Cheap Apple Products: The Best Time of Year to Buy Each One

Last Black Friday, AirPods 4 dropped to $69 and were reported sold out by Cyber Monday. That's the whole game with Apple sales in one line: the low prices are real, they're short, and they don't land on the same day for every device.

The cheapest week for most cheap Apple products has been Black Friday through Cyber Monday, at big retailers rather than at Apple, which has handed out gift cards instead of cutting prices. iPhones are the main exception, since older models get cheaper after the new ones launch in September. Your 2026 window opens the day after Thanksgiving: Thursday, Nov 26 is the holiday, Friday, Nov 27 is Black Friday, and Cyber Monday comes three days later, on Nov 30.

The Short Answer: Black Friday Week Wins for Most Apple Gear

For Apple Watch and AirPods, the lowest prices in the 2024 and 2025 holiday coverage came between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and for iPads and MacBooks the 2025 lows landed in that same stretch. The iPhone runs on its own calendar.

Here is how each device has played out, based on last year's prices as reported by Macworld, MacRumors and IGN (press-reported, not hands-on testing by Plug):

Device	Usually cheapest	Why	What to check
iPhone (newest model)	Black Friday through early December	Offers arrive as trade-in or bill credits, not lower prices	The total you pay over the contract
iPhone (older model)	After the September launch, and into spring or summer	Older models have usually dropped once the new ones arrive	Apple's own price on the day
iPad	Black Friday week, then Prime Day (July and October)	Big retailers cut it at Black Friday and Prime Day	Today's list price, which rose in June 2026
MacBook	Black Friday through Cyber Monday	Last year's chip gets the deepest cuts	Which chip generation you're getting
Apple Watch	Black Friday week, and Prime Day	Lows in both 2024 and 2025 landed that week	The model matters more than the day
AirPods	Black Friday week	The best prices sell out first	Whether the current price already beats last year's

The rule of thumb: if it isn't an iPhone, the week after Thanksgiving is the one to circle.

Apple Itself Rarely Cuts Prices: What Black Friday Really Is

Apple's own Black Friday event has been a gift card offer, not a price cut, three years running. Macworld's deals guide puts it simply: Apple rarely discounts its own products.

Here is what Apple's event looked like, per Macworld, MacRumors and AppleInsider coverage:

• Apple's 2023 event, Nov 24 to 27: Gift cards up to $200 with eligible purchases.
• Apple's 2024 event, Nov 29 to Dec 2: Cards ran $25 to $200. A MacBook Air earned the top $200, an iPad up to $100 and an iPhone up to $75.
• Apple's 2025 event, Nov 28 to Dec 1: The top card rose to $250, with a MacBook Pro. A 15-inch MacBook Air came with $200, the 13-inch with $175, an iPad Air with $100, and an iPhone 16 or AirPods Max with $75.

A gift card works like grocery-store points. They're worth something, but only on your next trip. If you buy a 13-inch MacBook Air from Apple during that event, you still pay the full list price for the laptop. The $175 comes back as credit you can spend at Apple later.

That's why the real low prices sit with the big retailers that week. Check Apple's own terms on the day if you'd rather buy direct, and use last year's offers as a guide to the size of the card.

iPhone: Buy the Older Model After the September Launch

When to buy an iPhone comes down to how old the model is. For an older model, the September launch has usually been the moment its price drops. For the newest one, discounts are thin all year.

In September 2024, Apple cut the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus by about $100 when the new models arrived, according to Macworld's coverage. That's the usual pattern, not a promise: ZDNet reported a $100 price rise on the iPhone 17 and older models in 2026. Check Apple's own iPhone prices on the day rather than assuming last year's drop repeats. Our explainer on whether older iPhones get cheaper when a new one comes out covers the pattern in more detail.

The newest model is a different story. Apple lists the iPhone 18 Pro with 256GB at $1,199 on its iPhone page (read Oct 23, 2026). Around Black Friday, carriers and retailers tend to answer with trade-in credit, gift cards or bill credits spread over months of payments. This means the phone's price doesn't really move. You get money back slowly, as long as you stay on the plan.

