Black Friday tablet deals are live - I've picked the best offers on iPads, Galaxy Tabs, Fire Tabs and more

I'm throwing the first curveball of the week here, as Currys has sliced the price of the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold to £1,499, which is a healthy saving of £300. Now that's a lot for a phone but for a phone-meets-compact-foldable-tablets, it's not too bad.

Add in the excellent cameras the Pixel 9 Pro Fold offers, plus a load of baked-in smart features and you're looking at a small tablet that can do a lot. Now I've not tried it, but as you'll see in our Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold review, its an excellent device and one that could be worth your attention if your after one of the best foldable phones that can double up as a tablet.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: was £1,749 now £1,449 at Currys

Again, so far I'm mostly seeing the best tablet deals on iPads and Samsung Galaxy Tab devices. But I'm holding out hope that we'll see other tablets drop in prcie, say those from Google.

As flagged by my colleague James Pickard on his rundown of Argos Black Friday deals to buy right now, the budget Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 is down to a record-low price at the UK retailer.

For a £129, this is an Android tablet that's worth your time. It may be smaller than the Tab S range, but its 8.6-inch screen makes for a neat compact tablet. It won't blow you away in terms of storage or performance, but for some most tablet tasks, like web browsing and content consumption, it's fine. Go check it out.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A9: was £169 now £129 at Argos

Here's a deal over on Walmart that I can 100% back: the iPad mini 2021 for $389. That's a neat saving of $110 on a fantastic tablet.

How do I know that? Well it's my tablet of choice. I love the compact dimensions, which make it a fantastic e-reader and note-taking device, as well as a flat, rectangular gaming console. Whenever I go on a trip, I have the iPad mini on me and I reckon you should too.

Apple iPad mini (2021): was $499 now $389 at Walmart

Ah Tuesday, a day that's shows you're past the hard start of the week but you're still a way aways from the weekend. It's cold and wet in London, so how does one warm up? Well with some hot deals...

Only, aside from the deals above, I'm not seeing ones that I wants to shout the house down about. Americans should check out a Walmart sale that's underway and Brits should take a gander at an Argos sale, just don't expect a bevy of tablet deals right now.

So here's a thing: having just cleared up our Black Friday tablet deals page, I've noticed some prices for iPads have crept back up. Or they have disappeared completely, meaning to get a deal today you need to opt for a more expensive model with higher storage.

I've changed the deals above to reflect that, but this is a sign that if you see a deal that really appeals to you, then jump on it quickly before it disappears. Sure you can wait until November 29th, but by then you you may have lost your chance to snag a great deal.

You might wonder who am I to recommend tablets? Well, I've been using tablets since the old Google Nexus 7, a delightful little Android tablet; it lacked the slick software of iPads at the time, but had GPS and so could be used a form of pseudo third-party in-car navigation for my old Vauxhall Astra. Sadly, it stopped charging and I could never get it working again.

After that, I remember getting an iPad mini, and have been using variants of that ever since, interspersed with various Android tablets as my secondary devices. Overall, I'm in the iPad camp but Android tablets are still great pieces of hardware, especially those from Samsung.

As an aside, if you have grabbed an iPad in the deals already, or a planning to get one, may I recommend signing up to Apple Arcade. It's Cupertino's own gaming service that provides a whole suite of Apple-only games, as well as a few ported over titles.

The games that have caught my attention are Game of Thrones: Tale of Crows, LIMBO+ and Bleak Sword, all of which work rather well on tablets; I find the iPad mini is excellent at gaming on the go.

It's the week before Black Friday proper, so I think we can expect the tablet deals to start gathering pace. Though as you can see above, there's a fair amount available.

I think you can expect to see bigger discounts on some of the pricier iPads and flash sales on some Android tablets. I also forecast a good suite of Kindle deals come next week; can't guarantee these as such deals can be fleeting.

Another suite of deals to look out for this Black Friday 'season' is for tablets accessories. Usually, you'll be able to find the likes of the Apple Pencil for discount prices, along with a mix of covers for iPad and Android tablets.

Just be sure to check what version of Apple Pencil you need for your iPad, as there have been several generations and some are not backwards compatible.

If you happened to have landed on this page somewhat randomly, and are pondering the question 'do I need a tablet?' then allow me to try to answer that.

In a word: no. Your phone is portably a perfectly capable device with a big enough screen for some mobile computing action.

But in a broader sense, tablets are luxury devices that tend to augment your tech arsenal. I find them to be fantastic device for media consumption, web browsing in comfort without the need for a proper computer, and great little gaming devices. I also read a heck of a lot on my iPad mini, so can vouch for its e-reader credentials.

Speaking of Cyber Monday, I reckon this year you'll simply see a refresh of a lot of the deals for tablets seen across Black Friday itself and in the run up to the day.

I don't forecast any massive discounts on already cut-price products, so I don't think Cyber Monday tablet deals are worth holding out for if you already have a deal in mind.

Equally, if you miss the deals, then Cyber Monday is your next best chance to score a discounted tablet.

My advice on scoring the a good Black Friday tablet deal is to work out what type of tablet you want and then check the links in this article to see if it's on sale; do make sure to regularly check back here.

