Best iPad Deals for Black Friday 2019: iPad Air, Pro & Accessories

Whether you are looking for the new 10.2-inch iPad or the massive 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the odds are that Black Friday will bring lots of big discounts along with it. We've seen some sales circulars already that indicate that almost every model will be available for less, and that pricing should start at just $249 for the most recent models.

There's a lot to consider when buying an iPad. Let's take a moment to break down the differences between the models, how to pick which one is perfect for you, and where the best deals are.

iPad vs. iPad Air vs. iPad Pro: What's the big difference?

Apple's iPad lineup is the most robust it has been in a long time, offering four different base models to choose from, which all come in different sizes and a few different storage options as well. If you're scouting out which iPad you want to get this Black Friday, it's worth knowing what each model offers.

iPad Pro

Starting at the top of the line, the iPad Pro packs the most punch but costs the most dollars. The ProMotion display that can dynamically ramp down to save power and up to 120Hz for silky smooth scrolling, is only found on the the 12.9-inch or 11-inch iPad Pros, along with Apple's A12X Bionic chipset that adds 2 extra performance cores, 3 extra graphics cores, 1 extra gigabyte of memory in the 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB models and 3 extra gigabytes — 6 total — in the 1TB of storage model. Oh yeah, it's also the only model that can reach up to a TB of storage, meaning it can hold a lot of stuff.

Plus, don't forget that the Lightning port has been switched out in favor of USB-C, which provides support for all sorts of accessories, including displays, cameras, and much more. Also, since the iPad Pro has a nearly bezel-less design, it doesn't have TouchID like the other iPad models, but rather the same great FaceId found on the newer versions of the iPhone.

iPad Air

The newest iPad Air is meant to be a nice middle-ground for most users, that blends power, price, and functionality, and the 10.5-inch screen along with the A12 Bionic chip does just that. It also includes Touch ID, two stereo speakers, a 7 MP, 1080p front-facing camera and an 8 MP, wide color f/2.4, also 1080p rear camera.

You can get it in silver, space gray, or Apple's current coppery gold, with 64 or 264GB of storage, and with just Wi-Fi or with Wi-Fi and cellular.

iPad

The newest to the iPad lineup, this 10.2-inch iPad does make a few sacrifices for its starting price of $329. It's rocking a chipset that's a little older, Apple's A10 Fusion chip to be exact, and it starts with a base storage of 32GB and only has a max of 128GB.

The screen is also a slight downgrade as it doesn't feature TrueTone (so the white tones won't always match the light around you), wide color, or a laminated display. While it does have the same rear camera as the iPad Air, the front-facing camera on the iPad is only a 1.2 MP that tops out at 720p recording.

How do I pick the right iPad?

As with most device suggestions we make on iMore, the real question comes down to how you intend on using your iPad. Do you just want a tablet that lets you watch movies and TV shows on a bigger screen? Or, are you more interested in a drawing tablet that can help you design and create works of art? Our very own Rene Ritchie (who has used every iPad that has ever existed) breaks it down like this:

• If you're looking for an iPad you can take anywhere and do almost everything with, then the new 10.5-inch iPad Air, starting at $499, is really the new baseline in the lineup that blends performance, price, functionality.

• Looking for an iPad that can co all the basics (web browsing, watch movies, play games, and more), but you just can't or won't pay that much for it? Then look no further than the newly-refreshed 10.2-inch iPad for $329!

• If you need as much power and raw performance power as you can possibly pack into an iPad, the iPad Pro is the best place to look. If you prefer a little more portability, the 11-inch iPad Pro is a little easier to carry around; however, the 12.9-inch is wonderful for people who need as much real estate as they can get for their projects.

Which iPad models support Apple Pencil?

Luckily for everyone, every iPad in Apple's current lineup supports an Apple Pencil; however, not all iPads support the Apple Pencil identically.

The 11-inch iPad Pro and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro both are compatible with the Second-generation Apple Pencil, which has improved pressure sensitivity and performance over the original Apple Pencil, and the ProMotion display really takes advantage of it! The design is also slightly improved over the first-generation Apple Pencil as there's no cap to remove, and no Lightning connector. Instead, the Pencil magnetically attaches to one of the sides of the iPad Pro for inductive charging.

