What to Buy Now & What to Wait For
Odds are high you’re looking at your gift list and there are looots of Apple devices being wished for this year. Or maybe it’s you who deserves a shiny new Apple Watch, and you wanna not-so-subtly hit up your parents with the deets on when they can save the most $$$. Either way, you’re in the right place: As a shopping editor, I track Apple prices allllll year long, and have some thoughts on the Apple Black Friday deals floating out there (and the rumors of what’s to come!).
Here’s the 411: There are some pretty great deals that are already available. Just last week, I reported that you should hold off on buying AirPods, and voilà, now they’re at add-to-cart-immediately worthy prices (that is, unless you want the brand-new AirPods 4, in which case you should wait until Friday). If you want an iPad or MacBook, I spotted record-low prices on both the 10th Generation iPad and the 15-inch MacBook Air. I’d keep waiting patiently for more Apple Watch deals: The SE is down to $149 (slay!) but the Series 10, Ultra, and cellular-capable models are still lingering at similar prices to what they’ve been since Prime Day. I think we can do better!
A few more of my tips:
- Amazon will have the best deals on Friday. Apple itself doesn’t really host a Black Friday sale—instead, they give a gift card with the purchase of a full-price item… meh.
- Set an alarm to check your Apple wishlist early on Black Friday. Because of the hype around lowest-price-ever deals, they’re usually among the first things to sell out.
We’ll continue updating this page as more sales roll in, but in the meantime, here’s our take on the (oh so tempting!) Black Friday Apple deals out there, so far.
AirPods Deals
AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) hit a record-low price of $154 this week, and shockingly, they’re still in stock on Amazon. Meanwhile, the new AirPods 4 are just $10 off—you’re better off waiting until Black Friday or Cyber Monday for those.
That brings me to thee AirPods Max. There’s a reason everyone’s obsessed with them—from the sleek design to the comfy ear pads to the powerful battery life, with up to 20 hours of run time. The only other time they dropped below $400 was during Prime Day, so this $399 deal isn’t too shabby.
Apple Watch Deals
Apple has really pared down its Apple Watch inventory on Amazon following the Series 10 release in September. In the past, there would be deals aplenty on older generations after the new one came out, but as for now, the Series 9 and older have been pretty much wiped from the internet.
I’d hold off adding an Apple Watch to cart before Black Friday, unless your sights are set on the entry-level Apple Watch SE, which is $149 at the time of publish.
iPad Deals
Now this is more like it. The best iPad deal right now is the iPad Mini, which is sitting pretty at a record-low price of $349. It is THE tech gadget to have on deck when you don’t feel like lugging your computer on a trip, commute, or to the couch—it weighs in under a pound and is small enough to slip down into pretty much any bag. Price history-wise, it’s also a record-low moment for the iPad (10th Gen).
If you’re looking for the nostalgia of Apple devices past, the iPad (9th Gen) is only $250 at Walmart and features the classic home button.
MacBook Deals
Oh, MacBook. The clack of the keyboard, the sleek design… There’s really nothing like it. And while MacBook discounts tend to be modest (even on/around Black Friday, TBH…), I’ll take what I can get.
There’s a few notable sales right now on 2024 MacBooks—the 15-inch MacBook Air is down to $1,200 for the 512GB model, and the 14.2-inch MacBook Pro is $200 off. Other than that, older models are your best bet. If you’re looking to spend under $1K, the 2022 13-inch MacBook Air, what you probably think of as the classic MacBook Air, is $749 ($50 less than last week!).
Apple Accessories Deals
Pairing your Apple gadgets with the right accessories, like a charger and case, will help you get the most life out of your tech. This portable charger has Lightning, USB, and USB-C cords all built-in, so you don’t have to worry about carrying multiple cords around if you’ve upgraded your iPhone but are still rocking out with an old pair of AirPods.
Our editors are fans of replacement bands for dressing up your Apple Watch and AirTags for keeping track of bags and luggage. Both are on sale RN.
Heath Owens is a Senior Commerce Editor at Hearst Magazines. He has contributed commerce content to Hearst’s portfolio for the past four years; first, as a writer, now, as editor for the Lifestyle vertical, which includes Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, House Beautiful, Country Living, Prevention, and more. He specializes in product testing (having started his magazine career as an intern at the Good Housekeeping Institute) and sales and deals coverage, with the ultimate goal of helping readers shop smarter. When he’s not at his desk or running around New York City to preview the latest product launches, he’s probably catching up on the Real Housewives of Everywhere™ and tending to his plant children, or, as of late, training for a marathon.