Tech / Technology

35+ Early Black Friday Apple deals: iPads, iPhones, more

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Score early Black Friday deals on the AirPods Pro at their record-low price for an iPad mini or Air for $100 off.
person using apple pencil on ipad mini

Black Friday sales have already begun, bringing with them a bunch of Apple discounts. Here are our favorites as of Nov. 2:

Best early Black Friday Apple deals:
Best Mac deal

2022 MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

$899 at B&H
(Save $200)

2022 macbook air in midnight

Best iPad deal

2021 iPad (WiFi, 64GB)

$249 at Amazon and Walmart
(Save $80)

silver 2021 ipad

Best iPhone deal

iPhone 14 Plus at Verizon

$0 when you open a new line on select unlimited plans
(Save $799)

midnight iphone 14 plus

Best Apple Watch deal

Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS)

$234.89 at Amazon
(Save $44.11)

midnight apple watch SE



Best AirPods deal

AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

$189 at Walmart
(Save $60)

airpods pro with case

Deals on Apple products actually aren’t too hard to find — if you know where and when to look. While you don’t have to wait for a shopping holiday to get savings on iPads, MacBooks, and more, Black Friday Apple deals tend to be some of the best of the year.

This year, Black Friday savings are in line with years past and starting nice and early, with Best Buy, Walmart, and more all running sales throughout the month before we officially hit Black Friday on Nov. 24.

SEE ALSO:

Black Friday sales are already live. Here are the best early deals we’ve found so far.

If you’re looking to save big on some new Apple gear this holiday season, you can start shopping now. Below, we’ve rounded up some of the best Black Friday Apple deals that are already live.

Mac and MacBook deals


2022 macbook air in midnight

Credit: Apple


Our pick: 2022 MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

$899 at B&H (save $200)

Why we like it

Check out our full review of the M2 MacBook Air.

If you’re looking for a zippy work-from-home machine or the perfect school companion, look no further. Though Apple did just release the new M3 chip to its iMac and MacBook lineup, the M2 is still plenty powerful. You’ll also get 13.6 inches of display (as opposed to the 13.3 inches of the previous gen Air), a near-perfect keyboard, and best of all, this laptop at its lowest price ever.

More Mac and MacBook deals

MacBook Air

MacBook Pro

Mac

iPad deals


silver 2021 ipad

Credit: Apple


Our pick: 2021 iPad (WiFi, 64GB)

$249 at Amazon and Walmart

Why we like it

We’re not going to lie, this $249 price tag is far from a Black Friday exclusive. This tablet has hit this all-time low price a few times this year, including during last month’s Prime Day sale, but it’s also sat at higher price points of $279 and up. We wouldn’t recommend this tablet if you need anything more heavy-duty, but for a basic tablet that gets the job done, you’ll be saving at least $150 more than if you went for any other iPad. Grab it on sale at Amazon and Walmart.

More iPad deals

iPad (10th gen)

iPad (9th gen)

iPad Air

iPad mini

iPad Pro

SEE ALSO:

M3 iMac vs. M1 iMac: What are the differences?

iPhone deals


midnight iphone 14 plus

Credit: Apple


Our pick: iPhone 14 Plus at Verizon

$0 when you open a new line on select unlimited plans (save $799)

Why we like it

The iPhone 15 may be the shiniest new Apple toy, and while the deals on the phone certainly aren’t bad, they are contingent upon you having a decent trade-in. If you feel any doubt in your trade-in power, going for this Verizon deal on the 14 Plus requires none — only that you open a new line on select unlimited plans. Still some hoops, but far fewer to get an $800 phone basically for free.

More iPhone deals

Apple Watch deals


midnight apple watch SE

Credit: Apple


Our pick: Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS)

$234.89 at Amazon (save $44.11)

Why we like it

The Apple Watch SE is an affordable option if you’re in the market for a smartwatch, but don’t need many fitness features. Usually, its price will dip down by $30 every now and then, which makes for a pretty decent deal, but Black Friday season has brought us something even better, with this 44mm SE that’s down almost $45. That’s roughly $5 away from its lowest price ever (that we’ve only seen it hit once). If you want to avoid the Black Friday madness and don’t mind opting for the midnight colorway, this is a solid deal to jump on ahead of the official holiday.

More Apple Watch deals

Series 9

Series 8

SE

Ultra

More Apple Watch deals

AirPods deals


airpods pro with case

Credit: Apple


Our pick: AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

$189 at Walmart (save $60)

Why we like it

Read our full review of the second-generation AirPods Pro.

