Buyer's Guide Update: Apple iPhone, Black Friday Sales

[MacRumors]

Several readers have noticed that our Buyer's Guide has recently changed the iPhone recommendation to "Don't Buy - Updates Soon" despite no recent rumors about a new iPhone update.

The Buyer's Guide generates some of its recommendations automatically based on historic product life cycles. For a product like the iPhone, however, which has only been on the market for a short period of time, these product cycles can be less predictive.

The relatively short product cycles for the iPhone reflect the fact that Apple has made regular adjustments to the iPhone's price and storage capacity. Only 2 months after its initial release in 2007, Apple dropped the price of the 8GB iPhone down $200. Then in February, Apple boosted the maximum storage capacity of the iPhone from 8GB to 16GB.

These regular short updates are why the Buyer's Guide recommendation has changed, but Apple has said they are not going to be updating any more products in 2008. So, any new updates wouldn't realistically be seen until early 2009. And Apple has said that they will continue to improve and aggressively price the iPhone in the future.

Regardless, readers should probably wait until Friday before buying any new Apple hardware since Apple and other retailers will be offering Black Friday After Thanksgiving sales. BestBuy, PowerMax and Amazon are already advertising their Black Friday sales, and we believe that both Apple and MacMall will also be offering their traditional discounts on Friday.

Article Link: Buyer's Guide Update: Apple iPhone, Black Friday Sales

[themoonisdown09]

I really hope that the iPhone gets a storage boost to 32GB at or around Macworld 2009.

[Penguinwrangler]

The iPhone was not discounted in any way last year on Black Friday, was it?

[bradl]

Originally Posted by Penguinwrangler

The iPhone was not discounted in any way last year on Black Friday, was it?

I don't think it was, as they dropped the price of the iPhone sometime in October or September, IIRC, then gave those who bought it early some sort of rebate (I wasn't really into the iPhone then, so my memory is a bit foggy on that).

What I think could happen is that Apple could start to offer the iPhone 3G without the subsidy (read: contract free) for a cheaper price than what they initially announced. That would make a really good Black Friday sale.

BL.

[mr_matalino]

Here's hoping for a price cut in Jan/Feb!!

$99 8GB!

[BigD58]

Does anyone think that the new unibody MBP's will be discounted on Friday?

[DipDog3]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5F136 Safari/525.20)

Originally Posted by gothamm

Slow news day at macrumors eh?

Exactly what I was thinking!

I doubt we will see any price reductions on the iPhone in the near future.

[Tallest Skil]

Originally Posted by BigD58

Does anyone think that the new unibody MBP's will be discounted on Friday?

No. Apple discounts its consumer products.

[themoonisdown09]

Originally Posted by BigD58

Does anyone think that the new unibody MBP's will be discounted on Friday?

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil

No. Apple discounts its consumer products.

I don't think Apple usually discounts their Pro line products, but it looks like Best Buy will be. Read this article posted by AppleInsider: Best Buy cuts prices on Apple's Mac line for 4-day sale.

[jObooW]

anyone knows if and when there will be discounts in europe (netherlands)?
And will Apple also give it on top of the student discounts?

[themoonisdown09]

Originally Posted by jObooW

anyone knows if and when there will be discounts in europe (netherlands)?
And will Apple also give it on top of the student discounts?

The Black Friday discounts don't apply if you use the student discount... at least that's how it's always been here in the US.

[jObooW]

Originally Posted by themoonisdown09

The Black Friday discounts don't apply if you use the student discount... at least that's how it's always been here in the US.

ok, then I will order an alu MB tomorrow anyway

[fendol]

It's just this Friday...

[M.Capz]

I'm looking to pick up the iPhone this afternoon. Think I should wait until Friday?

[bytethese]

Originally Posted by themoonisdown09

I really hope that the iPhone gets a storage boost to 32GB at or around Macworld 2009.

I hope not, I finally convinced my fiance to buy one last week.

[caliguy]

Originally Posted by jObooW

ok, then I will order an alu MB tomorrow anyway

I would wait until Friday just in case. Due to the economic situation, we could see bigger price drops than usual, you never know. What's waiting an extra three days?

[Pants Dragon]

What are the odds of an update at MW2009? I've asked for one for Christmas, but I've said that I don't want to get it until after MW since they may update it.

[terryzx]

Originally Posted by M.Capz

I'm looking to pick up the iPhone this afternoon. Think I should wait until Friday?

I’m waiting til the new one at MacWorld Expo in Jan

[guzhogi]

I'm hoping Apple updates the iPhone to have a 32 GB drive & the same speed clock as the iPod Touch v2. IMHO, I still think the iPod Touch & iPhone should have have all the same features, minus the phone. That should be enough to differentiate the 2.

[bradl]

Originally Posted by terryzx

I’m waiting til the new one at MacWorld Expo in Jan

Playing devil's advocate.

And then what will you do when Apple does not announce a 32GB iPhone? If they have a sale on them this Friday, and you wait till January, and there is nothing in January, you may have nothing but wasted time..

BL.

[M.Capz]

Originally Posted by terryzx

I’m waiting til the new one at MacWorld Expo in Jan

Yea, I'm pretty sure a new one isn't coming out in January......

I'm just hoping I don't miss out on a small price drop on Friday. Eh, regardless they might give me a deduction if I tell them I bought it on Monday

[Mindflux]

Best Buy's got some smokin sales. I just got $150 off my MacBook (2.4) today and I didn't have to trudge out on Friday to do it.

[stagi]

anyone think they will have deals on the TV? Did they last year?

[alexbates]

I bet there will be a good price reduction due to the economic conditions (At least $100 off Mac's).

I would save my money and see what's going to happen at Macworld.
We know that Snow Leopard is coming and possibly an updated Mac Mini, MacBook Air, and iMac along with some kind of change with the iPhone.

[santiv]

I'm holding out for $300 off from MacMall for 2.8GHz Mac Pro with VMWare Fusion and Windows XP. Anybody hear anything about an update to the 17" mbp?