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

if you have been When you’ve been looking at an expensive MacBook recently, now is the time to hit that buy button. Apple Black Friday deals are already here, and more WIRED-approved gadgets are on sale—from iPads and MacBooks to Apple Watches and AirPods. All of these deals are from third-party retailers like Amazon and Best Buy; Apple does not have its own sales and the only promotion you will find on their website is the opportunity to get up to a $200 gift card if you purchase a qualifying product.

WIRED Featured Deals

MacBook deals

This is our favorite MacBook for most people (7/10, WIRED recommends). It has a solid 13.6-inch LCD screen, a 1080p webcam and an M3 chip that delivers a noticeable boost in performance compared to the older M1 chip. It handles everyday tasks with ease, but it can also hold its own 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, 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 sale is for the model with the base M4 chip, which is a decent upgrade over the MacBook Air above. But you can also configure it with one M4 Pro or M4 Max for more power – both are for sale.

For ultimate power, there’s a 16-inch MacBook Pro (7/10, WIRED Review). Along with a Mini-LED screen, 120-Hz refresh rate, 1080p webcam and six-speaker sound system, it also comes with new USB ports that support Thunderbolt 5 (120 Gbps/sec) 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 all-new iMac with M4 (9/10, WIRED recommends) isn’t all that different from the M3-powered version, but it does come with a few upgrades. There’s a 12-megapixel webcam with support for Center Stage, a nano-textured display that provides 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 the top pick in our guide to the best all-in-one computers. On Amazon, if you clip the coupon button, you’ll also 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. On Amazon, if you clip the coupon, you can save a whopping $100! The changes to the latest model are largely internal. It’s equipped with an A17 Pro chip (the same one inside the iPhone 15 Pro), which can handle both graphically demanding games and support for 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 need to get an iPad Pro to enjoy the improved stylus. Its small stature also makes it great to travel with, whether you’re using it to read e-books or play games.

iPad (10th generation) (7/10, WIRED review) is our favorite iPad to recommend for most people. It has an A14 Bionic chip (which you’ll also find in the iPhone 12) that never felt sluggish while testing it. It also has a modern design with slim 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-facing camera that is located in the center of the iPad.

AirPods deals

These are our favorite AirPods (8/10, WIRED recommends). They come with a lot of great features including Adaptive Transparency mode (which combines noise reduction and transparency to adjust audio), support for Find My if you lose them, Conversation Awareness (which lowers the music and background noise when you have a conversation) , and an IP54 sweat and dust resistance rating. Sound quality, meanwhile, is above average, with crisp highs, authoritative bass and excellent noise cancellation. You 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) to include USB-C. Apart from the new port, the rest of the features remain the same as on the Lightning version (they are also on sale). You do have the choice of a few new colors, however, including orange, purple, blue, starlight, and midnight. These over-the-ear headphones are equipped with a massive soundstage, rich bass and fantastic noise reduction. It also has great build quality with a mesh headband and cloth (replaceable) ear cups.

Not for AirPods? Beats Studio Buds+ are our favorite alternative for Apple users. They come with all the essential features including active noise cancellation, transparency mode and surround sound. They’re comfortable to wear and easy to use, complete with physical buttons on the outside of each bud. They have an amazing battery life – 36 hours when combined with the charging case. You can also choose from different colors including silver, ivory, black and transparent.

Apple Watch deals

The Series 10 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is the latest Apple Watch to join the lineup. It has a bigger screen than any Apple Watch that came before it, but it’s 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 training affects 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.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is our go-to smartwatch recommendation for anyone who primarily participates in outdoor sports. It delivers fast performance thanks to the S9 chip and an ultra-wideband chip for improved precision detection. It’s also equipped with dual-frequency GPS, a Backtrack functionality to create virtual breadcrumb tracks on 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.