If you’re looking for a quality pair of noise-canceling earbuds, look no further than the AirPods Pro. They’re our favorite buds for traveling, with Mashable Senior Editor Stan Schroeder deeming them, “the first pair of earbuds I’d actually consider taking on an airplane (instead of my much larger and clunkier over-ear headphones).” They also come with 30 total hours of battery life with the charging case (six hours per charge), great sound quality, and easy pairing to all of your Apple devices. Plus, their $189 price tag puts them back down to their lowest price ever (alongside the USB-C AirPods Pro).

More deals on AirPods

Even more Apple deals

Tech / Technology

M3 iMac vs. M1: What are the differences?

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M3 iMac vs. M1 iMac: What are the differences?
screenshot of the newly released Apple M3 iMac

This M3 iMac vs. the M1 iMac face-off is absolutely necessary because, let’s be honest, the differences between the two are sparse.

Apple finally upgraded its iMac for the first time since 2021, and no, it’s not the major update we were expecting, but we can’t ignore that it’s packed with a new powerful processor: the M3 chip.

SEE ALSO:

Apple ‘Scary Fast’ Mac event: The entire thing was filmed ‘on a tiny little iPhone’

Beyond the new chip, we’ll need a magnifying glass – or even a microscope – to determine the disparities between the two iMacs. Let’s dissect the two so you can make the best decision on which is best for you.

M3 iMac vs. M1 iMac: Price

Despite the rumblings of Apple looking to increase the price of its flagship iPhone in the future due to production costs, it seems that Apple is maintaining its pricing strategy for now. Just like the starting price of its 2021 counterpart, Apple announced that the new M3 iMac starts at $1,299.

This configuration comes with with an 8-core CPU, an 8-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage.

However, 8GB of RAM is puny and not ideal if you need a lot of multitasking muscle. We recommend upgrading to 16GB of RAM, which will increase your total cost to $1,699.

A maxed-out M3 iMac, packed with 24GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage, is available for a whopping $2,699.

The new M3 iMac can be pre-ordered right now and will start shipping on November 7.


Silver 2021 iMac

Credit: Silver 2021 iMac


Apple 2021 iMac (24-inch, M1 chip)

$1,699

M3 iMac vs. M1 iMac: Design

Design-wise, much hasn’t changed between 2021 and now.

The M3 is still keeping its 24-inch display along with a 4.5K Retina screen, a 1080p webcam, and a six-speaker system. The entry-level M3 iMac comes with two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The higher-end variants add two USB 3 ports. In the box, you’ll get the Magic Mouse, a Magic Keyboard, a USB-C to Lightning Cable, and a power cord and power adapter.

Apple, for the past few events now, has increasingly emphasized its environmental efforts and is doing the same for the M3 iMac. The company noted that the desktop stand uses 100 percent recycled aluminum. Plus, the gold plating of multiple printed circuit boards is also 100 percent recycled.

screenshot of the different colors the iMac will release in, from L to R: Silver, Purple, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red


Credit: Apple

Beyond that, the M3 iMac comes in the same colors as the M1 iMac.

  • M1 and M3 colorways: Blue, Green, Pink, Orange, Purple, Yellow, and Silver

M3 iMac vs. M1 iMac: Specs

Now the biggest change, and the whole point of this article, is the iMac’s upgrade to the M3 chip. (You can find the new chip inside the refreshed 14-inch MacBook Pro, too.)

The cheapest M3 iMac comes with an 8-core CPU and an 8-core GPU. Comparatively, the most affordable M1 iMac features an 8-core CPU and a 7-core GPU.

M1 iMac (entry-level): 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD

M3 iMac (entry-level): 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD

The upper-tier M3 iMacs, the variants with four ports, offer an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU. The pricier M1 iMacs, on the other hand, deliver an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU.

M3 iMac users should see an uptick in graphics performance –– and not just because of the extra GPU cores. Apple added a new “Dynamic Caching” process to the M3, which intelligently manages the GPU’s memory for gaming and more.

The M3’s GPU also features hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray-tracing perks, which means gaming should be a lot smoother and more visually impressive. Apple claims that frame rates will get a 50 percent boost, too.

