Black Friday can be a good time to buy an iPad, but the hardest part often isn’t finding a sale. It’s deciding which iPad is actually worth buying.
Apple’s current lineup ranges from the standard iPad with the A16 chip to the M4 iPad Air, M5 iPad Pro, and compact iPad mini with A17 Pro. Each targets a different type of buyer, and paying more doesn’t automatically mean you’ll get a better tablet for your needs.
For Black Friday 2026, start by choosing the iPad that fits how you’ll use it. Then check Amazon for the current price and any promotion available at the time.
If you’re not committed to Apple, our Black Friday tablet buying guide compares iPads with Samsung Galaxy Tabs, Amazon Fire tablets, Android tablets, and other options.
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Table of Contents
Best iPads to Check This Black Friday
You can narrow Apple’s lineup fairly quickly once you know what you need from the tablet.
| iPad | Best for | HolidayDealRadar take | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPad (A16) | Most people | Start here unless you need more power | Check Price at Amazon |
| iPad Air (M4) | Best upgrade | Best balance for demanding users | View iPad Air at Amazon |
| iPad Pro (M5) | Power users | Excellent, but unnecessary for many | See iPad Pro at Amazon |
| iPad mini (A17 Pro) | Portability | Best if compact size matters | Check iPad mini at Amazon |
Apple currently sells 11-inch and 13-inch versions of both the iPad Air and iPad Pro, while the standard iPad and iPad mini fill the mainstream and compact roles.
We don’t list a fixed Amazon price because prices and promotions can change. The Amazon links take you to the relevant product page where you can see the current offer.
iPad A16: Best Choice for Most Black Friday Shoppers
The standard iPad is the model we’d recommend most shoppers consider first.
Its A16 chip is more than enough for the tasks that lead many people to buy an iPad: streaming, browsing, FaceTime, email, reading, schoolwork, casual games, recipes, shopping, and everyday apps.
That’s important during Black Friday because higher-end models may advertise larger dollar discounts. A $100 discount on an Air or Pro doesn’t automatically make it better value for someone who doesn’t need the additional performance.
Who Should Buy the iPad A16?
Choose the standard iPad if you want a general-purpose tablet without paying for capabilities you’re unlikely to use.
It’s particularly well suited to families, casual users, students with relatively basic needs, streaming, travel, and someone buying their first iPad.
Move up to the Air when you can identify a reason you need additional performance or features.
iPad Air M4: Best Upgrade for Most Power Users
The iPad Air is where Apple’s lineup becomes more interesting for demanding buyers.
The current Air uses the M4 chip and is available with either an 11-inch or 13-inch display. That makes it considerably more flexible than simply being a faster version of the standard iPad.
For many people considering an expensive tablet, we’d look at the Air before the Pro.
It’s powerful enough for heavier multitasking, creative applications, gaming, school or work use, and more demanding workloads without requiring you to pay for every premium feature of the iPad Pro.
Who Should Buy the iPad Air?
The Air makes the most sense if you’ll use your iPad extensively rather than primarily as an entertainment device.
Students doing heavier work, creative users, people who use a keyboard regularly, gamers, and shoppers hoping to keep the same tablet for several years should give it a closer look.
iPad Pro M5: Who Actually Needs It?
The iPad Pro is Apple’s highest-end tablet.
Current models use the M5 chip and are available in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes.
But the question during Black Friday shouldn’t be:
How much is the iPad Pro discounted?
It should be:
What will the iPad Pro let me do that an iPad Air won’t?
For many shoppers, the answer won’t justify the additional cost.
The Pro makes more sense for demanding creative and professional workflows, people who can benefit from its premium display and connectivity, and users pushing their tablet considerably harder than someone browsing Safari or watching Netflix.
Who Should Skip the iPad Pro?
Most casual users.
If your typical tablet use consists of streaming, email, web browsing, FaceTime, reading, shopping, social media, and ordinary apps, you’re unlikely to need Apple’s most powerful iPad.
Even a strong Black Friday discount doesn’t change that.
iPad Mini A17 Pro: Best for Portability
The iPad mini isn’t simply a cheaper or smaller version of the standard iPad.
Its main advantage is portability.
The current mini uses Apple’s A17 Pro chip and occupies the compact position in Apple’s lineup.
That makes it particularly appealing for travel, commuting, reading, handheld gaming, note-taking, and anyone who wants something substantially easier to carry than an 11-inch or 13-inch tablet.
