We’re in the thick of Black Friday season, and this year, the best Black Friday deals include record prices on Apple Watches, Samsung QLED TVs, Kindle e-readers, and PlayStation video games. Unfortunately, we haven’t been particularly impressed with this year’s crop of iPad deals, which are usually a mainstay of big sales events. Having tested the iPad Air and the new M5 iPad Pro for Mashable, I’ve been watching and waiting for price drops that just haven’t come.
So, what gives?
Apple itself doesn’t really do sales, but the big box retailers and Amazon always compete to offer the lowest possible prices on Apple products during events like Prime Day and Black Friday. Overall, there are some great deals on Apple products this year. All the new Apple Watches are on sale. AirPods now start at $69, which feels like someone made a mistake. And even the new M5 MacBook Pro is at a record price.
We were hoping to see one of Apple’s older iPads go on sale for $250 for Black Friday, but so far we’ve been disappointed, and we don’t expect any further price drops at this point. Check out our full guide to Black Friday iPad deals to get the download on the lowest price on every model. Or, keep reading to see the few iPad deals I do recommend shopping this year.
If you want the best possible price: 11-inch iPad (A16) for $274
This isn’t a bad price for an iPad by any means, but in years past, the older, base iPads would go on sale for $250 during Black Friday, and we were hoping to see that again in 2025. However, $274 is still a fine price for an iPad. The base iPad has a large 11-inch display and comes in a few fun color options. We’ve had good experiences with this Apple tablet, and it’s the right choice for budget shoppers this year. This is actually a record-low price for this iPad, but considering its age, we were hoping for a slightly bigger discount.
If you’re buying a gift (for yourself or a loved one): 11-inch iPad Air (M3)
The iPad Air is the tablet I recommend for most people. It’s thin but powerful, with a zippy M3 chip and 12MP front and rear cameras. It also has TouchID for secure logins. This is a fantastic everyday tablet, but you can do more serious work on it if you like. (Personally, I prefer using tablets for gaming and streaming.) Upgrade to iPadOS 26, and you can enjoy the new Liquid Glass design, improved multitasking, and the ability to move windows around on the display.
The 11-inch version of this tablet is on sale at Amazon for $449, which is also a record price — just not a new record price. If you’re buying an iPad as a tech gift (they make great Christmas gifts for moms, just saying), this is the model you should choose.
Read our guide to the best iPad tablets.
If you’re a professional: Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M5)
The newest iPad Pro is the second-coolest product I tested all year, second only to the new M5-equipped Apple Vision Pro. It’s remarkably thin and light. It’s even thinner than the iPad Air and iPhone Air. It also features a true HDR-capable OLED display that’s truly stunning. Even in direct sunlight, the display is crisp and bright. In fact, this display is so advanced that professional film editors can use it to watch final cuts of their footage.
Of course, the key phrase in the name iPad Pro is “Pro.” Its M5 chip will be wasted on the average user. For professional artists, developers, AI professionals, and photo and video editors, it’s a dream device.
For Black Friday, you can save $100 on the full retail price, paying just $899. That’s actually a decent discount on a product that was just released a couple months ago.
Read my full review of the M5 iPad Pro.
