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The best tablet deals you can shop before Prime Day 2020

Can’t wait any longer for Prime Day deals to land on October 13? If you’re in the market for a shiny new tablet, there are bound to be some fantastic Prime Day tablet deals coming your way — but there’s no need to wait. We’re as excited about Prime Day as you are, so we’ve hunted down some of the best tablet deals you can shop right now, from Samsung Galaxy tablet deals to deals on the latest Apple iPad. But you’d better move fast — they won’t be around forever.

— $118, was $150

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A has an 8-inch screen, up to 13 hours of battery life, and 32GB of storage, expandable up to 512GB via microSD. It’s a great tablet for kids or students, with Kids Mode allowing you to restrict app and internet access and a powerful processor that makes multitasking a breeze. It’s slim and lightweight too, so it’s ideal for slinging in a backpack for school or college, and it has USB-C charging and a 3.5mm audio jack — good news if you don’t want to invest in wireless earbuds. You can get $32 off the silver version right now on Amazon.

— $299, was $329

Picture shows Apple iPad 8th Generation in Space Gray
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Fancy $30 off the latest iPad? Of course you do. This is the iPad we’d go for if we were shopping for a new tablet, with its stunning 10.2-inch Retina display and support for the first-gen Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard. Thanks to the A12 Bionic chip, the eighth-generation iPad is both a productivity machine and a gaming tablet, with a performance boost ensuring games are incredibly immersive and detailed. Use the Apple Pencil — sold separately — to take notes, markup documents, or sketch ideas, or dive into Scribble, iPadOS 14’s handwriting-to-text recognition feature. Battery life is a winner too, with up to 10 hours of juice to get you through even the most intense workdays.

— $336, was $399

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How can we put this without being biased? We love the iPad Mini; we really do — and it’s not just because it’s compact, lightweight, and reassuringly chunky to hold, or because it has up to 10 hours of battery life. It could be because it supports the first-gen Apple Pencil for note-taking and sketching. Or that it’s a great ebook reader alternative if you don’t fancy buying a Kindle. Or perhaps it’s just because the saying “good things come in small packages” is most definitely true in this case. It’s a great tablet for popping in a bag or backpack for traveling or commuting, and you can get the 64GB Space Gray model for $336 right now, saving $63 off the regular price.

–$350, was $400

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If you mainly use your tablet for streaming movies or gaming, this is the deal for you. You can get $50 off a Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e with 64GB of storage in black right now. This tablet’s metal body and slim bezels give it an expensive feel, and it weighs just 14 ounces, so it’s ideal for commuting or traveling. The 10.5-inch Super AMOLED screen is bright and colorful, ideal for Netflix binges or the latest Android games, the 7,040mAh battery provides up to 14.5 hours of juice, and there’s USB-C charging to get you back up and running again quickly when your battery dies. This is one of the best tablet deals around right now — in fact, the only reason to not pick it up is if you’d prefer an iPad.

— $779, was $850

Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you already binge your way through far too many Netflix shows, look away now. The screen on the Samsung Galaxy S7+ is so amazing, you’re going to spend even more time watching TV shows and movies. This is a massive tablet, with a 12.4-inch super AMOLED screen and 120Hz refresh rate — so it’s perfect for playing the latest games, and provided you’ve got a Wi-Fi connection and a Bluetooth-enabled controller, you can enjoy console-style gaming on this tablet. It works as a laptop replacement too if you pick up the book cover keyboard and use Samsung’s DeX mode — and comes with the redesigned S Pen for note-taking and marking up documents. Bear the size in mind though, as this is a device that’s happiest in landscape mode, so it’s designed as a media player or laptop replacement rather than for reading or browsing vertically while lazing in bed. Provided that isn’t an issue for you, there’s no time like the present to bag yourself a bargain, with $71 off the 128GB version in Mystic Black right now.

— $949, was $999

Image used with permission by copyright holder

You might think we’ve saved the best for last, and if you’re an Apple fan, that’s probably true. You can get $51 off an iPad Pro 128GB in silver right now if you’re quick. This deal is sure to sell out fast — and little wonder. The iPad Pro is the iPad to go for if you’re looking for a laptop replacement, with support for the Magic Keyboard and 2nd Generation Apple Pencil — and its 12.9-inch screen with 120Hz refresh rate ensures it’s a great media player too. You can play the latest games or take on demanding work tasks like 4K video editing thanks to the A12Z Bionic chip and octa-core graphics. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s the best tablet you can currently buy.

However, if you still aren’t sure whether you want a tablet or an iPad, with Prime Day and Black Friday Deals on the horizon, you will still have plenty of time to get your tablet or iPad shopping in.

Paula Beaton
Freelance tech and travel writer living in (somewhat) sunny Scotland. Gamer, tea addict, never without a good book.
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