The processor upgrade is definitely worth the hype as the M3 chip is faster and consumes less power. Take a look at the apps and programs that are reportedly speedier with the M3 iMac:

  • Excel: Up to 30 percent faster

  • Safari: Up to 30 percent faster

  • Video and photo editing apps (e.g., Photoshop): twice as fast

Overall, Apple claims that the M3 iMac is two times faster than the M1 iMac. The Cupertino-based tech giant also boasts that the neural engine inside the M3 Mac is 60 percent faster than its M1 counterpart.

The real upgrade here truly is the M3 processor, but for the same price as its predecessor, it may be worth it to upgrade for faster speeds and less power consumption.

Tech / Technology

Apple 10/30 event: The entire ‘Scary Fast’ live stream was filmed on iPhone

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Apple used the iPhone 15 Pro Max to film the ‘Scary Fast’ live stream.
Apple event filmed on iPhone

My jaw dropped when I read the final words of Apple’s “Scary Fast” Mac event: “This event was shot on iPhone.”

You mean to tell me that while Apple showcased its refreshed M3-series MacBook Pros and iMac, and even dropped a stunning new Space Black colorway for the M3 Pro and the M3 Max Macs, all of that spooky pomp and circumstance was filmed on a smartphone? No way!

Tim Cook walking into the 'Scary Fast' Mac event

Tim Cook walking into the ‘Scary Fast’ Mac event
Credit: Apple

Which iPhone did Apple use for the ‘Scary Fast’ Mac event?

Apple used the iPhone 15 Pro Max to film the Apple ‘Scary Fast’ event and we are shook. I mean, we knew that the iPhone 15 Pro Max had industry-leading camera specs. Check out some of the top-notch features below:

  • 4K video recording up to 60 fps

  • Cinematic Mode (a rack-focus feature introduced with iPhone 13 Pro models) up to 4K HDR at 30 fps

  • Action Mode (a feature that introduces stabilization for high-activity recording) at 60 fps

  • HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps

  • ProRes video recording up to 4K at 60ps (ProRes is an Apple-developed compressed video format that produces high-quality files for video production)

  • Macro video recording, including slo-mo and time-lapse

  • Slo-mo video support for 1080p at up to 240 fps

Plus, as we tested in our review with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the Pro camera system blew us away with its sharp 48MP wide camera and 12MP ultra-wide shooter. It’s also packed with two telephoto cameras — one of ’em consists of Apple’s star-of-the-show “tetraprism design” that enables up to 5x optical zoom.

However, by putting these envelope-pushing specs into practice, Apple really put iPhone 15 Pro Max’s capabilities into perspective.

A professional filmmaker directed the event

Apple tapped into Brian Oakes, the man behind Jim: The James Foley Story and Living with Lincoln, to film the “Scary Fast” Mac event.

“We were able to get the same complex shots with iPhone 15 Pro Max,” Oakes said. “It’s amazing to see that the quality from a device that is so small and so portable can rival a large $20,000 camera.”

Jon Carr, Apple’s Pro Workflow Video Specialist, was also flabbergasted that the event was filmed with a “tiny little iPhone” that powered 50 monitors with USB-C out. “This whole piece was low-light, and low-light is a little bit more challenging. And we nailed that.”

Scary Fast livestream filmed with iPhone 15 Pro Max

Scary Fast livestream filmed with iPhone 15 Pro Max
Credit: Apple

But of course, Apple still deployed some of the traditional top-level equipment you see on any major film set, including cranes, dollies, drones, and more.

Apple transparently revealed that it used the Blackmagic Camera app, an iOS exclusive, to film “Scary Fast,” which adds Hollywood feature film-esque digital camera controls.

The new iDevices Apple revealed at the event include the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro, the 14-inch and 16-inch M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBook Pro models, and an M3 iMac. For a more in-depth look of everything announced at the event, click here.


Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

Credit: Apple


Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max (256GB, Sierra Blue) [Locked]

1,199

Tech / Technology

How to preorder the new MacBook Pro with M3 Pro and M3 Max

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Apple announced new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros on Oct. 30: The new MacBook Pro with M3 Pro chip and MacBook Pro with M3 Max chip are available to preorder starting at $1,999 and $3,199, respectively.
Person working in lab using new Apple MacBook Pro

As of Oct. 31, the new MacBook Pro M3 Pro and MacBook Pro M3 Max are available to preorder at the Apple Store, Amazon, and Best Buy. The 14-inch models start at $1,999 for the M3 Pro and $3,199 for the M3 Max, while the 16-inch models start at $2,499 for the M3 Pro and $3,499 for the M3 Max. Shipping begins on November 7.

