Apple Black Friday 2023: Here's what to expect

Black Friday promo image with Apple products featured on yellow background
(Image credit: Future/Apple)

This year's Black Friday is just around the corner, and we're already excited for the Apple deals we've come to expect each year. We have high hopes for price cuts on popular Apple products, including everything from iPads to Apple Pencils, and maybe even the AirPods Max. We'll soon find out on 24 November 2023

With the latest Apple Wanderlust event all wrapped up neatly and the new iPhone 15 almost in our hands, we can usually anticipate some excellent Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on last-gen Apple products as new ones are launched. 

We won't rule out deals on the multitude of new Apple products (we can always hope). That means we'll be looking out for offers on the Apple Watch Ultra 2, a new Mac Studio, the Mac Mini M2 Pro, a bigger and better Apple HomePod 2, the Apple Watch Series 9 range, and of course, the iPhone 15. 

We'll be covering the hottest Apple deals and biggest savings in the run-up to Black Friday and during the event, which will take place from Friday 24 November through to Monday 27 November (known as Cyber Monday).

Apple Black Friday: What you need to know

When is Black Friday?

Black Friday is the Friday immediately after Thanksgiving, which means in 2023, the Apple Black Friday sale will kick off on 24 November. Cyber Monday comes hot on its heels on 27 November. That said, every year we see retailers start their Black Friday sales early and some will even continue them for a day or two after Cyber Monday. 

How to get the best Apple Black Friday deals

If you're dreaming of getting a vast discount on the brand-new iPhone 15 Pro Max, forget about it. Huge Apple Black Friday discounts are usually on older kit, or products released earlier in the year. Apple kit tends to hold its value very well, and though more serious savings have been spotted from time to time, you're not usually talking about massive discounts anyway. But if you're happy to pay a little bit less than the full retail price for some new Apple gear, then Black Friday's your best opportunity. 

The Apple Store is not the place to get Apple Black Friday deals. Instead, you should decide exactly which hardware you're after and how much you want to spend. Start by checking out some of the big third-party retailers, as we saw that Amazon, Currys, Best Buy, and B&H Photo offered some of the biggest discounts in 2022. 

For the best deals without having to trawl through retailers, stick with us. We'll be right with you and providing direct links to all of the best Apple Black Friday deals for 2023 as and when they go live. 

Does Apple have its own Black Friday sales?

In short: no. While Apple is happy to let third-party retailers discount its gear, you won't find any Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals at the Apple Store. Instead, Apple tends to reward shoppers with Apple Black Friday gift cards that you can redeem against later purchases.

You can sometimes get Apple Black Friday gift cards worth up to $250 / £250, but you'd need to buy an expensive MacBook to be eligible. Not such a great deal, when we're seeing some direct savings as big as that. However, the gift card offer can sometimes work out in your favour – if you know you're definitely going to want to buy another Apple product down the line.

How do I know if a deal is good?

With so many retailers pushing Apple Black Friday deals, it can be hard to pinpoint which are the best discounts, and what really is considered a good deal. You have to be careful during these big retail events and ensure that sellers haven't just hiked up the retail price to make it seem like a discount.

That's where we come in: we're going to be tracking the best Apple Black Friday deals on this page as they come and go across both the US and UK, whilst linking you directly to savings so you know it's the real deal. We also carry out price history comparisons to decipher if a price is the lowest ever or simply a bluff. 

Best Apple deals today

Apple Black Friday: Sale Predictions

While we don't know for sure what Apple deals will crop up this Black Friday, we can at least make an educated guess based on our experience reporting on previous years. We can say with a degree of confidence that there will likely be some deals on older iPad generations if previous sales patterns are anything to go by. 

It's also a possibility that we'll see savings on the iPhone 14 via Amazon when buying unlocked and sim-free. Usually, we see the best iPhone discounts through offers from specific couriers, so keep an eye on Verizon, AT&T, and other providers for trade-in offers and bundle deals. 

Take a look at our last year's deals section below to see first-hand the sort of savings we might expect to see (but hopefully better) ahead of Black Friday 2023. 

