The Black Friday sales season is here! The prices shown below are the best available now, though you may need to buy quickly as some deals will sell out.
Not quite smartphone, not quite laptop – yes, it’s the humble tablet. Globally popularised by the iPad in 2010, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a household without one or two knocking about. But tablets can be expensive, even though their capabilities rarely match those of a fully-fledged Mac or PC.
Some are cheaper though, and tablets are an ideal media consumption device, especially on-the-go.
The good news is there are often cheap tablet deals about and retailers can give big discounts to big brands; from Apple to Google, Acer to Huawei. If it runs iOS or Android (as most do), you’ve got thousands of awesome apps at your disposal.
It’s important to make sure the tablet you’re buying isn’t a dud – while you’re safe with just about any recent iPad, not all Android tablets are created equal. Check out our rankings of the best tablets and best cheap tablets for inspiration and some detailed buying advice, so that you know what to look for.
Best tablet deals right now
What tablet deals are available?
You occasionally see the odd bit of money off an iPad, so look at retailers like Currys PC World and Argos for those, as Apple itself doesn’t often discount its iPads. There are always iPads on its Refurbished Store all year round though. Official resellers like KRCS can sometimes offer more competitive prices too.
Android tablets are far more likely to be sold at more competitive prices, given their generally lower RRPs in the first place – though even high-ticket Samsung and Google tablets can also get a good price cut – so keep your eyes peeled on this page.
There are, of course, 2-in-1 tablet computer hybrids, such as the Microsoft Surface Pro and the Surface Go, which run Windows 10. Though slightly pricey, we have an entire article dedicated to Microsoft Surface deals, which goes through the new models, accessories, usual prices, and, of course, where to find the best deals – including how to spot deals on refurbished devices and student discounts.
Amazon’s Fire tablets all have low prices to start with and are criminally low when they go on sale – which is surprisingly frequently. They tend to drop from ‘affordable’ to ‘essential’ with offers across the Fire tablet range.
If you find that you’re missing out on Amazon’s Lightning deals, which run for just a few hours and offer limited stock, we’d recommend signing up for Amazon’s 30-day free trial of Prime, which will get you access to deals 30 minutes before everyone else. Plus, you’ll get free next-day delivery with the Prime trial, as well as access to Prime Instant Video and more.
Sign up for Prime now to take advantage.
See our guide on the best Amazon tablet, which includes comparisons, reviews and buying advice. Tech Advisor also has a range of articles on tablets, tablet cases and related gadgets and accessories which should also help you decide.
Tablet deals for students
Another great resource to help you snag deals is Tech Advisor’s Student Beans page. The Tech and Mobile section can help you save up to 25% on big brands such as Apple (10% off for students), Asus, HP, Lenovo, Logitech and many more. See all tech student deals here.
Here are a few of the best places to check for tablet bargains:
Best Tablet Deals
1. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 (128GB, WiFi)
Now: £589.99 (£29.01 off)
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The WiFi-only 11in Tab S7 is still an absolute powerhouse despite being at the bottom of Samsung’s latest tablet ladder. Best of all, it’s already available with a discount, courtesy of Amazon.
2. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (64GB, cellular)
Now: £349 (£50 off)
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The capable Galaxy Tab S6 Lite boasts a 10.4in display, AKG-tuned audio, S Pen support and right now, you can nab the LTE cellular model for the price of the WiFi-only SKU on Amazon.
3. Apple iPad 10.2in (2020, 128GB, cellular)
Now: £539.97 (£19.03 off)
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The latest 10.2in iPad gets a notable performance upgrade over its predecessor and retains Apple Pencil support too. Despite only just hitting the market, this 4G-capable model boasts the biggest discount of the entire range, with £19 off on Amazon already.
4. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 (128GB, cellular)
Now: £529 (£60 off)
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Shave £60 off Samsung’s best and brightest tablet of 2019 – the Galaxy Tab S6, thanks to this Amazon offer.
5. Apple iPad Air (2019, WiFi, 256GB)
Now: £629 (£60 off)
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Out the gate, you can save £60 on the latest iPad Air but Very.co.uk is also offering discounts on related accessory bundles too.
6. Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e (64GB)
Now: £371 (£69 off)
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Samsung’s well-rounded Galaxy Tab S5e enjoys a tidy discount on Amazon right now.
7. Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite 10 (4GB RAM, 64GB)
Now: £209.99 (£60 off)
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Huawei’s MediaPad M5 Lite 10 sports a Kirin 659 octa-core processor, a 10in WUXGA IPS display, EMUI 8.0 OS atop an Android operating system and, thanks to Very, a tidy discount.
8. Apple iPad Mini (2019, WiFi, 64GB)
Now: £376.95 (£22.05 off)
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A nice £20 discount on the latest generation iPad mini, courtesy of Amazon.
9. Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5in (2018, 32GB)
Now: £230 (£140 off)
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Samsung’s dependable Galaxy Tab A line continues to impress, with £140 off this sizeable 10.5in model. Get immersed by its quad-speaker setup and enjoy up to 15 hours of video playback, courtesy of its 7300mAh battery.
10. Apple iPad Pro 9.7in (2016, 32GB, cellular, refurbished)
From: Apple Refurbished Store
Was: £639
Now: £409 (£230 off)
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This is the cheapest you’ll find an iPad Pro. Apple’s Refurbished Store is a great way to get iPad deals, and this 2016 model is no exception.
11. Huawei MediaPad T5 10.1in (3GB RAM, 32GB)
From: Amazon
Was: £169.99
Now: £160.80 (£9.19 off)
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Huawei’s family-friendly T5 tablet boasts a large Full HD display, stereo speakers and content control settings so kids can play games and watch cartoons safely.
12. Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite 8 (3GB RAM, 32GB)
Now: £159.99 (£40 off)
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A crisp Full HD IPS display, Harmon Kardon-tuned audio, dual stereo speakers and a larger 5100mAh battery – despite the name, the Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite 8 isn’t light on features and thanks to Very comes with a nice discount too.
Black Friday will take place on Friday 27 November, immediately followed by Cyber Monday on 30 November. Traditionally the biggest sales event of the year, but with so much uncertainty around finance and retail, and no guarantees regarding what discounts we will see, we advise you not to wait: if you see a deal you like, on a product you need, and you can afford the outlay, buy it today.
If you want to see what’s on offer right now, we already have a constantly-updated rundown of the Best Black Friday Deals in tech worth your time.
