Finding a great Black Friday iPad deal might be on your list this holiday season. Despite this, there are some Apple tablets you should avoid — no matter the discount you might find. Here’s a look at the iPads you should skip and those to consider this Black Friday.
It’s about iPadOS support, folks
Each year, Apple releases new software versions for its most important products, such as iPhone, Mac, and iPad. The current operating system for iPad, for example, is iPadOS 16. x, which was released in October. This will eventually be replaced by iPadOS 17. x in late 2023.
When Apple launches new software versions, some products are left behind regarding compatibility. For example, the iPad Air 2 and iPad 5 supported iPadOS 15. However, neither can run iPadOS 16. Therefore, compatibility is something to consider when buying an older Apple device, either new or used.
Even if you find a significant discount on an older iPad, it wouldn’t be valuable to you long-term if it doesn’t support the latest operating systems. Therefore, I strongly suggest avoiding the following models, which are the ones most likely not to support iPadOS 17:
- iPad (5th generation) (2017, 2018)
- iPad 6 (2018, 2019)
- iPad Air (3rd generation) (2019, 2020)
- iPad Pro (1st generation) (2015/16, 2017)
- iPad Pro (2nd generation) (2017, 2018)
- iPad Pro (3rd generation) (2018, 2020)
Get these models instead
The following older iPad models are ones you should consider buying this Black Friday if you come across a terrific deal:
- iPad mini (5th generation) (2019, discontinued in 2021)
- iPad 7 (2019, 2020)
- iPad 8 (2020, 2021)
- iPad 9 (2021, 2022)
- iPad Air (4th generation) (2020, 2022)
- iPad Pro (4th generation) (2020, 2021)
- iPad Pro (5th generation) (2021, 2022)
When in doubt, you can always check our list of the best iPads.
Check out these deals
Black Friday iPad deals are already online at various retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and many others. These deals will change often between now and the actual day, Friday, November 25. Here’s a few worth checking out right now:
When do the Black Friday iPad deals begin?
Officially, Black Friday will kick off on Nov. 25 this year, and there are already some deals available. This is when many stores offer the lowest prices of the year on some models.