Apple Black Friday: Best US retailers

  • AdoramaWe saw discounted Apple devices, with over $300 off iPad Pro
  • Amazon: There were huge savings, including up to $500 off MacBooks
  • B&H Photo: You could get up to $300 off MacBooks last Black Friday 
  • Target: We saw plenty of deals on Apple devices and accessories 
  • Walmart: There were various Black Friday deals on Apple accessories

Apple Black Friday: Best UK retailers

  • Amazon: We saw big savings on Apple gear, including iPads and MacBooks
  • Currys: Highlights were great discounts and six months of free Apple TV
  • John Lewis: There were savings and trade-in offers up to £450
  • Very: Apple Black Friday deals included £140 off the MacBook Air 2022

Apple Black Friday: Last year's deals

Top deal: MacBook Pro (M1): $2,398 $1,898 at B&H Photo
Save $500: This is one of the best MacBook Pros to be released in recent years, and it was $500 off last Black Friday. A great deal on an elite laptop
 

Top deal: MacBook Pro (M1): $2,398 $1,898 at B&H Photo
Save $500: This is one of the best MacBook Pros to be released in recent years, and it was $500 off last Black Friday. A great deal on an elite laptop
 

Top deal: MacBook Pro 16 (M1 Pro, 2021): $2,499 $1,999 at Amazon
Save $500: This was one of the best Apple Black Friday deals we've seen – ever. A massive 20% off the base configuration of Apple's most powerful laptop yet, the 2021 MacBook Pro 16, taking it to a record low price. This configuration gives you 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD, but there were also discounts on the 1TB setup too.

Top deal: MacBook Pro 16 (M1 Pro, 2021): $2,499 $1,999 at Amazon
Save $500: This was one of the best Apple Black Friday deals we've seen – ever. A massive 20% off the base configuration of Apple's most powerful laptop yet, the 2021 MacBook Pro 16, taking it to a record low price. This configuration gives you 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD, but there were also discounts on the 1TB setup too.

MacBook Air (M2 Pro, 2022): $1,199 $1,049 at B&H Photo
Save $150: There were some great Apple Black Friday deals at B&H Photo too, including on the beautiful 2022 M2 MacBook Air. If you don't need the power of the MacBook Pro above, this is the laptop to go for.

MacBook Air (M2 Pro, 2022): $1,199 $1,049 at B&H Photo
Save $150: There were some great Apple Black Friday deals at B&H Photo too, including on the beautiful 2022 M2 MacBook Air. If you don't need the power of the MacBook Pro above, this is the laptop to go for.

MacBook Pro 14 (M1 Pro, 2021): from £1,899 £1,725 at Amazon
Save up to £270: Over in the UK, Amazon had savings on both the 512GB and 1TB SSD configurations of the 2021 MacBook Pro 14 with 16GB RAM. There's £174 off the former and £270 off the latter. And there was also a similar discount on the larger MacBook Pro 16, was £2,399 now £2,129.

MacBook Pro 14 (M1 Pro, 2021): from £1,899 £1,725 at Amazon
Save up to £270: Over in the UK, Amazon had savings on both the 512GB and 1TB SSD configurations of the 2021 MacBook Pro 14 with 16GB RAM. There's £174 off the former and £270 off the latter. And there was also a similar discount on the larger MacBook Pro 16, was £2,399 now £2,129.

2022 iPad Air: £669 £569 at Amazon
Save £100: Released in March, this 5th generation of the iPad air is the best iPad for a lot of people, sitting in the middle between the base iPad and the super powerful iPad Pros. It offers more Pro-like features than ever in a comfortable 10.9in size, and it supports Apple Pencil 2. It's the iPad we most recommend for creatives and students.

2022 iPad Air: £669 £569 at Amazon
Save £100: Released in March, this 5th generation of the iPad air is the best iPad for a lot of people, sitting in the middle between the base iPad and the super powerful iPad Pros. It offers more Pro-like features than ever in a comfortable 10.9in size, and it supports Apple Pencil 2. It's the iPad we most recommend for creatives and students.

MacBook Pro 14 (M1 Pro, 2021): from £1,899 £1,725 at Amazon
Save up to £270: Over in the UK, Amazon had savings on both the 512GB and 1TB SSD configurations of the 2021 MacBook Pro 14 with 16GB RAM. There's £174 off the former and £270 off the latter. And there was also a similar discount on the larger MacBook Pro 16, was £2,399 now £2,129.

MacBook Pro 14 (M1 Pro, 2021): from £1,899 £1,725 at Amazon
Save up to £270: Over in the UK, Amazon had savings on both the 512GB and 1TB SSD configurations of the 2021 MacBook Pro 14 with 16GB RAM. There's £174 off the former and £270 off the latter. And there was also a similar discount on the larger MacBook Pro 16, was £2,399 now £2,129.

