Black Friday is officially here, and retailers are cutting prices on Apple's top tablets like never before. For those wanting to upgrade their iPad, this may be the perfect opportunity to grab a bargain.
My favorite deal of the bunch is definitely the 10.9-inch iPad Air (WiFi/64GB) for $499 at Amazon. We rank this model as the best tablet on the market and it's now at its lowest price ever. This incredible slate offers some of the fastest performance you'll find in a tablet (other than the more expensive iPad Pro, of course.) It has long battery life and a great display, too.
We're dealing solely with iPads here, but stay tuned to our general Black Friday deals page for sales across all categories. If you want more from Cupertino, then check out our best Apple Black Friday deals for discounts on everything from AirPods and Apple Watches to the latest MacBooks.
Black Friday iPad deals: Quick links
- 10.2" iPad (256GB/2021): was $329 now $379 @ Amazon
- 8.3" iPad mini (64GB/2021): was $499 now $399 @ Amazon
- 10.9" iPad Air (64GB/2022): was $599 now $559 @ Amazon
- 10.9" iPad (64GB/2022): was $449 now $349 @ Amazon
- 11" iPad Pro 2022 (WiFi/128GB): was $799 now $749 @ Best Buy
Black Friday iPad deals
iPad accessories deals
Black Friday iPad deals — shopping tips
iPad 2022: The iPad 2022 sports a new A14 Bionic CPU, 10.9-inch (2360 x 1640) Liquid Retina display, 12MP rear camera, and 12MP front camera. The new iPad also comes with a hefty $449 price tag, which is $120 higher than that of its predecessor. Black Friday sales could see this iPad drop to $399 or less.
iPad mini 2021: Although Apple increased the price of the iPad mini by $100 for this generation, the iPad mini 6 received a multitude of upgrades starting with a redesign that includes an edge-to-edge screen. It also sports a larger 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display with 2266 x 1488 resolution. (The older iPad mini has a 7.9-inch 2048 x 1536 display). The new tablet also gets a current-gen A15 Bionic CPU, which is the same processor powering the iPhone 13. According to Apple, the new CPU should provide a 40% jump in performance when compared to the previous iPad mini. Price-wise, the biggest discount we've seen for the iPad mini 6 is $100, bringing it to a neat $399.
iPad Air 2022: The iPad Air 2022 is our choice for the best tablet on the market, making it a great choice of tablet for a wide range of users. It's powered by Apple's M1 processor, which features an 8-core CPU. Its 12MP ultra wide front camera supports Center Stage. The tablet also features a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display (2360 x 1640), USB-C charging, and Magic Keyboard support. The lowest price we've seen for this model is $499.
iPad Pro: Apple's professional tablets will see massive price cuts this holiday season. The base 11-inch iPad Pro is regularly $50 off, whereas the base 12.9-inch iPad Pro can usually be found for $999 ($100 off). Expect Black Friday iPad deals to take from $100 to $350 off various configurations of these tablets. The base models should see at least $100 off, whereas the higher $350 discounts will go toward the higher capacity models.
What retailers offer the best Black Friday iPad deals?
History has shown that Amazon offers the best Black Friday iPad deals every year. Naturally, competitors like Best Buy and Walmart could price match Amazon's deals, which tend to sell out fast.
Amazon: from $30 to $100 off select iPads
Best Buy: up to $329 off any iPad with trade-in
Target: shop all iPads and accessories from $121
Walmart: previous-gen iPads from $79
Which iPad is right for me?
The 10.2-inch iPad is the most popular iPad for a reason. It's Apple's mainstream model that's both affordable and offers good bang for your buck. The tablet uses Apple's A13 Bionic processor, giving faster performance that makes the tablet more capable for iPadOS' multitasking tricks. It will also make your next round in Apple Arcade a bit smoother. Sure, it's been replaced by Apple's 2022 model, but it still remains a solid value.
The iPad Air (2022) is a solid pick if you want more power. Our iPad Air (2022) review explains why that tablet is the best iPad for most people. It's a lot like the iPad Pro, but its starting price is $200 less. The iPad Air has thin bezels and a flat-edge design, and it's also got support for the top Apple accessories — the 2nd Gen Apple Pencil that's much easier to charge and the Magic Keyboard which is a delight to use.
Apple's iPad mini is the smallest tablet in Apple's lineup (as its name implies). It's not light on power though, as the new 2021 model sports an A15 Bionic chip, which on paper makes it as fast as the iPhone 13. Beloved by many, its portable size makes it ideal for reading, writing emails and browsing social media. And don't worry, its screen is still great enough to watch some of the best Netflix shows.
Power users, though, will want the iPad Pro. It's available in both 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes. The new tablets are powered by Apple's M2 CPU, which means you'll get record-breaking speeds out of them.
