Greatest Black Friday Apple deals: Early deals on MacBook, iPad, AirPods, and more

UPDATE: Oct. 25, 2022, 3:40 p.m. EDT This post has been updated with the latest Apple deals from early Black Friday sales.

• BEST MACBOOK DEAL: The MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)(opens in a new tab) updates Apple’s most portable laptop in almost every way, and it’s back down to its lowest price ever — $1,049 $1,199 at Greatest Buy (save $150) 🔥

• BEST IPAD DEAL: The 2022 iPad Air (WiFi, 64GB)(opens in a new tab) has an M1 chip, comes in five different color ways, and is offers the key iPad Pro features at a fraction of the price — $519 $599 at Amazon (save $80)

• BEST APPLE WATCH DEAL: The Apple Watch Series 7 (45mm, GPS)(opens in a new tab) has an ECG sensor, a blood oxygen sensor, and 45mm of an always-on display— $309 $379 at Greatest Buy (save $70)

• BEST AIRPODS DEAL: AirPods Max(opens in a new tab) are Apple’s premiere over-the-ear headphones, offering ANC and exemplary sound quality all in one stylish package — $449.99 $549 at Amazon (save $99.01)

• BEST ACCESSORY DEAL: The Beats Studio Buds(opens in a new tab) offer a worthy alternative to the AirPods Pro, and they’re $10 cheaper than their Prime Day 2 price — $89.95 $149.95 at Amazon (save $60)

Apple is not famous for its sales — at least not through its own website and stores. Luckily, several other retailers have no problem marking down Apple products.

Even more luckily, several of those retailers have already started rolling out early Black Friday deals, including Amazon, Greatest Buy, and Target (with Walmart soon to follow).

Basically, that means that the good Apple deals we find year round are even better at the moment. Case in point: several 2022 MacBooks are at their lowest prices ever, some Apple Watches are back down to their all-time low prices, and Beats headphones are up to $100 off.

If you don’t see your wishlist items on sale, don’t worry. We’ll be updating this post constantly leading up to the Black Friday’s official start on Nov. 25. Until then, it never hurts to glance at the greatest deals that are live beforehand. Check them out below.

Please note: All newly added deals have been marked with a ✨. Anything with a strikeout was either sold out or no longer available at the sale price as of this writing, and anything marked with a 🔥 has dropped to an all-time low price. Check back often — we’re updating this page constantly.

Mac and MacBook deals

Why we like it

Check out our full review of the M2 MacBook Air.

The 2022 MacBook Air comes at a slightly higher starting price than its 2020 counterpart, but for a few good reasons. One, it underwent a total redesign that gives it a more Pro-like look, while still maintaining the thin look the Air is known for. The keyboard is miles better than the Butterfly monstrosity, and you also get a full-sized function role. We wish its refresh rate offered a little more, but the M2 chip gives top-of-the-line performance. And that slightly larger screen makes a difference.

More Mac and MacBook deals

2022 MacBook Pro

2022 MacBook Air

• MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)(opens in a new tab) — $1,099 $1,199 at Amazon (save $100)

• MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD)(opens in a new tab) — $1,349 $1,499 at Greatest Buy (save $150) 🔥

• MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD)(opens in a new tab) — $1,399 $1,499 at Amazon (save $100)

2021 MacBook Pro

• 14-inch MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)(opens in a new tab) — $1,599 $1,999 at Greatest Buy (save $400)

• 14-inch MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD)(opens in a new tab) — $2,099 $2,499 at Greatest Buy (save $400)

• 14-inch MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD)(opens in a new tab) — $2,199 $2,499 at Amazon (save $300)

• 16-inch MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)(opens in a new tab) — $2,199 $2,499 at Amazon (save $300)

• 16-inch MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD)(opens in a new tab) — $2,399 $2,699 at Amazon (save $300)

2020 MacBook Pro

2020 MacBook Air

More Mac deals

iPad deals

Why we like it

Check out our review of the 2022 iPad Air.

