The best part of Apple’s keynote yesterday, for me, was the introduction of iPadOS 26. Apple finally opened up the floodgates and gave iPad people everything they wanted. We have an actual multitasking window manager, new menu toolbars, better background tasks, and a revamped files app. All this has transformed how people will view iPads moving forward. But the fantastic thing is that this is not just reserved for the $1300+ iPad Pro; this now works on the $299 entry-level iPad. Apple just made the entry-level iPad the best value in computers. Let me explain.
The entry-level iPad has always been a solid pick for students, casuals, families, kids, and people who just want a working content consumption machine. It was updated in 2024 with some new internal specs to bring it up to modern standards. Below are some of the core specs you should be aware of:
So it has a decent spec list that would handle things like the new iPadOS 26 upgrade! Regarding previous updates, the entry-level iPad did not get some of the pro-level features like Stage Manager and extended monitor support, but the new iPadOS 26 upgrade will bring the windowing management system, effectively turning this into a MacOS lite iPad!
The biggest surprise of WWDC this year was all the new Mac-like features and updates that iPadOS got, and an even bigger surprise is that the iPad (A16) is also getting all of these multitasking features!
For the first time, this iPad supports:
All the stage manager and multitasking features were reserved for Pro-level iPads or M-Powered iPads. But this new upgrade has completely changed this for the better and allows better accessibility for iPad people to get this experience without spending $1500+.
Be sure to check out our hands-on video with iPadOS 26 below:
So now, if you go all out on the entry-level iPad and purchase everything from Apple, it would be $350 for the iPad, $250 for the keyboard, and $80 for the USB-C Apple pencil, making it almost $700 for an entry-level iPad. That seems a bit steep. But now, if you go through amazon and get some 3rd party accessories then you can go far cheaper.
So, all in, you are spending $434 (before tax) for the most versatile computer on the market. It can be a tablet, a consumption machine, an e-book, a note-taking device, and now even a full-fledged computer replacement. This is the most impressive thing that the new iPadOS 26 upgrade has done, making this experience much more financially accessible.
If you are like me, you might have dismissed the entry-level iPad as a “just for kids” type of product, but it’s time to re-evaluate where this iPad stands. With iPadOS 26, Apple gave it real functionality, and it instantly became the best bang-for-your-buck device in the iPad lineup. One final thing to note is that it is still lacking Apple intelligence features, but (for now), you won’t be missing much, and that should not sway you.
Let me know what you think. Has iPadOS 26 made you reconsider the entry-level iPad? Do you own one and are excited to upgrade? Have you installed the betas? Let’s discuss!
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Fernando Silva started off his professional career in the enterprise Tech space with his primary focus being moving large organizations from onsite legacy technologies to a more modern cloud infrastructure. All the technologies he dealt with were mostly in the Microsoft arena but he was always a lover of Apple at heart.