10 Tips to Get Great Deals on Apple Products Black Friday Weekend
People who are looking to buy new Apple products at a discount tend to look ahead to Black Friday deals, but wonder if it's actually worth waiting.
While Apple isn't known for crazy Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, they do exist. You can get a variety of discounts and other benefits by shopping around on Black Friday (if you know where to look).
The following shopping tips for Apple devices during Black Friday weekend are the perfect place to start, whether you are looking for yourself or buying something as a gift. Continue reading to learn 10 Tips to Get Great Deals on Apple Products Black Friday Weekend.
Don't Wait Just for Cyber Monday
Since Apple is a consumer electronics and computer company, you might assume that most of its deals will fall on Cyber Monday. Not so!
Sales are random, whether they'll come on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or the weekend in between, and Apple deals are no exception.
You can expect Apple deals available throughout this entire time period. In fact, there are good reasons to start looking for the right deals even earlier.
Start Shopping Early
It's been established that Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday are all great days to shop for Apple deals. But to survey everything Apple has to offer, we suggest you start earlier. Much earlier.
Apple deals tend to start appearing at the beginning of the week of Thanksgiving and can pop up during any day, including Thanksgiving itself.
If you're looking for a particular deal, start searching as early as possible. Apple stock for these deals tends to be quite limited, and the most popular items sell fast once they go on sale, so keeping track is essential.
Some Apple deals have even been known to start two weeks before Black Friday, so... you really can't begin to watch early enough. This applies to all the online sites that carry Apple products, which brings us to our next point.
Know the Best Places to Shop
Know where to look for great Apple deals before you shop online (or, if you must, head into a store). Amazon, Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy are all known for their various Apple deals and are definitely worth a stop. However, many other companies can also carry deals of their own for specific devices, and you should check them out too if you want to be comprehensive. Note that we may earn a commission on products purchased using the links in this article.
Those interested should definitely add Sam's Club, B&H Photo, and yes, even the Apple Store itself. These sites typically all offer their own variation of deals. Some offer gift cards when you buy a specific Apple product. Some offer straight discounts on new products. Others may have particular programs, like college student deals, that you can take advantage of. This is why it's worth taking a look at all sites, even if you found a great deal on one of them.
Remember to Search Wireless Carriers
Wireless carriers are also great providers of Apple deals around Black Friday, particularly for iPhones and other data plan devices. The good news is that their deals tend to be notable, and they don't usually run out of stock. The downside is it's difficult to shop for deals outside the carrier you already use unless you also want to switch your phone plan at the same time, so you may be limited in what you can receive.
Either way, keep an eye on wireless carriers like Verizon and AT&T, which are sure to carry significant iPhone deals and see how they compare with your goals.
Don't Forget About Trade-Ins!
If you are replacing an older Apple product, take a look at trade-ins! Apple, Best Buy, and Amazon all offer their own variations of a trade-in program where you can get cash back or a discount taken off of your purchase.
You should also check specialized services like Gazelle, which practice selling iPhone products to interested buyers and will send you cash for your old ones. This can help offset your expenses even more – but the timing can be tricky. This may be a step best saved for after Black Friday deals if you need to keep using your device. If you really want to save, then sites like Gazelle are a good place to look for used Apple devices that won't break your budget any time of year.
Keep an Eye on Accessories, But Wait to Buy
Maybe you're considering purchasing an Apple accessory, like the Magic Keyboard, Apple Pencil, AirPods, or something similar? Yes, deals for these items can also hit online stores! We particularly expect AirPods and the Pencil to see price reductions, along with non-core Apple devices like the HomePod and Apple TV.
However – and this is a big one – IF you're planning to buy a new Apple computer or iPhone, we highly suggest you wait to purchase an accessory. Black Friday Apple sales for their more expensive items typically include a gift card that you can spend, usually around $200 but sometimes up to $800. This is an ideal opportunity to get a deal that will help you buy whatever accessory you have your eye on. Gift cards typically vary based on the store you are buying from, but Wal-Mart and Target have offered such deals in the past.
If you buy early enough, you can receive the gift card and turn around to take advantage of an accessory discount for Black Friday (if they allow gift card use) and save even more money! Again, deals like this tend to have limited stock, so you have a couple of reasons to make early decisions about it. Be warned that some of these gift card deals may be in-store only, so check the details!
Look for Previous Generation Models First
The largest and most reliable discounts for expensive Apple products like MacBooks and iPads tend to be on the older generations. Apple tends to announce new generations in the fall, and then allow for discounts on the previous generation by the time Black Friday rolls around.
If you don't need the absolute latest model, you can get significant discounts by looking for models that are a year or two older. We expect to see some good deals for the Apple Watch Series 4, for example, which could drop to $300, as well as significant discounts for the iPhone X/XS models, the iPad mini 5, aging Apple TVs, and more.
Wait to Buy Any Subscriptions
This year, Apple is offering fantastic subscription deals when buying new products such as a free year of Apple TV+ when you purchase something like a new iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Take advantage of these deals when possible, so that you don't pay for a subscription that you could've gotten for free.
Get Organized with Bookmarks or an App
You can get started shopping even earlier if you want to, and bookmark the product pages that you want to keep an eye on.
These product pages will typically update with Black Friday deals when the time comes, so keeping track of them early is a viable strategy, as long as you can keep your bookmarks organized.
If you are hoping to score a lot of Apple deals, you may want to consider getting a shopping app that can help you track many different sales at the same time.
Use Your Apple Card
Apple's own credit card is a great choice for buying Apple products. The Apple Card gives you 3% cash back on all Apple Store related purchases, so it's a great way to save even more while also keeping track of your spending.