Don’t Buy Something Through Apple’s Black Friday ‘Deal’

Black Friday sales officially begin on Friday, November 28 and continue through Cyber ​​Monday, December 1, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons and price trackers before they end.

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date with the best sellers we find.

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• Sales are accurate at time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

Apple products are notoriously expensive. As such, you might have been waiting to buy a new MacBook or iPad until now, when there’s a chance that Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday sales will reduce those costs. And in fact, Apple is organizing a Black Friday promotion this year, valid on the purchase of an eligible Apple device. But here’s the thing: If you want the best price, you probably shouldn’t buy Apple products directly from Apple during 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 begins on Black Friday (November 28) and ends on December 1 (Cyber ​​Monday). During this time, no Apple products will actually be on sale: MacBook Airs will still start at $999, while AirPods Max will still set you back a whopping $549. You see, rather than cutting prices, Apple offers its customers an Apple gift card with the purchase of an Apple device.

The value of this gift card depends on the product you purchase:

• Apple says you can receive a gift card worth up to $250, but it’s only available to customers who purchase a new MacBook.

• If you buy an iPad Air, iPad A16, or iPad mini, you get $100. (iPad Pros are excluded from the deal.)

• If you buy an iPhone 16 or iPhone 16e, you get $75. (There are also no gift cards when purchasing an iPhone 17 device.)

• You can also get a $75 gift card when you purchase AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 3, or AirPods 4.

• Apple Watch Series 11 or SE 3 customers receive $50, as do those who purchase 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.

• You can also get a $25 gift card with the purchase of 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 accompaniment for any of these purchases. If you had the choice between buying a $1,000 MacBook with a $250 gift card or buying a $1,000 MacBook without a $250 gift card, I know which choice you would make. But the problem is not the gift card itself, but the fact that other stores offer deals of similar value in discounts.

There are better ways to save money on Apple products

Consider this MacBook Air. For $999, you can get the base M4 MacBook Air from Apple and snag a $250 gift card while you’re at it. But take a look at that same MacBook Air on Amazon and you’ll see that the machine currently costs $250. cheaper than at Apple. For $749, you can have a laptop that Apple charges you $999 for. And while buying it from Apple from November 28 to December 1 gets you a $250 gift card, you can’t use it retroactively on your MacBook Air. Instead, you’ll have to use it on another purchase through Apple. Amazon offers you this amount up front:And you will pay less sales tax.

Likewise, you can buy Apple AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation on Amazon for $99.99. This same pair will cost you $179 at Apple, which means you’re saving more than the $75 Apple gift card you’d receive for your direct purchase in Cupertino. The same goes for the AirPods Max, which are currently $120 off at Amazon, also beating the $75 gift card.

To be fair, not all Apple devices enjoy the same level of discounts at other retailers. The AirPods Pro 3, for example, are currently $219.99 at most stores. That’s $30 off, which isn’t nothing, but you’ll get a $75 gift card to Apple for the same product. You might prefer the latter in this scenario, provided you plan to spend more money at Apple.

Here’s another example of this breakdown: The iPad Air is currently $150 off at Amazon, which is $50 more than the $100 gift card Apple would give you. But the iPad A16 is only $75 off, which is $25 less than the same $100 gift card. The Apple Watch SE 3 is exactly as discounted as its gift card price ($50), while the 46mm Series 11 is $60 off, a $10 advantage for Amazon.

Now, maybe the gift card offer works well for you: maybe you have several Apple products on your wish list, or you’re buying a number of devices for people as gifts, or you want to give the gift card itself as a gift. If so, of course, these gift cards will definitely come in handy. But my advice is this: carefully examine the price of the product you want to buy in different stores and see which one sells it cheapest. I suspect that for the vast majority of Apple devices with this promotion, you’re better off taking advantage of the gift card discount, especially if it’s the only Apple purchase you’re making in the near future.

Does Amazon have Black Friday deals?

Yes, Amazon has Black Friday sales, but the prices aren’t always what they seem. Use a price tracker to make sure you get the best deal, or refer to guides like our live blog who use price trackers for you. And if you are an Amazon Prime subscriber, make the most of it.

Which stores have the best sales on Black Friday?

These days, big retailers and small businesses are competing for Black Friday shoppers, so you can expect virtually every store to have sales through Monday, December 1, 2025. The “best” sales depend on your needs, but in general, the biggest discounts tend to come from big retailers that can afford lower prices: think places like Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Home Depot. You can find all the best sales from major retailers on our live blog.

Are Black Friday deals worth it?

In short, yes, Black Friday always offers discounts which can be rare during the rest of the year. If you want to buy something or are shopping for gifts, now is a good time to look for discounts on what you need, especially technology sales, home improvement suppliesAnd fitness technology. Of course, if you need to save money, the best way to save is to not buy anything.