 1080p resolution, they could help to reduce the cost of GPUs like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 306 0 and AMD Radeon 6600 XT
This could make for a great first GPU, especially if you're planning to run low-demand games and applications, which should take some pressure off the wider market. Only time will tell though, and if the last two years have taught us anything, it's to make the most of a good thing.
There's no way of knowing if prices will skyrocket across the board again in the coming months, but if you've been holding out to buy a new graphics card, now might be your chance to do so at a 'reasonable' price.
How to watch Trigger Point online in the UK and abroad: episode 3
From executive producer Jed Mercurio (Line of Duty) comes this adrenaline-pumping police procedural series. Vicki McClure and Adrian Lester front the six-part drama, which charts the nerve-jangling experience of bomb disposal operatives who defuse a campaign of terror in London over one summer. Nail-biting stuff, we break down how to watch Trigger Point online from anywhere 100% for free below.
Written by Daniel Brierly, Trigger Point explores what it means to anticipate a fiery demise every day while trying to maintain a normal life and relationships. At the centre of the series is Lana Washington (McClure), an ex-military bomb disposal operative with a steady hand but somewhat reckless personality, who works with the Metropolitan Police.
The yin to her yang is colleague Joel Nutkins (Lester). Both understand that “death is always just a heartbeat away” after serving in Afghanistan together, and now they must keep their cool while they disarm a series of powerful explosives that threaten the capital’s citizens. But could the attacks actually be more personal than political?
Below we break down how to watch Trigger Point online now - with a free options available.
How to watch Trigger Point online in the UK for FREE
How to watch Trigger Point from outside your country
While UK viewers can watch heaps of great drama like Trigger Point in the UK, regional restrictions mean that tuning in from anywhere else in the world will be near impossible. That means that anyone from the UK who's currently travelling abroad won’t be able to connect to ITV Hub.
Luckily, downloading a VPN provides a simple solution. This nifty bit of kit changes your IP address, allowing you to connect to your favourite on-demand services and watch all its premium content regardless of where you’re streaming from.
Using a VPN is as easy as one-two-three...
1. Download and install a VPN - as we say, our top choice is ExpressVPN
2. Connect to the appropriate server location - open the VPN app, hit 'choose location' and select the appropriate location (a server in the UK in this case)
3. Go to the broadcaster's stream - head to ITV Hub and start watching Trigger Point as if you were back at home
How to watch Trigger Point online in Australia
Can I watch Trigger Point online in the US?
Trigger Point hasn’t been scheduled for either a linear TV or streaming service release yet in the US, although it could end up on one of the international platform’s that serve premium British TV, such as Britbox or Acorn TV. It might even arrive on US-only platform Hulu, whose streaming library currently hosts seasons 1-5 of Jed Mercurio’s Line of Duty.
As previously mentioned, if you’re away from home and don’t want to miss your favourite shows, it’s easy to download a VPN and connect to all your current VOD subscriptions.
Can I watch Trigger Point online in Canada?
Alas, it doesn’t look hopeful for North America. We can only hope that, as in the US, VOD platforms such as Britbox might snatch up this highly-anticipated, edge-of-your-seat series. And if it does, there’s a 7-day free trial to enjoy, after which a monthly membership costs CAD$8.99 a month.
Vacationing in the Great North but want to watch some great UK drama? Just purchase a VPN like Express VPN and you can watch geo-restricted content no matter where you are.