Find the Best Holiday Shopping Deals With MacRumors' Black Friday Roundup

[NovemberWhiskey]

They posted a teaser on November 19 last year, which was the Monday before Thanksgiving. So I'd expect to see something from Apple next Monday, possibly.

Thanks!

 

[HarryWarden]

I hate shopping on BF but usually end up doing it about every other year at least. The lines are just insane and I'm kind of impatient to begin with so it drives me bonkers

 

[Nimrad]

Is it possible to get student/educational rebates on top of the Black Friday sale?

 

[aneftp]

Is it possible to get student/educational rebates on top of the Black Friday sale?

No. You cannot. It's like the same as those asking for student discounts on refurbs.

 

[MyMac1976]

Every year I give thanks for not being one of the scores of people who find pleasure in participating in "Black Friday Shenanigans". Ya'll enjoy the lines and traffic. I will be at home with a beer.

Yupper's waiting hours in line for "deals" is about as appealing as stapling my eyelids together.

 

[lewisd25]

No. It means that you can use the gift card towards another iPad purchase.

It actually means that you will receive a $100 gift card when you purchase any iPad: iPad 2, iPad 4, iPad Air.

 

[spicynujac]

Yeah, I don't get when people make those comments. It's not like AT&T gives me a discount on my monthly bill once my contract is up. So if I'm going to use their service anyway, I might as well pay the subsidized price.

The point is there are people like me who pay $35 tax included for service, and I could add data for another $10 so $45 monthly for national service including roaming on T-Mobile. I would never buy a phone on contract with ATT or Verizon and pay $85+ monthly for cell service. For those of you comfortable paying that much for a monthly phone bill, a subsidized phone can be a good deal, but there are many who think that's a ridiculous amount to pay. Then again I also don't have cable tv. It's about total cost of ownership, and it's misleading to look only at the up front price which is a small portion of the overall cost of using the device.

 

[macfacts]

Sad? It's sad that Walmart actually does not have the best price on the iPhone 5c.

This Sunday (yes, 11/24), Sam's Club is selling the 5c with a 2-year contract for .96. That's right, 96 *cents*.

As far as the 5c goes, forget Black Friday. This Sunday is what you'll want.

BL.

How is that a deal when you don't explain the other half of the deal, the half where you have a 2 year contract for service and don't mention how much that service costs.

Increase the monthly service costs by a little and then that 97 cent deal is not a deal.

 

[macfacts]

Really, spending another $100 at target is not hard to do. Groceries for starters.

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Or they can just keep their current phone, and still pay $2,000 over the next two years.

The service price is EXACTLY the same with old phone or new phone.

Try one of the other cellular providers (mvno). Not all of them are like that. Why do you keep giving money to a company that treats you like crap.

 

[michael31986]

So what's the deal on the cellar 16gb iPad version.

 

[Yvan256]

I'm personally hoping for a really good deal on a low-end Mac mini, although the margins are probably already slim. I've been waiting for a Haswell model, but I sort of need one soon, and a good deal could push me over the edge.

If I understand correctly, a Haswell Mac mini would give you Intel Iris graphics, it's well worth the wait over the current HD4000.

I'm hoping for a dedicated GPU but knowing Apple this isn't going to happen again, especially since the current models don't have one and Intel Iris is much better than previous generations of intel GPUs.

 

[9000]

I find it sad only in that people think they are being paid, yet have to pay over $2000 in the next two years for the contract. Now *thats* sad.

Haha yes, you said it for me.

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It's a Black Friday deal. You pay $299 for mini and get a $100 gift card. It's not on their web page yet. of course, you have to go to Wal Mart on black friday and hope they have some left.

Can you use the $100 gift card on that iPad mini as you buy it? Otherwise, a $100 gift card isn't necessarily worth $100.

 

[tuna9720]

Can we buy Best Buy's rMBP deal online, too? or is it a doorbuster only?

I don't want to wait in the line for days or hours, how likely do you think if I go to the store after opening and see some macbooks on the shelf?

Or what stops people of buying today and do a price match on BF?

 

[jclo]

Can we buy Best Buy's rMBP deal online, too? or is it a doorbuster only?

I don't want to wait in the line for days or hours, how likely do you think if I go to the store after opening and see some macbooks on the shelf?

Or what stops people of buying today and do a price match on BF?

Best Buy's 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro for $1099 is listed as a doorbuster deal, so I'm guessing that may be one that's in store only. It's probably one of those deals that will go quickly too.

 

[pietrociao]

iPad Air best online offer

Hi there, do you know if Target would offer the same iPad Air 100$ gift card on their online store too? If not what is the best iPad Air online offer so far?

I'm not from the U.S. and I plan to buy it online and have it shipped to a friend who lives there..

Thanks,
Pietro

 

[nostresshere]

So what's the deal on the cellar 16gb iPad version.

Okay, I will try to be nice here.


But, what is your question?

