Best Black Friday Tablet Deals 2020: Apple, Samsung, and Fire Tablets

Dusk is settling on Black Friday, as the biggest Black Friday sales got a huge online response. Because many of us are shopping online exclusively right now, retailers had already lured us in with some excellent early Black Friday tablet deals. With some retailers like Best Buy and Walmart offering to refund the difference should the price of items purchased now be discounted even further at the end of the month, it signals even greater participation overall. There are still big deals out there through the weekend as we head into Cyber Monday, another huge shopping day.

With so many different tablet sales out there, it can be confusing knowing which to pick. Don’t worry — we’re here to help with a look at all the best iPad deals for Black Friday and more. We’ve rounded up all the best available Black Friday tablet deals below, as well a look at what you should consider before making a big purchasing decision. After all, you want the best tablet to suit your needs.

Best Black Friday tablet deals

Some of the hottest sales today are a Fire tablet deal and a Samsung Galaxy tablet deal. See more discounts below:

Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Tablet — $80, was $140
Fire HD 10 Tablet (32GB) — $80, was $150
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 10.5-inch (128GB, Wi-Fi) -- S Pen included — $520, was $650
Apple iPad Air (10.9-inch, Wi-Fi, 64GB) - Green (Latest Model, 4th Generation) — $570, was $599
Apple iPad & iPad Mini Sale — Get up to a $100 Apple Gift Card

Black Friday Apple iPad deals

If you’re looking to buy one of the best tablets on the market today, you’ll want to browse some Black Friday iPad deals. We’ve found the best sales today, including iPad Air deals, and put the best ones below.

Black Friday Samsung tablet deals

If you prefer Android over iPadOS, there are plenty of great Samsung Galaxy tablet deals going on right now. We’ve gathered the top discounts below:

Black Friday Fire tablet deals

Some of the cheapest tablets on the market are from Amazon’s line of Fire tablets. For the latest discounts on Black Friday Fire tablets, you can browse our top picks below:

How to choose a tablet during Black Friday

With so many different tablets to choose from, it’s hard to know where to begin. Start by checking out our best tablets for 2020 guide, as well as these best tablets for kids for an in-depth view of the most popular tablets out there. If you’re after a tablet for work, you might want to check out the best tablets for small businesses. Do you embrace the Android life? Check out our best Android tablets buyer’s guide to learn all about the best options.

For the majority of people, the Apple iPad (2020) is the best overall choice thanks to its beautiful screen, decent battery life, and all-around accessible nature. If your budget can stretch further or if you want to use your tablet as a way to sketch out graphic designs, then the Apple iPad Pro is a fantastic option that’s pretty expensive, but has additional power and features that should help you. If you want similar features but don’t want to invest a large chunk of your income, go with the newer Apple iPad Air.

While we think the iPad is the best overall option, Android tablets are also worthy contenders, with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ ruling the roost and the Amazon Fire HD range — Fire HD 10 and Fire HD 8 — being a great budget bet for many users. We also shouldn’t forget the Microsoft Surface Pro 7, which offers a Windows experience in tablet form.

As always, consider your budget before you go for any of these deals, and don’t forget to think about what OS you prefer. It’s also worth considering what screen size you prefer. Something like the iPad Mini is often heavily discounted and provides a great experience on a smaller display, offering some features that create an iPad Mini versus iPad showdown. Ultimately, you can’t go wrong with any of these choices.

Should you buy a tablet during Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

Black Friday is the last major sales event of the year, so the next time you find deals as good won’t be until the new year. If you’ve shopped the event before, you also know that it’s the best time to find the most affordable tablets. So if you’re looking to save some extra cash, the time to shop is now — and there are still plenty of deals left though they will expire soon. Remember, though, that this isn’t like any other typical Black Friday. With the pandemic still raging on, there’s been a surge in online shopping. To cope with that demand, most retailers kicked off their Black Friday tablet deals (and other Black Friday sales in general) early.

How much should you spend on a tablet on Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

It’s hard to pinpoint exact numbers on such a broad topic, but you can expect to pay anywhere between $200 and $1,000, depending on what you need a tablet for. If you’re looking for a basic slate that offers entertainment and social media, there’s not much need to spend more than $400 on your tablet, unless you’ve decided to bump up the basic storage options (for more saved TV shows and the like).

Start to look up the scale if you’re looking to do more intensive tasks like fast-paced 3D gaming. Between $300 and $600 should probably be where you’re looking for that. Finally, check out the top tier of tablets if you’re looking for the most powerful tablets to do things like becoming a full laptop replacement. These tablets are a big investment, so they should only be considered if you have the money to spare or need the features and power for your work.

Are some tablet deals too good to be true?

Let’s get real — while you can and will find some genuine deals during Black Friday or Cyber Monday, you have to be careful to dodge the bargains that are actually dollar bin-style clear-outs. Some devices simply don’t sell well because they’re of inferior quality or lack needed features, and retailers are eager to use large discounts to clear those particular tablets from their stock. So make sure you research before you buy any tablet during the Black Friday sales. Read as many reviews as you can, and don’t buy into time-limited deals or low stock alerts. Generally, sticking to big retailers and big brands will help, but keep in mind that even a company like Samsung can release a lemon sometimes. A great tablet can be a wonderful addition to your life, but a bad tablet with performance issues, limited battery life, and a lack of updates can be frustrating. A bit of prior research will go a long way.

Where to find the best tablet sales

Amazon Black Friday: Amazon has a wealth of different tablets available with discounts already available on many of them.
Best Buy Black Friday: Thanks to Best Buy’s Black Friday Price Guarantee, you’re sure of the best price even if you buy now.
Target Black Friday: Find discounts on Samsung Galaxy Tabs, Linsay tablets, and more.
Walmart Black Friday: Keen to price-match Amazon wherever possible, Walmart is a great source of good tablet deals.

We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and we choose what we cover carefully and independently. The prices, details, and availability of the products and deals in this post may be subject to change at anytime. Be sure to check that they are still in effect before making a purchase.

Digital Trends may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.