The 20 Best Apple Black Friday Deals (2024): MacBook, iPad, AirPods
if you have been Having been eyeing an expensive MacBook lately, now is the time to hit the buy button. Apple Black Friday the deals are here, and several WIRED-approved gadgets are on sale — from iPads and MacBooks to Apple Watches and AirPods. All of these deals come from third-party retailers like Amazon and Best Buy; Apple doesn’t have its own discounts, and the only promotion you’ll find on its website is the ability to get up to a $200 gift card if you purchase a qualifying product.
WIRED’s featured deals
WIRED’s Black Friday 2024 coverage
Deals on MacBooks and desktops
This is ours Favorite MacBook for most people (7/10, WIRED recommended). It has a sturdy 13.6-inch LCD display, a 1080p webcam, and an M3 chip that delivers a noticeable performance boost over the old M1 chip. It handles everyday tasks with ease but can also do some photo and video editing on its own.
If you want a MacBook more powerful than the M3 in the MacBook Air, this is the next step. Unlike its predecessor, it has three USB-C ports Thunder 4 There is also an HDMI port, SD card slot, headphone jack and MagSafe charging port. Apple also increased the memory on the base model to 16 GB (up from 8 GB). This discount program applies to the model with the base M4 chip, which is a pretty good upgrade compared to the MacBook Air above. But you can also configure it with one M4 Pro or M4 max for more power—both are on sale now.
MacBook Air 15 inches (8/10, WIRED recommended) is still my daily driver, even though I have an M4-powered Pro available. I recommend the 16GB of unified memory for smoother performance, but this M3-powered machine worked great for all my tasks, including content streaming, video calls with 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.
For ultimate power, there’s the 16-inch MacBook Pro (7/10, WIRED Review). Along with a Mini-LED display, 120 Hz refresh rate, 1080p webcam and 6-speaker sound system, it also comes with new USB ports that support Thunderbolt 5 (120 Gbps/s) for faster data transmission. You will have a choice between the M4 Pro or M4 Max chip. We tested the M4 Pro, which was only slightly faster than last year’s M3 Max chip. But it’s a great choice if you want a MacBook Pro that can handle anything and everything you throw at it.
Apple recently launched a MacBook Pro version running M4, but the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 (9/10, WIRED recommended) is still a great choice. It has a bright display with mini LED lights and a built-in 1080p webcam. You’ll also get a 120 Hz 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. We recommend it if you don’t want to spend more than $2,000 on a MacBook Pro.
Brand new iMac with M4 (9/10, WIRED recommended) isn’t much different from the M3-powered version, but it does have some upgrades. There’s a 12-megapixel webcam that supports Center Stage, the display has a nano-texture for a better viewing experience, and all peripherals now have USB-C ports (finally). Thanks to the new M4 chip, it also delivers great performance. It’s our top pick The best all-in-one PC guide. On Amazon, if you click the coupon button, you’ll also save an additional $50, bringing the price down to $1,149.
I’m using Studio Display (9/10, WIRED recommended) along with the everyday M4-powered MacBook Pro. The large 27-inch screen is great for getting work done. It lacks HDR, which means colors look a bit more saturated than the neutral tones you’ll find on Apple’s Pro Display XDR. But 5K resolution is gorgeous and sharp. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s also a great monitor equipped with a 12-megapixel camera, along with a built-in speaker and mic. —Brenda Stolyar
iPad deals
If you’re waiting for Apple’s new iPad Mini (8/10, WIRED recommended) is about to be discounted, what are you waiting for? The changes to the latest model are largely internal. It is powered by the A17 Pro chip (like inside iPhone 15 Pro), can handle even graphically demanding games and has support for Apple is smart (the company’s suite of artificial intelligence features with iOS 18.1). It is also compatible with Apple Pencil Proso you don’t need an iPad Pro to enjoy the improved stylus. Its tiny size also makes it great to take on the go, whether you’re using it for travel. read e-books or play games.
iPad (10th generation) (7/10, WIRED Review) To be Our favorite iPad to recommend to most people. It has the A14 Bionic chip (you’ll also find this chip in the iPhone 12) without ever feeling sluggish while testing it. It also has a modern design, with thin bezels around the large 10.9-inch Liquid Retina (IPS LCD) display, 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 the basic 10th-gen iPad, here’s the next step (8/10, WIRED recommended). Between 11 inches or 13-inch screen. Larger sizes are brighter—not to mention the larger footprint makes for a great secondary display for work or TV watching. Similar to the M4 iPad Pro, Apple switched the front-facing camera to landscape orientation, which makes it less difficult to make video calls. The device’s M2 processor delivers smooth performance. Walmart also has the above devices Slight discountif Amazon’s deals sell out (which seems like they might).
