I've waited years for an iPad deal to tempt me — this is the model I will be buying

(Image credit: Future)

I love my iPhone and MacBook Air combo so I’ve never really thought about adding an iPad into the mix. But after hearing the iMore team sing the tablet’s praises I feel like I might be missing out. With a handful of great deals on iPads this Black Friday on Amazon, I feel like I may just cave and pick one up.

There are deals available at a handful of different price points and generations, leaving enough spare change for a nice case and maybe even an Apple Pencil.

As someone who likes to write music, make videos, and occasionally draw, I need a device capable of running all my productivity apps without stutters and crashes. It also needs to be quick enough that I don't opt to reach for my MacBook Air instead, despite its more inconvenient size. I have finally settled on my choice but there are three major deals worth paying attention to so far this Black Friday.

Where to find the best iPad deals

Though all of our deals come from Amazon’s Black Friday sale, many more will start pouring in over the next week from other retailers, and it’s important to keep an eye on all the major sellers. These are some of the best retailers out there due to nice reductions, good service, and special bundles. Keep an eye on them throughout the week to pick up an excellent deal.

Pay less for your pad

My choice of iPad is the 5th generation iPad Air. Equipped with the powerful M1 chip originally seen in the 2020 MacBook Air, it packs a real punch and is capable of running powerful programs like Logic Pro without problems. As someone who likes to edit videos and produce music, this feels like the perfect choice. I can tap around on a piano from the sofa without having to set up my rather clunky music production setup.

It helps that the 10.9-inch Liquid Retina Display is vibrant and the 12mp front and back camera make it good for a quick Facetime or video on the go.

Though the 64GB of storage is a little low for my purposes, I have an iCloud storage subscription and tend to move my files from device to device pretty regularly. For the price, it's hard to find anything that quite nails my specific needs like this iPad. This is the lowest price we have ever seen the tablet at, making it even more perfect.

iPad deals: Amazon | B&H Photo | Best Buy | Walmart

The budget alternatives

Though they don't quite have the same power as the M1 iPad Air, the next two iPads are great for those on a smaller budget and definitely tempted me. I think I'll stick with the M1 version but its hard to ignore the savings.

Save money with Black Friday sales

Grab bargains on Apple devices this Black Friday

If you're looking for the best Black Friday Apple deals as the annual sales season kicks off, we've got you covered. From now right through to Cyber Monday on November 27, we'll be serving up the best offers on iPhone, MacBook, Apple Watch, iPad, HomeKit smart home devices and more. Save a small fortune by checking back on our daily deals coverage.

James is a staff writer and general Jack of all trades at iMore. With news, features, reviews, and guides under his belt, he has always liked Apple for its unique branding and distinctive style. Originally buying a Macbook for music and video production, he has since gone on to join the Apple ecosystem with as many devices as he can fit on his person.

With a degree in Law and Media and being a little too young to move onto the next step of his law career, James started writing from his bedroom about games, movies, tech, and anything else he could think of. Within months, this turned into a fully-fledged career as a freelance journalist. Before joining iMore, he was a staff writer at Gfinity and saw himself published at sites like TechRadar, NME, and Eurogamer.

As his extensive portfolio implies, James was predominantly a games journalist before joining iMore and brings with him a unique perspective on Apple itself. When not working, he is trying to catch up with the movies and albums of the year, as well as finally finishing the Yakuza series. If you like Midwest emo music or pretentious indie games that will make you cry, he’ll talk your ear off.