Where to Buy an iPad (Besides the Apple Store)

If you're planning to buy an iPad, your first thought may be to head to your local Apple Store, or to Apple's website, to make your purchase. But, many other stores sell it as well, and shopping around could nab you an exclusive promotion or discount.

A Note on Discounts and Sales

In most cases, comparison shopping among a few stores for the item you want can often lead to saving money or getting some additional products or services along with your purchase. That's generally not true with the iPad. Apple tightly controls the prices of its products, including what other stores can sell them for, so it's rare to see significantly different prices at different stores.

You're likely to see slight variations in the price of an iPad between stores, but generally speaking, the difference will only be a few dollars. A difference of even 10% between stores is extremely rare (that would be a pretty big sale for an Apple product). You're more likely to find add-on items bundled in with the device, such as a case or extra headphones.

Where to Buy the iPad

Here are some of the other retailers you should keep in mind when shopping for a new iPad:

Amazon

You can buy just about anything you want on the internet's biggest retailer so, of course, the iPad family is included. You can buy directly from Amazon and pay close to full price. To score a deal, though, check out the Amazon Marketplace, where third parties and individuals sell new and used models. But, be careful: the Marketplace is increasingly the domain of scammers and deceptive sellers. Do your research before buying and always buy from highly rated sellers.

Apple

Big surprise, right? You can buy the iPad from its maker, through the retail Apple Stores and online. Don't expect any major savings here, unless you buy refurbished or wait for the rare (usually holiday) sales.

Apple Specialist Resellers

These are independent stores that specialize in selling and supporting Apple and Apple-compatible products. These businesses don't exist in all areas, but you can often find them in larger cities or college towns, or online. 

Best Buy

While about two-thirds of U.S. Best Buy stores sold the original iPad during its launch, all of the chain's stores have offered the full iPad line since the debut of the iPad 2. Call your local Best Buy to check stock or buy online.

Phone Companies

Many stores that sell smartphones also sell the iPad. This is especially true of the major cell phone companies. They'd be glad to sell you an iPad, along with a monthly cellular data plan for the 4G-enabled models.

Sam's Club

The buying-club arm of Walmart offers all models for in-store purchase. Find your local Sam's Club.

Target

All models of the iPad are available at Target's over 1,800 stores. Find your nearest Target.

Walmart

The world's largest retailer offers all iPad models in stores and online, often at a slightly discounted price. Find your local Walmart store.