Apple’s latest iPad Pro tablet (6/10, WIRED Review) has some new features. It has a larger and brighter display, an upgraded OLED display, and a landscape mode front camera. Under the hood is the latest M4 chip, delivering speedy performance. It is also compatible with many different new accessories included Magic Keyboard, Apple Pencil ProAnd Smart Folio case. However, we still recommend it iPad Pro 2022 supports M2. So this is a great alternative if you want to save even more money.
Deals for AirPods
These are our favorite AirPods (8/10, WIRED recommended). They have many great features including Adaptive Transparency mode (which combines noise cancellation and transparency to adjust the sound), Find Find support in case you lose them, Conversation Awareness ( helps reduce background music and noise during conversations), and one IP54 sweat and dust resistance rating. Meanwhile, the sound quality is above average with clear highs, powerful bass and excellent noise cancellation. You will also have access to New hearing aid features from Appledesigned for people with low to moderate hearing loss.
Last September, Apple finally updated it AirPods Max (8/10, WIRED recommended) to include USB-C. Aside from the new port, the remaining features remain the same as on the Lightning version (that is are also on sale). However, you can choose between several new colors including orange, purple, blue, starlight and midnight. These over-ear headphones are equipped with a large soundstage, rich bass, and excellent noise cancellation. It also has great build quality with a mesh headband and fabric ear cushions (replaceable).
Not into AirPods? Beats Studio Buds+ are our favorite alternative for Apple users. They come with all the necessary features including active noise cancellation, transparency mode, and spatial audio. They’re comfortable to wear and easy to use, complete with physical buttons on the outside of each bud. They have great battery life—36 hours when combined with the charging case. You can also choose from a variety of colors including silver, ivory, black and clear.
Deals for Apple watches
Series 10 (8/10, WIRED recommended) is the latest Apple Watch to join the squad. It has a larger screen than any previous Apple Watch but is also thinner, lighter, and supports fast charging. The smartwatch runs the latest WatchOS 11 operating system, so you’ll get features like Training Load, which shows how your workout is affecting your fitness over time, and Vitals, to 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 our goal Smart watch recommended for people who mainly participate in outdoor sports. It delivers fast performance thanks to the S9 chip and ultra-wideband chip for enhanced search accuracy. It’s also equipped with dual-frequency GPS, Backtrack functionality to create virtual paths on the Compass app (via the Action button), and access to offline maps (you’ll have to download them to your iPhone). Oh, and you won’t have to charge it every day.
This is our favorite Apple Watch is budget-friendly. It doesn’t have an advanced set of health tracking features, but it’s still capable of recording things like steps, exercise, sleep, and heart rate perfectly. It also works with Family setup so this is an interesting option if you don’t want to spend $500 on your 9-year-old’s first wearable. Those with small wrists may rejoice with the 40mm case option, although it can also go up to 44 for a little more cash.
Deals on Apple accessories
Photo: Apple
The second-generation Apple Pencil features pressure sensitivity, handwriting support, tilt sensitivity, and double-tap (allowing you to quickly switch between tools by double-tapping the stylus). It also supports wireless pairing and wireless charging, so you can magnetically connect to the top edge of your iPad and start charging. It works with iPad Mini (6th generation), iPad Air (4th generation or later), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation or later), and 12.9-inch (3rd generation or 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 it’s still very good, as long as you have a compatible iPad. It has features like pressure sensitivity (lines get thicker the harder you press on the screen), tilt sensitivity (for shading), and handwriting support in apps and search fields. For supported iPads, it works with base model iPad (6th generation or later), iPad Mini (5th generation), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch ( Generation 1 and 2) and iPad Pro 10.5-inch. It regularly reaches this price, but it’s still a bargain. With the current lineup, that means only the 10th generation iPad is compatible.
Photo: Amazon
The latest Apple Pencil comes with the ability to “squeeze” to activate the tool panel (although you can also use a double tap). The pencil also offers a tactile tool that provides feedback when you squeeze the pen. The built-in gyro sensor also allows you to change the direction of each tool as you rotate it, giving you greater control. It is only compatible with iPad Air (M2), iPad Pro (M4), And iPad Mini (A17 Pro).
