Deals on Apple’s latest slates are finally worth springing for. | Screenshot: Apple
While the best iPad deals usually land during major sale events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day, many great iPad deals are attainable outside those times. The day-to-day discounts may come and go like changing winds, but there’s often something to be saved, particularly on the more affordable iPads. The most recent iPad Pro and iPad Air are also starting to see substantial price reductions, and now that Apple has a new iPad Mini, we’re seeing regular discounts on the last-gen Mini as well.
It’s difficult to know where exactly you can find the most notable iPad deals unless you’re scouring the major retailers on a daily basis. But that’s often what our deal hunters at The Verge are doing each and every day, so let us help you out. Below, we’ve listed the best deals you can get on each iPad model that is currently available, from the cheapo ninth-gen iPad of 2021 to the latest models equipped with Apple’s powerful M2 and M4 chips.
The best iPad (2021) deals
Announced alongside the iPhone 13 way back in 2021, the ninth-gen iPad is Apple’s aging entry-level tablet, one that’s still great at carrying out everyday tasks despite having been discontinued. The ninth-gen model originally started at $329 with Wi-Fi and 64GB of storage, which arguably makes the newer 10th-gen model the better deal if you don’t need a home button or a headphone jack, as it now starts at $349 and is often on sale for even less.
The last-gen iPad has been receiving a steep discount for quite a while, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find in most configurations. That being said, Walmart is still selling the 64GB base model with Wi-Fi for $249 ($80 off), which is about $50 shy of its all-time low. As for the step-up 256GB variant, Amazon has it silver for $359 ($120 off), which is $10 more than its lowest price to date.
The last-gen iPad uses an A13 Bionic processor and a 12MP wide-angle camera with Center Stage, a feature designed to keep you framed up and centered while on video calls. The tablet also carries over a number of features from its predecessor, such as the 10.2-inch display, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor built into the home button, and a smart connector for connecting a smart keyboard.
The best iPad (2022) deals
Although the newer 10th-gen iPad came out in late 2022, it’s still an excellent tablet — one we consider to be the best value for most people (once Apple dropped its price). The latest iPad modernizes the design with a switch to USB-C, uniform bezels with no home button, a side power button with a fingerprint sensor, and a larger display, but it eliminates the 3.5mm headphone jack.
In the past, you could often buy Apple’s latest entry-level iPad for $349 ($100 off its initial launch price) — which is now the MSRP. Right now, however, the base model with 64GB of storage is on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart for $279 ($70 off), which is about $30 more than its lowest price to date. Amazon and Best Buy are also selling the 256GB model starting at $429 ($70 off), which nearly matches its all-time low.
The best iPad Mini (2021) and iPad Mini (2024) deals
The new iPad Mini is similar to the outgoing 2021 model but comes with faster Wi-Fi and USB-C speeds, support for the Apple Pencil Pro, and a newer processor that supports Apple Intelligence. That said, the sixth-gen iPad Mini could still be worth a look if prices continue to drop. It has an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, an A15 Bionic processor, a USB-C port, and options for 5G. It lacks the 3.5mm jack and dedicated home button found on the prior model, but so do all of the tablets in Apple’s current lineup.
Despite its age, the 2021 iPad Mini still technically starts at $499 with 64GB of storage (the seventh-gen model starts at the same price with 128GB of storage). Electing for 256GB of storage brings the price up to $649, while the 5G cellular models are $649 for 64GB and $799 for 256GB. These are some big numbers for a small iPad, and the larger iPad Air might be worth considering if you prefer your dollar to go further with more screen real estate. But if you want an Apple tablet in the smallest possible form factor, this is where the action is.
Although the seventh-gen iPad Mini is now widely available, it’s not worth the upgrade unless you want to leverage Apple Intelligence or the newer Apple Pencil Pro. Thankfully, you can still pick up the 64GB iPad Mini from 2021 at Walmart for $389 ($110 off), which misses its all-time low by $40. The 256GB sixth-gen Mini is also on sale at Walmart in select colors for $549 ($100 off), which is $50 more than its lowest price to date.
If you do want the newest Mini, you can get the 128GB base configuration with Wi-Fi at Amazon and Best Buy for a record low of $449 ($50 off). You can also get the Wi-Fi model with 256GB of storage for $549 ($50 off) at both Amazon and Best Buy, though Amazon currently does not provide a shipping estimate for the tablet.
The best iPad Air (2024) deals
Apple just recently launched the 2024 iPad Air, which features several small upgrades. The newer model doesn’t feature any groundbreaking changes compared to the 2022 release, but notably, there is now a 13-inch configuration in addition to a base 11-inch model. Apple also added Wi-Fi 6E radios and upgraded the chipset to M2, which enables the hover feature when using Apple’s latest styluses. You can use the newer iPad Air with the Apple Pencil Pro and both previous-gen Magic Keyboards, too. The 11-inch iPad Air starts at $599, while the comparable 13-inch model starts at $799.
Deals for the 2024 iPad Air started to appear before the latest model even hit store shelves. Right now, you can pick up the 11-inch base model with 128GB of storage and Wi-Fi at Amazon and Best Buy starting at $499 ($100 off), which is its best price to date. The 13-inch iPad Air with 128GB of storage, meanwhile, is on sale at Best Buy for an all-time low of $699 ($100 off).
The best iPad Pro (2024) deals
Compared to the latest iPad Air, the 2024 iPad Pro is a far more impressive upgrade. The 11- and 13-inch models start at $999 and $1,299, respectively, and they are the first Apple devices to feature the company’s latest M4 chip, which brings moderate performance gains and dedicated hardware for on-device Apple Intelligence processing. The new Pro models can claim other firsts, too, such as being the first iPad models with OLED displays and the lightest Pros yet, which is true for both sizes. They also feature repositioned front-facing cameras that sit along the horizontal edge, which prevent you from looking as though you’re staring off into space on a video call.
As for deals, the 11-inch iPad Pro with Wi-Fi / 256GB of storage is on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo starting at $899 (about $100 off), which is only $2 more than the lowest price to date. The sleek and super-thin 13-inch model, meanwhile, is on sale in its 256GB base configuration at Amazon and Best Buy for $1,099 ($200 off), which is an all-time low price.
