This article was reported by DealNews, a site that scours the web for the best retail deals.
If there's only one rule you follow this Black Friday, it should be never to buy your Apple gear from the Apple Store. Not only is Apple's sale predictable (the company is once again bundling gift cards this year), but it's also disappointing, particularly when other retailers are discounting Apple gear at record speeds.
However, some of the initial leaks from the Apple Black Friday sale sound promising — but keep in mind these are still leaks. The only news Apple has confirmed is that it will offer (RED) iTunes gift cards on select purchases on Black Friday, and that the proceeds will help fight AIDS in Africa. In addition, not all of the leaked deals sound great. iPad shoppers, for instance, will still be able to score better gift cards from Target, which is offering cards at twice the value of Apple's sale. (That applies to all iPad and iPad mini tablets.) Likewise, if you're looking for deals on the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s, other retailers will beat the Apple Store's offerings.
That said, a few Apple Store offers compete, up to an extent. Below is an updated list of the best Apple Black Friday ads, and how they compare to Apple itself.
Best Black Friday Apple Deals
Apple TV Media Receiver with $25 gift card for $99 at the Apple Store
If rumors are accurate, on Black Friday it will sell its Apple TV Media Receiver for $99 with a $25 gift card; assuming you use the gift card, that gives you an effective price of $74, which beats our Black Friday prediction. However, if you just want to pay as little as possible, Staples will offer the Apple TV Media Receiver for $79.
Apple iPad Air 16GB With $100 Gift Card for $399 at Target
This tablet's $399 price point is nothing special (it's what Apple charges), but what makes this deal noteworthy is the inclusion of a $100 gift card, which is like getting $100 off the cost of this tablet.
Apple iPad mini 2 16GB With $100 Gift Card for $299 at Target
Although Target is selling the iPad mini 2 at full retail value, it's bundling a $100 Target gift card, which helps offset the cost of the tablet. Unless Apple changes its Black Friday sale for the better (highly unlikely), this Target deal will be hard to beat.
Apple iPad Air 2 16GB With $140 Gift Card for $499 at Target
Sensing a pattern here? Target is taking Black Friday seriously this year, and as with its other iPad deals, the current-generation iPad Air 2 is also selling at list price, but with a generous $140 Target gift card. This deal will most likely trump Apple's Black Friday sale, which last year bundled a $75 Apple gift card with iPad Air purchases.
Apple iTunes $100 (4 x $25) Multipack Gift Cards for $79 at Sam's Club
Whether you're purchasing for yourself or as a stocking stuffer, Sam's Club has the best iTunes gift card deal, taking roughly 21% off this multipack iTunes gift card set. Just need one card? OfficeDepot takes 20% off a $50 card. Though keep in mind that our data shows December may ring in more aggressive iTunes gift card deals.
Apple TV Media Receiver for $79 at Staples
This Apple TV Media Receiver is only a buck over our Black Friday prediction for this set-top box. However, last Black Friday, Apple's streamer dropped down to $72, so there's a chance this may get cheaper. However, if you need it today, Staples's Apple TV deal is already live.
Apple iPhone 5s 16GB Smartphone with $30 gift card for $79 at Target
Target's Apple deals are very aggressive this year, and although the retailer doesn't have the best iPhone 6 deal, it takes the top spot for best iPhone 5s deal. It's worth noting that Costco has offered the iPhone 5s for as low as $58 in the past, but if you factor in Target's free $30 gift card, this deal is a price low by $9. It also beats Apple's direct pricing, which sells this phone for $99. It also beats Apple's direct pricing, which sells this phone for $99.
Apple iPhone 6 16GB Smartphone for $99 at Sam's Club
The good news is that this is the best iPhone 6 deal we've come across since the phone's launch. It surprisingly beats Walmart and Best Buy, which traditionally have the best iPhone deals. Unfortunately, the bad news is that there will be just 15 units per store. So if you're not a Sam's Club member (or if you're not one of the lucky 15), your next best bet is Apple, which rumors indicate will bundle a $50 (RED) iTunes gift card with purchases of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. This deal even beats Target, which will offer the iPhone 6 bundled with a $30 Target gift card for $180. Meanwhile, iPhone 6 Plus fans will want to make their purchase from the Apple Store because that's the only deal we've seen on this phone.
Apple iPhone 5c 16GB Smartphone with $30 Gift Card for 1 cent at Target
We've seen this iPhone for free multiple times before (even Apple offers it for free on contract), but this deal merits your attention because it's the first for-profit iPhone 5c deal we've ever seen. Thanks to the bundled gift card, after purchasing this deal you'll have an extra $30 in your pocket.
Apple MacBook Air Intel Haswell Core i5 1.4GHz 11.6" Laptop for $780 at Best Buy
Not only is this the best MacBook Air deal of Black Friday, but it's also the best MacBook Air deal of all time. It's beats our MacBook Air Black Friday price prediction by $19 and unlike most MacBook Air back-to-school sales we saw this summer, this deal doesn't require a valid .edu e-mail address.
Apple MacBook Air Intel Haswell Core i5 1.4GHz 13.3" Laptop for $1,050 at Best Buy
Best Buy has a stronghold on MacBook Air deals, and although we saw the flagship 13" MacBook Air bottom out at $750 this past summer, this specific configuration (with a 256GB SSD rather than the standard 128GB SSD) doesn't see as many discounts. So for the moment, this deal is $149 under Apple's price and the best offer we've seen on the 13.3" MacBook Air.
Apple iMac 21.5" Core i5 All-in-One Desktop at Best Buy for $900
Outside of refurbs, it's extremely difficult to find a sub-$1,000 iMac. In fact, the 21.5" iMac hit $980 just once this entire year. So at $900, this iMac is a stellar deal; the Apple Store will offer the next best deal on iMacs. It's bundling a $100 gift card on all iMac and iMac 5K Retina deals.
Apple MacBook Pro Intel Ivy Bridge Core i5 2.5GHz 13.3" LED-Backlit Laptop for $900 at Best Buy
Although we've seen this MacBook Pro at this price before, it's not a common sight. Just keep in mind this is the mid-2012 model, which means you get an Ivy Bridge processor and a non-Retina screen. For current MacBook Pro laptops, the Apple Store is offering the best deal by bundling a $100 Apple gift card.
Apple iPod Touch 16GB MP3 Player (5th Generation) for $150 at Best Buy
Though not as popular as it was in its heyday, this is the best iPod touch deal we've seen for Black Friday 2014. (You typically pay this price for refurbished iPods). If you miss Best Buy's deal (which starts Thursday at 5 pm in-store and online), Toys "R" Us will offer the same model at the same price starting Friday at 7 am in-store and online.
Best Buy and Target account for the majority of noteworthy Apple deals this Black Friday. It's very unlikely that the Apple Store will even come close to matching them. Last year there were some reports that the Apple Store was price matching its competitors, but there's no guarantee they'll do that again this year and even if they do, your mileage may vary. Finally, iPhone 6 shoppers need not lose hope, because Fry's has yet to reveal its Black Friday deals, and this retailer is known for its stellar iPhone discounts.
Excited for Black Friday deals? Consider subscribing to the DealNews Select Newsletter to get a daily recap of all our deals; you never know when a Black Friday price will be released! You can also download the DealNews app, check out the latest Black Friday ads, or read more buying advice.
This post has been updated to reflect the latest deals from the Apple Store.
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