Admittedly, it’s not the hottest week for iPad deals. Though the new iPad that just came out looks an awful lot like the iPad Air released earlier this year, we still think it’s worth paying a little extra for the Air. At its sale price of $519, it sits just $70 above the new standard iPad’s price, but offers a much faster M1 processor and a sharper display, thanks to its laminated display and support for P3 wide color space. No, it doesn’t have that landscape front-facing camera, but it “offers all the key features of the iPad Pro, for less money,” as Mashable senior editor Stan Schroeder writes in his review. The standard iPad can’t say the same.

More iPad deals

iPad Mini

iPad Air

iPad Pro

Apple Watch deals

Why we like it

If you want to grab the latest Apple Watch with a 45mm band you’ll be paying at least $419. Opting instead for last year’s Series 7 still gets a large, bright, always-on, crack-resistant display. In terms of fitness features, you get blood oxygen and ECG sensors, as well as a heart rate monitor. You won’t get the crash detection and temperature sensors of the Series 8, but if those weren’t must-have features for you anyway, saving over a hundred bucks and going for the Series 7 is the move. You can grab it for $309 at Greatest Buy and Walmart, but the former has more colors in stock at the discounted price.

More Apple Watch deals

Series 8

Series 7

SE (Second generation)

AirPods deals

Why we like them

Check out our full review of the AirPods Max.

The TikTok girlies eat these headphones up, but it’s not just about their aesthetic. They do offer some really nice active noise cancellation, have seriously impressive audio quality, and come with spatial audio for that immersive listening experience. We’d have a hard time ever recommending them at full price, but every single color is available lower than the $479 price they’ve been sitting at on Amazon for while, so if you’re loyal to Apple and want some over-ear headphones, this could be a good time to buy. We do think there’s more than a decent chance they drop even further closer to Black Friday, though.

More AirPods deals

Apple accessories deals

Why we like them

Read our full review of the Beats Studio Buds.

If you’re interested in the idea of the ANC of the AirPods Pros but less interested in their price tag, the Beats Studio Buds offer a worthy alternative — and at the time of writing, they’re $10 cheaper than they were on Prime Day 2. The ANC might not quite match up to the Pros standard, but with 8 hours of battery life per charge (that beats the second gen Pros) and impressive bass for buds, you might just find them worth the trade off. Plus, you get more color options.

More Apple accessories deals

How to score the greatest Black Friday Apple deals:

First and foremost, you should keep an eye on this list. Self-promo aside, we’ll be making sure it stays updated with all the greatest deals. If you are interested in doing some deal hunting of your own, we do have a few tips to share.

As we mentioned earlier, Apple is notoriously stingy when it comes to offering sales. (Their 2021 Black Friday “deal” was just a free gift card(opens in a new tab) with the purchase of select items, keeping in line with previous years.) That means checking their website throughout the weekend probably will not be the most fruitful course of action. Retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Greatest Buy offer Apple deals throughout the year, are much more likely to offer even more significant discounts on your favorite products during the holiday shopping season.

Next, it will be helpful to have a clear idea of what exactly you’re interested in buying. A glance at this very post can show you that the Apple catalog is vast and ever-expanding. Since the summer, we’ve gotten a ton of new releases, including new generations of iPads, MacBooks, AirPods, Apple Watches, iPhones, and even an Apple TV 4K. Apple deals also have a tendency to fluctuate, so trying to keep a close eye on all their selections can get overwhelming quick (besides, that’s what you have us for — no need to put yourself through that). What’s more, Apple is — as you may know — a popular brand, meaning you only have so long to hop on the really good sales.

Our advice? Be honest with yourself about which products are absolute wants, and which would be nice, but not exactly necessary. Want a new iPad but don’t need the latest and greatest? Older generations will be sale and still work great. Maybe you’re even cool with going refurbished (which is great for your wallet and the planet).

Having a clear sense of what you’re looking for can help you make sure you don’t miss any deals or spend big on something you won’t you get much use out of. If you plan on shopping through Amazon, it’s also a good idea to make use of your wishlist.

This post will be updated throughout the holiday shopping season.