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Best early Apple Black Friday deals 2024, according to a tech writer
I’ve outlined all the Apple deals I expect to see during the big sale, plus offers to shop now
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Your support makes all the difference.November has arrived, and that means only one thing – the month of big savings is here. Black Friday deals have unofficially begun, and an avalanche of Apple discounts are about to start dropping nationwide.
This will be my eighth year covering the Black Friday sales, and if there’s anything I’ve learnt over the years, it’s that hefty savings on Apple products are extremely rare, until the Black Friday month of November, when iPhones, iPads, AirPods and more are heavily reduced.
Every year, stores big and small, from Currys to Argos to John Lewis and Very begin slashing the price of products at the start of November, and while Apple itself doesn’t take part in the sale, the tech giant always hands out gift cards in exchange for a purchase, which is better than nothing.
Below, I’m rounding up everything you need to know about Black Friday. From the Black Friday dates to the Apple Black Friday deals to expect on the big day itself, plus some Apple discounts you might want to shop now (if you can’t wait that long).
When will Apple Black Friday deals start in 2024?
Officially speaking, Black Friday falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving in the US. That means this year, the mammoth Black Friday sale will kick off on Friday 29 November in 2024, and end on Cyber Monday on 2 December 2024.
Those are the official dates, however, and if you’ve shopped the Black Friday sales in the past couple of years, you know that the Black Friday discounts start earlier and earlier. Last year, I began seeing the likes of AO, Very and Currys discount Apple products right from the very start of November, so you shouldn’t have to wait until the end of November to start saving. In fact, John Lewis and Argos have already kicked off its savings.
What to expect from Apple deals this Black Friday 2024
If there’s anything guaranteed to go on sale this Black Friday, it’s Apple’s AirPods – both the Pro and non-Pro models. Retailers seem to cart out the discounts during big-ticket sales such as Amazon Prime Day (when they plummeted to the lowest price I’ve ever seen earlier this year) and Black Friday. I also expect retailers to drop hefty discounts on the 2nd-generation AirPods and the AirPods 3, given that they’ve just been discontinued.
Last year, retailers also discounted products that had only just been launched by Apple two months prior, including the all-new Apple Watch Series 9 and the MacBook Pro M3. I expect Amazon, Very and others will discount the latest Apple Watch Series 10 and the rumoured all-new 2024 iPads and MacBooks, but will reserve the heftiest discounts for older Apple devices from previous years. You should still be able to get some decent savings, however.
On the iPhone front – I’m expecting to see big savings on the iPhone 15 line-up from retailers, given that the iPhone 16 has just launched, but if you’re looking for discounts on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, you’ll need to turn to phone carriers, who are likely to offer up contract deals rather than savings on the handsets.
Read More: Black Friday 2024 live updates
Will Apple have a Black Friday sale in 2024?
While Apple doesn’t really take part in sales such as Black Friday, Apple always offers up gift cards in exchange for a purchase during the four-day Black Friday sale. Apple announced its Black Friday gift card perks on 17 November last year.
To give you a flavour of what to expect, here’s what Apple was offering up last year:
If you bought a Mac or Mac Mini, Apple offered up a gift card worth up to £160. An iPhone 14, 13 or SE resulted in a gift card up to £60. An iPad Pro, iPad Air, a 10th generation iPad or an iPad Mini secured you a gift card worth up to £80, while the purchase of an Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch SE got you a gift card worth up to £40. Anyone who bought the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 3rd gen or AirPods Max landed gift cards worth up to £60.
If you wanted a discount on the Apple product you were about to buy, instead of a future purchase, shoppers had to turn to third-party retailers.
Best early Apple offers to shop now
Apple AirPods, 3rd generation: Was £149, now £129, Amazon.co.uk
There’s a £20 saving to be had on Apple’s third-generation AirPods at Amazon. In our review, our tester said the “improved audio is noticeable, especially with spatial audio and the new shape”. The AirPods Pro are better sounding, thanks to active noise cancelling, but if that’s not a feature you need – perhaps you live a monastic life alone in the woods – this is a great deal on the basic pair.
Apple Watch Series 9, GPS, 45mm: Was £394, now £349, Amazon.co.uk
Released last September, the Apple Watch Series 9 might not be the latest smartwatch in Apple’s repertoire, but it’s still a very good smartwatch. Featuring an always-on display and the brightest screen on any Apple Watch ever, it’s the new S9 processor that makes the Apple Watch stand out. With a £50 saving, this is well worth picking up if you’re in the market for a new smartwatch.
Apple iPad, 9th generation, 2021: Was £369, now £279, Very.co.uk
The cheapest iPad around is the 10.2in model, which launched in 2021 and is still sold by Apple. The ninth-generation iPad is still a fast and powerful tablet with a great screen and full-sounding stereo speakers. It works with the Apple pencil and the smart keyboard, too, unlocking extra functionality for anyone who wants to stay productive while on the move. With a £90 discount, this is a pretty good saving on the entry-level iPad.
Apple iPhone 12, 128GB: Was £499, now £399, Argos.co.uk
It might be a few years old at this point, but if you’re looking for a cheap and capable smartphone, then Apple’s iPhone 12 has just received a £100 price cut in Argos’s early Black Friday sale. “If you don’t mind having a less advanced camera than the iPhone 12 Pro, the iPhone 12 is the better choice. It’s cheaper, performs the same, looks the same, has the same display, has the same 5G connectivity and weighs less,” I said in my review.
Apple MacBook Air M3, 15in: Was £1,299, now £1,099, Very.co.uk
There’s a £200 saving on the latest 15in MacBook Air at Very right now. “The Air’s speed and battery life are outstanding and more than enough for almost everyone. In fact, the Apple MacBook Air is the best general-use laptop you can buy, with gorgeous looks, weight and thickness that are the ultimate in portability, and deeply impressive performance,” our tech critic said in his review.
Apple AirPods Max: Was £499, now £429, Very.co.uk
Apple’s AirPods Max are currently the lowest they’ve been since the tech giant raised the price of the headphones in 2022. Now with £70 off, there’s no better time to invest in a new pair of cans. In their review of the AirPods Max, our tech writer described them as “an astonishing achievement”. He said: “These headphones are premium, but they sound premium, too. If you are even slightly tempted you will find an admittedly expensive piece of hardware that could change how you listen to music.”
Apple iPad, 10th generation, 2022: Was £349, now £308.97, Amazon.co.uk
With a discount of over £40, the 2022 iPad is almost at its cheapest-ever price at Amazon. “The new design, faster processor, better and bigger display are easily worth the price, and the new iPad is a real rival to the iPad Air, which usually costs £170 more,” our writer said in their review. “This is the best tablet under £500 from any manufacturer, in my opinion,” they added.
Looking for more recommendations? Get the latest on the best Black Friday deals