The race is on to get the freshly-built iPad Air and the Retina-laced iPad Mini 2 and retailers are pushing the limits of their marketing techniques to lure the most the most iPad buys as consumers gear up for the holiday rush.

U.S. telco T-Mobile is slugging it out with the biggies by dangling the 9.7-inch and 7.9-inch iPads wrapped in hard-to-turn-down packages. Tablet lovers wanting to be try out the company's network service can take home the iPad of their choice without forking out a hefty initial payment.

The T-Mobile deal, according to CNET, is the carrier's version of its earlier Uncarrier promo that was first employed in pushing out the iPhone 5. Minus the burden of a down payment, Apple fans can lay their hands on the new iPads plus access to data with a minimum cap of 200MB each month.

The no-money down offer, however, will tie-down subscribers to a monthly fee of $26.25 for the iPad Air and $22.08 for the second iPad Mini build, both amounts covering the actual retail prices for both units when obtained unlocked.

So the best part of the deal is the free data allowance though it should be noted that the monthly bill would jack up once the 200MB limit is breached. T-Mobile also offers data upgrades of up to 4.5GB for each month, which of course entails higher repayment prospects.

For those looking to upgrade from their existing and working tablets, the network provider also has a package fit for such needs - gadget swap. T-Mobile is accepting old iOS and Android slates, which consumers can turn in for a cash credit on their tablet package buys.

No specific amount was mentioned on the trade-in deal but it should be noted that devices in good or almost-brand-new conditions will surely merit the higher appraisals

Over at Best Buy, iPad deal hunters are assured of $200 discount for their iPad Air and iPad Mini 2 buys given they will bring in an iPad 3 or iPad 4. The first iPad Mini is also accommodated by the giant retailer, possibly fetching too the same maximum value.

It goes without saying that would-be swappers need to ensure that the units they will surrender are without defects.

The Best Buy promo is already in effect and will run until Nov 9.

With the iPad Air set to hit store shelves on Nov 1 and the Retina iPad Mini later in the month, sellers are fiercely competing to get buyers' attention so expect other players to dangle sweeter deals in the days and weeks ahead, analysts said

Other telcos and retailers, physical and online, such as Walmart and Amazon, will surely join in the competition, possibly creating more opportunities for shoppers to capture what these sellers can toss around.

However, the best prospect for consumers would be to wait out for the Black Friday event on Nov 29, in which gadget deals should come out in abundance, giving shoppers wide choices of attractive price points for the toys they've been wanting to grab.