Apple Devices See Early U.S. and U.K. Discounts Ahead of Black Friday

Following a wild year of price hikes, early U.S. and U.K. discounts on MacBooks, iPads, and AirPods ahead of Black Friday are taking shape across major retailers, Macworld reported on November 12.

Nearly everything is more expensive than it was last year, but shoppers can still expect some of the best prices of the year on iPads, Macs, iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods, according to Macworld. The big sale event officially kicks off on Friday, November 27, running through the weekend until Cyber Monday on November 30.

Amazon has already dropped prices by $200 to $250 on the 15-inch MacBook Air with an M5 chip, 1TB of storage, and 16GB of RAM, bringing it down to $1,549 from its $1,799 MSRP. Meanwhile, the U.K. market sees the 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the M6 chip discounted to £1,830.97, saving buyers £168 off the £1,999 RRP.

Apple Devices Face Higher Price Baselines and Discounts

Apple devices face higher price baselines this year following adjustments in June. Apple runs its own shopping event where it usually offers gift cards on eligible purchases, ranging between $25 and $250 in past years.

For desktop hardware, the Mac mini with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage has already seen discounts of up to $120 off its $899 MSRP, dropping to $779. In the U.K., the Mac Studio with the M5 Max chip is available at £2,289.97, marking a £209 reduction from the £2,499 RRP.

Audio gear discounts include the AirPods Pro 3 in the U.S. priced at $199, which is $50 off the $249 MSRP, though previous sales reached $169. In the U.K., the same earbuds are listed at £200, representing a modest £19 discount off the £219 RRP.

New Hardware Models and Display Upgrades Differentiate the Lineup

Apple released the entry-level M6 MacBook Pro in October, while higher-end M5 Pro and M5 Max models received a touchscreen PROLED XDR display at a $400 premium.

The budget MacBook Neo, released in March with an A18 Pro processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $699, has seen minimal discounts of around $30.

The iPad mini underwent a major redesign in October featuring an 8.5-inch OLED display, an A19 Pro processor, and a starting price of $699. Older inventory may appear on clearance, though retailers continue promoting mid-tier devices like the 11-inch iPad Pro with an M5 chip and 1TB of storage at $1,699, saving $100 off the $1,799 MSRP.

Promotional Window Runs from November 27 to November 30

The official promotional window opens on Friday, November 27, and concludes at midnight on Cyber Monday, November 30.