if you have been Recently looking at a MacBook car, now is the time to hit that buy button. Apple black friday The deals are here, and several WIRED-approved gadgets are on sale, from iPads and MacBooks to Apple Watches and AirPods. All of these deals come from third-party retailers like Amazon and Best Buy; Apple has no sales of its own and the only promotion you will find on its website is the ability to get up to a $200 gift card if you purchase an eligible product.
Featured cable deals
WIRED’s Black Friday 2024 coverage
MacBook and desktop deals
This is ours Favorite MacBook for most people (7/10, WIRED recommends). It has a solid 13.6-inch LCD screen, a 1080p webcam and an M3 chip that offers a noticeable increase in performance compared to the older M1 chip. It handles everyday tasks with ease, but can also hold its own with some photo and video editing.
If you want a more powerful MacBook than the M3 in the MacBook Air, this is the next step. Unlike its predecessor, it has three USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 plus an HDMI port, SD card slot, headphone jack and MagSafe charging port. Apple also increased the base model’s memory to 16GB (instead of 8GB). This sale applies to the model with the base M4 chip, which is a decent upgrade over the previous MacBook Air. But you can also set it up with one M4 Pro or M4 Max to get more power; both are for sale.
The 15-inch MacBook Air (8/10, WIRED recommends) is still my daily driver, even though I have a Pro with M4 at my disposal. I suggest using the 16GB of unified memory for smoother performance, but this M3-powered machine performs very well for all my tasks, including streaming content, video calling with a 1080p webcam, processing texts and web browsing. It’s a great option for those who want a larger screen without all the bells and whistles that come with a MacBook Pro. —Brenda Stolyar.
For maximum power, there’s the 16-inch MacBook Pro (7/10, Wired Review). Along with a Mini-LED display, 120Hz refresh rate, 1080p webcam and six-speaker sound system, it also features new compatible USB ports. Thunderbolt 5 (120 Gbps) for faster data transfers. You’ll be able to choose between an M4 Pro or M4 Max chip. We tested the M4 Pro, which was only slightly faster than last year’s M3 Max chip. But it’s a great choice if you want a MacBook Pro that can handle anything and everything you throw at it.
Apple recently released versions of the MacBook Pro with M4 engine, but the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 (9/10, WIRED recommends) is still a great option. It has a bright display with mini-LED and a built-in 1080p webcam. You’ll also get a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling. As usual, it packs plenty of ports, including two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4, an HDMI, a MagSafe charging port, an SD card slot, and a high-impedance headphone jack. We recommend it if you don’t want to spend more than $2,000 on a MacBook Pro.
The new iMac with M4 (9/10, WIRED recommends) isn’t that different from the M3-powered version, but it does come with some updates. There’s a 12-megapixel webcam with Center Stage support, a nanotexture display that offers a better viewing experience, and all peripherals now have USB-C ports (finally). Thanks to the new M4 chip, it also offers great performance. It is the best selection of ours Guide to the best all-in-one computers. On Amazon, if you clip the coupon button, you’ll also save an extra $50, bringing the price down to $1,149.
I have been using my studio screen (9/10, WIRED recommends) alongside the M4-powered MacBook Pro on a daily basis. The large 27-inch screen is ideal for getting work done. It doesn’t have HDR, which means colors look a bit more saturated than the neutral tones you’ll find on Apple’s Pro Display XDR. But the 5K resolution is impressive and sharp. It’s expensive, yes, but it’s also a great monitor that includes a 12-megapixel camera, plus built-in speakers and microphones. —Brenda Stolyar
iPad deals
If you’ve been waiting for Apple’s new iPad Mini (8/10, WIRED recommends) to go on sale, don’t wait any longer. The changes to the latest model are largely internal. It comes equipped with an A17 Pro chip (the same one inside the iPhone 15 Pro), which can handle both graphically demanding games and support Apple Intelligence (the company’s AI feature set with iOS 18.1). It is also compatible with the Apple Pencil Proso you don’t need an iPad Pro to enjoy the improved stylus. Its small stature also makes it great for travel, whether you’re using it or not reading e-books or games
The iPad (10th generation) (7/10, Wired Review) is our favorite iPad recommend to most people. It has an A14 Bionic chip (which you will also find in the iPhone 12) that never felt sluggish during testing. It also has a modern design, with slim bezels around a large 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display (IPS LCD), Touch ID integrated into the power button, a USB-C port for charging, and a 12-inch front-facing camera megapixel that is located in the center of the iPad.
