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Best tablet deals for Prime Day 2024: iPad, Amazon Fire, Galaxy Tab

Here are our favorite tablet sales on Amazon right now for this year's Prime Day.
Joel Lee
By Joel Lee
Senior Editor, PCWorld Jul 17, 2024 3:00 am PDT
pcw prime day tablets
Image: Foundry

Looking for a bargain on your next tablet? You’re in luck because there are some great tablet deals right now with Prime Day officially opening its gates—big discounts and bargains on iPads, Amazon Fire tablets, Samsung Galaxy Tabs, and more.

I’ve been a consumer technology editor for over 10 years and I’ve been hunting for tech deals for most of my life. Here, I’ve curated the best Prime Day tablet deals based on price histories, my personal experiences, our PCWorld expert reviews, and brand reputations.

Keep reading for all the best tablet deals on Amazon right now. We also have a Prime Day 2024 deals hub with big savings on other tech!

First published on July 12, 2024. Last updated on July 17, 2024 with new, better deals and updated prices.

Best iPad deals for Prime Day 2024

  • Apple iPad Air (M2) with 13-inch Liquid Retina display, 10-hour battery, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, Wi-Fi 6E. $729 ($70 off on Amazon)
  • Apple iPad mini (6th Gen) with 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, 10-hour battery, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, Wi-Fi 6. $360 ($140 off on Amazon)
  • Apple iPad mini (6th Gen) with 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, 10-hour battery, 4GB RAM, 256GB storage, Wi-Fi 6. $530 ($120 off on Amazon)
  • Apple iPad (9th Gen) with 10.2-inch Retina display, 10-hour battery, 3GB RAM, 64GB storage, Wi-Fi 5. $249 ($80 off on Amazon)
  • Apple iPad (9th Gen) with 10.2-inch Retina display, 10-hour battery, 3GB RAM, 256GB storage, Wi-Fi 5. $379 ($100 off on Amazon)

iPads are tough to beat if you’re in need of a versatile tablet for everyday use—and doubly so if you’re already hooked into Apple’s ecosystem with an iPhone and/or MacBook.

Between these Prime Day iPad deals, the iPad mini offers the best “deal” with its discount, plus it has solid performance and portability, but the 8.3-inch screen might feel cramped.

If money is no object, the iPad Air M2 is great. The massive 13-inch display looks beautiful in Liquid Retina, and the 8GB of RAM will provide fantastic performance for years to come. I’d happily get this if you’re only using it at home and don’t have to take it on the go. (It’s big.)

On a budget? The 9th Gen iPad is a strong pick. Sure, you miss out on the Liquid Retina display and the RAM is a bit lacking, but I think the screen size is perfect and the price is as good as it gets for new Apple.

Best Amazon tablet deals for Prime Day 2024

  • Amazon Fire Max 11 (2023) with 11-inch display, 14-hour battery, 4GB RAM, 128GB storage, Wi-Fi 6. Without lockscreen ads. $160 ($120 off on Amazon)
  • Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) with 10.1-inch display, 13-hour battery, 3GB RAM, 64GB storage, Wi-Fi 5. With lockscreen ads. $85 ($95 off on Amazon)
  • Amazon Fire HD 8 (2022) with 8-inch display, 13-hour battery, 2GB RAM, 64GB storage, Wi-Fi 5. With lockscreen ads. $55 ($75 off on Amazon)
  • Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids (2022) with 8-inch display, 13-hour battery, 2GB RAM, 64GB storage, parental controls. Includes 1 year of Amazon Kids+ and kid-proof case. $80 ($100 off on Amazon)

These are the hottest Fire tablet deals right now, but if you ask me, one stands out above the rest: the Fire Max 11 offers the biggest discount and packs the biggest bang for your buck.

The 11-inch display is perfect for most use cases, and the 4GB of RAM plus octa-core processor offer the most responsive experience. Plus, it has the longest battery life. Plus, it has NO lockscreen ads.

If you want to spend half as much, the Fire HD 10 is a good deal, too. Just note that it’s partly so cheap because it DOES have lockscreen ads and it doesn’t have newer Wi-Fi 6 technology. The screen size is versatile, though, and the performance is pretty good.

