Best iPad deals December 2022

While the very best iPad deals come around during major sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday or Amazon Prime Day, you can still find plenty of great discounts at all times of the year if you know where to look. Whether you’re after the high-end iPad Pro or the most affordable entry-level iPad, there’s likely a sale going on somewhere you may be interested in.

Of course, it’s difficult to know exactly where you can find the most notable deals unless you’re scouring the major retailers on a daily basis. But that’s often what our deal hunters at The Verge are doing each and every day, so let us help you out. Below, we’ve listed the best deals you can get on each iPad model that is currently available, including the latest ones equipped with Apple’s powerful M1 chip.

Announced over one year ago during Apple’s iPhone 13 event, the 2021 iPad is Apple’s entry-level tablet that replaced the eighth-gen model from 2020. The ninth-generation iPad starts at $329, just like its predecessor, though the entry-level model has 64GB of storage instead of 32GB. This base configuration with Wi-Fi is currently available at Amazon or Walmart for $299 ($30 off), which is pretty typical but not quite as good as the $60 discount it was recently on.

As for the next bump up in storage, 256GB, it normally costs $479, but Walmart has that configuration with Wi-Fi for $399. This is a very good deal, especially as it normally only drops to $429. If you prefer your iPad to include cellular connectivity, the 64GB LTE-equipped configuration runs $459, and the 256GB variant is $609.

The 2021 model iPad uses an A13 Bionic processor and a 12MP wide-angle camera with Center Stage, a feature designed for keeping you framed up and centered while on video calls. Many other features carried over from its predecessor, such as the 10.2-inch display, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor built into the home button, and a Smart Connector for connecting a Smart Keyboard.

While the newer 10th-gen iPad came out recently, a last-gen model is still worth considering. The new 10.9-inch iPad modernizes the design with a switch to USB-C, uniform bezels with no home button, a side power button with a fingerprint sensor, and a larger display, but it also excises the headphone jack and costs a much steeper $449. That’s not much of an entry-level price, so hopefully, the ninth-gen sticks around and continues to see moderate discounts.

The sixth-generation iPad Mini has a larger screen than its predecessor, along with a top-of-the-line processor, support for USB-C, and options for 5G. It has forfeited its 3.5mm headphone jack and dedicated home button in the process, but overall, it’s a solid device that brings a fully refreshed design to Apple’s small tablet form factor.

The changes and refinements to the new iPad Mini come at a heftier price, however, and the new 64GB Wi-Fi model now starts at $499. Electing for 256GB of storage brings the price up to $649, while the 5G cellular models are $649 for 64GB and $799 for 256GB. These are some big numbers for a small iPad, and the larger iPad Air might be worth considering if you prefer your dollar to go further with more screen real estate. But if you want the latest and greatest from Apple in a smaller format, this is where the action is.

There have been some sizable discounts on the sixth-gen Mini recently, though right now the 64GB base model is only $40 off at Amazon, where it’s $459.98 in select colors. If you’re in need of additional storage, Amazon and Walmart have the 256GB Wi-Fi model for $617 — a small discount of $32. As for the 5G-equipped variant, which usually sells for $649 and starts with 64GB of storage, it’s available on Amazon for $599 ($50 off).

If the prior-generation iPad Mini has given any indication, the biggest discounts on the 2021 iPad Mini can be infrequent and fleeting, partly because it has such minimal competition in its product segment.

The latest iPad Air usually costs $599 but is currently available at its best price to date. Amazon has it knocked down by $50 off for the base 64GB Wi-Fi-equipped configuration, bringing the 10.9-inch tablet down to $549 in all colors. This isn’t the lowest price we’ve seen on the latest Air, which was around $520, but it’s the best around right now.

For those who crave more storage on the new iPad Air, the 256GB configuration is available for $679 from Walmart and Amazon. That reflects a $70 discount off the usual price of $749, which is near the lowest we’ve seen for this configuration.

The 2022 iteration of Apple’s lightweight tablet is similar in terms of its capabilities when measured against the previous-gen model but still offers a handful of iterative upgrades. The most pronounced improvement is the M1 processor, which offers better performance, and the front-facing 12MP camera comes equipped with Apple’s Center Stage feature that helps to keep a moving subject centered when recording video or during video calls. While it may feel risky to buy an iPad before new ones are announced, it’s not likely the Air will see any changes.

The 2021 iPad Pro stood atop Apple’s tablet line, at least until the newer M2-powered 2022 iPad Pro models came out. The slightly older M1 Pros share the same processor as the cheaper iPad Air but still feature standout reasons to opt for a Pro — such as Face ID unlocking and more base storage. Also, if display quality is the most important factor in your purchasing decision, the 12.9-inch 2021 iPad Pro is the way to go. The larger variant of the fifth-gen model makes use of a Mini LED display, which is engineered to produce deeper blacks and better contrast, much like OLED technology. Additionally, both the 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pros tout Apple’s fast M1 chip as well as features like Center Stage. They’re still some of the most impressive and expensive iPads to date, with the 11- and 12.9-inch configurations normally starting at $799 and $1,099, respectively.

The new M2 iPad Pros that are replacing the M1 generation start at the same price, and while you can opt for the new spec-bumped versions, it may be worthwhile to get a bigger deal on an M1 while you still can.

The 11-inch, 128GB iPad Pro with Wi-Fi starts at $799. While we’ve previously seen the price of this model drop to as low as $650, right now, it’s discounted to $649.99 ($150 off) at Best Buy.

If you prefer the larger 12.9-inch model with its striking Mini LED screen, the best deal around right now is on the base 128GB version with Wi-Fi for $799.99 (about $300 off) at Best Buy. The next step up for 256GB is also $300 off at Best Buy.

If you want to go for broke and get much more storage on this big iPad Pro from 2021, Best Buy has the 512GB one, and Amazon has the 1TB version, each for around $400 off. Those prices may be as good as it gets until the M1 iPad Pros are no longer being sold. They’re excellent prices if you need lots of built-in storage to try and make your iPad a laptop replacement, but keep in mind you’ll also need to spend more on additional accessories like a keyboard case.

The latest generation of iPad Pros looks a whole lot like the ones from 2021, as the changes are primarily on the inside. The new Pros still come in 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes, with the better-looking Mini LED panel once again reserved for only the larger model, but both are now packing Apple’s newer M2 CPU.

Aside from that, and a nifty new hover feature that shows where your second-gen Apple Pencil’s tip will land before you touch the screen, they’re very similar to the older 2021 versions. They even start at the same $799 for the 11-inch and $1,099 for the 12.9-inch — both in 128GB base configurations — and go up from there. As for 5G cellular versions, the 11-inch starts at $999 and the 12.9-inch starts at $1,299.

It’s still a little early for notable deals on these iterative high-end Apple tablets, but you can get the 11-inch iPad Pro with 128GB of storage for $749 ($50 off) at Amazon. Or, if you prefer the larger 12.9-inch with Mini LED, Amazon has that M2-powered iPad Pro for $1,069.99 (about $30 off). That’s as good as it gets for now, though we did once see the 12.9-inch get a nice $100 discount for a brief window. Perhaps in the coming months or new year we’ll see more substantial discounts across both models.

Until then, get yourself a deal on the M1 iPad Pro while you still can.