The best Black Friday iPad deal has arrived: the 11-inch iPad Air is $449 at a large retailer, down from its list price of $599, a savings of $150. That 25% discount brings it to the lowest price we’ve ever seen for Apple’s mainstream tablet, and at the top of our must-watch list for this season’s tablet bargains.
Why This $150 iPad Air Discount Stands Out on Black Friday
Tablets do see some discounts during Black Friday, but 25% off current-gen Apple gear is a bit of an anomaly. Tablet markdowns have ranged from peaks in the mid-teens to the high teens in recent seasons, according to Adobe Analytics, which noted that this is a deeper discount. With electronics featuring prominently among Black Friday spend each year, we suspect this is the sort of price that may fly out in a popular color and capacity.
Or to put it another way: The iPad Air hardly ever comes close to the price floor for Apple’s entry-level iPad, yet today’s deal effectively closes that gap enough that almost any buyer will get significantly more capability for only a small premium over budget models.
What you get with the 11-inch iPad Air at $449
The current 11-inch iPad Air is powered by Apple’s M2 silicon and has a clear performance edge for everyday responsiveness and creative workloads over previous generations of the Air. Apple has promised compelling gains over the M1 Air in CPU and GPU tasks, and this comes through in real use while editing HDR photos, rendering short 4K clips, or juggling a dozen Safari tabs with Slack and email.
The Liquid Retina display covers P3 color, supports True Tone and an anti-reflective coating, so movies, games and spreadsheets all look good in bright light.
You don’t get the 120Hz ProMotion refresh of the Pro line, but the panel is sharp and color-accurate enough for creators who spend all day in apps like Lightroom, Procreate or Affinity Photo.
Key hardware perks include:
- Wi‑Fi 6E for faster wireless on compatible routers
- USB‑C port for universal charging and accessories
- All-day battery life under typical use
- 12MP landscape front camera with Center Stage
- 12MP rear camera for 4K video and rapid document scanning
There is strong accessory support: iPad Air can work with Apple Pencil Pro (and USB‑C Apple Pencil) and also the Magic Keyboard, modeled after a laptop but easy to carry in a backpack for sharing notes with classmates or writing while on the go. Base storage is 128GB, but there are higher options to accommodate especially heavy media users.
How It Compares to Other iPads: Air vs. Pro and Base
If you’re choosing between the 10th generation iPad and this iPad Air, today’s prices make the case for the Air. You’re getting a higher-performance chip, a better display, Wi‑Fi 6E and wider accessory compatibility — upgrades that extend the usable life of the device and reserve more room for performance in future iPadOS features.
Up against the iPad Pro, the Air gives up extras such as ProMotion and that machine’s advanced display tech and higher-end chip. Power users who animate in Blender, grade hours of long‑form 4K video or rely on the Pro’s reference‑grade screen will continue to want the Pro. For most people — students, commuters, working professionals — the Air ticks all the right boxes in price, power and portability at $449.
Real-world use cases at this price for iPad Air buyers
Students can work in tandem with Apple Pencil Pro on apps such as Notability or GoodNotes and replace a pile of spiral notebooks. Photographers will be able to cull and edit RAWs in Lightroom with faster exports than on older A‑series iPads. For remote workers, the ability to dock via USB‑C to an external display and power through e‑mail, presentations and video calls with no fans or noise.
And since the iPad Air uses an M‑series chip, it’s also able to partake in Apple’s on‑device AI features rolling out to compatible iPads over time, according to Apple’s platform notes — future‑proofing is a rarity at this price point.
Buying tips and availability for the 11-inch iPad Air
At $449, you can expect to see some of the colors or models with 128GB break in line a little first. Occasionally, retailers will make the best price available only if you use a coupon code or accept their auto‑applied discount at checkout, so be sure to look there as well before deciding that a deal has evaporated. You may also see price matching at other large stores shortly after a record low has sprung up elsewhere.
If you’re torn between Air and Pro, think about shifting any savings here toward Apple Pencil Pro or Magic Keyboard — both hugely change the utility of the iPad Air. Also investigate trade‑in values and extended coverage options if you own the device for a number of years.
Bottom line: This is the uncommon iPad deal that offers both instant value and long-term headroom. If you’ve been eyeing the 11-inch iPad Air, it’s $150 Black Friday discount is the time to make a move.
