The holiday shopping season is here — the Black Friday shopping weekend is days away. This means you’ll be able to find big discounts on expensive brands and products, including Apple devices. Apple’s iPad models are some of the best-performing tablets we’ve tested over the years, and during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you’ll be able to find great deals if you’re looking for a new tablet for work or entertainment.
Also: The best Black Friday deals live now
There are Black Friday deals on iPads and iPad accessories live across various retailers this week. We’ve rounded up the best iPad deals we’ve seen so far and will continue to update as we head into the biggest shopping weekend of the year.
Our favorite early Black Friday iPad deals
- Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (7th gen): $1,799 (save $300 at Amazon): Apple’s newest iPad Pro is faster than ever, thanks to the new M4 chip that can handle a diverse range of tasks, making it our top pick for the best large tablet you can buy.
- Apple iPad Mini (7th gen): $459 (save $40 at B&H Photo): Apple’s newest tablet was just released at the end of last month and features an A17 Pro chip for Apple Intelligence compatibility, and it even works with the new Apple Pencil Pro.
- Apple iPad (10th gen): $279 (save $70 at Amazon): Apple’s base-line iPad is a formidable tablet to use for browsing, playing games, streaming shows and movies, note-taking, and more. It’s our pick for the best tablet for most people.
- Apple iPad Air 13-inch (6th gen): $699 (save $100 at Amazon): The newest iPad Air has the M2 chip, which allows for Apple Intelligence capabilities and all-day battery life in a lightweight size.
- Apple iPad (9th gen): $200 (save $130 at Best Buy): Although not the most recent model, this iPad is our top pick for the best cheap tablet, since it has a 10.2-inch Retina display, a powerful A13 Bionic chip, and an Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage.
- Apple iPad Mini (6th gen): $400 (save $100 at Best Buy): The iPad Mini is a powerful tablet packed into a small package (it’s our top pick for the best small tablet), with features like support for the second-gen Apple Pencil and a USB-C port for charging and data transfer.
- Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (7th gen): $1,199 (save $100 at B&H Photo: The 13-inch iPad Pro is also on sale and features the same M4 chip in a slightly bigger package.
- Current price: $1,799
- Original price: $2,099
Even though it was recently released, you can already save on the new iPad Pro with the M4 chip. This chip consists of a new 10-core GPU, next-generation machine learning accelerators to handle a diverse range of tasks, and ProMotion technology, enabling variable screen refresh rates ranging from 10 to 120Hz.
Review: M4 iPad Pro
- Current price: $459
- Original price: $499
Apple’s smallest tablet was just updated to include a new A17 Pro chip which has a 30% boost in CPU performance and a 25% increase in GPU performance compared to the Mini 6.
Also: The iPad Mini 7 is almost perfect – except for one critical missing feature
For students, the iPad Mini 7 offers portability, Apple Pencil Pro support, and all-day battery life, making it an ideal companion for note-taking, content creation, and multitasking on the go.
- Current price: $279
- Original price: $349
When it comes to features, you essentially get the same suite as the more expensive iPad Pro and iPad Air models, but in a lighter form factor and a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina, True Tone display. Additionally, this model breaks out of the iPad’s traditional space gray and silver color palette, adding pink, blue, and yellow in addition to sleek silver.
Review: iPad 2022 (10th Gen)
- Current price: $699
- Original price: $799
The 6th-generation iPad Air keeps the same design we saw Apple bring to the Air in late 2022, but it now boasts an M2 processor, two size choices (11 inches or 13 inches), and compatibility with the Apple Pencil Pro.
Review: Apple iPad Air (6th generation)
Apple says you’ll get up to 50% better performance than in the previous model and much faster graphics performance for gaming or video editing.
Best early Black Friday iPad accessory deals
- Apple Pencil (1st gen): $79 (save $20 at Walmart): The first-generation Apple Pencil is compatible with most models and is great for note-taking, sketching, and more.
- Logitech Crayon: $50 (save $20 at Walmart): The Logitech Crayon works with all iPad models and is powered by Apple Pencil technology, so you’re getting pretty much the same experience for less money.
- Apple Magic Keyboard: $265 (save $84 at Walmart): This detachable keyboard is built for certain iPad Pro and iPad Air models.
