Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Should you buy a tablet on Black Friday or wait for Cyber Monday?

A lot of folks wait all year for Black Friday so they can pick up a tablet, but many also worry about whether waiting for Cyber Monday is a better idea. Well, we’ll look into that, as well as some great Black Friday deals you can pick up right now.

Should you buy a tablet on Black Friday?

Yes, absolutely, especially since Black Friday is one of the best times to pick up electronics like tablets. If you’re worried about Cyber Monday, the truth is that while offers tend to be mirrored, there’s no absolute guarantee that you’ll find the same item on sale for the same price or at all. That means you’re better off picking up Black Friday tablet deals when you see them rather than waiting. That said, even if you do find a better deal on Cyber Monday, you should still be within the return window for Black Friday, so you can return that tablet for a full refund and buy the one with the better offer.

Our 5 favorite Black Friday tablet deals

Fire HD 10 tablet —  $75, was $150

Amazon Fire HD 10 2021 is the newest incarnation of the Fire HD tablet.
Amazon

The Fire HD 10 tablet is Amazon’s attempt to hit the budget tablet market running, and they do a surprisingly good job of it. You get a 10.1-inch FHD display with relatively good brightness and 3GB of RAM, which is more than enough for most day-to-day usage. With this deal, you also get 32GB of storage, although you can bump it up to the 64GB version if you feel you need it. It has the same experience as the Fire TVs since it carries the same OS, so if you’re already a fan of that, you’re in luck! One thing we need to point out, though, is that this is a lock screen-ad-supported version, which is why it’s so cheap. Luckily, you can get it without the lock screen ads for an extra $15, and we encourage you to do that if you can.

2021 Apple iPad — $270, $329

The iPad 10.2 on a table.
Digital Trends

If you want an excellent iPad without paying a ton of money, this is one of the better iPad deals you’ll find during Black Friday. The 2021 Apple iPad is surprisingly powerful, even though it’s running the A13 Biochip, a few years old, with relatively smooth performance for the price bracket. The screen is a 10.2-inch Retina display, so it’s perfect for shows, films, and general browsing, while the 64GB of base storage allows you some space to download stuff for online use. There is an option to go for 256GB instead, which might be worth it if you download a lot. Similarly, while this deal is for the Wi-Fi-only version, you can grab a Wi-Fi + Cellular version instead.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 — $580, was $780

Side view of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+.
Adam Doud/Digital Trends

If you’re comparing the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, you’ll notice many similarities, but for the same MSRP, the Tab S8 manages to be better. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 has many great features, the main one being the excellent software and OS that far outshines competitors and makes using the S Pen very enjoyable. Under the hood, you’ll find a Processor Model Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 SM8450 Gen 1, one of the most powerful chips on the market; paired with the 8GBs of RAM, we doubt the Tab S8 will have any trouble handling most tasks that are thrown at it. As for the screen, it’s a gorgeous 11-inch 2560 x 1600 resolution panel. Internal storage comes in at 256GB, although you can upgrade it to 1TB with a microSD card if needed. As for the battery, you’ll get about a day’s work out of it, which isn’t too bad.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra — $970, was $1,200

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ sits on a table with two lego minifigs.
Adam Doud/Digital Trends

While the Tab S8 is impressive, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is the king of tablets, or at the very least, is very much in competition with the iPad Pro. With a massive 14.6-inch screen, it easily competes with things like Chromebooks and notebooks, with the added benefit that it’s genuinely a tablet and doesn’t have to masquerade as a 2-in-1. Of course, the big screen makes it hard to handle, and the 1.6-pound weight is borderline challenging to hold up for long periods. Truthfully though, it’s built for power users, with the same specs as the Tab S8, only with a larger and higher-end AMOLED screen and 12GB of RAM instead of 8GB. Whether it’s worth the extra few hundred dollars is hard to say, but it’s one of the best tablet deals if you want something that comes close to a regular laptop.

