Don't buy an iPad Pro if you just want to read — buy an iPad mini for Black Friday instead

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(Image credit: Future / Apple)

There's already been a bunch of great iPad deals for Black Friday. Yet it's helpful to take stock of why you want to buy a certain iPad before you take the plunge. It's easy to think of how you'll be able to use an iPad Pro to justify the purchase, but if it's just going to be for reading, Apple's high-end tablet will be overkill.

Instead, take a look at the iPad mini. It's a model that many see as low-end, as the entry iPad, not on the same level as the Pro — but that couldn't be further from the truth. You get the full tablet experience of iPadOS in a smaller 8.3-inch display. Yes, you won't get the 120Hz ProMotion screen that's in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, but so what? For $399 on Amazon, down from $499, it's a far cry from the starting price of $1099 for a 12.9-inch M2 iPad Pro.

Where to find the best iPad Black Friday deals

iPad mini | $499$399 at Amazon

iPad mini | $499 $399 at Amazon

The iPad mini is a solid little tablet, and while it’s getting a little older now you’ll still find it an excellent portable companion. At $100 off, it's at a great price already. So if you've been waiting to buy one, now's the time.

Price check: $399 at Best Buy | $399 at Target

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When you factor in the subscription services that you can sign up to, which offer thousands of books and comics, such as Marvel Unlimited and Amazon's Kindle Unlimited, the iPad mini is a tempting prospect.

Many forget just how good the 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display is — and because of its smaller design, the tablet almost matches the size of a real comic book. Even for the 64GB model, you'll be able to store thousands of these, without having buyer's remorse of paying for a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, that's currently $700 more than the iPad mini.

Black Friday
Save money with Black Friday sales

Grab bargains on Apple devices this Black Friday

If you're looking for the best Black Friday Apple deals as the annual sales season kicks off, we've got you covered. From now right through to Cyber Monday on November 27, we'll be serving up the best offers on iPhone, MacBook, Apple Watch, iPad, HomeKit smart home devices and more. Save a small fortune by checking back on our daily deals coverage.

Daryl Baxter
Daryl Baxter
Features Editor

Daryl is iMore's Features Editor, overseeing long-form and in-depth articles and op-eds. Daryl loves using his experience as both a journalist and Apple fan to tell stories about Apple's products and its community, from the apps we use every day to the products that have been long forgotten in the Cupertino archives.

Previously Software & Downloads Writer at TechRadar, and Deputy Editor at StealthOptional, he's also written a book, 'The Making of Tomb Raider', which tells the story of the beginnings of Lara Croft and the series' early development. His second book, '50 Years of Boss Fights', came out in June 2024, and has a monthly newsletter called 'Springboard'. He's also written for many other publications including WIRED, MacFormat, Bloody Disgusting, VGC, GamesRadar, Nintendo Life, VRV Blog, The Loop Magazine, SUPER JUMP, Gizmodo, Film Stories, TopTenReviews, Miketendo64, and Daily Star.