Hunting for cheaper iPad Mini? You don't have to settle for knock offs or look beyond Apple as the tech giant's online store now sells the hot-selling small tablet for as low as $US299.

Buyers will realise savings of up to $US40 from the latest Apple promo, that is if they do not mind owning pre-owned tablets that the tech giant has reconditioned, repacked and spiced up a with a fresh one-year warranty.

In short, you'll get a device that is good as new, save for minor dents and scratches, plus free Apple technical support that is absent from other online retailers that offer refurbished iPad Minis.

The $US299 price tag is but among the attractive deals found on Apple online store's refurbished section, where recently returned iPad 2, iPad 3 and iPad 4 are also on the menu with savings that can go as high as $US80.

Note that the deals are exclusive for online purchases and as noted by Gotta Be Mobile on its reports, the slates sell like hotcakes so you need to move with haste lest you'll run out of the iPad model you've been wanting to buy, this time coming with major price slash.

Apple sells the second-hand iPads and iPad Minis in black and white and with different storage configurations and connectivity options.

The $US299 price mark, for instance, is for the 16GB Wi-Fi only models. Buyers looking to snap up the variant with twice the memory space will have to pay $US389.

For those searching the iPad Mini models with 3G radio signal, the price ranges from $US429 to $US619, depending on the storage room that buyers will pick. One reminder, the 3G models listed are all on Verizon at the moment.

However, expect the list to bloat significantly in the months ahead as iPad Mini owners rush to upgrade for the iPad Mini 2 or the iPad 5, which analysts said will be uncaged by the second half of 2013.

Buyers will surely flock to the new gadgets - with the iPad Mini 2 likely sporting clearer display screen via the Retina technology and the iPad 5 getting a major design makeover, assuming the profile that made the iPad Mini a global bestseller.

Yet those wanting to capitalise on falling prices of the previous generation iPad can look forward to enjoy higher price cuts, especially in the immediate weeks after the new iPad models would have been released.