20 Best Apple Black Friday Deals (2024): MacBook, iPad, AirPods

if you were If you’ve been eyeing an expensive MacBook lately, it’s time to hit the buy button. Apple Black Friday deals have already begun, and several WIRED-approved devices are on sale, from iPads and MacBooks to Apple Watch and AirPods. These deals all come from third-party retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Apple doesn’t have any sales of its own, and the only promotions you’ll find on their website are that you can get: Up to $200 gift card When you purchase an eligible product.

WIRED Featured Deals

MacBook and Desktop Discounts

This is most people’s favorite MacBook (7/10, WIRED recommended). It features a sturdy 13.6-inch LCD screen, a 1080p webcam, and the M3 chip, which offers noticeably improved performance over the previous M1 chip. Not only can it handle everyday tasks with ease, but it can also stand on its own with some photo and video editing features.

If you want a more powerful MacBook than the MacBook Air’s M3, this is your next step. Unlike its predecessor, it has three USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 in addition to an HDMI port, SD card slot, headphone jack, and MagSafe charging port. Apple also increased the memory of the base model from 8GB to 16GB. The sale applies to models with the base M4 chip, which is a significant upgrade over the MacBook Air above. But you can also configure it using: M4 Pro or M4 Max If you want more power, both are on sale.

Despite having the M4-based Pro at my disposal, the 15-inch MacBook Air (8/10, recommended by WIRED) is still my daily driver. For smoother performance, we recommend going with 16GB of integrated memory, but this M3-based computer works great for all tasks, including streaming content, video calling using the 1080p webcam, word processing, and web browsing. This is a great option for those who want a larger screen without all the bells and whistles that come with the MacBook Pro. —Brenda Stolyar.

If you want the best performance, there’s the 16-inch MacBook Pro (7/10, WIRED Review). It also comes with a mini LED screen, 120Hz refresh rate, 1080p webcam, six-speaker sound system, and a new USB port that supports Thunderbolt 5 (120Gbps/sec) for faster data transfer. You can choose between the M4 Pro or M4 Max chips. We tested the M4 Pro, which is slightly faster than last year’s M3 Max chip. But if you want a MacBook Pro that can handle anything, it’s a great choice.

Apple recently released an M4-equipped version of the MacBook Pro, but the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 (9/10, recommended by WIRED) is still a great option. It has a bright display with mini LED and a built-in 1080p webcam. It also comes with a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling. As usual, it has plenty of ports, including two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, a MagSafe charging port, an SD card slot, and a high-impedance headphone jack. If you don’t want to spend more than $2,000 on a MacBook Pro, I recommend this one.

The new iMac with M4 (9/10, recommended by WIRED) isn’t all that different from the M3-powered version, but it comes with a few upgrades. There’s a 12-megapixel webcam with Center Stage support, a nano-textured display that delivers a better viewing experience, and all peripherals now have USB-C ports (finally). It also offers great performance thanks to the new M4 chip. It’s our top pick in our guide to the best all-in-one computers. Amazon saves you an extra $50 by cutting the coupon button, bringing the price down to $1,149.

I’ve been using Studio Display (9/10, WIRED recommended) with my M4-based MacBook Pro every day. The large 27-inch screen is perfect for getting work done. The lack of HDR makes colors appear slightly more saturated than the neutral tones found on Apple’s Pro Display XDR. But the 5K resolution is stunning and clear. Of course, it is expensive, but it is also a great monitor with a 12-megapixel camera, built-in speakers, and microphone. —Brenda Stolyar

iPad specials

If you’ve been waiting for Apple’s new iPad Mini (8/10, recommended by WIRED) to go on sale, wait no longer. Most of the changes in the newer model are internal. It’s equipped with the A17 Pro chip (the same one inside the iPhone 15 Pro) that can handle graphically demanding games and supports Apple Intelligence (the company’s suite of artificial intelligence features with iOS 18.1). It’s also compatible with Apple Pencil Pro, so you don’t have to buy an iPad Pro to enjoy the improved stylus. Its small size makes it easy to carry around, whether you’re using it to read e-books or play games.

iPad (10th Generation) (7/10, WIRED Review) is the iPad we most recommend for most people. Equipped with the A14 Bionic chip (also found in the iPhone 12), it never felt sluggish during our testing. It also has a modern design, including a large 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display (IPS LCD) with slim bezels, Touch ID integrated into the power button, a USB-C port for charging, and a 12-megapixel front camera. Located in the center of the iPad.

