When Is the Best Time to Buy an iPad? A Month-by-Month Look

Your cart has held the same iPad Air for a week, and the price hasn't moved a cent. Do you buy it right now, or hold out for a sale that might be a month away? The calendar can answer that, once you know which dates actually move iPad prices and by how much.

The best time to buy an iPad is Black Friday week, or the weeks after Apple replaces the model you want. On Black Friday 2025, retailers took $75 to $150 off most current iPads. Apple raised its iPad list prices in June 2026, according to reports, so judge any sale against today's price rather than last year's. Apple itself rarely discounts a current iPad; retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy do.

Why iPad Prices Move (and Who Moves Them)

Three things set what you pay: Apple's list price, retailer sales, and Apple's launch calendar. Apple sets the list price and mostly leaves it alone on its own store. Retailers are the ones who cut it, usually around big sale events.

The launch calendar matters most. A new iPad works like the new season's coats arriving at a clothing store: the moment they hit the racks, last season's stock gets marked down to make room. In one 2022 example, a base iPad fell from $329 to $272 at a retailer after Apple released a new model that May. This means the model being replaced is often the best buy of the year.

The June 2026 Price Rise

In June 2026, Apple raised US list prices across the iPad line, citing the cost of memory and storage as AI data centers buy up more of it. Apple said it had "never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly," according to reports at the time. Here is how the list prices moved:

• iPad (11-inch, A16): $349 to $449
• iPad mini (8.3-inch, A17 Pro): $499 to $599
• iPad Air (11-inch, M4): $599 to $749
• iPad Air (13-inch, M4): $799 to $949
• iPad Pro (11-inch, M5): $999 to $1,199
• iPad Pro (13-inch, M5): $1,299 to $1,499

Run last year's discount against the new number and you can see the problem. A $150 cut on today's $749 iPad Air lands at $599, which was its full list price in the spring. A "deal" this year can simply be the old price back. Check the current list price on Apple's own iPad page before you judge any sale.

Month by Month: When iPad Prices Dip

Apple doesn't launch iPads on a fixed schedule, but its recent releases cluster in spring and October, and retailers stack their sales around the same few weeks every year. Here is how the year usually runs:

1. March to May: Spring Launches

Apple has launched iPads in spring three years running. The iPad Air (M2) and iPad Pro (M4) went on sale May 15, 2024. The base iPad (A16) and iPad Air (M3) were announced March 4, 2025. The iPad Air (M4) was announced March 2, 2026, and went on sale March 11. If you want the model being replaced, this is the window to watch, since retailers clear the older stock once its successor lands.

2. June to July: Price Rises and Summer Sales

June 2026 brought the list-price rise above. Amazon runs a summer sale event, but there's no dependable iPad discount from past years to plan around. If you're shopping then, compare the sale price with Apple's current list price on the day.

3. August to September: Back to School

Apple has paired an Apple Gift Card with education-priced iPad Air and iPad Pro purchases in past summers, including 2025. The gift card goes with the purchase; the price itself doesn't drop. Retailers also ran iPad deals ahead of Labor Day in 2025, with some showing up in late August.

4. October: Fall Launches and a Fall Sale

October has brought new iPads too. The iPad mini (A17 Pro) was announced Oct 15, 2024, and the iPad Pro (M5) went on sale Oct 22, 2025. Amazon's fall sale event in October 2025 had the base iPad reported at a record-low $279. A new iPad mini is rumored for the end of October 2026 (more on that below).

5. November: Black Friday and Cyber Monday

This is the most reliable window of the year. Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, Nov 26, which puts Black Friday on Friday, Nov 27, and Cyber Monday on the Monday after, Nov 30. Last year's best iPad Black Friday deals arrived early in Black Friday week, so there's little reason to sit out the Friday hoping Cyber Monday iPad prices go lower.

6. December to February: No Reliable Pattern

After the holidays, iPad prices mostly sit still until the spring launches. Deals do pop up in these months, but not on any schedule you can plan a purchase around.

What Black Friday Really Saved Last Year

Black Friday 2025 took $75 to $150 off current iPads at Amazon and Best Buy. These are the prices MacRumors reported on Nov 28, 2025, against the list prices at the time:

iPad model (2025)	Black Friday 2025 price	List price then	Saving
iPad (11th gen), 128GB	$274	$349	$75
iPad (11th gen), 256GB	$374	$449	$75
iPad mini (A17 Pro), 128GB	$399	$499	$100
iPad mini (A17 Pro), 256GB	$499	$599	$100
iPad Air 11-inch (M3), 128GB	$449	$599	$150
iPad Air 13-inch (M3)	$649	$799	$150
iPad Pro 11-inch (M5), 256GB	$899	$999	$100
iPad Pro 13-inch (M5), 512GB	$1,399	$1,499	$100

Two things stand out. The iPad Air got the deepest cut, and the iPad Pro's $100 came to about 7% to 10% off, depending on the size. And every list price in that table has since gone up, while the M3 iPad Air has been replaced by the M4. Use the savings as a guide to the size of a good Black Friday deal, then check each retailer's 2026 price on the day against Apple's current list price.

