Best of Black Friday 2017 – Apple: 9.7-inch iPad $249, Watch from $179, Beats, much more

Each November when Black Friday comes around, we know that some of the year’s lowest prices on Apple products will be available. If early ad leaks are any indication, it looks like next week will not disappoint. Our yearly Best of Black Friday guides weed through all of the noise and pick out the best deals that will be available during Thanksgiving week. Today we’re turning our attention to all-things Apple after detailing a number of other categories, including streaming media players, smart home tech and others.

Head below to find this season’s top deals on Macs, iPads, iPhones and much more.

iPad |

For most Black Friday enthusiasts, next week is viewed as the time to pick up a new TV at a steep discount. For our 9to5Mac community, it’s known as iPad season. Each year the annual tradition of retailers offering deep discounts on Apple’s tablet continues and 2017 is no exception.

We’re eyeing the 2017 9.7-inch iPad as one of this year’s hottest gifts, for kids or yourself. As we noted earlier this year, Apple struck gold with its latest entry-level model which has discounts down to the $300 range on a regular basis and even as low as $270.

But this Black Friday multiple retailers are expected to drop the 32GB model to $249, an $80 savings off the regular going rate. Count on Walmart, Best Buy and Target to all supply this offer next week but the wise move is to wait on a potential tax-friendly deal from B&H for additional savings. Steer clear of Staples’ $279 offer, as you can do better elsewhere. We know that Sam’s Club will offer the 32GB LTE configuration for $327 (Reg. $459), if you need mobile connectivity.

Thanks to Best Buy’s early Black Friday sale, we’re certain that iPad mini 4 will be available on Black Friday for $275 (Reg. $399) a deal that’s expected at other retailers as well. Those interested in Apple’s iPad Pro lineup should see discounts upwards of $150 at multiple resellers. Best Buy’s early ad leak confirmed as much. Surprisingly, Target will only be taking $120 off, so you’ll want to steer clear unless you have additional incentives. Patience may pay off with further price drops on Cyber Monday for those willing to play Black Friday roulette.

Apple Watch |

Discounts on Apple’s flagship wearable are going to be much harder to predict this holiday season. Following the release of Series 3 in September, it’s been a smorgasbord of hit or miss price drops on the previous generation models. We’ve seen a few hints throughout early Black Friday ad leaks but those have primarily been centered around Series 1. Most retailers at this point have cleared out stock of Series 2, but look for those models to be an unannounced price drop sometime next week if inventory allows.

Both Macy’s and Target appear primed to offer Apple Watch Series 1 from $179 on Black Friday. You’re going to sacrifice some features by going with the previous generation, including GPS, but this is still a solid buy for the Apple fan in your life that doesn’t need every cutting edge device. Best Buy’s ad leak revealed a $199 listing on Series 1, so you’ll want to steer clear there. Meijer will be offering a “$100 savings coupon” with purchase of select models, as well.

As for Apple Watch Series 3, our best bet at this point is a $90 Kohl’s Cash offer with purchase. It’s hard to imagine the holiday season passing without any cash discounts on Apple’s high-end wearable but there are no guarantees at this point.

Mac |

As expected, Best Buy is going to be your #1 stop for Mac deals this Black Friday. We’re expecting to see upwards of $250 off MacBook Pro, along with nice deals on iMac. Best Buy revealed a number of price drops in its ad, which includes the following deals:

• 13-inch MacBook Air 128GB: $800 (Reg. $999)
  • 256GB: $1,000 (Reg. $1,199)
• 21-inch iMac 2.3GHz/8GB/1TB: $900 (Reg. $1,099)
• 27-inch 5K iMac 3.4GHz/8GB/1TB: $1,600 (Reg. $1,899)

Most of these discounts are matches of what we’ve seen throughout 2017 from Best Buy. Look for B&H and eBay to both offer potentially more aggressive deals next week. At this time we don’t have confirmation, but an additional $50-$100 off plus tax benefits seems reasonable.

Apple TV |

Much like Apple Watch, things have been rather quiet on the Apple TV front. Thanks to a fall release, the deals haven’t been as readily available as years past. The only concrete info we have at this point is a $50 shopping coupon on Apple TV 4K via Meijer. Don’t be surprised to see more popular retailers like Best Buy or Target surprise with a similar gift card offer, but any substantial cash discounts are likely going to be hard to come by this holiday season on the 4K model.

The early Black Friday ad leaks have revealed little, if any, potential deals on previous generation Apple TVs. But given that we saw a handful of nice price drops last year, we’re banking on the same in 2017. Look for the 32GB model to fall below $120 from its typical $149 price point. We did see it hit the crazy price of $100 once back in 2016, but those days of steep Apple TV discounts appear to be gone at this point.

iPhone |

iPhone deals are usually pretty hit-or-miss when it comes to Black Friday. If you’ve been holding out for Apple’s latest devices, there are a few offers worth considering. You won’t be able to save much in the way of cash next week but Walmart, Target and Best Buy will be offering gift cards along with select purchases. Typically, you’ll need to sign up for a “qualifying plan” which includes monthly payment to grab the extra credit.

As far as we can tell, Walmart is the only one of the bunch that is offering a gift card with iPhone X at this time. A $300 gift card will be included with qualifying activation on Verizon or AT&T service. Otherwise, your best bet this holiday season will be on previous generation models:

• iPhone 8/Plus: $300 gift card w/ qualified activation | Walmart
• iPhone 8/Plus: $250 gift card w/ qualified activation | Target
• iPhone 8/Plus: up to $200 off w/ qualified activation | Best Buy
• iPhone 6 32GB no-contract: $129 (Reg. $199) | Walmart
• iPhone 6s: from $10/mo. | Best Buy
• iPhone SE 32GB no-contract: $100 (Reg. $160) | Target
  • Also at Walmart

Beats, iTunes, Accessories, more |

While Apple’s big-ticket items typically headline Black Friday sales, this is also a great time of year to pick up accessories, too. Best Buy, Target, Staples and many more will all be offering deals on Beats, iTunes gift cards, and Apple’s own in-house add-ons. The standout deal for us is Target’s $240 listing on the new Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones with a bundled $30 gift card. We’ve rarely seen deals on this pair of over-ears, and the store credit only adds to the value. Smart shoppers will leverage Target’s REDcard for even further savings.

Of course, we’ll see the usual selection of iTunes gift card deals throughout Black Friday. Target and Best Buy will both be offering the traditional BOGO 30% off deals here, and Sam’s Club will have a $100 multi-pack for $84.47. Staples is set to take a rather measly 10% off gift cards, too. We’re certain that PayPal’s eBay storefront will deliver the usual $100 for $85 credit that we periodically see but look for Amazon to do the same next week.

Other notable Apple-related deals include:

• Powerbeats3 Wireless Headphones: $160 (Reg. $200) | Target
  • w/ $20 gift card
• Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones: $160 (Orig. $380) | Target
• urBeats in-ear Headphones: $50 (Reg. $100) | Target
• Beats Headphones and Speakers from $100 | Best Buy
• Save up to $30 on Apple Watch Bands | Best Buy
• Save 15% off Apple iPhone Cases | Best Buy
• Apple Pencil: $90 (Reg. $100) | Best Buy

Be sure to keep it locked to Electronicsforward on Twitter and Facebook throughout the holiday shopping season. It’s also a good idea to bookmark our Black Friday 2017 guide for all of the latest news and deals.

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