Should you buy an iPad now? We investigate when is the best time to buy an iPad
We’ve all been there. You decide to get a shiny new device, so you head to the stores and return home with your expensive purchase; all is well in the world. Then, a week later, a newer, better version is released, and you wonder if you wasted your money.
In this article we show how to avoid this trauma by explaining when is the best time to buy an iPad.
If you’re having trouble deciding which device is right for you, you should also check out our iPad buying guide.
When is the best time to buy an iPad?
It’s easier to say when the worst time to buy a new iPad is: right before a new version launches. That’s when you discover that you could have gotten more for your money and the retailer you used drops the price of the model you currently own because they want to sell off the old stock.
To avoid this, you might want to check if Apple is about to update the iPad line you’re interested in. Unfortunately, there’s no clear timetable for when Apple will update any of the iPad models, as Apple doesn’t tend to update iPads as regularly as iPhones. But you can be reasonably sure that if the iPad you want to buy is less than a year and a half old, it’s probably not about to be updated.
However, buying an iPad right after its launch isn’t necessarily the best time to buy one either. This is the time when you’ll pay the most for a new iPad, not because Apple might lower its prices, but because other retailers probably will. We see iPad deals at retailers throughout the year, but the best deals tend to happen around Amazon Prime Day (July and October) or Black Friday (November). For this reason, we recommend that now is a good time to buy a new iPad. Take a look at the best Black Friday iPad deals.
Apple doesn’t discount its products in its own stores, but does offer vouchers with new purchases from time to time – and Black Friday is one of those times, as is the back-to-school deal it offers throughout the summer months. So if you want to get Apple vouchers, these are good times to shop at the company’s stores.
When was iPad updated?
Life would be a little easier for iPad fans if you could always count on the latest update for your favorite model appearing in September, like it does for the iPhone. Instead, Apple updates its iPads on a less predictable schedule, with new models tending to appear around September/October or April, and often with a gap of two years or more between updates.
Here’s a list of iPads on sale today and when they were last updated:
When will Apple release new iPads?
The next update will probably be for the iPad mini (A17 Pro), we also hope that Apple will update the iPad A16 soon as it is incompatible with Apple Intelligence features. As for when to expect these updates, Spring 2026 is possible but we think we could wait until Fall 2026.
Is now a good time to buy an iPad?
Here’s our breakdown of the four types of iPads Apple currently sells, and in each case whether you should buy now or wait.
Should I buy an iPad (A16, 2025)?
Best prices today:
$324.99
BUY (but consider an alternative)
- Last update: March 2025
- Is now a good time to buy? Yes. But keep in mind that there are some Apple Intelligence features you won’t get now or in the future, so another iPad might be a better choice.
The current 10-inch iPad arrived in March 2025.
It’s the cheapest iPad, with a starting price of $349/£329, and as such it’s an easy model to recommend to those who don’t care about the latest flashy innovations and instead want a reliable mid-sized tablet in fun colors, for general use.
However, if size isn’t important, you might be better off opting for the smaller iPad mini, which starts at $499/£499. Another reason to choose the iPad mini or iPad Air is that the standard iPad doesn’t support Apple Intelligence, which could mean missing out on features coming to the iPad in the future.
Read our full Apple iPad (A16) review
Should I buy an iPad mini (A17 Pro, 2024)?
Best prices today:
$489
BUY
- Last update: October 2024
- Is now a good time to buy? Yes. We don’t expect an update until 2026 or later.
The iPad mini 2024 offers 128GB of entry-level storage, instead of a measly 64GB. That’s a definite point in its favor. Additionally, the 2024 model has a chip compatible with Apple Intelligence features, so it will be nicely upgradeable for a while (and it will probably be a few years before Apple updates it).
There are a choice of color options, like on the iPad and iPad Air. The iPad mini has pale blue, purple, and starlight, unlike the bolder color choices of the Air and standard iPad.
Read our full Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro) review
Should I buy an iPad Air (M3, 2025)?
Best prices today:
$559
BUY
- Last update: March 2025
- Is now a good time to buy? Yes. We don’t expect an update until 2026 or later.
The iPad Air with M3 chip is a stunning machine at a relatively affordable price. It competes with the iPad Pro (which has a much meatier M5 chip), and it’s no longer the thin and light offering it once was, now that the iPad Pro is just as thin.
Like the iPad Pro, the iPad Air now comes in two sizes, so you can choose an 11-inch or 13-inch screen. It’s the iPad Air that has a fun color scheme, available in blue, pink, yellow, or silver, while the Pro has a more professional color scheme.
Read our full Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M3, 2025) review
Should I buy an iPad Pro (M5, 2025)?
Best prices today:
$937
BUY
- Last update: October 2025
- Is now a good time to buy? Yes. The iPad Pro now has an M5 chip and we don’t think it will be updated again for at least 12 months.
As the flagships of Apple’s tablet lineup, the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro are highly sought-after devices that deliver incredible levels of performance. These features don’t come cheap, however.
The iPad Pro M5 arriving in 2025 is already more powerful than it has any right to be, so we don’t think you need to wait for the iPad Pro M6 to launch.
Read our full review of the Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M5, 2025)
