Technology

We track Apple deals year-round — here are the best ones leading up to Black Friday

person sitting outside using macbook on their lap

The best early Black Friday Apple deals

Best MacBook deal

silver m2 macbook air


Best iPad deal

starlight ipad air


Best Apple Watch deal
Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm, GPS)

$ 355.28 at Amazon (Save $ 43.72)

apple watch series 10 with rose gold aluminum case and plum sport loop


Best AirPods deal
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

$ 189.99 at Amazon (Save $ 59.01)

airpods pro earbuds

It’s the beginning of November, which means we’re already in the thick of Black Friday season, even for Apple products.

If you’re shopping straight from the Apple Store, you will likely have to wait until Nov. 29 (the actual day of Black Friday) for its annual gift card promotion, which gives customers gift cards for future use alongside their purchase of an iPhone, MacBook, or iPad at full price.

However, shopping from retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart can often net you more savings — and all of those retailers have started to roll out early Black Friday-worthy deals on Apple products, with their official early Black Friday sales starting weeks ahead of the actual day.

As of Nov. 4, that means we’re seeing up to $ 100 off the iPad Air, up to $ 200 off the M3 MacBook Air, and one of the best prices we’ve seen on the AirPods Pro. While these deals can be found year-round, it can be harder to find multiple categories boasting great deals at the same time, making the early Black Friday season one of the best times to catch the Apple item on your list on sale, with less of the chaos of the actual shopping holiday.

iMac and MacBook deals ahead of Black Friday

Why we like it

If you’re interested in an ultra-fast M4 MacBook Pro, this probably isn’t the deal for you. However, if you’re looking for a laptop that can handle everyday tasks with ease, and you’re tired of your old laptop sounding like it’s about to blast off every time you have more than three tabs open, this M2 MacBook Air is a solid option. Sure, it’s not the newest chipset, but it’s still incredibly fast, especially if your main use for your laptop is browsing the web. At $ 749, you’re still getting a MacBook that is by no means outdated, but still is firmly below $ 1,000.

More MacBook and Mac deals

MacBook Air

MacBook Pro

Mac

iPad deals ahead of Black Friday

Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M2, WiFi, 128GB)

$ 498.00 at Amazon
$ 599.00 Save $ 101.00

Why we like it

Though Apple deals can be found year-round, the iPad Air usually only drops about $ 50, even during shopping holidays. Ahead of Black Friday, Amazon upped the ante by dropping this iPad down to $ 498, marking a new record-low for the tablet. We recommend the iPad Air as the best tablet for most people, thanks to its comparatively lower price point that makes it a solid option for casual users, and its M2 chip, 13-hour battery life, and display that makes it plenty functional for creatives.

More iPad deals

iPad (10th gen)

iPad Air

iPad Pro

Apple Watch deals ahead of Black Friday

Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm, GPS)

$ 355.28 at Amazon
$ 399.00 Save $ 43.72

Why we like it

Read more from Mashable about the Apple Watch Series 10.

‘Tis the season for new record lows: Just two months after its release, the Series 10 has hit a new one. Granted, it’s not the biggest markdown ever, but again, this smartwatch is only two months old. Plus, seeing it down to $ 355 gives us hope that we’ll see more colorways down to the $ 349 as we near Black Friday, as we’ve seen historically after a fall Apple Watch release.

More Apple Watch deals

Series 10

Series 9

SE

AirPods deals ahead of Black Friday

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

$ 189.99 at Amazon
$ 249.00 Save $ 59.01

Why we like it

Check out our full review of the AirPods Pro.

Whether you’re a frequent flyer or someone who simply appreciates quality noise-cancelling headphones, we’re betting you’d be a fan of the AirPods Pro. Though $ 189.99 isn’t their lowest price ever — these earbuds dropped all the way to $ 168.99 over October Prime Day — it’s still nearly $ 60 off earbuds that we think are worth it at full price (though they drop down in price to $ 199 enough that we recommend waiting to grab them on sale). Alongside top-notch ANC, you’ll get six hours of battery life per charge, balanced sound, and of course, a seamless integration into the Apple ecosystem, making these earbuds some of our favorite headphones, period.

More AirPods deals

More Apple deals ahead of Black Friday

Mashable