If you don’t want the basic 10th generation iPad, this is the next step up (8/10, WIRED recommends). between the 11 inches or 13 inches screen the larger size is brighter, not to mention the extra real estate makes it a great secondary screen to use for work or watching TV. As with the iPad Pro M4, Apple moved the front-facing camera to landscape orientation, which is much less awkward during video calls. The device’s M2 processor delivers smooth performance. Walmart also has the devices on a slight discountif Amazon’s deals sell out (which it looks like they might).
Apple’s latest iPad Pro tablet (6/10, Wired Review) has several new features. It has a bigger and brighter screen, an improved OLED display and the front camera has landscape mode. Under the hood is the latest M4 chip, which delivers fast performance. It is also compatible with several new accessories, including magic keyboard, Apple Pencil Proi Smart Folio Cover. However, we still recommend the iPad Pro 2022 powered by M2. So it’s a great alternative if you want to save even more money.
AirPods deals
Here are our favorite AirPods (8/10, WIRED recommends). They have tons of great features like Adaptive Transparency Mode (which combines noise cancellation and transparency to adjust audio), Find My support in case you lose them, Conversation Awareness (which reduces music and background noise when having a conversation), and one IP54 rating for sweat and dust resistance. Meanwhile, sound quality is above average with crisp highs, authoritative bass, and excellent noise cancellation. You will also have access to Apple’s new features for hearing aidsdesigned for people with low to moderate hearing loss.
Last September, Apple finally updated the AirPods Max (8/10, WIRED recommends) to include USB-C. Apart from the new port, the rest of the features remain the same as in the Lightning version (these are also for sale). However, you can choose from a few new colors including orange, purple, blue, starlight and midnight. These over-the-ear headphones are equipped with a massive soundstage, rich bass and great noise cancellation. It also has great build quality, with a mesh headband and (replaceable) fabric earcups.
Not on AirPods? The Beats Studio Buds+ are our favorite alternative for Apple users. They have all the essential features like active noise cancellation, transparency mode and spatial audio. They are comfortable to wear and easy to use, with physical buttons on the outside of each bud. They have a great battery life: 36 hours when combined with the charging case. You can also choose from a variety of colors including silver, ivory, black and clear.
Apple Watch Deals
Series 10 (8/10, WIRED recommends) is the newest Apple Watch to join the training. It has a bigger screen than any other Apple Watch before it, but it’s also thinner, lighter and supports fast charging. The smartwatch runs on the latest WatchOS 11 operating system, so you’ll have features like Training Load, which shows how your workouts affect your fitness over time, and Vitals, to check your baseline every morning It is important to note, however, that it does not come with a blood oxygen sensor.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 (8/10, WIRED recommends) is our reference smart watch recommendation for anyone who primarily practices outdoor sports. It offers fast performance thanks to the S9 chip and an ultra-wideband chip for improved search accuracy. It also comes equipped with dual-frequency GPS, Backtrack functionality for creating virtual road routes in the Compass app (via the Action button), and access to offline maps (which you’ll need to download to your iPhone). Oh, and you won’t have to charge it every day.
This is our favorite Inexpensive Apple Watch. It doesn’t have a cutting-edge set of health-tracking features, but it’s still perfectly capable of tracking things like steps, workouts, sleep, and heart rate. Also works with Family settings so it’s a good option to pick up if you don’t want to drop $500 on your 9-year-old’s first wearable. Smaller wrists may enjoy the 40mm case option, though it also goes up to 44 for a bit more cash.
Apple accessory deals
Photography: Apple
The second-generation Apple Pencil has pressure sensitivity, handwriting support, tilt sensitivity, and double-tap (which lets you quickly switch between tools by tapping the pencil twice). It also supports wireless pairing and wireless charging, so you can magnetically attach it to the top edge of your iPad and start charging. Works with iPad Mini (6th generation), iPad Air (4th generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later) and 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later). However, it is not compatible with the new iPad Air (M2) or iPad Pro (M4).
The first-generation Apple Pencil has been around for years and is still very good, as long as you have a compatible iPad. It has features like pressure sensitivity (lines get thicker as you press harder on the screen), tilt sensitivity (for shading), and handwriting support within apps and search fields. As for compatible iPads, it works with iPad base model (6th generation and later), iPad Mini (5th generation), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st and 2nd generation), and iPad Pro 10.5-inch. It often comes down to that price, but it’s still a good deal. With the current lineup, that means only the 10th generation iPad is supported.
Photography: Amazon
The latest Apple Pencil includes a “squeeze” capability that activates the tool palette (although you can also double-tap). The stylus also offers a haptic motor that provides feedback when you press the stylus. The built-in gyro sensor also allows you to change the orientation of each tool as you rotate it, giving you finer control. It is only compatible with the iPad Air (M2), iPad Pro (M4), i iPad Mini (A17 Pro).
