Black Friday iPad deals: What to expect in 2020

[Rss Bot 1]

The Black Friday and Cyber Monday iPad deals were extremely popular. They were a lot better than anyone expected, in fact, with even some of the shiniest new models – such as iPad 10.2-inch – being knocked down in price. The Black Friday period is probably the best time of the year to make savings on iPads, and in this post, we'll be telling you everything you need to know about what to expect for Black Friday 2020 in terms of iPad deals.

Whether you’re looking for a cheap iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air or iPad mini, you’ll find all you need to know here, as we analyse the biggest savings in 2019 and make some early predictions for next year.

This year, the biggest price drops we saw were on the powerful iPad Pro, but there were also some really solid deals on the brand new iPad 2019. We've seen some decent discounts on the older iPad (from 2018 and 2017), iPad Air and iPad mini too, and some of these deals are still live right now. Scroll down to see the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday iPad deals.

Browse all the Black Friday iPad deals

Below are all the main retailers who offered the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday iPad deals in 2019. Click the links to browse their sites yourself and see our summary of the iPad deals they offered over Black Friday 2019, or scroll down for our curated list of the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday iPad deals from 2019. These will help you know what to expect from Black Friday 2020.

• Amazon: One of the best places to find big iPad discounts on products
• Best Buy: The best deals on every model of iPad 
• John Lewis: Leading UK retailer had some strong iPad offers 
• Very: Savings on iPad Pro, Air and much more
• Currys PC World: Offers on various iPad models
• AO: Big savings on a lot of a variety of iPads
• Walmart: Deals across a range of iPad models
• Laptops Direct: Strong offers across the iPad range

If you’re not sure which iPad to buy, then don't worry. You’ll find our expert guide to choosing the best iPad at the bottom of this article, in a section called: Which iPad should i buy? 

Pro tip: if you’re looking for the cheapest iPad Black Friday deal, choose a Wi-Fi model. An iPad with a cellular connection – which enables you to use 3G or 4G when there's no Wi-Fi – will cost you more. (And once you've chosen your iPad, don't forget to browse the best Apple Pencil deals, or maybe you're after an Apple Watch?

Read on for the best Black Friday iPad deals in 2019.

Apple's newest and best iPad Pro device comes in two versions: the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2018) and the iPad Pro 11-inch (2018). Both come with the powerful A12X Bionic processor, the same battery capabilities, and a variety of storage options. The larger version offers more screen real estate for creatives; while the smaller model is more portable and easier to take on the move. 

Here are the best iPad Pro Cyber Monday deals on the latest 2018 models. And we've also found some stonking discounts on the older 10.5-inch iPad Pro (2017)...

iPad Pro Black Friday deals: US

• Jump to UK iPad Pro Cyber Monday deals

iPad Pro Black Friday deals: UK

The iPad is Apple's baseline tablet. The latest model, the iPad 10.2-inch (2019), raises the tablet's specs closer to those of the latest iPad Air, with the addition of Smart Keyboard support and a slightly larger screen. It boasts strong battery life, decent performance, and it's cheaper than the other iPads – giving you some of Apple’s best iPad features on a more limited budget. 

You'll find all the best iPad Cyber Monday deals from 2019 on the 10.2-inch model below. And there were also deals on the older (and slightly smaller) 9.7-inch, 6th-gen model from 2018. 

iPad Black Friday deals: US

• Jump to UK iPad Cyber Monday deals

iPad Black Friday deals: UK

Can't see what you're looking for? Take a look at some more offers in your area below.

