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Best Buy has slashed pricing on third-generation iPad models by thirty percent, bringing the price down to $315 for the 16GB Wi-Fi models. Comparable refurbished units are available for $379 directly from Apple.
However, the iPads are only available via in-store pickup and it appears that selection varies widely between stores.
Potential purchasers can check availability for individual models at their local Best Buy locations and reserve them for in-store pickup on the website.
The current fourth-generation iPad was a modest upgrade from the third-generation that Best Buy has discounted. The older model has a slower A5X processor, uses the 30-pin connector rather than Lightning, and has slower Wi-Fi capabilities.
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(View all)Not true. I put in every model (16/32/64) in black and white, and found a few at various stores within 50 miles from my home.
There aren't many available - but there are some.
My zip code is 14219. For example, there are 2 stores with White 64gb AT&T models available at 9:00am EST on April 5. (You get another $100 off that by signing up with AT&T). I'm sure there are other models in other zip codes.
It's just Best Buy's way of getting rid of the last few they have. There were a lot more different models available yesterday in my area. They're going quick.
This. It's funny how quick people are to call bait and switch. There are 18 different models (2 carriers plus wifi, 3 sizes, 2 colors) out there and 1000+ stores. Probably more than a million dollars of dead stock inventory sitting in stores throughout the country, seems like a justifiable reason to put them on the website to me. Doesn't mean they were trying to be shady, it just means that there are iPad 3's in stock at a Best Buy somewhere when it went up. I know exactly why they didn't offer them for purchase online, when everyone tries to buy the 2 they have in stock they have no way to limit it at exactly 2 as the orders come in. So they take them off the web. Same thing happened back when the Wii's were selling like hotcakes during the holidays 3 years ago and made people go into the store.
However, I did find a very small selection of 3rd gens with limited availability at some Target stores, including the one closest to my house. I was able to get the 32GB wi-fi only in white (they had a couple left in black as well), price matched with the Best Buy print-out from the web site down to $384.99 (Target had it listed at $449.99), plus 5% off for using a Target RedCard. I think that's even a little better deal than Target was offering back in early Feb (although they marked their 16GB models down to $299 then, but, again, it was impossible to find one in stock, and it had to be picked up in-store/no online orders as well).
Thanks to this tip I just got home from Target after a successful price match on a 32gb white wifi only* for the wife. I thought it would be tough, but it was one of the easiest things I've done. FYI - They had to look in the back as none of these are on display.
*I don't know if they just goofed, but when my wife opened it at home we discovered that they gave us an AT&T cellular model. We're a Sprint family (unfortunately) but I guess it doesn't hurt to have...
The upgrade from the iPad 3 to 4 isn't modest at all. The looks are the same, but the speed is more than twice as fast. That means the iPad 4 is going to have a lot longer useful life than an iPad 3 will.
But you have to admit the 3 is still more than sufficient (at least for now).
Sounds pretty tempting... I have to remind myself that I have no use for one given I already have an MBA and an iPhone; I'd get limited new value out of one...
At this price, you should definitely consider it. iPads are much better at doing most stuff than iPhone, and there are things that you just can't get out of a MBA(gaming, ebooks, movies...). I have both the MBA and iPad and both are used frequently.:D
The discounted prices are no longer advertised at Best Buy (as of Sunday, 7 Apr 2013) - 32gb wi-fi back up to $549.99.
So the best deal now is at Target - $449.95 (same price as the 16gb model at Best Buy), plus a $30 gift card (and an extra 5% off if you use a RedCard). Not great, but definitely not bad.
This probably means Apple is trying to clear out stock for the new models.
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2259336/ipad-price-cuts-hint-at-imminent-ipad-launch
Nope. It means what it means. That Best Buy had a bunch of previous generation iPads they couldn't get rid of and marked them down to dump them
If this had been the iPad 4 it might mean something