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The Best Apple Black Friday Deals I Think Are Actually Worth Getting

Commentary: It's the best time to buy Apple gear, but you might want to skip some items.

Headshot of Bridget Carey
Headshot of Bridget Carey
Bridget Carey Editor at Large
Bridget Carey is an award-winning reporter who helps you level-up your life -- while having a good time geeking out. Her exclusive CNET videos get you behind the scenes as she covers new trends, experiences and quirky gadgets. Her weekly video show, "One More Thing," explores what's new in the world of Apple and what's to come. She started as a reporter at The Miami Herald with syndicated newspaper columns for product reviews and social media advice. Now she's a mom who also stays on top of toy industry trends and robots. (Kids love robots.)
Expertise Consumer technology | Apple | Google | Samsung | Microsoft | Amazon | Meta | Social media | Mobile | Robots | Future tech | Immersive technology | Toys | Culture Credentials
  • Bridget has spent over 18 years as a consumer tech reporter, hosting daily tech news shows and writing syndicated newspaper columns. She's often a guest on national radio and television stations, including ABC, CBS, CNBC and NBC.
Bridget Carey
2 min read

Apple products rarely go on sale, so Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the best times to snag discounts on these popular tech devices. But not every Apple price markdown is worth jumping on.

Before you add one more gadget to that shopping cart, this week's episode of One More Thing (embedded above) offers advice on how to identify the best Apple Black Friday sales, and which ones I think you can skip.

It matters where you shop, too. Apple retail stores don't mark down prices. Instead, Apple is hosting a special online Shopping Event where you can earn gift cards with the purchase of select products (the gift card only applies to a future purchase). In any case, the discounts you get at other retailers are often greater than the value of the Apple gift card.

Based on the best Apple sales now, it's clear this is a prime opportunity to grab an iPad and an iPad accessory like the Apple Pencil Pro (be sure to check if your iPad is compatible). 

Earbuds and headphones are also always a hot category for Black Friday. The AirPods Pro 2 are a good choice, though you might find more joy in the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, which actually stay securely in place (because no one wants to regret losing their AirPods). 

There are plenty of good MacBook Black Friday deals, but recent rumors of Apple making a bargain MacBook make it hard to recommend grabbing this older, more affordable M1 MacBook from Walmart.

Can't commit to a big purchase? Give everyone an AirTag at the biggest price markdown I've seen yet. 

For more One More Thing, subscribe to our YouTube page to catch Bridget Carey breaking down the latest Apple news and issues every Friday.