Should You Wait for the Next Model? What's Rumored

The next iPads are rumored, not announced. Apple hasn't confirmed these details, and they may change. As reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and relayed by MacRumors on Oct 11, 2026:

• iPad mini: a new model is rumored for the end of October 2026, and earlier reports pointed to an OLED display.
• Base iPad: rumored for early 2027.
• iPad Air: a larger refresh with an OLED display is rumored for 2027.
• iPad Pro: new models are rumored for spring 2027.

If one of these lands, the current version of that model is the one most likely to get cheaper at retailers, and prices for a used iPad of that model tend to slide with it.

A Quick Rule for Each Model

Put the launch calendar and last year's prices together and each model gets a simple rule:

• iPad (base): Buy at Black Friday. Its replacement isn't rumored until early 2027, so waiting past November gains you little.
• iPad mini: If you can wait a few weeks, see whether the rumored new mini arrives. If it does, the current one should get cheaper. A refurbished iPad mini is the other route.
• iPad Air: The M4 came out in March 2026 and its successor isn't rumored until 2027. In October 2026, MacRumors noted retail discounts of $20 to $60 on select iPads, with the M4 iPad Air recently $100 off, so Black Friday is the time to look for a bigger cut.
• iPad Pro: The M5 model has been out since October 2025 and a new Pro is rumored for spring 2027. If you need its features now, buy it at Black Friday; if you can wait until spring, the current Pro should drop once its replacement lands. A refurbished iPad Pro is the other way to pay less.

When Waiting Isn't Worth It

Waiting pays when the saving is big and the date is close. If the sale is months away, or the best you can expect is $100 off a price that went up in June, the calendar matters less than the price you can get today.

That's where a Plug Certified iPad comes in. Its price is already set below new, so there's no sale date to wait for. As of Oct 22, 2026, Plug Certified iPads start at $99 for a 2019 10.2-inch iPad (7th gen, 32GB, Wi-Fi), and prices move with the market. Every one passes Plug's 90+ Point Inspection, gets cleaned, and comes with Plug's 12-Month Warranty, 30-day returns and free shipping. The Good, Great and Excellent grades describe looks only; every grade is fully tested. Buy from a private seller instead and the iPad typically comes as-is, with no warranty behind it.

Whatever tablet you buy, new or pre-owned, check how long it will keep getting software updates. iPads typically get about 5 to 7 years of major iPadOS updates, though Apple doesn't promise a number, and several older models are reported not to be moving on to iPadOS 27. Find out the exact model of the iPad you're looking at, then compare it against Apple's iPadOS compatibility list. The older the model, the more this check matters.

So the rule of thumb: if the model you want is about to be replaced, or Black Friday is a few weeks out, wait. If neither is true, buy now, and put the difference between new and pre-owned toward the right model for you. If you're still choosing between models, Plug's guide to iPad vs iPad Air vs iPad Pro covers what each one is for. If you plan to draw or take notes, the iPad and Apple Pencil bundle guide is worth a look.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do iPad prices drop after Black Friday?

No, not in a way you can count on. In the 2025 coverage we checked, we found no sign of prices falling further after Black Friday, and none of it showed a December drop. Some deals came back in January 2026, with an iPad Pro reported at $100 off, which was about the same cut as Black Friday.

Will iPad prices decrease?

Not the list prices; this year they only went up. What does fall over time is an iPad's resale value. New-iPad prices tend to hold until a successor arrives, while pre-owned prices slide more steadily, which is why an earlier model bought pre-owned keeps getting cheaper even when the new one doesn't.

Do iPad Pros ever go on sale?

Yes, by modest amounts. Retail discounts on the Pro have mostly been around $100. Apple's education pricing has also taken about $100 off an entry iPad Pro, though that figure predates the June 2026 price rise, so check Apple's education store for today's number if you're a student or teacher. Buying for a child or a classroom? Plug's pick-by-age guide to the best iPad for students can narrow the model.

Are iPads on sale at the Apple Store?

Rarely, if you mean a marked-down price tag. Apple's own routes to paying less are education pricing, trade-in credit toward a new iPad, monthly financing, and its Certified Refurbished store, which comes with a one-year limited warranty. Any of those can beat waiting for a markdown that may not come.

When should I change my iPad?

When it stops getting major iPadOS updates, an app you rely on won't install, the battery no longer lasts your day, or a repair would cost close to a replacement. Apple generally keeps parts and service available for at least five years after it last sold a model, and calls it obsolete after seven.

How can I pay less for an iPad without waiting for a sale?

Buy an earlier model instead of waiting for a discount on the latest one. A Plug Certified iPad starts well below any new model, and you can split the cost with Afterpay or Affirm at checkout. Compare the model year and its update support, not only the price, so the saving lasts. Our guide to getting a cheap iPad walks through the options.