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Behold, the black Apple Watch Ultra 2 is $200 off during Black Friday
Consumer Tech·3 min read

Black Friday Apple: Which deals are actually worth your money (and which to skip)

By Riley Hart

On Black Friday night your inbox fills with red prices and a siren of deals: $200 off an Apple Watch Ultra 2, iPad Airs slashed by hundreds, and AirPods for near pennies. The question for most shoppers isn’t FOMO - it’s which markdowns will still look smart in six months.

Retailers on November 29, 2025 ran deep Apple discounts across watches, headphones, iPads and laptops, with Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart front and center. Some offers, like the black Apple Watch Ultra 2 at roughly $599-$600, slice $200 off the list price; others are Apple gift-card bundles that run through December 1. Knowing the small hardware differences between model years and the true everyday benefits will save you money and buyer’s remorse.

Which Apple wearables to buy now

This matters because Apple’s refresh cycle and selective sale policy mean a $100-$200 saving can be either a steal or a distraction. I tested options across price tiers, dug through product specs and retailer terms, and spoke with reviewers who stress practical differences: battery hours, cellular options, and which features actually land on your wrist or in your bag day to day.

Headphones, iPads and where the real discounts are

If you want a rugged, adventure-ready watch, the Ultra 2 on sale for about $599 is a sensible buy for active users. The Ultra 2 ships only in a 49mm case, runs Apple’s S9 chip, and delivers long battery life and an OLED bright enough for outdoor use; reviewers note it supports Apple’s double-tap gesture and a durable build the Series line doesn’t match. Victoria Song of The Verge summed the tradeoff bluntly: “you still do not need this watch,” but she acknowledged the Black Friday price brings the Ultra 2 close to Apple refurbished levels, which softens the splurge calculus.

For everyone else, cheaper models often make more sense. Engadget tracked the Apple Watch SE starting at $129 for GPS models during the sale; the SE provides heart-rate monitoring, fall and crash detection, and basic fitness tracking for a fraction of the Ultra’s cost. If you want always-on displays and on-device Siri, the Series 11 or the SE 3 at midrange discounts will cover about 80 percent of daily needs without the Ultra’s bulk or price tag.

When to buy refurbished, and when to wait

Headphones, iPads and where the real discounts are

AirPods deals were plentiful: the new AirPods Pro 3 hit about $220, while the AirPods 4 dropped to roughly $69 for the non-ANC model and $99-$110 for the ANC version. Engadget’s hands-on called the Pro 3 “Apple’s most comprehensive update,” noting better noise‑canceling and on-device sensors; that makes the $220 price attractive if you use earbuds for commuting or calls.

How to shop these deals without getting burned

Tablets and laptops followed predictable cycles. The 11-inch iPad Air (M3, 128GB) showed at $449, and base iPads fell to the mid-$200s - steep discounts if you don’t need pro‑level performance. MacBook Air and MacBook Pro markdowns also appeared, but M4- and M5-equipped machines are still premium buys; the real savings are for students who need consistent performance and can’t wait for a new chip round.

When to buy refurbished, and when to wait

If you’re bargain hunting, compare store discounts with Apple refurbished stock. The Ultra 2 Black Friday price landed only about $10 above refurbished listings in some cases, making new purchases one small step higher than Apple’s certified renewals - which include a one‑year warranty. That gap makes refurbished a better move for frugal buyers who still want Apple’s warranty and return experience.

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