Black Friday is here! The sales have been building all week, but most retailers save their very best offers for today – and many run straight through the weekend until Cyber Monday. It’s the best time of year to pick up a bargain, so here’s what’s worth checking out for iPhone and iPad users.
Apple Store
Apple still avoids traditional price cuts, but it’s running a four-day shopping event. Instead of knocking money off, you’ll get Apple Store gift cards worth up to $250/£200 with eligible purchases.
Bear in mind that Apple often excludes its very latest models from these promotions. Make sure you’re happy buying last year’s hardware before being tempted by the gift card. For many, though, it’s a great way to stretch the value of a purchase you were planning anyway. You can explore the offers on Apple’s website.
It’s also worth noting that elsewhere retailers are getting creative for Black Friday — for instance, Walmart is selling the M1 MacBook Air for $549, which is by far the cheapest we’ve ever seen a new MacBook from a major retailer. Sure, the model is nearly five years old (for reference, the latest model has a faster M4 processor and twice the RAM) but there will be plenty of light users who won’t be too fussed about that considering the price.
iPhone Photo School
We’ve highlighted iPhone Photo School before, but its Black Friday offer is unusually generous – the biggest since last year’s event. Until Monday you can grab huge discounts on their online photography courses designed to help you take standout iPhone photos.
If you’re already thinking about Christmas gifts, this makes a great digital present for the budding photographer in your life. As long-time partners of iPhone Photo School, you can use our link to get 90% off the core iPhone Photo Academy or 95% off the All-Access Pass, which bundles every course they’ve ever made. It supports us and guarantees the best price available – a win-win.
App Store
Most apps are free to download, with optional in-app purchases or subscriptions. You can’t discount “free,” so Apple’s editors have curated a list of the best in-app promotions, letting users unlock premium features at a steep reduction.
It’s also worth browsing the Indie App Sales website, which lists more than 400 apps running Black Friday deals. Just be sure to read the small print – some offers require promo codes or specific subscriptions before the discount applies.
Amazon
Finally, we’d be remiss not to mention that Amazon remains the king of Black Friday. With thousands of rotating deals – and aggressive price-matching across the web – it’s usually a safe bet.
Prices change by the hour and vary by region, so the best approach is simply to browse. Check Amazon’s full roundup of Black Friday deals (UK version here) and keep an eye out for Lightning Deals that offer big discounts for short windows.