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Apple's iPad lineup offers some of the best tablets you can buy, and the company refreshes its offerings every now and then to stay competitive. But while there are several models available to buy all year round, you shouldn't buy a new iPad on a whim and at any time if you want to save cash on the purchase. One of the best ways to be frugal when shopping for electronic devices such as iPads is to know when the best time to buy a specific gadget is — there are optimal times to buy a new smart TV, iPhone, refrigerator, and so on.

If you want to save a good amount of cash when buying an iPad in 2026, you can opt for the best refurbished iPads. However, if you must get a new model because you don't want to go through the checklist of buying a refurbished iPad, then you should make your purchase in specific months when different models are discounted. That time is usually during Amazon's Prime Day (in July and October) or during Black Friday sales toward the end of November.

However, for the latter, some retailers have kicked off Black Friday sales early, so don't wait for the last day — always be on the lookout for iPad deals leading up to the last Friday of November and be ready to pounce when you spot a great discount. These two periods are arguably the best times to buy a new iPad.

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One of the worst times to buy a new iPad is just before an upgraded model is released, as you might pay full price for a soon-to-be-outdated model. That will certainly give you buyer's remorse, especially if you're someone who likes to get your hands on the latest gizmos. Unfortunately, unlike iPhones, Apple doesn't have a fixed launch timeline for its iPads, making planning ahead a bit difficult if you don't want to get a model that's just about to be updated. For example, the 2022 iPad model was released in October, and, as of this writing, the most recent model, the 2025 iPad, was unveiled in March. 

The safest bet in this case is to check whether the iPad model you're interested in was updated recently. If it has been updated in the last few months, then Apple will likely not release a successor shortly after your purchase. Take the iPad Air, for example. Apple released the M4-powered variant in March 2026, and that means you can safely buy it this year without worrying about a new model being released immediately after. But if you care more about saving and less about having the latest iPad model, go ahead and buy the iPad that you want during the months we've highlighted.