If you’re on an absolute budget, the Fire HD 8 is okay. The screen is slightly bigger than a big phone, the RAM is lacking so performance can stutter, and it has lockscreen ads. But for $55? You’d be hard-pressed to find another tablet at this price that isn’t pure junk.

If you’re getting this tablet for a young child, you probably want a Fire Kids tablet. The Fire HD 8 Kids is a winner because it comes with kid-friendly content and a kid-proof case (available in blue and purple).

Best Android tablet deals for Prime Day 2024

If you need a powerhouse Android tablet, you can’t go wrong with Samsung’s Galaxy Tab line—and now’s a great time to jump on one because both the Tab S9 and Tab S9 Plus are on sale with huge discounts. (They’re almost identical except for screen size and battery life.)

For me, 11 inches is plenty for anything I’d do on a tablet, so I’d go for the Tab S9, which is one of the best Prime Day tablet deals this year. But if you seek maximum productivity, the extra screen space and battery life in the Tab S9 could be tangible and worth the extra cash.

If you want to save more and don’t need the absolute best performance, the Google Pixel Tablet is a great compromise—no AMOLED screen and less RAM, but it has better battery life.

And if you need to save every last dollar you can, the 2024 update to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is on sale. Respectable screen size, RAM, and storage space, with excellent battery life. It’s a fantastic deal.

More great Prime Day 2024 deals

PCWorld’s editors have curated tons of great deals across other tech categories. Check ’em out!

Tablet deals FAQ

1.

Is a tablet the right device for me?

It might be. Tablets are great when you want to do phone stuff but wish you had a much larger screen, or when you need the portability and productivity of a laptop and can make do without specific apps that only run on Windows or Mac laptops.

Tablets are more convenient than phones for writing emails, watching videos, browsing the web, playing mobile games, reading ebooks, and more. Plus, doing all this on a tablet keeps your phone juiced up.

Tablets tend to have longer battery life than most laptops, so you can maintain tablet activity for longer before needing to stop and recharge. Add a wireless keyboard and you can do almost anything a laptop can.

2.

What should I look for when buying a tablet?

Screen size is key as you want a lot more than your phone can offer, but not so much that it hampers portability. Battery life is also important and you’ll want one with at least 8 to 10 hours. CPU and RAM both affect how smooth and responsive it feels to use—the faster, the better.

Screen resolution and image quality can come into play if you’re working on spreadsheets, multitasking, or streaming movies/TV. Storage capacity is important if you intend to download a lot of files (e.g., games, ebooks, music, videos).

3.

What size tablet should I buy?

Tablet sizes range from 7 inches up to 13 inches and beyond, so the right size for you depends on how you intend to use your tablet.

If you’re going to do a lot of work or watch a lot of movies/TV, you can’t go wrong with the biggest screen you can afford. Stick to 10 or 11 inches if you prioritize a balance between portability, performance, and price. Only go below 10 inches if you need utmost portability or you have a tight, strict budget.

4.

How much storage do I need for my tablet?

Most people should be fine with a basic 64GB configuration, especially if all you’re going to do is stream video, browse the web, and answer emails. But more is never bad if you can afford it!

If you’re going to be installing lots of high-end games, downloading lots of video, or working frequently with big files, then you’ll probably need at least 256GB. Is money no object? Go up to 512GB. And if you still need more space? Supplement with an external SSD.

Avoid 32GB models because you’ll likely regret it.

5.

Should I get cellular service for my tablet?

LTE and 5G tablet models only come in handy when you’re away from home, in an area that doesn’t have any Wi-Fi, and you still want internet access. Otherwise, you probably don’t need cellular features.

Note that you can always piggyback any tablet off your phone’s cellular data by enabling your phone’s mobile hotspot feature. This essentially turns your phone into a Wi-Fi point, allowing your tablet to use the internet through your phone’s LTE or 5G data.

If, for whatever reason, you’ll be using your tablet often without Wi-Fi access and without your phone, then cellular might be worth it for you.

, Senior Editor, PCWorld

Joel is a Senior Editor at PCWorld and has been writing/editing consumer technology content for over 12 years. He's been with PCWorld since 2024 and writes about digital security and other computer-related topics. He was previously the Editor in Chief of MakeUseOf from 2018 to 2021 and the Founder/Editor of whatNerd. He has a B.S. in Computer Science.