Macworld's deals guide adds one more angle: iPhones are often cheapest in spring or summer, several months after the September launch. Both views fit together once you ask how old the model is. A phone that's a year or two old has already had its drop, and a newer one may get a modest cut by summer.

If you'd rather not time the cycle at all, a Plug Certified iPhone is priced below new on any day of the year, unlocked and with battery health of 80% or higher.

iPad: The Most Sale-Friendly Apple Product

The iPad is one of the easier Apple devices to find on sale, with Black Friday week and Prime Day (July and October) as the best windows.

Last year's lows show how far it goes. On Black Friday 2025, MacRumors reported the 11th-generation iPad with 128GB at $274 at Amazon, and the 11-inch M3 iPad Air with 128GB at $449, down from $599.

Here's the catch: those prices were measured against old list prices. Apple raised several iPad prices in June 2026, according to Macworld's iPad guide (updated Oct 5, 2026):

• Base iPad: $449, up from $349.
• 11-inch M4 iPad Air: $749, up from $599.
• 11-inch M5 iPad Pro: $1,199, up from $999.

So a 2025 low may not come back this year. Compare any sale price with today's list price, not last year's headline.

Model age matters here too. Macworld's iPad guide says the iPad Air M4 and iPad Pro M5 are fine to buy now, and that the iPad mini and base iPad are due for refreshes (press-reported, not confirmed by Apple). If you want one of those two, waiting a little could get you a newer model, or a cheaper older one.

Plug Certified iPads cover the earlier generations, if a newer chip isn't what you need.

MacBook: Last Year's Model Is Where the Gap Is

MacBook prices dip hardest between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and the biggest cuts tend to go to the previous chip generation.

On Black Friday 2025, MacRumors reported the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air with 256GB at $749 at Amazon, which it called an all-time low. Best Buy had the same laptop at $799 earlier that November. Those were deep cuts for a laptop Apple doesn't discount itself.

Newer models move less. In its deals guide updated Oct 7, 2026, Macworld listed the 13-inch M5 MacBook Air at $1,099, down from $1,299. That's a real $200 off, but it's a long way from the $749 the older chip reached.

Back-to-school season isn't the cash discount it sounds like, either. Apple's 2026 offer, which ran July 16 to Sept 24 according to AppleMagazine, gave gift cards ($100 with a MacBook Air, $150 with a MacBook Pro) rather than a lower price.

A Plug Certified MacBook is another way to land on an earlier chip without waiting for November, and our guide to a cheap MacBook goes through the options.

Apple Watch: Black Friday Week, Then It Sells Out

Apple Watch lows have landed in Black Friday week two years in a row, with Prime Day as the other good window. If you want the detail, see whether Apple Watches go on sale on Black Friday.

In 2024, IGN and other deal coverage reported the Apple Watch SE at $149 on Thanksgiving and again on Cyber Monday (Dec 2), and the Series 10 at about $329.99 to $349 on Cyber Monday. In 2025, the Series 11 reached $329 on Cyber Monday (Dec 1), per Macworld's coverage.

Honestly, the model you pick saves you more than the day you buy. A Series watch on its best sale still costs well above an SE at its usual price. Decide what you need first (fitness tracking, cellular, a bigger screen, longer battery life), then watch for that model's price.

Plug Certified Apple Watches let you pick the model first and skip the countdown.

AirPods: Great Deals, Thin Stock

AirPods see real Black Friday cuts, and the best prices tend to be the first to sell out.

In 2025, AirPods 4 hit $69 on Black Friday and were reported sold out by Dec 1. On Cyber Monday, AirPods 4 with noise canceling were $99 and AirPods Pro 3 were about $220. In 2024, AirPods 4 reached $119 and AirPods Pro 2 sold for $139 to $149 on Cyber Monday.

