During major shopping events like Black Friday, Prime Day, and the new Amazon Prime Big Deal Days, Apple products are always some of the most sought-after devices. The company's beloved iPad is leading the charge and is available in many different models and flavors. But is Prime Big Deal Days the right time to buy an iPad, or should you hold onto your money for another big sales event?
Read more: Amazon October Prime Day 2023: The best deals you can shop now
Let's look at what we expect from Amazon's upcoming shopping event so you can decide whether it's the right time to snag a shiny new iPad.
Should you buy an iPad on Prime Big Deal Days?
The quick answer to your query is simple: yes, Prime Big Deal Days will be a good time to buy an iPad at a discount. It's a good time to buy whenever you can get a current (or even a couple of models removed) iPad at a discount.
If you're looking for a new iPad, ensure the deal you're looking at isn't for a refurbished or renewed model, as that'll be one that was traded in or returned and given a refresh to be like new but not actually brand new. If you want a refurbished model, you want to ensure a reputable seller like Amazon is selling it because you don't want a shady third-party refurbish job.
As long as it's new (or properly refurbished, and you're not being tricked into thinking it's new) and the discount brings the price down to a range that's within your budget, Prime Deal Days is the perfect time to pull the trigger. Because Amazon is trying to establish this event as a major shopping holiday like the regular Prime Day or Black Friday, we expect the company to push prices as low as possible, so waiting is unlikely to net you any better deals.
Which iPad models should you look for on Prime Big Deal Days?
Once you've decided to get an iPad, you'll need to know which models to look out for. The current iPad models sold new by Apple are the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation), iPad Air (5th generation), iPad (10th generation), iPad 9th generation), and iPad mini (6th generation)
Those models have the longest line of software updates and the newest hardware (with the expectation of the 9th generation iPad, which is a slightly older model that Apple continues to sell as a budget-friendly slate). You should jump on these models if you find good deals on them.
You could also look for deals on slightly older iPad models, but you'll need to accept that they come with more dated chips, and they're already a couple (or more) years into their software support lifecycle. I wouldn't recommend going much older than one generation for select models, which means you could keep your eyes on an iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation), and iPad Air (4th generation). I wouldn't recommend going much older than the 6th generation iPad mini and 9th generation iPad because they were released in 2021 and are already showing their age.
You probably won't see too many deals on new devices for the older models, so you'll likely be looking at a refurbished iPad. This is because these devices are discontinued.
We'll keep you updated all during Prime Big Deal Days with all the deals (both iPad-related and otherwise), so check Pocket-lint leading up to and throughout the shopping event to find the best deals on the stuff you need. If you want to take advantage of the deals, you must be an Amazon Prime member, so make sure you sign up at the link below.
