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The best Black Friday tablet deals are already starting to roll in, as we’re now just days away from Black Friday 2022 itself, which will take place on November 25th this year.
If you’re in the market for a new tablet, there’s already a selection of notable deals to check out, and we expect plenty more deals to come in the coming days and on Black Friday.
While most people expect the best deals to appear on Black Friday and run through the weekend through Cyber Monday (November 28), that’s not really the case anymore, with select retailers launching their own special sales events leading up to Black Friday that sometimes offer bigger discounts than during the main sale event itself.
Those looking for notable Black Friday tablet deals should be prepared for a mixed bag that will vary most directly depending on what kind of tablet you’re hoping to find discounts on.
Right now (but probably also closer to Black Friday itself), Black Friday iPad deals are lacking, while discounts on Amazon’s own Fire tablets, for example, tend to bring much bigger deals.
To help you prepare for the upcoming discounts, this article is here to walk you through everything you need to know to get the best Black Friday tablet deals.
Black Friday Tablet Sales (US): Quick Links
The best early Black Friday tablet deals in the US
Black Friday Tablet Sales (UK): Quick Links
The best early Black Friday tablet deals in the UK
Should you wait for a Black Friday tablet deal?
Black Friday never offers the best quality deals, but the largest amount.
That means Black Friday tablet deals mark down a much wider range of tablets than at any other time of the year – ideal if you’re not sure what to buy. However, discounts for individual models tend to be better at specific other times of the year, so if you know which tablet to buy, Black Friday may not be as convenient for you.
So wait for the Black Friday deals on tablets if you want to explore the market or buy accessories, but if you have one tablet you want to buy, maybe wait a little longer.
Buying tips: 3 of the best tablets to look for on Black Friday
The last of its kind
Alongside a duo of updated iPad Pros, the new 2022 standard iPad marks a notable shift in Apple’s base tablet family, making the ninth-generation 2021 iPad — which the company continues to sell — the last to feature a Lightning port and a home button . While the retail price directly from Apple in the US has remained the same, the company has actually increased it in other international regions, making deals with other retailers besides Apple much more important. Even with the official price hike, keep your eyes peeled for discounts elsewhere. Read more: iPad 10.2 (2021) review
In front of
- Improved selfie camera for video calls
- True Tone Display
Against
- No Face ID
- Does not support newer accessories
The most balanced tablet of 2022
After a two-year hiatus, Apple presented an updated iPad Air whose most notable improvement was a jump to the company’s computer-class M1 chipset. Now that we have the full list of 2022 iPad models in the wild, it looks like the 2022 iPad Air offers the best performance and functionality, combined with the fact that it arrived months before this year’s base and means Pro iPads there’s a much higher chance of multi-retailer discounts popping up. Read more: iPad Air Review (2022).
In front of
- Fast performance
- Incredibly versatile
Against
- Battery life just average
- 64 GB is not enough storage space for the base model
3. Amazon Fire HD 10 (2021)
The affordable, portable productivity machine
The big hook with Amazon’s 2021 Fire HD 10 slate was that it could be bought as part of a productivity bundle that also included a keyboard cover and a year’s access to Microsoft Office 365 in the price. That offer still stands, and Amazon continues to lower the price of the deal, making not only the Fire HD 10, but also access to Office 365 increasingly affordable. The HD 10 doubles as an Amazon Echo Show, making it a good smart home companion too. Read more: Amazon Fire HD 10 (2021) review
In front of
- Consistently long battery life
- Echo Show replacement
Against
- Limited software and apps
- Unimpressive audio and cameras
Black Friday tablet deals: our predictions
When do the best Black Friday tablet deals start in 2022?
Depending on where you look, Black Friday deals have already started; now that we are deep into November. Certain retailers, especially those in the US like BestBuy and Target, already have Black Friday sales on select tablets, but the best deals are likely to come.
Amazon is already offering discounts on its own products before November 25 – that means Fire tablets and Kindles are already seeing some discounts, but for other slates – such as Samsung, Lenovo and Kobo tablets – you might want to wait until the weekend itself to to make an offer.
Sometimes we see tablet deals on Cyber Monday instead, and that’s also the best time for accessory discounts; think of Apple Pencils, cases and the like.
What Black Friday tablet deals do we expect in 2022?
The biggest deals are likely to be on Amazon’s devices, judging by the precedent: that means Fire tablets, Kids tablets, and Kindles. Each could see discounts of around 40% on both the gadgets and all the accessories you’d want for it.
We may see fair discounts on many low-cost mid-range Android tablets, like Lenovo’s in particular, as the company has a lot of them.
Unlike Amazon, Apple’s tablets often have pretty bad discounts, at least for new iPads. They often get 10% or 20% off, which doesn’t exactly make them much more affordable, especially for the top models. Older iPads sometimes see better discounts, but they sell out quickly.