The best Black Friday deals from the Apple Store: 5 deals are actually worth it
As the holiday shopping season kicks off, Apple is gearing up for its annual Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales event, officially running from November 28 through December 1, 2025. While Apple is known for its premium pricing, this year’s promotion offers shoppers a chance to earn free Apple gift cards with eligible purchases rather than traditional cash discounts. The free gift cards range from $25 to $250, depending on the product, providing a unique incentive for customers to shop directly from the Apple Store. For instance, purchasing the AirPods Pro 3 not only secures the latest in audio technology but also comes with a $50 gift card, making it a more appealing offer for loyal Apple fans.
However, savvy shoppers should be aware that while Apple’s gift card offers are enticing, they often fall short compared to the significant discounts available from third-party retailers. For example, the AirPods 4 are available for as low as $69 at major retailers like Amazon and Walmart, a stark contrast to the mere $25 gift card incentive when purchased from Apple. Similarly, the MacBook Air models are seeing price cuts of up to $250 at retailers like Best Buy, while Apple’s gift card offer of $175 or $200 pales in comparison. It’s crucial for consumers to weigh their options, especially since many of Apple’s newest products, including the M5 MacBook Pro and Apple Watch Ultra 3, are excluded from the promotion, further steering shoppers toward alternative retailers for better deals.
For those looking to make the most of their holiday shopping, there are still a few standout deals from the Apple Store worth considering. The AirPods Pro 3, Apple TV 4K, HomePod (2nd Gen), and Beats Studio Buds + all come with substantial gift card offers that can enhance the overall value of the purchase. Additionally, a clever tip for deal hunters is to consider purchasing Apple gift cards from Target, which currently offers a promotion where shoppers receive a free $15 gift card for every $100 spent on Apple gift cards. This strategy can maximize savings and make holiday shopping even more rewarding. Overall, while Apple’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals may not be the most competitive in terms of cash savings, the added value of gift cards and strategic shopping can still lead to a satisfying holiday experience for Apple enthusiasts.
Shop the Apple Store’s only good Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals:
Apple AirPods Pro 3
$249 + free $50 Apple gift card
Get Deal
Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen, WiFi)
$129 + free $25 Apple gift card
Get Deal
Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)
$299 + free $50 Apple gift card
Get Deal
Beats Studio Buds +
$169.95 + free $50 Apple gift card
Get Deal
Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Air (13-inch)
$319 + free $25 Apple gift card
Get Deal
Cyber Weekend is one of the
rare times of year
when the Apple Store hosts a sale — sort of. Instead of offering cash discounts on its devices, the tech retailer simply doles out free gift cards with eligible purchases.
Apple’s 2025
Black Friday and Cyber Monday Shopping Event
runs from Friday, Nov. 28 through Monday, Dec. 1, and it’s a little bit more tempting than usual. Shoppers can earn up to $250 worth of free gift cards when they buy one of its gadgets direct, up from $200 in
2024
and
2023
. Free money is always nice, of course, but third-party retailers’
Black Friday
price cuts on
AirPods
,
MacBooks
,
iPads
, and
Apple Watches
are far more competitive. Plus, many newer devices are excluded from the Apple Store’s promotion.
Right now, there are only five Apple devices and accessories that I would recommend buying on sale from Apple itself (scroll down to find those).
