This story is part of Gift Guide, our year-round collection of the best gift ideas.
There might not be “one perfect” iPad right now, but there sure are a lot of different models. The newest 10th-gen iPad and iPad Pro have larger screens and faster processors, but aren’t included in many Cyber Monday deals. However, if you’re willing to opt for a more kid-friendly ninth-gen iPad or iPad Mini, there are big savings to be had.
The most affordable iPad remains that ninth-gen iPad, and it’s even more affordable right now at its current $59 discount at Amazon, which drops the price to $270 — the lowest we’ve seen for it. The 10.2-inch iPad features the A13 Bionic chip, Apple’s True Tone display, an improved front-facing camera and an increase in internal storage.
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Like the ninth-gen iPad, the sixth-gen iPad Mini was released a year ago, but it got a redesign with an 8.3-inch display, A15 Bionic chip, a USB-C charging port for a quick charge and a power button with Touch ID that makes it feel brand-new even in 2022. Holiday sales currently offer $99 savings on both storage tiers, a welcome price drop if you’re looking for a superportable iPad for a great deal.
The iPad Air from earlier this year is sometimes on sale, and a great choice as a more affordable iPad Pro alternative. Its M1 processor makes it fast, but it lacks the better faster-refresh displays of the iPad Pro models.
For the right iPad deal, the previous-gen 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pros may also be worth considering. While they don’t have the newest M2 processor, their M1 chips and overall design are still great, and you’re not missing much over the latest 2022 versions.
Read more: Best iPad for 2022
With Black Friday turning into Cyber Monday, we expect iPad deals to increase in both frequency and quality, so be sure to keep checking this list for some of the best prices of the season. Some of these iPad deals are better than what we saw during Amazon’s October Prime Day.
Best iPad deals
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The basic, 10.2-inch iPad from 2021 is still good. While it doesn’t have doesn’t have the newer design and USB-C support of the rest of the iPad line, the value for performance here makes this iPad deal one worth getting for kids. It’s our top budget iPad pick, and it’s even more affordable right now: at $270 for 64GB or $420 for 256GB, it’s selling at the lowest price we’ve seen yet. We recommend picking the model with more storage, only because 64GB may not be enough for many people, unless you’re mostly using the tablet for streaming and cloud-based apps.
Read our 9th-gen iPad review.
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The iPad Mini received a complete overhaul last year. The new design has rounded edges, thin bezels and no home button. The power button on the side now has Touch ID, and the Lightning port has been replaced by a USB-C charging port. It runs on the A15 Bionic chip (same as the iPhone 13) and serves up an improved and slightly larger 8.3-inch display and better cameras than the older, fifth-gen Mini. At 20% off, it’s an iPad deal worth considering. Again, we just advise that 64GB of storage probably won’t feel like enough if you’re looking to download lots of movies and games.
Read our iPad Mini review.
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The 10.9-inch iPad Air, released earlier this year, has a fast M1 chip, an auto-zooming Center Stage front camera and, except for its display, it feels nearly like an iPad Pro. Current sales aren’t great, but this remains one of our favorite midrange iPad models if the Pro feels too expensive. But again, 64GB is way too little storage in our opinion, so consider the step-up 256GB model.
Read our iPad Air 2022 review.
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At the right savings, last year’s big-screened iPad Pro could be very tempting. While the most recent 2022 iPad Pro adds a faster M2 processor and a new Pencil feature that allows “Pencil hover” to preview tools before tapping, the excellent Mini LED display on the 2021 model is just as good, along with fantastic audio and a still-great M1 processor. The 256GB model is also on sale for $300 off, and the 512GB version is $400 off.
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You could save $100 by picking last year’s iPad Pro, which still features Apple’s M1 chip and has a better, faster-refresh display than the iPad Air (and more storage than the entry level Air model). This Walmart deal is out of stock in some places, but it’s worth checking availability if you’re interested in a bit of savings vs the current Pro model.
Read our iPad Pro 2021 review.
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