- ZUGU Case: $32 (save $18 at Amazon): This case is compatible with certain base-model iPads and comes in various colors and has a five-foot drop protection.
- Logitech Combo Touch for iPad Air: $160 (save $40 at Amazon): If you opt for the new iPad Air with the M2 chip, this keyboard case is compatible and has a large, multi-touch trackpad.
- Apple Pencil Pro: $99 (save $30 at Best Buy): Apple’s newest stylus incorporates advanced features like squeeze, barrel roll, and haptic feedback to make marking up, taking notes, and creating a masterpiece more intuitive and valuable.
Best early Black Friday renewed iPad deals
- Apple iPad (8th gen): $162 (save $145 at Amazon): This refurbished iPad is listed in excellent condition and comes with Wi-Fi 5, the A12 Bionic chip, and support for the Apple Pencil (1st gen).
- Apple iPad Air (5th gen): $380 (save $220 at Best Buy): This Geek Squad-certified iPad has Wi-Fi, 64GB of storage, and comes with the M1 chip.
- Apple iPad (9th gen): $249 (save $200 at Amazon): Snag this renewed base-model iPad that comes with Wi-Fi and cellular, 64GB, and is listed in excellent condition.
- Apple iPad Mini (6th gen): $430 (save $220 at Best Buy): This previous generation of the iPad mini is refurbished by Best Buy’s Geek Squad and has the A15 Bionic chip and 256GB of storage capacity.
FAQs
When is Black Friday?
Black Friday is an annual shopping event that occurs the day after Thanksgiving Day in the US. This year, it falls on Friday, Nov. 29. However, you can expect deals the week leading up to the day, as well as all weekend long.
When is Cyber Monday?
Cyber Monday is the Monday following the Thanksgiving holiday and only applies to online deals. This year, it falls on Monday, Dec. 2.
Are iPad deals really better on Black Friday?
Apple devices go on sale periodically throughout the year, but historically, you’ll see the biggest discounts during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend–especially when it comes to the newer models like the new iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad Mini. We expect to see deals of up to 20% off on iPad models this Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
What’s the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
The main difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday is that historically, Black Friday deals can be found both in-store and online, while Cyber Monday deals are almost exclusively online that Monday. However, both days are now popular for both online and in-store shopping.
How did we choose these Black Friday deals?
ZDNET only writes about deals we want to buy — devices and products we desire, need, or would recommend. Our experts looked for deals that were at least 20% off (or are hardly ever on sale), using established price comparison tools and trackers to determine whether the deal is actually on sale and how frequently it drops.
We also looked over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the deals we’re recommending. Our recommendations may also be based on our own testing — in addition to extensive research and comparison shopping. The goal is to deliver the most accurate advice to help you shop smarter.
Where can you shop the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals?
All major retailers should have sales and discounts leading up to and during Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Expect deals from Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, B&H Photo, and more. If you prefer to shop in person, there will be plenty of in-store deals as well, but we’ve also found that some of the best deals are exclusive to online.
What are the best Black Friday 2024 deals?
ZDNET’s experts have been searching through Black Friday sales live now to find the best discounts by category. These are the best Black Friday deals so far, by category:
Black Friday TV deals
Black Friday phone deals
Black Friday laptop deals
Black Friday gaming deals
Black Friday gaming PC deals
Black Friday tablet deals
Black Friday smartwatch and fitness tracker deals
Black Friday headphone deals
Black Friday monitor deals
Black Friday robot vacuum deals
Black Friday security camera deals
Black Friday storage and SSD deals
Black Friday portable power station deals
Black Friday streaming deals
Black Friday VPN deals
Black Friday iPad deals
Black Friday AirPods deals
Black Friday Apple Watch deals
Black Friday Kindle deals
Black Friday Roku deals
Black Friday Roborock deals
Black Friday HP deals
Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals
Black Friday PlayStation deals
You can also find the best Black Friday deals by price:
Black Friday deals under $25
Black Friday deals under $100
And the best Black Friday deals by retailer:
Black Friday Amazon deals
Black Friday Best Buy deals
Black Friday Walmart deals
Black Friday Apple deals
Black Friday Samsung deals
