With no good Black Friday iPad deals, it’s time to turn to the Android side

The Black Friday iPad deals are never any good, but in 2021 they’ve somehow failed to clear that laughably low bar, and we’ve still been surprised by just how poor the Apple-tablet discounts are this year.

Seriously – we’re talking just $50 / £50 off super-power iPad Pros, and sometimes no discounts at all on entry-level or Mini tablets – and this outlook very likely won’t change for the Cyber Monday iPad deals. If you were wanting to buy a new iPad in the Black Friday sales, it might seem like you’re plum out of luck.

(Not in the US or UK? Scroll down for deals in your region).

It’s not all bad news though, not as long as you’re willing to try new things (and aren’t committed to the Apple ecosystem already). That’s because there are a few worthy tablet Black Friday deals on Android slates that make them much, much more tempting than an iPad.

Sure, sure, sure: if you were waiting for an iPad deal, you might be already shaking your head at the idea of buying an Android tablet instead. But you shouldn’t, as Apple’s once-great lead in the market segment isn’t as big as it once was, and with the superior discounts, the following Android slates are better value-for-money now. And there are still plenty of ways to share work progress between iOS devices and Android tablets using the Google Suite and other apps on both platforms.

Today’s best Android tablet Black Friday deals: US

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 128GB: $699.99 $498 at Amazon (save $201.99)
There’s $200 off Samsung’s latest tablet, whether you want the 128GB version or the 256GB version, though that costs $30 more. There’s also money off the book cover and keyboard bundles:
Tablet (128GB) and book cover: $769.98 $561.99 at Amazon (save $207.99)
Tablet (256GB) and book cover: $799.98 $592.98 at Amazon (save $207)
Tablet (128GB) and keyboard: $899.98 $619 at Amazon (save $280.98)
Tablet (256GB) and keyboard: $929.98 $649.99 at Amazon (save $279.99)

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus | Wi-Fi | 128GB: $850 $700 (save $150) at Amazon
This is Samsung’s highest-end tablet yet, with the same specs as the non-Plus version but a bigger and better display, and meatier battery. It’s a perfect work and play tool, but it costs a lot.
256GB: $930 $730 (save $200) at Amazon

Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite | Wi-Fi | 32GB: $160 $120 (save $40) at Amazon
This is a super-affordable 8.7-inch Android tablet (despite the name, which suggests it has a 7-inch screen). It’s not powerful and the screen doesn’t look fantastic but it’s a good-value low-cost slate that will be a useful extra screen for streaming media or browsing the web.

Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus: $179.99 $104.99 at Amazon (save $75)
The percentage reduction on this deal is one of the lowest for Fire tabs, because it’s one of the only ones not half off, but this is still a lot of money off the top-spec Amazon Fire device.

Lenovo Tab P11 Pro | Wi-Fi | 128GB: $500 $450 (save $50) at Walmart
If you’re looking for a good-looking and fairly powerful Android tablet, the P11 Pro could be a good option, with an 11-inch display, a mid-range processor and a big battery – it’s a good choice for work or play.

Today’s best Android tablet Black Friday deals: UK

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus | Wi-Fi | 128GB: £799 £679 (save £120) at Currys
This is Samsung’s highest-end tablet yet, with the same specs as the non-Plus version but a bigger and better display, and meatier battery. It’s a perfect work and play tool, but it costs a lot.
256GB: £869 £749 (save £120) at Currys

Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 | Wi-Fi | 32GB: £219 £205 (save £14) at Amazon
This low-cost low-power Android tablet has a small amount of money off, making an already-affordable tablet that little bit more within reach, though it was even cheaper earlier in November. A version with 4G connectivity is also reduced, as you can see below:
4G LTE: £269 £230 (save £39) at Amazon

Lenovo Tab M10 Plus| Wi-Fi | 128GB: £249 £199.99 (save £50) at Amazon
This mid-range Android slate was already pretty affordable, and £50 off makes it even more so. It comes with a charging stand too, which should be useful to transform it into a little home or entertainment hub, or just to keep it powered up.

Huawei MatePad T10 | Wi-Fi | 32GB: £140 £100 (save £40) at Currys
If you need an affordable Android tablet this is a good option, although it doesn’t run Google apps, which is definitely something worth bearing in mind before buying it.

Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus: £180 £110 at Amazon (save £70)
Amazon’s best tablet so far comes with a big screen, wireless charging and 4GB RAM, and this discount reduces the asking price by almost 40%.

Which Android tablet is best for you?

Samsung, Amazon and Lenovo are the three biggest players in the Android tablet space, according to Statista, so you can’t go wrong with one of their slates.

If you want a low-cost entertainment slate, the Amazon Fire devices will be fine for you – they’re tied to Amazon’s software ecosystem but this means they’re designed for Prime Video, Prime Music, Kindle and other similar services, though Spotify, Netflix and loads of games work too.

Lenovo devices can be good iPad rivals for work or play, but the deals listed above are for its lower-cost devices – these might be good for work but again they’re mostly useful for entertainment and on-the-go social media.

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S models are powerful rivals to the iPad Air and Pro lines, with fast internals, good-looking screens and styli included (so you don’t have to buy them separately like an Apple Pencil). They also tend to be more affordable than their Apple equivalents.

More Android tablet deals

No matter where you live, you’ll find all the lowest prices for certain Android tablets from around the web right here, with offers available in your region.