The Apple Store’s 2025 Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals
Apple’s free gift card offers for
Black Friday
and Cyber Monday range from $25 to $250, depending on the product. They can only be redeemed on future purchases from the Apple Store in person or online:
AirPods 4
and
AirPods 4 with ANC
—
$25 Apple gift card
AirPods Pro 3
—
$50 Apple gift card
AirPods Max
—
$75 Apple gift card
Apple Watch SE 3
and
Apple Watch Series 11
—
$50 Apple gift card
iPad Air (11- and 13-inch M3)
—
$100 Apple gift card
iPad (A16)
and
iPad mini
—
$50 Apple gift card
iPhone 16 and 16 Plus
—
$75 Apple gift card
iPhone 16e
—
$50 Apple gift card
MacBook Air (13-inch M4)
—
$175 Apple gift card
MacBook Air (15-inch M4)
—
$200 Apple gift card
MacBook Pro (14- and 16-inch
M4 Pro
and
M4 Max
) —
$250 Apple gift card
Mac mini
—
$100 Apple gift card
iMac
—
$150 Apple gift card
Apple TV 4K
—
$25 Apple gift card
HomePod
—
$50 Apple gift card
Beats Studio Pro
,
Solo 4
,
Studio Buds +
, and
Powerbeats Pro 2
—
$50 Apple gift card
Beats Pill
—
$25 Apple gift card
Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad (A16)
—
$25 Apple gift card
Magic Keyboard for iPad Air (11- and 13-inch)
—
$25 Apple gift card
Apple Pencil Pro
—
$25 Apple gift card
Other retailers’ Apple deals are way better, for the most part
Most of the Apple Store’s offers pale in comparison to other retailers’ cash discounts on its devices (with five notable exceptions — more on them shortly). For instance,
Amazon
and
Walmart
have the AirPods 4 marked down to $69 during their Black Friday sales, which is a $60 savings on their list price. If you buy them directly from Apple instead, you’re only getting $25 back.
Here’s another example:
Amazon
and
Best Buy
are both selling the
M4 MacBook Airs
for $250 off — the 13-inch model is $749 (normally $999), while the 15-incher is $949 (normally $1,199). It’s silly to buy either size directly from the Apple Store if you’re only saving $175 or $200 apiece, respectively.
SEE ALSO:
The 30+ best Black Friday Apple deals: Record-low prices on MacBooks and $69 AirPods
Even the high-end MacBook Pros that come with Apple’s highest free gift card offer have steeper discounts elsewhere. The M4 Pro and M4 Max models are anywhere from $250 to $500 off across
Amazon
and
Best Buy
.
It’s also crucial to know that Apple Store’s Cyber Week savings event doesn’t include some of the newest products, including the
M5 MacBook Pro
,
M5 iPad Pro
,
Apple Watch Ultra 3
, and Beats PowerBeats Fit earbuds. The
AirTag
,
HomePod mini
,
Mac Studio
, and
Studio Display
are also omitted. Third-party retailers are the only places to get any sort of deals on most of them. (The
PowerBeats Fit
are the sole product I couldn’t find on sale anywhere.)
We’ve rounded up the best Apple deals at major retailers here.
5 Black Friday Apple Store deals worth buying
I’ve cross-checked all of the products featured in Apple’s Black Friday sale and found five instances where its gift card offer was better than a retailer’s cash discount. The rest are all matched or beaten.
The
AirPods Pro 3
are currently $219.99 (or $30 off) at
Amazon
,
Best Buy
,
Walmart
, and
Target
. They come with a free $50 gift card to the
Apple Store
.
The $149
Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen, WiFi + Ethernet)
was on sale for $99.99 at
Costco
, but it’s now sold out there. (The deal was limited to Costco members, anyway.) It’s full price everywhere else, along with the WiFi-only model. The
Apple Store
will give you a free $25 gift card for buying either one direct.
The
HomePod (2nd Gen)
is marked down to $269.99 at
Best Buy
, which is a $29.01 discount. Meanwhile, it nets you a free $50 gift card to the
Apple Store
.
The
Beats Studio Buds +
are $149.95 at
Amazon
and $149.99 at
Best Buy
(a $20-ish savings). At
Kohl’s
, they earn you $45 in free Kohl’s Cash. But at the
Apple Store
, they come with a free $50 gift card.
Finally, Amazon has the
13-inch M3 iPad Air’s Magic Keyboard
on sale for $299.99 in the
13-inch size
, saving shoppers just $19.01. The
Apple Store
throws in a $25 gift card if you buy it there instead.
A bonus pro tip for expert-level deal hunters
If you know you’re going to be buying something from the Apple Store this Cyber Weekend, snag some Apple gift cards from
Target
first.
Target Circle
members get a free $15 Target gift card for every $100 they spend on Apple gift cards there through Nov. 29. The Target Circle loyalty program is completely free to join, so it’s an easy way to score even more free money as part of your holiday shopping.
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Credit: Apple
$100 Apple gift card
Includes free $15 Target gift card
Get Deal