Who Should Buy the iPad Mini?
Buy the mini because you specifically want a small iPad.
It’s a particularly interesting companion device for someone who already owns a laptop and doesn’t need their tablet to replace it.
If the iPad will primarily sit on the couch or a desk for watching movies, the larger standard iPad may be a better fit.
iPad A16 vs. iPad Air M4: Which Should You Buy?
This is the comparison I’d expect to matter most for Black Friday shoppers.
The standard iPad covers everyday tablet use extremely well. The Air gives you significantly more performance and a choice between 11-inch and 13-inch displays.
The decision becomes easier if you ignore the sale price for a moment.
Choose the iPad A16 if:
You mainly want streaming, browsing, FaceTime, schoolwork, reading, casual games, and general apps.
You don’t expect the iPad to replace much of what you currently do on a computer.
And you would rather spend less than pay for performance you may never notice.
Choose the iPad Air M4 if:
You expect to multitask more heavily.
You’ll use demanding creative applications or games.
You want a larger 13-inch screen option.
You’ll use the iPad extensively for school or work.
Or you’re comfortable spending more for additional performance and capabilities you’ll actually use.
HolidayDealRadar Pick
For most shoppers: iPad A16.
For demanding users: iPad Air M4.
That’s a more useful distinction than automatically declaring the more expensive Air the “better” tablet.
11-Inch vs. 13-Inch iPad Air
If you’ve decided on an Air, you still have another decision to make.
Apple offers the M4 Air in both 11-inch and 13-inch sizes.
Choose the 11-Inch Air for Portability
This is where we’d start for most Air buyers.
The smaller model is easier to hold, carry, put into a bag, use while traveling, and treat like a conventional tablet.
If you’re frequently moving between school, work, home, and travel, that portability can matter more than another two inches of display.
Choose the 13-Inch Air for Screen Space
The 13-inch Air makes more sense when you’re frequently multitasking, drawing, editing, using a keyboard, watching video, or keeping the tablet on a desk.
The larger screen can also make the Air feel more like a lightweight computer.
But bigger isn’t automatically better.
Someone buying an iPad primarily because it’s easier to carry than a laptop may eventually regret choosing the largest version.
Our Starting Point
Unless you already know you want a large tablet, we’d start with the 11-inch Air and make the 13-inch model justify its additional size and cost.
iPad Air M4 vs. iPad Pro M5
This is where Black Friday discounts can tempt shoppers into spending more than they intended.
The current Air uses M4, while the current Pro moves to M5. Both are offered in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes.
The Pro is the more advanced device.
That doesn’t automatically make it the better purchase.
For many students, creative users, gamers, and productivity-focused buyers, the Air already provides more than enough performance.
The Pro makes more sense when you can specifically benefit from its premium hardware rather than simply wanting the fastest iPad.
HolidayDealRadar Pick
Start with the iPad Air.
Move to the Pro only after identifying the Pro-specific capabilities that matter to you.
That’s especially important during Black Friday. A larger dollar discount on the Pro can make the price gap look smaller while still leaving you spending considerably more money overall.
iPad Mini vs. Standard iPad
The mini and standard iPad aren’t really competing on performance alone.
They’re competing on how you want to use the device.
Choose the standard iPad if you want a larger general-purpose screen for streaming, browsing, games, schoolwork, and everyday household use.
Choose the mini if you want something compact enough to carry frequently, hold comfortably for long reading sessions, or use as a companion to another computer.
The mini’s smaller size is its feature.
If compactness doesn’t matter to you, we’d start with the standard iPad.
How Much iPad Storage Should You Buy?
Storage is one of the easiest ways to turn an affordable iPad into an expensive one.
The right amount depends less on Black Friday and more on what you plan to keep locally.
Light Users
People who primarily browse, stream video, read, check email, and rely heavily on cloud storage generally need less local capacity.
Most Users
If you expect to keep plenty of apps, photos, games, downloads, and documents on the tablet, giving yourself additional space can make the iPad easier to live with for several years.
Heavy Users
Video editing, large creative projects, large game libraries, offline media, and professional applications can consume storage much faster.
The mistake to avoid is buying an unnecessarily expensive storage tier because that particular configuration happens to carry the most eye-catching Black Friday discount.
Buy the storage you need.
Wi-Fi vs. Cellular iPad
For most shoppers, we’d choose Wi-Fi.