Apple AirPods Max: $499.99 $449 at Best Buy
Save $50: Whilst the UK didn't offer many good deals on the AirPods Max last year, US buyers could grab an impressive $50 off these stylish Apple wearables. Even better, the sale applied to all of the colour variations available!

Apple AirPods Max: $499.99 $449 at Best Buy
Save $50:
 Whilst the UK didn't offer many good deals on the AirPods Max last year, US buyers could grab an impressive $50 off these stylish Apple wearables. Even better, the sale applied to all of the colour variations available!

Apple AirPods 2 (2022):  $249.99 $199.99 at Best Buy
Save $50: This deal cut off an impressive 20% from the Gen 2 AirPod Pros, which were only released in September 2022. These add improved sound quality and even better active noise cancellation, for less than the originals.

Apple AirPods 2 (2022):  $249.99 $199.99 at Best Buy
Save $50:
This deal cut off an impressive 20% from the Gen 2 AirPod Pros, which were only released in September 2022. These add improved sound quality and even better active noise cancellation, for less than the originals.

Apple Watch Series 8: $399 $349 at Target
Save $50: The last-generation Apple Watch was only released in September 2022, but Amazon's Black Friday deals were the best prices we saw with $50 off all configurations, including on the more expensive GPS + cellular versions.

Apple Watch Series 8: $399 $349 at Target
Save $50:
The last-generation Apple Watch was only released in September 2022, but Amazon's Black Friday deals were the best prices we saw with $50 off all configurations, including on the more expensive GPS + cellular versions.

Apple Watch Ultra (GPS +cellular): $799 $739 at Amazon
Save $60: Also released in September 2022, Amazon slashed $60 off the GPS Apple Watch Ultra. Not bad going. 

Apple Watch Ultra (GPS +cellular): $799 $739 at Amazon
Save $60:
Also released in September 2022, Amazon slashed $60 off the GPS Apple Watch Ultra. Not bad going. 

Apple Pencil (2nd Gen): $129 $89 at Amazon
Save $40: One of the best Apple deals of Black Friday 2022, we usually only see a max of $10 off the 2nd gen Apple Pencil, so to have a huge $40 off was a record low. An unmissable deal that didn't last long.  

Apple Pencil (2nd Gen): $129 $89 at Amazon
Save $40: One of the best Apple deals of Black Friday 2022, we usually only see a max of $10 off the 2nd gen Apple Pencil, so to have a huge $40 off was a record low. An unmissable deal that didn't last long.  

Apple Pencil (2nd Gen): £139 £119 at Amazon 
Save £20: UK Apple users didn't quite get the same good deal as those in the US, but did get this Apple Pencil for a little less – a modest 14% saving.  

Apple Pencil (2nd Gen): £139 £119 at Amazon
Save £20: UK Apple users didn't quite get the same good deal as those in the US, but did get this Apple Pencil for a little less – a modest 14% saving.  

2018 Apple Mac mini (Intel chip) $799 $499 at B&H Photo
Save $300: if you don't need the latest specs, this is very cheap Mac mini from B&H, and one of the best Mac mini deals we've seen. This 2018 iteration has a 3.6 GHz Intel Core i3 Quad-Core (8th Gen), 8GB of RAM, integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 and a 256GB SSD.

2018 Apple Mac mini (Intel chip) $799 $499 at B&H Photo
Save $300: 
if you don't need the latest specs, this is very cheap Mac mini from B&H, and one of the best Mac mini deals we've seen. This 2018 iteration has a 3.6 GHz Intel Core i3 Quad-Core (8th Gen), 8GB of RAM, integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 and a 256GB SSD.

Apple Black Friday: iPhone deals

Black Friday iPhone deals are harder to come by, especially in the US. The best savings are usually found through carriers or with a trade-in direct with Apple. But keep an eye on the prices below, because Black Friday iPhone deals do sometimes come up.

Take a look at our best iPhone 14 prices and the best iPhone 13 Pro Max prices guides to keep up to date with the best deals and prices in your region. 

Beth Nicholls
Ecommerce Writer

Beth is Creative Bloq’s Ecommerce Writer. An avid music photographer and previous staff writer for Digital Camera World, Beth has a keen eye for content and knows just how to create it. Her background working as a tester for CeX has provided extensive knowledge surrounding the latest tech and gaming trends, and she studied Music Journalism too, so you'll probably find her at a gig. Basically, she's a total nerd with a Snorlax tattoo and a Master's degree in Photography, forever wishing she was Peter Parker. 

With contributions from