This year is just flying by, and before we know it, everyone's favorite sale event will be here: Black Friday. The penultimate holiday shopping day falls on November 25, and alongside tons of deals on clothing, furniture and mattresses, you're bound to find steep discounts on tech, including highly anticipated Black Friday Apple deals.
EVERYTHING TO KNOW ABOUT BLACK FRIDAY 2022
Year after year, Apple's latest gadgets make their way to the tip-top of millions of wishlists: AirPods, Apple Watches, iPhones, iPads and MacBooks are among the most coveted gifts out there. But if you're an Apple user yourself, you'll know that all of those gadgets are also big-ticket items and sales are few and far between. Luckily, we've done our research to answer all your pressing questions in time for Apple's 2022 Black Friday deals, ahead.
Does Apple do Black Friday sales?
Sort of. While you can find Apple products on sale during Black Friday at retailers like Amazon and Walmart, Apple's own Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions are not major sales. In past years, they've given out free Apple Store gift cards worth up to $100 to customers who buy eligible products at full price, and we are expecting the same promotion this year. The store card makes a pretty sweet accompaniment to any Apple gift you're giving but is much less compelling for those hoping to save upfront.
What are the best places to buy Apple products on Black Friday?
- Amazon: It's one of our favorite places to shop Apple products year-round. The e-commerce giant is known for regularly slashing prices on Apple products, like AirPods and Apple Watches, lower than competitors, especially during sale events like Black Friday. For example, Amazon Prime Day Apple deals were some of the lowest prices we've seen so far in 2022 and we're expecting similar discounts for Black Friday. Already, 2nd Generation AirPods and the 2020 MacBook Air are at the same all-time low prices during Amazon's early Black Friday sale as they were during Prime Day.
- Walmart: As one retailer that gives Amazon a run for its money when it comes to Apple deals, Walmart's discounts typically match Amazon's for the most popular Apple products (like AirPods). Still, we often find steep savings on unexpected Apple products, like older models. Right now, the Apple Watch Series 3 is only $149 and you can get an unlocked iPhone SE for only $158. Walmart also tends to have good deals on iPads.
What are the best Apple Black Friday deals in 2022?
Apple Watch Series 3
Apple Watch Series 8
Apple Unlocked iPhone SE
Apple Watch Series 3 with GPS for $149.00 (25% off)
If you're looking to monitor workouts without breaking the bank, the Apple Watch Series 3 is the way to go. It has the core fitness trackers like steps and heart rate and seamless iPhone connectivity features that users have come to expect from Apple Watches. At only $150, it's an all-time low price for Black Friday.
Apple Watch Series 8 with GPS for $349.00 (13% off)
For the first time since it was released in September 2022, the Apple Watch Series 8 is on sale. One of the hottest tech gifts and gifts for fitness enthusiasts this year, it features new temperature sensors, sleep stage trackers, an upgraded edge-to-edge screen that stays on all the time and an 18-hour battery life.
Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) for $89.99 (43% off)
Backed by over 546,000 reviews and an overall rating of 4.8 stars, Apple's second-generation AirPods are by far the most popular AirPods on Amazon. They're also the most affordable model of AirPods and are majorly discounted at $89 for Black Friday. If you're on a budget and just looking for the basics (i.e. no noise-cancelation or adaptive EQ technology), these will do the trick.
Apple AirPods Max for $449.00 (18% off)
AirPods Max is Apple's take on over-ear headphones. They provide the most premium audio experience and most comfortable fit of the AirPods product lineup, perfect for those who spend multiple hours per day wearing headphones. In addition to spatial audio and active noise cancellation, AirPods Max also features a custom-built driver that delivers virtually undistorted sound directly into your ears.
Unlocked Apple iPhone SE for $157.89 (60% off)
It's not every day you find unlocked iPhones (that is, iPhones that aren't associated with a specific mobile service carrier) on sale—especially not for more than half off. The iPhone SE is the most compact of Apple's iPhones, it has a home button for easy navigation and popular camera features including portrait mode and 4K video recording. Between the affordable price and the small size of this device, it's the perfect gift for the teen who's been asking for an iPhone all year long.
2020 Apple MacBook Air for $799.99 (20% off)
While it isn't the newest MacBook Air model, the Black Friday deal on the 2020 Apple MacBook Air brings it down to $799, which is the lowest price we've ever seen for a MacBook Air on Amazon (same as the Amazon Prime Day deal that sold out). The notebook offers up to 18 hours of battery life, weighs just 2.8 pounds, and has the Apple M1 chip for ultra-fast processing.
Heath Owens is a Senior Commerce Editor at Hearst Magazines, where he covers home, fashion, tech and gifts for Good Housekeeping, House Beautiful, Esquire, Delish, Men’s Health, and more.
Sam Peters is a Commerce Editor at Hearst covering fashion, beauty and more. Her writing has appeared in WWD, Footwear News, Real Simple, PopSugar and Bridal Guide, among others. She enjoys covering the latest trends and testing and reviewing some of the most innovative, emerging products on the market.