If you don’t want a basic 10th-generation iPad, this is your next step (8/10, WIRED recommends). Between 11-inch and 13-inch screens. The larger it is, the brighter it is. Not to mention that the extra space makes for a great second screen that you can use for working or watching TV. As with the M4 iPad Pro, Apple has moved the front camera to a landscape orientation, making video calls much less frustrating. The device’s M2 processor delivers smooth performance. Walmart also has the device. some discountIf Amazon’s deal sells out (which it probably will).

Apple’s latest iPad Pro tablet (6/10, WIRED Review) has several new features. It has a larger, brighter display, an upgraded OLED screen, and the front-facing camera has a landscape mode. Under the hood is the latest M4 chip that delivers fast performance. It’s also compatible with a variety of new accessories, including: magic keyboard, apple pencil proand Smart folio case. However, we still recommend the following: M2-based iPad Pro in 2022. This makes it a great alternative if you want to save more cash.

AirPods Deals

These are our favorite AirPods (8/10, WIRED recommended). Adaptive Transparency Mode (combines noise cancellation and transparency for audio tuning), Find My Assistant if lost, Dialogue Recognition (lowers music and background noise when you talk), and IP54 sweat and dust resistance rating. Meanwhile, sound quality is above average, with clear highs, authoritative lows, and excellent noise cancellation. You’ll also have access to Apple’s new hearing aid features designed for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.

Last September, Apple finally updated the AirPods Max (8/10, WIRED recommended) to include USB-C. Aside from the new port, the rest of the features remain the same as the Lightning version. It’s on sale too). However, you can choose from several new colors, including orange, purple, blue, starlight, and midnight. These over-ear headphones feature a huge soundstage, rich bass, and excellent noise cancellation. They also boast excellent build quality, with a mesh headband and fabric (replaceable) ear cups.

Not your AirPods? Beats Studio Buds+ are Apple users’ favorite alternative. It comes with all the essential features including active noise cancellation, transparency mode, and spatial audio. Easy to wear and use, there are physical buttons on the outside of each bud. When used with the charging case, it delivers an outstanding 36 hours of battery life. You can choose from a variety of colors including silver, ivory, black, and transparent.

Apple Watch Discount

The Series 10 (8/10, recommended by WIRED) is the latest Apple Watch to join the lineup. It has a larger screen than other previously released Apple Watches, but is thinner, lighter, and supports fast charging. The smartwatch runs the latest WatchOS 11 operating system, so you get features like Training Load, which shows how exercise affects your fitness over time, and Vitals, which lets you check your baseline every morning. However, it is important to note that it does not come with a blood oxygen sensor.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 (8/10, WIRED Recommended) is a smartwatch recommended for anyone who primarily participates in outdoor sports. It offers fast performance thanks to the S9 chip and ultra-wideband chip for improved precision finding. It also features dual-frequency GPS, a backtracking feature for creating virtual navigation routes in the Compass app (via the action button), and access to offline maps (requires downloading to iPhone). Oh, and you don’t need to charge it every day.

This is our favorite budget-friendly Apple Watch. Although it doesn’t have state-of-the-art health tracking features, it can fully record steps, exercise, sleep, heart rate, and more. It also works with a family setup, so it’s a good option to choose if you don’t want to shell out $500 for your 9-year-old’s first wearable. Those with smaller wrists will enjoy the 40mm case option, but you can get it up to 44mm for slightly more money.

Discount on Apple Accessories

The second-generation Apple Pencil features pressure sensitivity, handwriting assistance, tilt sensitivity, and double-tap (you can quickly switch between tools by double-tapping the stylus). It also supports wireless pairing and wireless charging, so you can start charging by magnetically connecting it to the top edge of your iPad. Works with iPad Mini (6th generation), iPad Air (4th generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later), and 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later). However, it is not compatible with the new iPad Air (M2) or iPad Pro (M4).

The first-generation Apple Pencil has been around for years and is still very good if you have a compatible iPad. It boasts features like pressure sensitivity (the harder you press on the display, the thicker the lines), tilt sensitivity (for shading), and handwriting support within apps and search fields. Supported iPads work on base model iPad (6th generation and later), iPad Mini (5th generation), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st and 2nd generation), and iPad Pro 10.5. inch. They often reach this price but it’s still a good deal. This means that only the 10th generation iPad is compatible with the current lineup.

Photo: Amazon

The latest Apple Pencil has a “squeeze” feature that launches the tool palette (although a double tap also works). The Pencil also features a haptic engine that delivers feedback when you press the stylus. Additionally, the built-in gyroscopic sensor allows you to change direction as you twist each tool, giving you even more control. Only compatible with iPad Air (M2), iPad Pro (M4), and iPad Mini (A17 Pro).