Once you've worked out what you want, and you've seen a decent deal, I'd suggest jumping on it. With tablet deals, stock can quickly sell out and not be refreshed during Black Friday or on Cyber Monday.

As for when you should jump on a tablet deal? Conventional wisdom would say wait for Black Friday itself on November 29.

However, from my experience, as retailers look to get bigger slice of the sales pie, you can see some of the best discounts ahead of Black Friday proper.

As such, if you wait too long to jump on a deal then you could find it comes and goes before you've pulled the trigger, so to speak. Browse through the deals above and you'll see plenty that probably won't fall much further in the next couple of weeks.

So let's talk about what makes a good Black Friday tablets deal.

In general, you can expect to save around $100 / £100 off standard tablets; think those that cost around $500 / £500 or below.

For more expensive tablets, those discounts can extend from $150 / £150 to several hundred dollars or pounds; it depends on the tablet, as the likes of newer iPad Pros might not get huge prices cuts, while Android tablets could see some big drops in price.

I'm an advocate of gaming on tablets, especially iPads, which sport compatibility with the PS5 DualSense controller. The latest controller from PlayStation has quietly become one of my favorites, up there with the Xbox Wireless Controller, thanks to its palm-filling design, haptics, comfortable buttons and adaptive triggers.

But it's not exactly cheap, though not much with the latest generation of gaming gear is... but Walmart has your back in the US and EE has got you in the UK. So check out the links below and snap up a fantastic controller.

PS5 Volcanic Red Dualsense controller: was $79.99 now $67.99 at Walmart

PS5 DualSense Chroma Pearl: was £69.99 now £57.99 at EE
PS5 DualSense Chroma Indigo: was £69.99 now £57.99 at EE

Want a cheaper Samsung tablet? Then Samsung itself has a neat deal on the Galaxy Tab S9 FE, which can be had for as little as $49.99 with a trade-in rebate and a $120 up-front discount, or $299 without trade-in.

Now I can't attest to the quality of the Galaxy Tab S9 FE, but my colleague, Senior US Phones Editor Philip Berne, praised the larger-screened model in his Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus review, so I feel that praise can be ported over to the smaller tablet, especially if you can get it for a mere $50-ish. How much you save will of course depend on what you trade in, but even a Galaxy S22 or iPhone 12 would net you about $110-120 off, in addition to the $120 up front.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE: was $449.99 now $299.99 at Samsung

So you've gone and grabbed yourself a 12.9-inch iPad Pro or iPad Air M2 from the deals above. What's next?

Well, I suggest grabbing a Magic Keyboard to turn your Apple tablet into a pseudo laptop. Now, this combination of keys, a trackpad and magnetic stand isn't cheap – but Amazon has cut the price by more than $100 in the US (no UK deal yet, sorry Brits). That makes the keyboard-come-cover a much more attractive purchase; might be tempted to keep an eye out for this myself.

Apple Magic Keyboard: was $349 now $244.99 at Amazon

Samsung tablets have often played second-fiddle to iPads, but with more recent Galaxy Tabs, Sammy's Android slates are now very viable iPad alternatives,. And the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is at the top of the pile, with powerful specs, a neat design and AI features such as Circle to Search.

Over in the US, there a healthy $1,000 discount to be had on the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, but you'll need to go direct to Samsung and combine an upfront $200 discount and up to $800 trade-in rebate for your existing tablet.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra: was $1,199.99 now $199.99 at Samsung

I've yet to see may compelling Black Friday Kindle deals, but this one is a start. Okay, so it's a $20 saving off the list price, but a Kindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle for $184 isn't bad at all.

In this bundle, which would make a great Christmas gift for the reader in your life or just for yourself, there's the best-selling Kindle Paperwhite, a fabric cover, and a power adapter. I'd say it's worth checking out now, especially if you're after an ereader and will be traveling abroad before Black Friday proper.

Kindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle: was $204.97 now $184.97 at Amazon

Allow me to mix things up again and recommend a deal on an iPad accessory that I think is essential if you're going to use an iPad on the go. Say hello, third-generation AirPods.

Over on Walmarkt (check out our Walmart best Black Friday deals rundown) you can get the latest AirPods for $94. That's a nice drop from $169, and makes them almost an impulse buy.

Impressive all-around audio quality, a comfortable fit and simple connectivity to other Apple devices, and the AIrPods 3 are simply a no-brainer at a discount price.

Apple AirPods (3rd Generation): was $169 now $94 at Walmart

Bit of a left-field one here but the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is actually a pseudo tablet, as well as one of the best foldable phones you can buy right now. As a Galaxy Fold fan myself, I found it works rather well as a compact tablet for jotting down emails, notes and quick-and-fast articles on the go.

And over at Currys it's had a £300 price cut, which makes it a bit of a bargain; that's relatively speaking. For US readers I'd suggest keeping an eye on Best Buy for equivalent deals on the Fold 6.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (256GB): was £1,799 now £1,499 at Currys

Next up is the iPad Air, this model coming equipped with the rather powerful M2 chip. That makes for a rather gutsy iPad but without the Pro price tag. And now with a Black Friday deals discount, this is one iPad I can wholly recommend.