The rest of the iPad lineup — the iPad Air and iPad — are both compatible with the first generation Apple Pencil which has a cap on it concealing a Lightning connector, which plugs into the Lightning port on these iPads for both quick pairing and charging.

Should I buy the base storage or upgraded storage models?

Storage is a very personal thing, it really depends on how much you use, and the different models have different storage options.

For the iPad Pro, both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes come with a base storage of 64GB, which can fill up rather quickly if you use your iPad Pro as a workstation. They both have options to increase the storage to 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB, but those storage increases come with a pretty hefty price tag. While 64GB could be quite low for a lot of people, 1TB is likely too much for most people.

The iPad Air only has two storage options — 64GB and 256GB — with roughly a $150 difference between the two limits. As I mentioned before, the 64GB can be pretty low, especially if you're storing lots of videos, pictures, documents, and other files on it. That being said, if you don't tend to save a lot on your iPad itself, or you use a lot of cloud storage, 64GB could be enough for you.

The iPad starts with only a measly 32GB of storage, and can only upgrade to 128GB. For most people, I would gather the extra $100 is worth the bump in storage, because 32GB will fill up relatively quickly for the average person. Once again, if you're really finicky with what you store on your iPad or are super good with storage management and regularly clear out older files, the 32GB could work for you.

Best Black Friday iPad Deals

12.9-inch iPad Pro - Save up to $120 at Amazon

With the biggest screen of the bunch, and the Pro specs to go with it, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is a real powerhouse that is vying to replace your laptop for good. As the top-end model, it comes with retail pricing ranging from $999 to $1,699 depending on how you spec it up. Fortunately, discounts have been pretty common recently with entry-level pricing fallign to $850 periodically. The lowest we've seen the 64GB model go was $824, and it wouldn't surprise us if it hits that price again (or goes lower) next week.

Largest iPad Pro

12.9-inch iPad Pro

With all the power and performance you could want in the largest form factor. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is a perfect workstation for any type of work (or play) you do every day.

From $929 at Amazon

11-inch iPad Pro - Save up to $125 at Amazon

It's much the same situation for the 11-inch iPad Pro. It packs in the same power as its larger counterpart and carries a similarly high price tag with an MSRP of $799 for the base model. Again, this price has fluctuate in its time on the market with current discounts of up to $125 available right now. $649 is the lowest the entry-level model has gone, so anything around that mark would be a great Black Friday pickup.

More portable Pro

11-inch iPad Pro

The same great power and functionality of the iPad Pro, but in a smaller and more portable size, making it a perfect mobile workstation.

From $674 at Amazon

iPad Air - Save up to $52 at Amazon

The 2019 iPad Air only debuted in spring so it hasn't seen many steep discounts just yet. In fact, some of the higher-spec models are down to their best prices to date at Amazon already. It's unlikely to see much movement for Black Friday, though there may be some nominal discounts.

The new standard

iPad Air

Fast, powerful, and reliable for a wide variety of applications. The new 10.5-inch iPad Air really is the standard iPad that fits into anyone's life.

From $469 at Amazon $469 at Walmart

10.2-inch iPad - Save up to $30 at Amazon

The newest entry-level iPad is already super-affordable at its $329 retail price, and Amazon is already taking $30 off that for a current-best price. However, we have seen the 10-2-inch model featured in numerous Black Friday ads with places like Walmart and Target declaring their intention to list it at $249 for a limited time. It's possible other retailers will match that price on the day.

Least expensive

10.2-inch iPad

The 10.2-inch iPad is best for people who want an iPad, but don't need it to do any serious work. It's a great larger screen to use apps, watch movies, play games, and more, but don't expect a ton of power.

From $299 at Amazon

Best Accessories for iPad

All iPad users can benefit from accessories that can make your life easier and your workflow even more streamlined, here are just some of our favorite accessories for anyone who uses an iPad.