if you have ever been given the expensive MacBook look lately, now is the time to hit that buy button. Apple Black Friday 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 sellers like Amazon and Best Buy; Apple doesn’t have any sales of its own, but the only promotion you can find on its website is the ability to get a gift card of up to $200 when you buy a qualifying product.
Featured Wired Deals
MacBook deals
This is our 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 brings significant improvements in performance compared to the older M1 chip. It handles daily tasks with ease but can also handle 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 in addition to an HDMI port, an SD card slot, a headphone jack, and a MagSafe charging port. Apple also increased the memory in the basic model to 16 gigabytes (from 8 GB). This sale applies to the model with the base M4 chip, which is a decent upgrade over the MacBook Air above. But you can also configure it with the M4 Pro or M4 Max for even more power—both are on sale.
For more power, there’s the 16-inch MacBook Pro (7/10, Review by WIRED). Along with a Mini-LED screen, a 120-Hz refresh rate, a 1080p webcam, and a six-speaker audio system, it also comes with new USB ports that support Thunderbolt 5 (120 Gbps/sec) for faster data transfer. You will have a choice between the M4 Pro or the M4 Max chip. We tested the M4 Pro which was 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.
The new iMac with M4 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) isn’t all that different from the M3-powered version, but it does come with a few improvements. There’s a 12-megapixel webcam supported by Center Stage, a nano-texture display for better viewing, and all peripherals now have USB-C ports (finally). Thanks to the new M4 chip, it also delivers excellent performance. A top pick in our Best Computers of All time guide.
iPad deals
If you’ve been waiting for Apple’s new iPad Mini (8/10, WIRED Recommends) to go on sale, wait no longer. At Amazon, if you clip a coupon, you can save a whole $100! The changes to the latest model are internal. It comes equipped with the A17 Pro chip (the same one inside the iPhone 15 Pro), which is able to handle both games that obviously need support for Apple Intelligence (the company’s framework for artificial intelligence features in iOS 18.1). It’s also compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro, so you don’t need to get an iPad Pro to enjoy the improved stylus. Its small length makes it convenient to carry, whether you use it for reading ebooks or playing games.
The iPad (10th-gen) (7/10, WIRED Review) is our favorite iPad that we can recommend to most people. It has an A14 Bionic chip (which you’ll also find in the iPhone 12) that never felt sluggish while testing it. It also has a modern design, with thin bezels around the large 10.9-inch Liquid Retina (IPS LCD) display, Touch ID combined with the power button, a USB-C charging port, and a 12-megapixel front-facing camera. located in the center of the iPad.
AirPods deals
These are our favorite AirPods (8/10, WIRED Recommendations). They come with a host of great features including Adaptive Transparency mode (which includes noise cancellation and panning to adjust the sound), Find My support in case you lose them, Conversation Awareness (which reduces music and background noise when chatting), and an IP54 sweat resistance rating and dust resistance. The sound quality, on the other hand, is above average with cool highs, decent bass, and excellent noise cancellation. You’ll also get access to Apple’s new hearing aid features, designed for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.
This past September, Apple finally updated the AirPods Max (8/10, WIRED Recommends) to include USB-C. Aside from the new port, other features remain the same as the Lightning version (those are on sale too). However, you have a choice between several new colors including orange, purple, blue, starlight, and midnight. These over-ear headphones come equipped with a large sound stage, rich bass, and loud noise cancellation. It also has good build quality, with a mesh headband and fabric earcups (replaceable).
Not into AirPods? Beats Studio Buds+ are our favorite option for Apple users. They come with all the important features including active noise cancellation, transparent mode, and surround sound. They are comfortable to wear and easy to use, complete with body buttons without each bud. They feature good battery life—36 hours when combined with the charging case. You can also choose from a variety of colors including silver, ivory, black, and transparent.
Apple Watch deals
The Series 10 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is the newest Apple Watch to join the lineup. It has a bigger screen than any other Apple Watch to come, yet it’s also thinner, lighter, and supports fast charging. The smartwatch uses the latest WatchOS 11 operating system, so you’ll have features like Training Load, which shows how your workout affects 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 go-to smartwatch recommendation for anyone who participates heavily in outdoor sports. It delivers fast performance thanks to the S9 chip and ultra-wideband chip for improved accuracy. It also comes equipped with dual-frequency GPS, Backtrack functionality for creating breadcrumb routes visible 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.
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