11 Best Apple Black Friday Deals (2024): MacBooks, iPads, AirPods

if it was you Having recently set your sights on an expensive MacBook, now is the time to click the purchase button. Apple Black Friday deals are already 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 sellers like Amazon and Best Buy; Apple doesn’t have any sales of its own, and the only special promotion you’ll find on the site is the opportunity to receive a gift card worth up to $200 with the purchase of an eligible product.

Recommended WIRED Offerings

MacBook deals

For most people, this is our favorite MacBook (7/10, WIRED recommends). It has a solid 13.6-inch LCD screen, a 1080p webcam and an M3 chip, which provides a noticeable increase in performance compared to the older M1 chip. It handles everyday tasks easily, but can also keep up with some photo and video editing.

If you want a MacBook that’s more powerful than the M3 in the MacBook Air, this is the next step up. Unlike its predecessor, it has three USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 in addition to an HDMI port, an SD card slot, a headphone jack and a MagSafe charging port. Apple has also increased the storage of the base model to 16 GB (previously 8 GB ). This sale is for the model with the base M4 chip, which is a decent improvement over the aforementioned MacBook Air. But you can also configure it with an M4 Pro or M4 Max for more performance – both are on sale.

For ultimate performance, there’s the 16-inch MacBook Pro (7/10, WIRED Review). In addition to a mini-LED screen, a 120Hz refresh rate, a 1080p webcam and a six-speaker sound system, it also features new USB ports that support Thunderbolt 5 (120Gbps) for faster data transfers. You have the choice between an 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 good choice if you want a MacBook Pro that can handle anything you throw at it.

The brand new iMac with M4 (9/10, WIRED recommends) isn’t all that different from the M3 version, but it does come with a few upgrades. There’s a 12-megapixel webcam with Center Stage support, a nano-texture display for a better viewing experience, and all peripherals now (finally) have USB-C ports. Thanks to the new M4 chip, it also delivers great performance. It’s the top choice in our guide to the best all-in-one computers. If you clip the coupon button on Amazon, you’ll save an additional $50.

iPad deals

If you’ve been waiting for Apple’s new iPad Mini (8/10, WIRED recommends) to go on sale, wait no longer. You can save a whopping $100 at Amazon when you clip the coupon! The changes to the latest model are mostly internal. It’s equipped with an A17 Pro chip (the same one in the iPhone 15 Pro) that can handle both graphically demanding games and supports Apple Intelligence (the company’s suite of artificial intelligence features with iOS 18.1). It’s also compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro, so you don’t need an iPad Pro to enjoy the improved stylus. Its small size also makes it great for traveling, whether you use it to read e-books or play games.

The iPad (10th Gen) (7/10, WIRED Review) is our favorite iPad that we can recommend to most people. It features an A14 Bionic chip (which you’ll also find in the iPhone 12) that never felt sluggish during testing. It also features a modern design with narrow bezels around a large 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display (IPS LCD), Touch ID integrated into the power button, a USB-C port for charging and a 12-megapixel -Front camera is located in the middle of the iPad.

AirPods deals

These are our favorite AirPods (8/10, WIRED recommends). They have a number of great features including Adaptive Transparency Mode (which combines noise cancellation and transparency to adjust the sound), Find My support in case you lose it, Conversation Recognition (which reduces the music and background noise during conversations ), and an IP54 sweat and dust resistance rating. The sound quality is above average with clear highs, rich bass and excellent noise cancellation. You’ll also get 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 recommends) with USB-C. Aside from the new port, the rest of the features remain the same as the Lightning version (these are also on offer). However, you can choose from some new colors including orange, purple, blue, starlight and midnight. These over-ear headphones are equipped with a massive soundstage, rich bass and excellent noise cancellation. It also features excellent build quality with a mesh headband and (replaceable) fabric earcups.

Don’t want AirPods? The Beats Studio Buds+ are our favorite alternative for Apple users. They have all the essential 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 are characterized by an excellent battery life – 36 hours in combination with the charging case. You can also choose from a variety of colors including silver, ivory, black and transparent.

Apple Watch deals

The Series 10 (8/10, WIRED recommends) is the newest Apple Watch in the lineup. It has a larger screen than any Apple Watch before, but is also thinner, lighter and supports fast charging. The smartwatch runs the latest WatchOS 11 operating system, so you have features like Training Load, which shows how your workouts are affecting your fitness over time, and Vitals, which let you check your baseline every morning. However, it is important to note that there is no blood oxygen sensor included.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 (8/10, WIRED recommends) is our smartwatch recommendation for anyone who primarily does outdoor sports. It offers fast performance thanks to the S9 chip and an ultra-wideband chip for improved precision search. It also comes with dual-frequency GPS, a backtrack feature for creating virtual breadcrumb trails in the Compass app (via the action button), and access to offline maps (which you’ll need to download to your iPhone). Oh, and you don’t have to charge it every day.