Everyone waits for it. That late November window where we all collectively decide it's time to finally replace the iPad with the cracked screen or the AirPods that only hold a charge for twenty minutes. But honestly, if you walked straight into an Apple Store on November 29 last year expecting a massive price cut, you were probably pretty disappointed.
Apple does things differently. They don't really do "sales" in the way Target or Best Buy does. They do "events."
The Gift Card "Trap" vs. Real Savings
If you shopped the apple black friday 2024 event directly through Tim Cook’s storefront, you saw a very familiar pattern. You pay full price. Then, they hand you a gift card for a future purchase. For most people, that’s kind of a letdown. You’re essentially locked into spending more money at Apple later just to "save" money now.
Last year, the gift card values were specific. If you bought an iPhone 15, 14, or the SE, you grabbed a gift card worth up to $75. MacBook Air shoppers (the M3 models) saw the biggest "win" with $200 gift cards. But here’s the kicker: the newest, shiniest gear like the M4 MacBook Pro or the iPhone 16? They were completely excluded from the gift card promo at the official Apple Store.
If you wanted a discount on the latest tech, the Apple Store was the worst place to be.
Where the Actual Apple Black Friday 2024 Deals Lived
If you wanted cold, hard cash off the price tag, you had to look at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. That’s where the real magic happened. These retailers don't care about "gift card events"; they just want to move units.
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Take the MacBook Pro M4, for example. It had only been on shelves for a few weeks by the time Black Friday 2024 hit. Apple offered $0 in savings. Amazon? They slashed $200 off the base 14-inch model almost immediately. You could snag that machine for $1,399 instead of $1,599. That is a massive difference for a "pro" laptop that hadn't even gathered dust yet.
Then there was the iPad situation. The M2 iPad Air (11-inch) became the "sweet spot" of the season. While Apple was busy offering a $100 gift card, Best Buy just took $100 off the price. Most shoppers preferred the $499 price tag over paying $599 and getting a voucher.
Breaking Down the 2024 Price Wins
It helps to see how the numbers actually shook out across the board.
- AirPods Pro 2: These hit a staggering low of $153.99 at Amazon. Considering they usually hover around $199 or even $249, this was arguably the best value-for-money deal of the entire year.
- Apple Watch Series 10: Since it was brand new, the discounts were modest but present. You could find it for $329 at Amazon, which is about $70 off the MSRP.
- The "Budget" iPad: The 10th Gen iPad (the one with the colorful shells and USB-C) dropped to $259. This made it the go-to gift for students and kids.
- MacBook Air M2: Even though it was two generations old by then, it dropped to $749. For a laptop that still feels modern and fast, that was a steal.
The iPhone 16 Mystery
The iPhone 16 was the weirdest part of apple black friday 2024. If you were looking for an "unlocked" discount, you were basically out of luck. Retailers almost never discount the current-year iPhone directly.
Instead, the "deals" were buried in carrier contracts. AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile were practically throwing iPhones at people, provided you were willing to sign your life away to a 36-month unlimited plan. Some offered "free" iPhone 16 Pros with a trade-in of any old "Galaxy" or "iPhone" in any condition.
But for the purists who buy their phones outright? The best you could get was that $75 gift card from Apple, and even then, only on the base 16 models—not the Pros.
Why Do We Keep Doing This?
You’ve probably wondered why Apple is so stingy. It’s brand protection. If they discounted the iPhone 16 Pro by $200 two months after launch, nobody would buy it at launch. They’ve trained us to expect the gift card, and for some, it works. If you know you need to buy a pair of AirPods anyway, getting a $175 gift card from a MacBook purchase to cover them makes total sense.
But for the average person who just wants a cheaper laptop? The retailers won 2024.
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Surprising Details You Might Have Missed
There’s a weird secondary market for Apple gear on Black Friday that people often overlook: accessories.
The Apple Pencil Pro and the Magic Keyboards usually see their first-ever discounts during this window. In 2024, we saw the Apple Pencil Pro drop to around $94 at Best Buy. That’s not a huge dollar amount, but for an item that rarely moves in price, it was significant.
Also, the Apple TV 4K. It’s the best streaming box on the market, period. It rarely goes on sale, but it dipped to $129 (with a $25 gift card at Apple) or straight-up $119 at some retailers. If you’re tired of your laggy smart TV interface, that was the time to jump.
A Word on Refurbished Gear
One thing people often forget is the Apple Certified Refurbished store. During the apple black friday 2024 craze, the refurbished section actually stayed pretty static. Apple doesn't typically double-dip on discounts.
However, if you missed the Black Friday window, the refurbished store is often where those "sale" prices live year-round. You get a new shell, a new battery, and a one-year warranty. It’s basically a new device in a white box.
Practical Steps for the Next Big Sale
Look, the 2024 season taught us a few very specific lessons that you can use moving forward. If you're hunting for Apple gear, don't just wing it.
- Ignore the Apple Store Home Page: Unless you specifically need a gift card for a future purchase (like buying a Mac now and an iPad later), the Apple Store is usually the most expensive place to shop.
- Monitor the "Big Three": Set price alerts for Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. They trade blows on pricing starting as early as two weeks before Black Friday.
- Check the "On-Page Coupons": Amazon is notorious for this. The price might look normal, but there’s a tiny green checkbox that says "Apply $50 coupon." If you don't click it, you don't get the deal.
- AirPods are the "Loss Leader": Retailers use AirPods to get you in the door. They will almost always be at an all-time low. If you see AirPods Pro for under $170, just buy them. They won't go much lower.
- Target the "One Generation Old" Tech: The biggest percentage-off deals are always on the model that just got replaced. The M2 MacBook Air was a better "deal" in 2024 than the M3, even if the M3 was technically faster.
The reality of apple black friday 2024 was that the best deals weren't found at Apple. They were found by people who were willing to shop at 3:00 AM on a Tuesday on Amazon or those who refreshed Best Buy's "Member Deals" page. Apple makes the hardware, but the retailers make the deals.
If you’re still looking to save on Apple gear today, your best bet is to check the Apple Certified Refurbished store for "like-new" M2 or M3 MacBooks, or head over to Amazon’s Apple storefront to see if any of those 2024 price drops have stuck around as "permanent" markdowns.