Preorder the new MacBook Pros with M3 Pro and M3 Max chips:
Apple Store

Apple MacBook Pro with M3 Pro and M3 Max chips

starting at $1,999

Apple MacBook Pro with silver shell and black design screensaver

Best Buy

Apple MacBook Pro with M3 Pro and M3 Max chip

starting at $1,999

Apple MacBook Pro with space black shell and black design screensaver

Amazon

14-inch Apple MacBook Pro with M3 Pro (11-core CPU, 14-core GPU)

starting at $1,999

Apple MacBook Pro with silver shell and black design screensaver

Amazon

14-inch Apple MacBook Pro with M3 Pro (12-core CPU, 18-core GPU)

starting at $2,399

Apple MacBook Pro with space black shell and black design screensaver

Amazon

16-inch Apple MacBook Pro with M3 Pro (12-core CPU, 18-core GPU)

starting at $2,499

Apple MacBook Pro with space black shell and black design screensaver

Amazon

14-inch Apple MacBook Pro with M3 Max (14-core CPU, 30-core GPU)

starting at $3,199

Apple MacBook Pro with silver shell and black design screensaver

Amazon

16-inch Apple MacBook Pro with M3 Max (14-core CPU, 30-core GPU)

starting at $3,499

Apple MacBook Pro with space black shell and black design screensaver

Apple’s second Apple Event of the past *checks notes* two months welcomed new MacBook Pros with several iterations of the new M3 chip — scary fast processing appropriately unleashed at the official “Scary Fast” Halloween Eve event.

The two real stars of the show were the Pros featuring the advanced M3 Pro and the super advanced M3 Max chips. Both can live in a 14-inch or 16-inch Pro, and both come in the one shade that could be sleeker than Space Grey: Space Black, baby.

SEE ALSO:

How to preorder the new M3 Apple iMac

One word to sum the M3 generation up? Power. Apple wasn’t shy about the fact that these are the most powerful MacBooks ever built by a long shot, operating up to 2.5 times faster than the already-fast M1 Max chip and up to 11 times faster than the older Intel-based MacBook Pros. The liquid retina XDR display is also more vivid, offering 1600 nits of peak brightness in HDR and 600 nits in SDR.

As for the differences between the two, the M3 Max is available with a 14- or 16-core CPU (compared to the M3 Pro’s 12-core CPU), 30- or 40-core GPU (compared to the M3 Pro’s 18-core GPU), up to 48GB of Unified Memory (compared to the M3 Pro’s 18GB or 36GB), and 1TB of SSD storage (compared to the M3 Pro’s 512GB SSD). The Max is the beast to trust for the most intense workflows — we’re talking to you, machine learning programmers, 3D artists, video editors, and MATLAB masters.

Tech / Technology

How to preorder the new M3 Apple iMac, starting at $1,299

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The new 24-inch M3 Apple iMac is available for preorder at Amazon, the Apple Store, and Best Buy ahead of its Nov. 7 release.
two smiling kids and a woman working at a pink apple imac on a wooden desk

As of Oct. 31, the new 24-inch Apple iMac (Apple M3) is available for preorder at Amazon, the Apple Store, and Best Buy ahead of its Nov. 7 release. It starts at $1,299 for 256GB of storage, 8GB RAM, and an 8-core GPU.

Where to preorder the new M3 Apple iMac:
Amazon

Apple iMac (Apple M3)

Starting at $1,299

a pink m3 apple imac

Apple Store

Apple iMac (Apple M3)

Starting at $1,299

a green m3 apple imac

Best Buy

Apple iMac (Apple M3)

Starting at $1,299

a blue m3 apple imac

Apple lightly refreshed its all-in-one desktop computer for the first time in more than two years at its primetime “Scary Fast” October event Monday — and you can preorder it now before it launches in early November.

The latest 24-inch iMac features the company’s all-new M3 chip with an 8-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU, which it’s hyping as “up to 2x faster” than the 2021 model’s M1 chip. (The standard, non-Pro/Max M3 chip is the same silicone powering Apple’s new entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro, for the record.) It also comes with support for WiFi 6E and up to a chunky 24GB of RAM.

