The best Black Friday and Cyber Monday iPad deals

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When it comes to tablets there's one brand that so far ahead of the rest of the pack that it's not even funny: the iPad. And with Black Friday 2018 fast approaching – that's 23 November if you need to make a note on your calendar – now's the time to be thinking about finding the best Black Friday iPad deals.

Of course you may be happy with another brand of tablet – if so, check out our guide to finding the best Black Friday tablet deals. Otherwise, read on to be prepared for scoring anything from an iPad Mini up to a hefty iPad Pro without paying the full whack.

The best Black Friday and Cyber Monday iPad deals: what we expect to see

New models could mean big discounts on older stock

Apple isn't exactly renowned for rolling out massive price cuts on its gear, so if you're hoping for some epic Black Friday iPad deals then you'd be wise to temper your expectations a little. That said, at the time of writing Apple is gearing up to announce new models, which could translate into bargains across the iPad range if you're happy to make do with some older tech.

Word is that Apple's going to launch new 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pros with the A12 chipset, razor-thin bezels, Face ID and a USB-C port, so if these are on sale by Black Friday 2018 then it's a fair bet that you'll be able to snag some significant Black Friday iPad Pro deals on older stock.

There's also talk of a long-overdue update to the iPad Mini, with a faster chipset and cheaper display. Again, expect decent iPad Mini 4 Black Friday deals if this comes to pass.

As for the standard 9.7-inch iPad, that received a major update earlier in the year, adding Apple Pencil compatibility among other things. We doubt you'll find much in the way of major discounts on this one, but if using a Pencil isn't high on your list of priorities then you'll be likely to save on a 2017 model if you shop around.

The best US Black Friday and Cyber Monday iPad deals in 2017

What sort of Black Friday Apple iPad deals can you expect this year? Here are some of the best from last year to give you a clue.

The best UK Black Friday and Cyber Monday iPad deals in 2017

Meanwhile, here are some of last year's iPad deals from the other side of the pond. Hopefully there'll be more options this time around!

How to get the best iPad deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Be prepared to shop around to find a good deal

If there's one thing you can be sure of when it comes to Black Friday iPad deals, it's that they're going to be in short supply, and serious discounts are going to be even more rare, so you're going to need to be prepared to leap on a good deal as soon as you spot it. The best offers are likely to appear as lightning deals with limited stock available, so keep checking back here for news on them as soon as they come up.

For the best chance of finding great Black Friday Apple iPad deals, you'll need to keep an eye on as many retailers as possible; Amazon had some good deals last year and you can expect some more this time around, but you're also likely to find savings from eBay as well as major electrical stores. If you're in the USA, watch out for deals from Walmart and Newegg, while in the UK firms such as Currys PC World and John Lewis are likely to come up with the goods.

Decide in advance roughly what model you're after; do you want a standard iPad, a Pro or a Mini? And watch out for retailers shifting older models at knock-down prices; they'll look pretty much the same but you'll have to make do with poorer performance than the latest iPads, especially if you're running iOS 12 on aged stock.

Finally, try to overcome your Black Friday excitement and take the same care you would for any other major purchase. Check for cashback offers, make sure the guarantee's going to cover you if something goes wrong, and make sure you keep your receipt in case you need to return your shiny new purchase.

iPad features/specs that creatives should look out for on Black Friday

If you want to use the Smart Keyboard you'll need an iPad Pro

The beauty of the iPad range is that you don't need to worry too much about specs; the major distinction between models is the amount of storage you get, and whether they're Wi-Fi or cellular, and these options can make a big difference to the price. 

If you're likely to fill up your iPad with photos, videos and music then you should naturally opt for as much storage as you can comfortably afford (up to 512GB on the iPad Pro), but do you really need to pay the extra for a cellular model? The smarter option is to tether a Wi-Fi iPad to your iPhone, and use that for a mobile signal when you're out of range.

None of the iPads currently on sale are particular slouches; however for the best performance look out for the 2018 9.7-inch iPad or the 2017 iPad Pros. These pack the A10 and A10X processors respectively, which clock in around 30 per cent faster than the previous generation A9 processor.

And of course if you want to use your new iPad for drawing then be sure to plump for a model with Apple Pencil support. This used to mean buying an iPad Pro, but as of 2018 the standard 9.7-inch iPad has Pencil support, although whether or not we'll see much in the way of deals for that model is another matter altogether.

3 iPads to look out for on Black Friday and Cyber Monday

If size matters to you then this is your only serious iPad choice. The 12.9-inch iPad pro is the closest you'll get to a 2-in-1 touchscreen MacBook, and it's brilliant for both productivity and entertainment.

Its huge, sharp screen is ideal both for drawing with the Apple Pencil or for showing off images and video to best effect, and if you add a Smart Keyboard to the mix then it becomes just the thing for getting admin work done wherever you may be.

The massive screen could be a drawback if all you really want is a tablet, but if you're after something portable that can adapt to pretty much any scenario then you really can't go wrong with this model, just so long as you can afford the steep price.

This surprise 2018 addition to the iPad range is ostensibly aimed at the student market, but its USP – it's the first non-Pro iPad to support the Apple Pencil, makes the new iPad a must-have for budget-conscious creatives.

Its big downside is that it's not compatible with the Smart Keyboard, making it less of an all-round workhorse than the Pro range, and the maximum storage you can get is 128GB. But if you can cope with these little drawbacks then this is absolutely the best standard iPad available.

The iPad Mini 4 is definitely showing its age; launched in 2015 it's saddled with an A8 processor rather than the the A10-series chipsets in the Pro and iPad 9.7 (2018), but that's just about its only disappointing area (and to be fair, the A8's still pretty powerful).

Small and light with a beautifully bright 7.9-inch screen, it's a lovely little piece of portable kit that can do just about everything its bigger siblings can, and if you're on a limited budget then it's definitely the iPad to opt for; maybe more so if Apple updates the Mini in time for Black Friday, resulting in even bigger discounts on the Mini 4 as retailers clear their old stock.

Today's best pre-Black Friday tablet deals

It's not long now until Black Friday 2018, but if you really can't wait for a deal then don't worry; we've gathered together some of the best iPad deals available now.

Related articles:

• Apple Black Friday 2018: What to expect
• The best cheap iPad deals in 2018
• iPad 9.7 review

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