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It can be difficult to hold back when early Black Friday iPad deals are coming out the woodwork, but knowing if you should buy an iPad before Black Friday, or if you should wait it out can be even trickier. Gone are the days of iPads refusing to budge on their high MSRPs. We've already seen the iPad A16 hit a $279 sale price in 2025 that it took the previous generation years to reach, and the latest generation iPad Air has taken some serious discounts in the last few months as well.
The answer lies with the model you're on the hunt for and the price it's currently at. The A16, for example, has been a little way off that record-low over the last few weeks and should only be grabbed at that $280 position. Meanwhile, brand new iPad Pros are well and truly through the door. Discounts on the older model are going to move fast, and stock might not even last until Black Friday itself.
Each iPad has a different context to it, which can tell you whether you're better off diving in or holding out for something juicier later on in November. I'm running you through all this information on every device, so that you can time your purchase right this Fall. If you're really stretching things out, you can take a look at everything we expect to see in this year's Cyber Monday iPad deals as well.
Should you buy an iPad A16 before Black Friday?
- Yes if: the price drops to $249
The latest generation iPad has already hit some excellent prices in 2025, and as recently as October. $279 for a 128GB model is an excellent offer, and one that took much longer to appear on the previous model. I feel like there's further for this one to fall, though.
Apple's base iPad was an older release last year, but it still sailed down to $199 over Black Friday. This year we could be in for an extra saving down to $249 if the wind is in the right direction.
If you spot early Black Friday iPad deals near this position, it's well worth jumping in ahead of official discounts. Later sales will be far more competitive, and seeing as stock was already running out with this discount attached over Prime, the chances of actually landing a tablet in November are slimmer.
Should you buy an iPad Air before Black Friday?
- Yes if: prices hit $449
The latest M3 iPad Air has seen a fair few discounts since its launch, dipping quickly down to its record-low $449. That's already cheaper than the previous generation was this time last year, and the price point I'd be aiming for over Black Friday.
iPad Air models rarely go below this position, and I wouldn't expect the 2025 release to do so on its first Black Friday. I'd be waiting for $450 and jumping on it as soon as it lands.
Should you buy an iPad Mini before Black Friday?
- Yes if: it drops back to $379
The latest iPad Mini has only dipped down to $379 a couple of times in its life so far, representing a $110 discount over the original $489 MSRP. In general, you're more likely to find the cheapest 128GB model at around $400 when on sale. That's likely where we'll find ourselves in the lead up to official Black Friday shenanigans, but if you do spot a $379 rate I'd jump on it.
It's the scarcity of this deal that makes it worth the early leap. That, and the fact that the iPad A16 already starts at $349 this year. I wouldn't expect to see the Mini's price point threatening that MSRP any time soon.
Should you buy an iPad Pro before Black Friday?
- Yes if: iPad Pro 11-inch prices drop to $899
- Yes if: iPad Pro 13-inch prices drop to $1,199
The latest M5 iPad Pro has only just hit the shelves, so I'd be wary of early Black Friday deals on this one. While it's true that these tablets have a pretty hard cap on their sale prices (typically $899 on the 11-inch and $1,199 on the 13-inch), we're talking about a lot of cash here.
So far, the 11-incher has only dipped to $949 and the 13-inch model has tapped out at $1,243. Even if those record-lows appear, it could be worth waiting for the big day on these ones. Competition is a little cooler on these more expensive releases.
iPads are some of the best gaming tablets out there, but if you're looking for a more traditional computing experience, we're also rounding up all our expectations for this year's Black Friday laptop deals and Black Friday gaming laptop deals as well.