 

[JPChicago]

i need to find a deal for no contract iphones. ill buy the 5 or 5s if somewhere can lower the price to 400$ or so

 

[mabhatter]

The 5C would be a fantastic phone if they had pulled the 4s and made it the entry level device.

At $99 there's no point to keeping the 4s around.... And they need an excuse to pump up 5c numbers. With sales like these the 5c is "available" to almost anybody that can afford the contract.

 

[JAT]

I hate shopping on BF but usually end up doing it about every other year at least. The lines are just insane and I'm kind of impatient to begin with so it drives me bonkers

I told my wife many years ago I would never shop on BF again. I wouldn't want to lie to her.

 

[Rad99004]

Big Samsung Sales, new rumor about the 5C

Where is the Best price for a Samsung Galaxy Note or a SG4 Locked and Unlocked for AT&T ?

If the price is right may jump ship this year. If I buy now will only be in contract for another year when the new version 1.0 bigger iPhone screen comes out. The version 2.0 will be the one to get anyway when my contract is up. It may be perfect timing. If I get an unlocked one could switch back any time if needed.

Knowing my luck Apple will release the bigger screens in 1st quarter of 2014 as a add on to the existing line up.

There is even some new rumors of reworking part of the existing stock of 5C phones by scrapping the cases/screens and putting them in new cases with bigger screens to salvage what they can.

 

[technopimp]

The point is there are people like me who pay $35 tax included for service, and I could add data for another $10 so $45 monthly for national service including roaming on T-Mobile. I would never buy a phone on contract with ATT or Verizon and pay $85+ monthly for cell service. For those of you comfortable paying that much for a monthly phone bill, a subsidized phone can be a good deal, but there are many who think that's a ridiculous amount to pay. Then again I also don't have cable tv. It's about total cost of ownership, and it's misleading to look only at the up front price which is a small portion of the overall cost of using the device.

Yes, I've looked at some of those lower cost prepaid plans, and there's always a trade-off. My buddy has Straight Talk but can't get LTE, visual voicemail, etc. And in the case of additional lines, you get socked with the whole price for each line (vs. adding a line, etc.). For instance, my wife doesn't have a smartphone, and her line is only $10 a month for me.

I want LTE, VVM, etc. If someone comes along and offers the exact same service for $45 then I'd be interested. My point was merely that people always preach how 'dumb' people like me are for getting suckered into contracts, where I'm saying if you're going to use the service anyway, there is no price advantage (or penalty) for being in-contract vs. off-contract.

 

[FieldingMellish]

I'd like to see a deal off the full price on no contract, no sim iPhones.

 

[spicynujac]

Yes, I've looked at some of those lower cost prepaid plans, and there's always a trade-off. My buddy has Straight Talk but can't get LTE, visual voicemail, etc. And in the case of additional lines, you get socked with the whole price for each line.

Well I actually have regular T Mobile Small Business, but there are also some super deals with a MVNO. But, for example, T Mobile family plan offers 4 lines with unlimited talk, text, and web for $100 plus tax, which would likely work out to around $30-35 per line for 4 lines. The data is limited to 500MB at 4G speeds and then slows down to unlimited 3G but can be cheaply upgraded if you need more. For single lines MVNOs are typically the best bet. I have Small Business b/c it's the cheapest without data and allows roaming. There are much cheaper options out there if you just do some research.

 

[Terrin]

Walmart also has the best price on the iPhone 5c, essentially paying customers $30 to purchase one ($45 base price plus a $75 gift card).

Does anyone else find this a little sad? I personally think the 5C is a good phone that has some unfortunate circumstances surrounding it.

I do not. Apple is not marking the phone down. Walmart is promoting it and likely is not losing money. Further, Black Friday is full of retailers selling desirable products at cost or a slight loss as loss leaders to get people in the store to buy other things. The fact that Walmart is using it in its Black Friday promotions speaks to the phones desirability.

 

[Terrin]

Yes, I've looked at some of those lower cost prepaid plans, and there's always a trade-off. My buddy has Straight Talk but can't get LTE, visual voicemail, etc. And in the case of additional lines, you get socked with the whole price for each line (vs. adding a line, etc.). For instance, my wife doesn't have a smartphone, and her line is only $10 a month for me.

I want LTE, VVM, etc. If someone comes along and offers the exact same service for $45 then I'd be interested. My point was merely that people always preach how 'dumb' people like me are for getting suckered into contracts, where I'm saying if you're going to use the service anyway, there is no price advantage (or penalty) for being in-contract vs. off-contract.

I am not sure what the trade off on T-Mobile is assuming you live in an area with good coverage. For $50 a month you get unlimited data, texting and voice. The LTE is capped at 500 Mb's and then you drop to 3G or Edge, but you have free tethering, international calling and data, and HD voice. For $10 a month more your unlimited data includes 2.5 GB's of LTE. Additional lines with all the same features are $10 to $20 a month more.

With that said, if you already are getting a contract plan for whatever reason these types of deals do make it cheaper they just are meaningless for people who are on contract free plans.