Don’t Buy Anything During Apple’s Black Friday Sale.
Black Friday sales officially kick off on Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1. Before they end, Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price tracking tools.
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Sales data is current at the time of publication, but prices and stock levels are subject to change.
Apple products are notoriously expensive. So you may have been waiting to buy a new MacBook or iPad until now, when perhaps Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales will lower those prices. Indeed, this year Apple is running a Black Friday deal that applies to the purchase of a qualifying Apple device. But here’s the thing: if you want the best price, you probably shouldn’t buy Apple products directly from Apple on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
What is Apple’s Black Friday deal?
According to the official Apple Store Shopping Event website , the company’s promotion starts on Black Friday (November 28) and runs until December 1 (Cyber Monday). During this time, no Apple products will be on sale: the MacBook Air will continue to start at $999, and the AirPods Max will cost a whopping $549. Instead of lowering prices, Apple is offering customers an Apple gift card with each device purchase.
The value of the gift card depends on the product you purchase:
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Apple advertises the opportunity to receive a gift card worth up to $250, but it’s only available to buyers of the new MacBook.
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Get $100 off when you buy an iPad Air, iPad A16, or iPad mini. (iPad Pro not included.)
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Get $75 off your iPhone 16 or iPhone 16e. (Gift cards are not available for the iPhone 17.)
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You can also get a $75 gift card when you purchase AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 3, or AirPods 4.
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Buyers of an Apple Watch Series 11 or SE 3 get $50 off, as do those who buy a HomePod, Apple TV 4K, or any of the following Beats products: Beats Studio Pro, Powerbeats Pro 2, Beats Solo 4, Beats Studio Buds+, or Beats Pill.
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You can also get a $25 gift card when you purchase a Magic Keyboard for iPad Air, Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad A16, or Apple Pencil Pro.
An Apple gift card isn’t necessarily a bad addition to such a purchase. If you had the choice between buying a $1,000 MacBook with a $250 gift card and buying a $1,000 MacBook without a $250 gift card, I know which one you’d choose. But it’s not the gift card itself that’s at issue; it’s the fact that other stores offer similar discounts .
There are better ways to save money on Apple products.
Let’s take the MacBook Air as an example. For $999, you can buy Apple’s base model MacBook Air M4 and get a $250 gift card at the same time. But check out the same MacBook Air on Amazon , and you’ll find it’s currently $250 cheaper than Apple’s. For $749, you can get a laptop that Apple would have charged you $999 for. And while purchasing from Apple between November 28th and December 1st will earn you a $250 gift card, you can’t use it retroactively on your MacBook Air. Instead, you’ll need to use it on another Apple purchase. Amazon gives you this amount upfront— and you’ll pay less sales tax.
Similarly, you can buy Apple’s AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation on Amazon for $99.99 . The same pair will set you back $179 at Apple, saving you more than the $75 Apple gift card you’d get if you bought directly from Cupertino. The same applies to AirPods Max , which are currently $120 off at Amazon, which is also a better deal than the $75 gift card.
To be fair, not all Apple devices offer the same discounts at other retailers. For example, AirPods Pro 3 are currently priced at $219.99 at most retailers. That’s a $30 discount, which is a significant amount, but you’ll also receive a $75 Apple gift card for the same product. In this case, you might prefer the latter option if you plan to spend more at Apple.
Here’s another example of this split: the iPad Air is currently $150 off at Amazon , which is $50 more than a $100 Apple gift card. But the iPad A16 is only $75 off , $25 less than the same $100 gift card. The Apple Watch SE 3 is discounted to the same price as the gift card—$50—and the 46mm Series 11 is $60 off , which is $10 more for Amazon.
Perhaps the gift card offer is right for you: perhaps you have several Apple products on your wish list, or are buying multiple devices as gifts, or want to give the gift card itself. In that case, gift cards are certainly useful. But my advice: carefully check the prices of the item you want at different stores and determine where it’s cheapest. I believe for the vast majority of Apple devices included in this promotion, you’re better off choosing the discount over the gift card, especially if this is the only Apple purchase you’ll make in the near future.
Does Amazon have Black Friday deals?
Yes, Amazon does have Black Friday sales, but the prices aren’t always accurate. Use a price tracker to make sure you’re getting the best deal, or consult guides like our price-tracking blog . And if you have an Amazon Prime subscription, make the most of it .
Which stores have the biggest discounts on Black Friday?
With both large retailers and small businesses competing for Black Friday shoppers, you can expect sales at virtually every store until Monday, December 1, 2025. The “best” discounts depend on your needs, but in general, the biggest discounts tend to be offered by large retailers that can afford lower prices, such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Home Depot. You can find all the best sales from major retailers on our blog .
Are Black Friday deals worth it?
In short, yes, Black Friday still offers deals you rarely see the rest of the year. If you’re shopping or looking for gifts, now is the time to look for deals on essentials, especially tech , home goods , and fitness equipment . Of course, if you’re looking to save money, the best way to save is to buy nothing.