We weren't expecting to see many hefty discounts on the newest iPad Air this year, but there are some iPad Air Cyber Monday deals already available. Deals on older iPad Airs are also now much easier to come by. See below for some early deals, followed by today's best iPad Air prices.

iPad Air Black Friday deals: US

• Jump to UK deals

iPad Air Black Friday deals: UK

iPad mini Black Friday deals: US

• Jump to UK iPad mini Cyber Monday deals

iPad mini Black Friday deals: UK

The best iPad Black Friday sales around the web

• Walmart: iPad Black Friday discounts of $100 or more in the US
• Amazon: Big savings on iPads in the US and UK
• Best Buy: Doorbusters knock up to $200 off select iPad models in the US
• John Lewis: Price matching other UK retailers – with a two-year guarantee
• Very: £50 off new iPad models in the UK
• Currys PC World: Up to £250 off iPads for Black Friday in the UK
• AO: £50 off iPads in the UK
• Argos.co.uk: Cheap iPad Black Friday deals in the UK

After a different product? Take a look at our general guide to the best Apple  Black Friday deals, or Black Friday and Cyber Monday MacBook deals.

Alternatively, bookmark our Black Friday deals hub to see all the best offers on a range of creative kit.

How much are iPads on Black Friday and Cyber Monday?

As offers on Apple products are rare, we're likely to see iPad deals at an absolute maximum of around 40 per cent off in 2020. But that's still a fair amount off (especially when prices run into the several hundreds) – and even with smaller discounts, anything is better than paying full whack. 

In terms of where to look for deals, Apple itself isn't exactly renowned for rolling out massive price cuts on its gear – it usually offers gift cards, and 2019 was no exception. This year, iPad bargain hunters could pick up a discounted iPad at Walmart, Currys, Very, John Lewis and Amazon on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

This year, we saw discounts on the 2018 11 iPad Pro and 12.9 iPad Pro models and even the newer iPad Air, iPad mini and 10.2-inch iPad, which was both unexpected and very welcome. There were also some deals on Apple Pencils of both generations. If using a Pencil isn't high on your list of priorities then you'll be likely to save on a 2017 model. 

How to get the best iPad Black Friday deals 

Get ready to hunt for an iPad Black Friday deal

If there's one thing you can be sure of when it comes to the best Black Friday iPad deals (and the best Cyber Monday iPad deals, of course), 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 and John Lewis as well as major electrical stores. If you're in the USA, watch out for iPad deals from Walmart and Best Buy, while in the UK firms such as Currys PC World and Very 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, a Mini or an Air? 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 the latest iOS 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.

Which iPad should I buy?

You'll need a newer iPad for Apple Pencil support

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 1TB 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.

If you want maximum power, specs and screen size, then go for the best iPad Pro money can buy – the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2018), which boasts an A12X Bionic chip for super-speedy graphics, and 2732 x 2048 resolution. See our iPad Pro 12.9-inch review here. 

The slightly smaller (and cheaper) iPad Pro 11-inch (2018) is another excellent choice for creatives, and has the same super-charged A12X Bionic chip. Both the iPad Pro models work with the second generation Apple Pencil – although you'll have to buy that separately. The Apple Pencil 2 attaches magnetically to the iPad, where it also charges and pairs, and it's one of the best styluses available for drawing. Both models are available with 64GB. 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of memory.

If you're not so fussed about screen size, or top specs, then the new 10.2-inch iPad (2019) could be for you. It's a lot cheaper than the 2018 models, and has a still impressive A10 chip and 2160 x 1620-pixel resolution. It supports the first generation Apple Pencil, and is available with 32GB or 128GB of memory.

Other iPads include the iPad mini (see our iPad mini review here), which has a A12 chip and 7.9-inch screen. It's extra portable, as the name suggests, and is compatible with first generation Apple Pencil. 

There's also the iPad Air, which has 10.5-inch display and also has an A12 chip, plus several older models of the iPad. The 2017 versions have previously been on sale over Black Friday, so you may be able to pick up a Black Friday iPad deal on one of them. When looking at older iPads, remember that if you want to use your new iPad for drawing then be sure to plump for a model with Apple Pencil support.

Related articles:

• The best iPad Pro deals
• Apple iPad Air 2019 review
• The best Surface Pro Black Friday deals

View the full article