Here's the twist. Macworld's deals guide (updated Oct 7, 2026) listed AirPods Pro 3 at $179, down from $249. That's already lower than the roughly $220 they reached last Cyber Monday. A product can be cheapest in a month that isn't November, so check the price you see today against last year's.

They're a popular gift, which is why stock thins fast. If the price is right on Black Friday morning, waiting for Monday is a gamble.

Plug Certified AirPods sit in the same range all year, with no sell-out clock.

After Christmas: Rarely Cheaper Than Cyber Week

Christmas falls on Friday, Dec 25 this year. In the 2024 and 2025 coverage we read, no price in Christmas week or January beat the Black Friday through Cyber Monday lows on Apple Watch or AirPods.

The one possible exception is clearance on an outgoing generation, when a retailer wants it off the shelf. That's occasional and hard to plan around. If you're shopping for a gift, the safer bet is buying in Cyber Week and checking the seller's return window. Our guide to whether Apple products are cheaper on Black Friday or Christmas goes deeper on the timing.

A Simple Rule: Buy Now or Wait?

Picking your time to buy comes down to three questions:

1. Is it the newest model? Then discounts are small all year. Wait only if Black Friday week is days away; otherwise, buy when you need it.
2. Is it a generation or two back? Then it has probably dropped already. Buy when the price matches or beats last year's low.
3. Does it sell out (AirPods, Apple Watch)? Then don't hold out for Cyber Monday. Buy at the first price you're happy with.

One worked number shows why today's price matters. Last Black Friday, the 11-inch M3 iPad Air fell $150, from $599 to $449. The current M4 model lists at $749 after June's rise. The same $150 cut this year would put it at $599, not $449. A quick price comparison against today's list price tells you whether a deal is really a deal.

The Quiet Option: A Plug Certified Device on Any Day

If you'd rather skip the sale calendar, a Plug Certified device is priced below new every day of the year, up to 70% off retail.

Here is what comes with every one:

• Tested and Cleaned: Each device goes through Plug's 90+ Point Inspection.
• A Year of Cover: If a hardware or software fault shows up under normal use, Plug's 12-Month Warranty covers it. Accidental damage isn't included.
• 80% or Higher Battery Health: The floor Plug sets before a device is listed.
• Unlocked Phones: Every iPhone works with any carrier.
• 30-Day Returns and Free Shipping: Free shipping applies to US orders.

The grades (Good, Great and Excellent) describe looks only. A Good device passes the same tests as an Excellent one and gets the same 12-Month Plug Warranty.

How does that compare with Apple's own refurbished store? Our breakdown of Apple Certified Refurbished versus pre-owned lays the two side by side. Apple says its Apple Certified Refurbished products save "up to 15%" against new and come with its standard one-year limited warranty. Prices at Plug follow the market and change often, so the collection page for each device has today's number.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do students get 10% off at Apple?

No, not as a flat 10%. Apple shows an education price on each eligible product page, and the saving differs by product. College students (current or newly accepted) and their parents qualify, as do faculty, staff and homeschool teachers. Apple's separate back-to-school gift card offer has already ended for 2026.

Why are Amazon MacBooks cheaper?

Amazon can set a MacBook below Apple's listed price, and Apple rarely discounts its own. A price tracker caught a $150 gap on one identical MacBook Air configuration between the two stores on Oct 22 and 23, 2026. Check that the seller is Amazon itself and read the return terms.

Where can I buy the cheapest Apple products?

It depends on whether you need the device new. For new gear, big retailers usually undercut Apple, especially in sale weeks. For a device that doesn't have to be new, certified pre-owned is cheaper year-round, and both Apple's refurbished store and Plug Certified devices carry a warranty. When shopping cheap Apple products online, compare warranty length, not just price.

Are Apple products cheaper in store or online?

Usually neither. Apple generally lists the same price in its stores and online, so the gap comes from the seller, not the channel. A big retailer's sale price is where the difference shows up. Wherever you buy, keep the receipt and note the return window before you open the box.