2022 Apple iPad Pro — $1,099, was $1,199

ipad pro 2021.
Apple

While the 2022 Apple iPad Pro isn’t quite as large as the Tab S8 Ultra, coming in at only 12.9 inches, it’s still very powerful, if not even more powerful than the S8 Ultra. It manages that performance due to the M2 Chip, one of the most powerful that Apple makes, something you usually find on their laptops, and is massive overkill, although we won’t complain. The screen has an excellent resolution of 2732 x 2048, with a whopping 1,000 nits of peak brightness and the ability to watch HDR content. This deal comes with 256GB of internal storage, but there are versions up to 2TB, which is probably more than you’ll ever need, but it’s there. You can also grab a version with Wi-Fi + Cellular, although this deal is for the Wi-Fi-only version.

Editors' Recommendations

Albert Bassili
Deals Writer
Albert’s been a tech and gaming writer for almost a decade now, writing across websites such as GameGavel, How-To-Geek, and…
Today’s Best Deals: Apple iPad, Xbox Series S, and more
memorial day sales you can shop now 2020 early

Stop whatever you're doing and gather round — we've got today's best deals right here in one place. From iPad deals to gaming PC deals and Chromebook deals — and even a great deal on an Xbox Series S in time for the holidays — there's no other place you need to be right now for the latest, greatest discounts.

If you see something you like in the below list, make sure to snap it up fast. These deals are selling like hotcakes, and there's no guarantee they'll still be around tomorrow!
Ring Video Doorbell -- $60, was $100

Read more
Best Cyber Monday iPad Deals: iPad Air, iPad Pro, iPad Mini
Best Cyber Monday iPad Deals

Cyber Monday is over, but some deals are still hanging on. We're seeing some lingering Cyber Monday deals on lots of highly sought after tech, like tablets. Below you'll find out picks for the best Cyber Monday iPad deals you can still shop, with discounts on everything from the iPad Mini to the iPad Air. Who knows how longs these remaining deals will last, so there's no time like right now to grab yourself a ne iPad. If you want to save some extra cash, you can grab a model from a few years ago -- or if the newest and shiniest iPad is all you'll settle for, don't worry as it's on sale too. If you're not married to Apple as a manufacturer, you should browse our other Cyber Monday tablet deals as well. Don't forget this is the last major sales event of the year, so if you order today, your new iPad should still arrive in time for the holidays.
Best Cyber Monday iPad Deals
Apple 10.2-inch iPad -- $270 was $329

This is one of those Cyber Monday iPad deals you don't want to miss. Digital Trends' Adam Doud once called the 2021 Apple iPad "the new boss," in his Apple iPad (2021) review, which, admittedly, is a lot like the old boss. That's not a bad thing -- it just means Apple got it right the first time, and with its return, they got it right again, with a little more power inside. It has great battery life, powerful internal hardware, and offers a big upgrade to the front-facing camera from the previous generation. Plus, the base storage is increased and much more acceptable with today's data-heavy activities. Grab this deal while it lasts.

Read more
You won’t believe how cheap this iPad is, thanks to Cyber Monday
apple ipad 10 2 air deals amazon summer sale 2020 inch hero 720x720

Most shoppers who are on the lookout for Cyber Monday tablet deals are likely hoping to take advantage of Cyber Monday iPad deals. If you're one of them, here's an offer that you shouldn't miss -- $59 off for the Wi-Fi, 64GB version of the 2021 Apple iPad, which brings the device's price on Amazon down to a more affordable $270 from its sticker price of $329. You'll have to hurry though because this is your last chance to take advantage of the discount if you missed out on Black Friday. Whenever an iPad's price is slashed, it sells out quickly, like most of the similar offers involving Apple's tablets. There's no other major shopping event this year, so buy the iPad now if you want to receive it ahead of the holiday season.

Why you should buy the 2021 Apple iPad
The 10th-generation Apple iPad was released last month, so the price of the 9th-generation Apple iPad was expected to get slashed in this year's Cyber Monday deals. However, despite the launch of its predecessor, the 2021 iPad shouldn't be considered obsolete, especially if you want to buy Apple's tablet on a tight budget. Between the 2022 iPad and 2021 iPad, last year's model is better suited for light browsing with its larger bezels. This year's model replaces the Lightning port with a USB-C port and moves the selfie camera to above the screen in the landscape orientation -- if neither change excites you, then you're fine with going with the 2021 iPad, especially since both models can run the latest iPadOS 16.

Read more