NerdWallet: How to save on Apple products on Black Friday 2021

But there are ways to get an Apple Black Friday deal. Here’s what we’ve found.

What are Apple’s Black Friday 2021 store hours?

Apple Store hours vary by location. For example, the Fifth Avenue store in New York is always open. Other locations have more typical hours — opening at 8 or 10 a.m. and closing in the early evening. Store hours can also depend on local health and safety measures, according to the Apple Store website.

Use the store directory on Apple’s website to find the operating hours of a location near you.

What are Apple’s Black Friday 2021 deals?

Apple deals are volatile due to high demand and fluctuating inventory. So a discount or special offer can be gone soon after you find out about it.

Apple has recently posted the following deals on its website:

• A 64GB iPad Mini for $499.

• The Series 7 Apple Watch starts at $399.

• The HomePod mini speaker, available in five colors for $99.

• The 32GB 4K Apple TV starts at $179. (Remember, this is a component that requires an HD or better television.)

Notice the above deals don’t mention price savings. Discounts are so not Apple. For those, you’ll need to look to outside retailers. Some advertised deals so far:

• Apple AirPods Max over-ear headphones for $479 at Amazon ($70 savings). Some models include six months of Apple Music free. Amazon
  AMZN,
  +0.58%
  had the same AirPods marked down to $429.98 at one point, but that price didn’t last long.

• Amazon has also marked AirPods Pro earbuds as low as $189.99 to $199.99 (savings of $49.01 to $59.01). There’s that price volatility we mentioned.

• A MacBook Pro with a 16-inch display and 16GB memory for $2,299.99 at Best Buy
  BBY,
  -2.41%
  ($500 savings).

Nerdy tip: Apple has a handy order by date chart so that you’ll know the latest date you can place a holiday order for a specific item and get free home delivery. Some Apple Store locations offer pickup as well as next-day and two-hour delivery.

Also see: Apple planning iPhone feature that could detect car crashes and automatically dial 911: WSJ

How to save money at Apple

Since discounts are so skinny, how can you really save on Apple products? Consider buying certified refurbished. You can snag Macs, iPads, iPhones and all the other previous-generation Apples with savings that can run to hundreds of dollars. And the “like new” tech comes with a one-year warranty.

Other savings hacks:

• Trade in your old gear (if eligible) and get a purchase credit applied to an Apple gift card to save even more.

• The veterans and military purchase program allows a 10% discount to military-connected consumers and their immediate family members.

• Use an Apple Card and get 3% cash back.

• Look for carrier deals. For example, AT&T
  T,
  -0.56%
  offers up to an $800 credit on a new iPhone 13 or 13 Pro after a trade-in. T-Mobile
  TMUS,
  -0.40%
  and Verizon
  VZ,
  +0.11%
  offer similar credits.

What were Apple’s Black Friday 2020 deals?

Last year, Apple’s Black Friday sale was a four-day event. Rather than offering a price discount, all of the deals we could find included an Apple gift card with a purchase. The only other advertised special was free personal engraving.

Also see: Good luck escaping inflation — the biggest contributors to the 31-year high include rent, gas and groceries

As usual, it fell to the major phone carriers and retailers to offer discounts in 2020, including:

• AT&T offered a credit of up to $700 on an eligible smartphone trade-in with an upgraded or new line and the purchase of an iPhone 12.

• Best Buy had discounts up to $250 on select MacBook Pros and up to $150 on select iPad Pros.

• Walmart
  WMT,
  -0.58%
  offered AirPods Pro for $169 ($50 savings) and Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS) for $119 ($60 savings), both online only.

• Amazon sold a 2017 model iPad Pro for $680.84 ($98.16 savings).

More From NerdWallet

Email: articles@nerdwallet.com.