From my perspective, the M2 iPad Air is a great workhorse device, able to pull double duties as a pseudo laptop when paired with a Magic Keyboard (just bear in mind this is a rather pricey accessory). But the M2 chip also means it can runs some games like the excellent Divinity Original Sin 2. So definitely check out the delas links below.

Apple iPad Air 11-inch (2024): was $599 now $549 at Amazon US

Apple iPad Air 11-inch (2024): was £599 now £559 at Amazon UK

It might seem odd recommending a three-year old tablet, but the 9th-gen iPad 10.2-inch still has the power and capabilities to be relevant today. Sure, the design is a bit old-hat, but I'd also say it's a classic. Plus the A13 Bionic chip is stll pretty great at most day-to-day tablet tasks.

And as this Currys deal shaves £20 off the usual price, and brings it to within £30 of its lowest ever price from any UK retailer, it's worth a look, my dear UK-based readers.

Apple iPad 10.2 (2021): was £319.99 now £299 at Currys

Another Amazon Fire tablet deal to throw into the mix: right now the Fire HD 10 is on sae over at Amazon US (no UK deal at the time of writing).

This tablet won't scare off the likes of the best iPads, but it's got enough going for it to works as a neat media consumption device. And the 10.1-inch full HD display at makes everything look slick, including movies and TV shows.

Furthermore, if you fancy making use of the tablet for video-calling, then the front-facing camera will make you and your surroundings look great. Check it out.

Amazon Fire HD 10: was $139.99 now $74.99 at Amazon

My parents always taught me that having favorites was wrong, but I'm going to brush over that and flag my iPad deal of choice, at least for today.

It's over in the US, so sorry late-evening UK readers, but you can get the sixth-generation iPad mini for $389 at Walmart right now. That's a neat saving of $110 on the tablet I use the most.

Sure it's not the latest iPad mind, but it has the same design and plenty of power for most compact tablet tasks. I love it and you probably will to.

Apple iPad mini (2021): was $499 now $389 at Walmart

One retailer where you can find some super-cheap tablets right now is on Amazon in the US, where the Fire HD 8 tablet can be had for a mere $54.99.

Now that amount of money doesn't get you an iPad-rival, but instead you get a capable tablet build around an Amazon ecosystem; think Kindle, Prime Video and more.

With an 8-inch display and a rugged build, it's a good for use as a secondary tablet or one for kids to play with. Give it a look.

Amazon All-new Fire HD 8 Tablet: was $99.99 now $54.99 at Amazon US

Over to iPads and my biggest recommendation right now is a deal on Best Buy and Laptops Direct for the 10.2-inch standard iPad. It's not the most powerful or newest iPad around, but for an entry-level iPad it's great and well worth a look.

I'd recommend you use it as a streaming, web-browsing and Apple Arcade gaming device, plus a machine for taking notes on and the occasional bit pf digital sketching.

Apple iPad 10.2 (2021): was $329.99 now $199.99 at Best Buy

Apple iPad 10.2 (2021): was £300 now £219 at Laptops Direct

Ok speaking of Android tablets, allow me to introduce a deal on the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9. It's not the latest Samsung Galaxy tablet but it sports a solid suite of specs.

And even better, with an 8.9-inch display, it's compact enough to to a carry around in a coat pocket, making it a great on-the-go tablet. Though the US deal below is for the 10.9-inch model, which is very much worth a look.

A total of 64GB of storage isn't exactly generous, but it's enough to get you by, especially if you lean on cloud storage and streaming services.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 Plus: was $319.99 now $259.99 at Best Buy

Samsung Galaxy Tab A9: was £169 now £128 at Very

On the Android front you have a decent suite of options. These range from a mix of Samsung Galaxy Tab series tablets, both high and lower end, to the likes of the OnePlus Pad, and then on the budget end the Amazon Fire HD 10. To get our rundown of the tablets we'd choose, check out our selection of the best Android tablets list

My personal recommendation would be the OnePlus Pad, given its combo of specs and keen price, which is likely to drop as more Black Friday deals pop up.

Okay then, let's first talk about some tablet deals I think you should look out for. The first cohort being iPads.

Apple's tech slates are reassuringly expensive but do tend to get sliced in price come the big sales events. Key models tend to be older iPad Pros, say ones before the current generation which have tumbled in price and ripe for sales as the likes of Best Buy and Currys seemingly try to clear inventory.

Equally, cheaper iPad like the iPad mini (again older models) are also subject to some price cuts, with a good chunk of change ready to be saved. And even these older and less powerful iPads are more than capable for general tablet tapping; from Netflix to gaming and more. I'd personally go for a cheaper fifth-generation iPad mini or a cut-price iPad 10.1-inch.

Hello and welcome to the live element of this early Black Friday tablet deals roundup. I'm your host, Managing Editor Roland Moore-Colyer, a bit of a Black Friday veteran and leader of TechRadar's Mobile Computing division. So come with me on a tablet deals journey, and hopefully you'll find a cut-price tablet suited for you.