Apple usually waits until Black Friday itself before revealing its deals and discounts. This year, the tech company spoiled the surprise when it announced that it will hand out iTunes gift cards to buyers instead of slashing the price of its devices.
Apple is offering a $50 iTunes gift card to those who will purchase iPads, while $100 card will be given to those who will purchase MacBooks. Part of the proceeds goes to the charities supported by Apple like World AIDS Day and the (RED) charity. Apple also revealed that it will give special (PRODUCT) RED iTunes gift cards to buyers who will purchase Apple devices on Nov. 28.
This is the second year that Apple is offering gift cards, but it's less than what it offered last year. On Black Friday 2013, Apple gave away $75 cards for iPads and $150 for MacBooks.
Those who are looking for better Black Friday deals on Apple devices can head to various retailers instead. For instance, they can get a $140 gift card from Target when they buy the new iPad Air 2, which is almost triple than Apple's gift card.
Meanwhile, those who would rather pay less for a MacBook than receive a gift card can go over to Best Buy or Micro Center. Best Buy offers discounts as big as $200 on MacBooks. The 11-inch MacBook Air with a 1.4 GHz i5 processor, 4 GB RAM and 128 GB storage costs $779.99, while the 13-inch MacBook Air with 1.4 GHz i5 processor, 4 GB RAM and 256 GB storage has a price tag of $1,049.99.
Buyers may also opt to check out Apple's refurbished store for devices sold for less, like the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display with Intel i7, 16 GB of RAM, and 256 GB flash memory offered for $1,699. Refurbished units are basically pre-owned devices shipped back to Apple. The manufacturer then makes the necessary repairs and replaces the faulty parts. These units are noted to be as good as brand new.