A cellular iPad makes sense when you regularly need internet access away from Wi-Fi and don’t want to rely on your phone’s hotspot.
But cellular adds cost, and depending on how you use it, there may also be an ongoing service expense.
Ask yourself how often you’ll realistically use the iPad somewhere that has neither Wi-Fi nor a usable phone hotspot.
If the answer is rarely, put the money toward storage, accessories, or simply keep it.
Apple Pencil and Keyboard Compatibility
Accessories are one of the biggest reasons to decide which iPad you want before shopping Black Friday sales.
Different iPads support different accessories, and buying the wrong Pencil or keyboard can turn an otherwise good purchase into a frustrating one.
Apple’s current Air, Pro, and mini lineup includes support for Apple Pencil Pro, while keyboard options vary depending on the model and size.
Before buying an accessory, verify compatibility with the exact iPad generation and size you’re purchasing.
This becomes especially important when older-generation iPads and accessories remain available alongside current models during holiday sales.
Is an Apple Pencil Worth Buying?
It makes the most sense for handwritten notes, drawing, illustration, document markup, and other creative work.
If you mostly stream movies and browse the web, you probably don’t need one.
Is a Keyboard Worth Buying?
A keyboard becomes more valuable for students, writers, email-heavy users, and people trying to use an iPad for productivity.
But consider the total price.
An expensive iPad plus a premium keyboard can move surprisingly close to laptop territory.
Should You Buy a Previous-Generation iPad?
Yes, sometimes.
This is one area where Black Friday can create genuinely interesting choices.
Retailers may continue selling a previous-generation iPad after Apple has introduced its replacement. If that older device remains capable and the price difference is substantial, it can provide excellent value.
But don’t judge it by the percentage-off number.
Compare:
Processor: How far behind is it?
Storage: Are you getting enough?
Software life: How long are you likely to keep it?
Accessories: Will the Pencil or keyboard you want work with it?
Current-model difference: How much money are you actually saving?
Buying one generation back can be smart.
Buying several generations back merely because the discount looks enormous deserves much more caution.
Which iPad Should You Buy for Different Uses?
For Everyday Home Use
iPad A16
Start with the standard model. Most households don’t need Air or Pro performance for streaming, browsing, FaceTime, recipes, shopping, and casual apps.
For College
iPad Air M4
The additional performance and accessory options make the Air more attractive for students who expect to use their tablet extensively.
Students with basic needs can still save money with the standard iPad.
For Drawing and Creative Work
iPad Air M4 for most users; iPad Pro M5 for demanding professionals.
Don’t assume creative work automatically requires a Pro.
For Travel
iPad mini A17 Pro
Its compact form is the reason to choose it.
For Replacing Some Laptop Tasks
iPad Air M4
This is where we’d start before paying for a Pro.
However, make sure the software you rely on works appropriately on iPadOS before trying to replace a traditional computer.
Best iPad Black Friday Deals 2026: FAQs
Which iPad should most people buy on Black Friday 2026?
Start with the standard iPad A16. It covers everyday streaming, browsing, FaceTime, games, schoolwork, reading, and general apps without requiring Air or Pro pricing. Move up only when your needs justify it.
Is the iPad Air worth paying more than the regular iPad?
Yes for some buyers. The Air is better suited to heavier multitasking, creative work, gaming, extensive keyboard use, and shoppers who want more performance. For basic tablet use, the standard iPad may provide better value.
Should I buy the 11-inch or 13-inch iPad Air?
We’d start with the 11-inch Air for most shoppers because it’s easier to carry and use as a tablet. Choose the 13-inch version when additional workspace for multitasking, drawing, video, or keyboard use is more important than portability.
Is the iPad Pro worth buying instead of the iPad Air?
Only when you’ll benefit from what the Pro adds. The iPad Air already provides substantial performance. Professional creative workloads and users who specifically value the Pro’s premium hardware have stronger reasons to upgrade.
Is the iPad mini better than the regular iPad?
Neither is universally better. The mini is the better choice when portability is a priority, while the standard iPad is a stronger general-purpose starting point for shoppers who prefer a larger screen.
Compare iPads With Other Black Friday Tablets
An iPad makes sense for many shoppers, but Apple isn’t your only option.
Our 2026 Black Friday tablet comparison covers Samsung Galaxy Tabs, Amazon Fire tablets, other Android options, Microsoft Surface devices, and budget tablets so you can decide whether an iPad is actually the right choice before buying.