[ad_1]
The Apple Store’s Black Friday deals are here, and they’re not many.
Óscar Gutiérrez / CNET
This story is part of Holiday gift guide 2020, CNET’s Gift Picks with expert advice, reviews and recommendations for the latest tech gifts for you and your family.
Apple has revealed its Black Friday weekend deals, which run from Friday, November 27 through Cyber monday, November 30. As in the past, however, there is a catch: The new sale offers few discounts on iPhones, iPads, Macs or accessories like Apple TVs, AirPods and HomePods. Instead, depending on the product, you can get up to $ 150 Apple Store Gift Card.
The exact value of the gift card will vary, but to get the full $ 150 gift card you will need to purchase a 16-inch MacBook Pro equipped with Intel or 21.5 inch IMac. Other Macs, including the new 13-inch MacBook Pro which includes Apple M1 Chip, are not eligible. The newer MacBook Airs, Mac Minis, larger 27-inch iMacs, or iMac Pro aren’t either.
If you can still find an Intel-equipped 13-inch MacBook Air or an Intel-equipped 13-inch MacBook Pro with two Thunderbolt ports, you could get a $ 50 Apple Store gift card. As Apple has discontinued both models, you’ll need to find one in a physical Apple Store.
Beyond Macs, most new Apple equipment is not eligible for the gift card promotion. You could get a $ 50 gift card with the iPhone 11, XR or I KNOW (therefore, not the new iPhone 12 line). IPad gift cards are limited to $ 50 for the iPad Mini or $ 100 for either size of the iPad Pro with no offers available for the new iPad or iPad Air.
Apple also doesn’t offer double the Apple Card cash back, which it did last year. This year, the cash back rate appears to be staying at its normal level of 3%.
Promotions are another reminder that the best Apple deals are almost always found outside of Apple’s physical or virtual store. On the Apple Store, for example, a new set of AirPods ($ 159) or AirPods Pro ($ 249) can give you a $ 25 Apple Store gift card, but no discount on the regular price. Woot, on the other hand, has already slashed the $ 250 price of the AirPods Pro to $ 190 now, and Walmart will be offering them for $ 169 starting Wednesday, November 25. Standard AirPods are currently $ 119 at Amazon, and have fallen as low as $ 99 at online retailers in recent weeks. That’s a savings of $ 59 to $ 80 on the Pro model and up to $ 40 on standard AirPods – both far more than a $ 25 gift card that can only be used later.
All major US carriers have current promotions for the latest iPhones while Amazon launched offers on Apple Watches (including the latest 6 series), iPads (Classics, New Airs and Pros) and the Intel MacBook Air (currently $ 100 off Amazon, but that’s a reduction of $ 150 earlier this week).
Apple also doesn’t make the full list of products with any discount easily accessible on its promotional page, but if you’re interested in the full list, you can find it here.
The best deals seem to be on the Full size HomePod, which allows you to get a $ 100 gift card, and the Apple TV 4K, which gives you a $ 50 gift card. Neither product has seen the same level of discount at other stores this season, although the HomePod has previously dropped to $ 200 at Best Buy.
All in all, unless you want one of these two devices or buy something direct from Apple, you’re probably better off shopping elsewhere for deals on Apple products.
Read more:
[ad_2]
Source link