Apple iPads are now powerful and feature-packed enough to almost act as a laptop replacement. The iPad Pro 12.9-inch with its M2 chip and mini-LED display, arguably offers a better display than the MacBook Air M2, while the iPad Air might not be as slick, its powerful chip and ability to use Apple’s keyboard accessories mean it has the scope to be a productivity machine.
But to tap into that, you’ll probably want to get the Magic Keyboard. The problem here is it’s very expensive, even for a slick Apple device. So that’s where the Black Friday deals come to the rescue.
Apple’s Magic Keyboard tends to get sliced in price when it comes to big sales events, and there’s a current deal in the US that slices a very healthy $100 off the keyboard accessory. Costing $199 at Walmart, the Magic Keyboard suddenly becomes a lot more palatable – though I admit it's still far from cheap. In the UK, the deals aren’t as generous, but you can get the Magic Keyboard for £299 at Amazon, which is £20 off that you can use to invest in some iPad apps.
As someone who’s been enjoying an iPad Air, I’m keeping an eye out for a bargain deal on the Magic Keyboard. While my workhorse machine is a MacBook Air M2, it can be nice to have a device with a touch screen for some ad-hoc prodding, as well as being able to quickly detach the machine from the keyboard and trackpad cover. Given Apple seems steadfast in not making a touchscreen MacBook, an iPad Air and Magic Keyboard seem the closest I’ll get to such an experience.
I also rather like the design of the Magic Keyboard. It does everything with magnets, which helps it keep a sleek and refined look. It also provides an extra USB-C port for charging, allowing the other to be used for connectivity purposes. I still think its original price of $299 / £319 is wince-inducing, so it needs to be discounted to fully win me over.
And that’s why it’ll be the iPad accessory I’ll be keeping my out for as the Black Friday deals gather pace. If you fancy checking out my round-up of the most appealing iPad discounts you can get right now, take a look at my best Black Friday iPad deals article, which I’ll be regularly updating with compelling deals as and when I spot them; be prepared for the sales to come thick and fast once Black Friday proper (November 24) kicks in.
More early Black Friday deals (US)
- Amazon: 50% off TVs, air fryers, AirPods & clothing
- Apple: AirPods Pro, Apple Watch 8 & iPads from $99
- Adidas: 40% off running shoes, sweatshirts & leggings
- Beauty: 51% off viral makeup, skincare & hair tools
- Best Buy: up to $800 off 4K TVs, laptops & headphones
- Bed Bath & Beyond: 65% off sitewide + free shipping
- Cheap TVs: big-screen 4K TVs from $269.99
- Christmas: 40% off decor, pajamas & trees
- Dell: save on best-selling Inspiron and XPS laptops
- DreamCloud: 40% off all mattresses
- Family pajamas: matching Christmas PJs from $12.99
- Lowe's: up to $800 off major appliances
- Nectar: mattress deals starting at $359
- Nordstrom: 30% off Nike, Levi's, Skims, Adidas & more
- Purple: up to $400 off Purple mattresses
- Samsung: up to $2,000 of TVs, phones and appliances
- Target: 40% off furniture, TVs, clothing & appliances
- Toys: Disney, Barbie, Lego & board games from $14.99
- Walmart: $800 off toys, TVs, vacuums & clothing
More early Black Friday deals (UK)
- Amazon: up to 62% off tech and gifts
- AO: up to 40% off vacuums, appliances, and tech
- Argos: early deals live now - up to 50% off toys and tech
- Boots: up to 40% off 1,000s of beauty products
- Currys: up to 40% off TVs, air fryers, laptops and more
- Ebuyer: up to 45% off laptops and PC components
- John Lewis: up to 40% off appliances, TVs, laptops
- Jessops: up to £550 off Sony, Canon, Nikon, and Fujifilm
- O2: up to £600 off iPhone, Samsung and Google
- Samsung: up to £600 off TVs, phones and appliances
- Superdrug: 60% off beauty, fragrances and makeup
- Very: discounts on tech, appliances, furniture and beauty
- Vodafone: six months half-price SIMs from £11.50
