If you’re planning on buying a new Apple product — virtually any Apple product — you know that you’re going to drop a few hundred dollars.(But at least you get that cool Apple sticker, even if you never actually stick on anything.) Black Friday is always a great time of year to stock up. If you’re looking for the best Black Friday deals on the iPad or Apple Watch, we’ve got you covered.
There are a number of Black Friday deals on Apple products this year, but your best bets this year are definitely the Black Friday deals on the iPad Air 2 and the Apple Watch. If you’re willing to take on the lines in stores, these two products are the best bang for your buck.
iPad Air 2
If you have a membership to Sam’s Club, you can pick up a new iPad Air 2 for as little as $349 — that’s $150 off of the retail price. While that particular iPad Air 2 model is 16 GB, for many people, that’s more than enough storage space, especially if you stream music and video from a variety of subscription apps (Apple Music, Spotify, Netflix, Hulu and others). Additionally, if you occasionally delete old text messages and apps you don’t often use, you may not even notice that you only have 16 GB. And at $349, 16 GB is pretty hard to complain about.
If you’re not interested in the 16 GB option, Sam’s Club is also selling the 64GB and 128 GB models at $150 off the retail price as well.
If you don’t have a membership to Sam’s Club, Target and Best Buy are also offering decent deals on the iPad Air 2, but you definitely get the best value at Sam’s Club. (Ask your grandmother to take you to Sam’s Club to pick up a new iPad Air 2! The chances are that she has a membership.)
Apple put much of their resources toward pushing out the iPad Pro this year, so there’s no iPad Air 3 — yet. But with no new iPad Air this year, the iPad Air 2 is still the best 9.7″ iPad on the market right now. While it’s a bit disappointing that the iPad Air 2 is last year’s technology, this is still a really powerful tablet. In fact, it’s the only iPad Air that supports all of the iOS 9 features, like Slide Over, Split View and Picture in Picture.
The iPad isn’t as popular as it once was, but it’s always a big Christmas seller. Let’s be honest: is there anything better than unwrapping an iPad on Christmas morning? Okay… maybe there are a few things (like world peace and ending hunger), but it’s a pretty awesome feeling.
Apple Watch
If you visit the Apple Gazette very often, you probably already know that I am a huge fan of the Apple Watch (despite its rocky start). And if you’re at all interested in purchasing the Apple Watch for yourself, friend or family member, now’s the time to pick one up.
Best Buy is offering a great deal on the Apple Watch Sport and the Apple Watch this Black Friday. The Sport model, the cheapest in Apple’s Apple Watch line, is made of aluminum, and the Apple Watch model is made of stainless steel. At Best Buy, you can get an Apple Watch Sport for $50 off, and if you opt for the Apple Watch, you can get as much as $100 off.
Regardless of which model you choose, the Apple Watch comes in two watch face sizes: 38 mm and 42 mm. Initially, many thought that women would get the 38 mm model and men would get the 42 mm model, but it really depends on the size of your wrist. So if you’re interested in picking up an Apple Watch on Black Friday, you may want to go into an Apple Store and try one on before you decide to purchase one.
Even if you’ve heard people call the Apple Watch a flop, many of the people who bought one of these smartwatches are totally happy with them, so it really depends on who you are and what you expect from the watch. Do a little reading on the watch and make the decision for yourself. For many people, the watch has become an integral part of not just their lifestyle but also their workflow. The watch is now in its second software iteration, watchOS 2, so many of the initial bugs have been worked out.
Are you planning on going out this year for the Black Friday deals, or will you stay home and shop from your computer screen? If you haven’t already got an iPad Air 2 or an Apple Watch, will you fight the crowds to save a hundred bucks or so? Let us know in the comments below.