SEE ALSO:

Apple event October 2023: Every single MacBook Pro, iMac announced

That’s the extent of the new iMac’s upgrades over its predecessor, which sported the same 4.5K Retina display, 1080p webcam, six-speaker setup, slim profile, and rainbow of color options: pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and silver (though they look a little punchier and less pastel). It even had the same starting price of $1,299, which got you an identical base configuration with an 8-core GPU, 8GB of memory, and 256GB of storage.

all colors of the m3 apple imac


Credit: Apple

It’s a very subtle update, but that may not be a bad thing: The 2021 24-inch iMac won a Mashable Choice Award for its sleek form factor and peppy performance, with former Mashable tech reporter Brenda Stolyar deeming it “the ideal at-home iMac.” This is basically the same computer, but even peppier.

That said, the M3 model will probably appeal most to users who are still clinging to older PCs like the Intel-based iMacs: It doesn’t seem like a big enough jump from the M1 version to warrant an immediate next-gen upgrade.

The new iMac is available for preorder via Amazon, the Apple Store, and Best Buy at the time of writing and formally arrives on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Tech / Technology

MacBook Pro’s priciest 16-inch configuration costs $7K

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Apple’s new 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $3,999, but it can go up to $7,199 if you tick all the boxes.
Apple MacBook Pro

You’ve saved for this moment. You knew Apple’s top-performing MacBooks would be pricy, but you decided, deep inside, that you will get the absolute best one, no matter the cost.

Well, we’ve get the number for you, and it’s not pretty.

Announced at the company’s October event yesterday, Apple’s top of the line, 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $3,999. But if you tick all the boxes while ordering, the final tally for the laptop will be $7,199.

SEE ALSO:

Apple event October 2023: Every single MacBook Pro, iMac announced

For that money, you do get an absolute monster of a machine. It’s a 16-inch MacBook Pro in Space Black (the color doesn’t add to the price, but come on, we know you’re getting the new one), with an Apple M3 Max processor that has a 16-core CPU, a 40-core GPU, 128GB of RAM memory, and a whopping 8TB of SSD storage.

Apple MacBook Pro

That sound you hear is your credit card crying.
Credit: Apple

We haven’t tested the new machine ourselves yet, and many questions remain unanswered; most importantly, will all that power reflect on the MacBook’s thermal management, especially under heavy load. In other words, maybe don’t go for the absolutely most powerful one just yet, even if you afford it.

Based on the specs sheet alone, and what Apple said during the event yesterday, this should be one of the most powerful portable computers you can buy.

SEE ALSO:

New ‘Space Black’ MacBook Pro color announced at Apple October event

Oh, and one more thing: If you do choose the 128GB option, it will increase the shipping time from seven to nine business days to two to three weeks. Good things are worth waiting for, we guess?

Featured Video For You

The Biggest Apple Announcements from the ‘Scary Fast’ Event

Tech / Technology

New ‘Space Black’ MacBook Pro color announced at Apple 10/30 event

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Apple had a surprise at its M3 Halloween eve event: Its first black MacBook Pro offering in over 10 years.
Apple Space Black MacBook Pro

Apple decided to do something a bit out of the ordinary with its latest product debut: an Apple event announcing the new line of M3 laptops on the night before Halloween.

Spooky!

But along with some horror-themed music and interstitials between segments, Apple had an actual product announcement that fit the Halloween spirit: a new “Space Black” MacBook Pro.

Meet the new ‘Space Black’ MacBook Pro

Apple has certainly experimented with unique color options for its iPhones, and even iMac desktop computers, but it’s been quite a while since the company has done so with its laptops. Traditionally, the choices have been Silver or Space Gray. Now, there’s a new black hue for you to choose.

Plus, Apple claims that it consists of a finger-resistant, dark aluminum finish, but we’ll judge that when we get our sticky fingers on one to test out.

Space Black

Space Black MacBook Pro
Credit: Apple

This is Apple’s first black laptop in around a decade and half. And it’s going to cost you.

At the event, Apple revealed that it was ditching the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro, which had an an old, out-of-date design, and replaced it with a $1,599 14-inch MacBook Pro chassis packed with the M3 chip. However, those new M3 MacBook Pros do not come in the Space Black color.

Space Black on MacBook Pro

Space Black on MacBook Pro
Credit: Apple

If you really want a Space Black MacBook Pro, you’ll have to get an M3 Pro MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,999.

Yeah, it’s just a color, but perhaps you’re feeling nostalgic for the last time Apple made a black MacBook (not MacBook Pro, mind you) all the way back in 2008. Maybe that makes the extra $400 worth it.