Apple is offering a series of "sketch walks" hosted by well-known artists to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Urban Sketchers, a global community of artists that are dedicated to on-location drawing.
Many artists who are members of Urban Sketchers have adopted the iPad Pro as a drawing tool of choice, including Uma Kelkar from San Francisco, Rob Sketcherman from Hong Kong, Don Low from Singapore, and Omar Jamarillo from Berlin, all of whom will be teaching the sketching classes.
A member of Urban Sketchers for over four years, Rob has been creating artwork exclusively on iPad for just as long, and began drawing on iPad Pro in 2015 when it was introduced.
Rob says, "the flexibility [iPad Pro] offers fuels experimentation with line, texture and look, allowing any number of iterations. It's also very forgiving, expelling all fear of the dreaded blank page and of potentially 'ruining sketchbooks' in case an experiment goes awry."
All of the 10th anniversary sketch walks hosted by Urban Sketchers artists will take place on Thursday, November 30 at Apple retail locations around the world. Don Low will teach in Singapore, Rob Sketcherman will teach in Hong Kong, Uma Kelkar will teach in San Francisco, and Omar Jaramillo will teach in Berlin.
Celebrate the 10th anniversary of Urban Sketchers with artist Uma Kelkar, and explore how to free yourself from the notion of art as an exact science. She'll demo her free-flowing process, which sets aside space, proportion, and even gravity to tell a complex story in unexpected ways. And you'll practice sketching overlapping vignettes to tell your own unique story with iPad Pro and Apple Pencil.
Each class requires customers to bring an iPad Pro and an Apple Pencil, along with comfortable shoes. Walks range from 0.5km to 2km.
Apple also offers several other classes dedicated to drawing and sketching on Apple devices, all of which are part of its "Today" program. The Today program allows Apple retail stores to offer classes on a wide range of subjects, providing help and instruction for customers of all skill levels.
Snapchat over the weekend quietly began launching a new intelligent image recognition feature in its app, first spotted by Mashable. The feature automatically recognizes certain objects and events when you snap a picture of them, and provides you with appropriate filters and borders for your images when you scroll through editing options. At launch, recognizable objects include concerts, beaches, pets, sports, and food.
Snapchat's image recognition is meant to be used when you are taking pictures of real objects and animals, but it also appears to work for more generic images found on the internet. A Snapchat spokesperson told MacRumors that image processing takes place locally on your iPhone, and the company will continuously improve the feature with better accuracy and quality of the recommendations as more people use it.
The update is launching ahead of Snapchat's imminent redesign, which CEO Evan Spiegel has stated will be a direct response to users who claim the app is difficult to understand. In an earnings letter shared earlier in November, Spiegel said that "our team has been working on responding to this feedback," and the redesign has been hinted at including algorithmic feeds in the Stories section of the app.
When affected users type the word "it" into a text field, the keyboard first shows "I.T" as a QuickType suggestion. After tapping the space key, the word "it" automatically changes to "I.T" without actually tapping the predictive suggestion.
MacRumors reader Tim shared a video that appears to indicate the issue can cause the word "is" to be autocorrected to "I.S" as well.
Many users claim the apparent autocorrect bug persists even after rebooting the device and performing other basic troubleshooting.
A temporary workaround is to tap Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement and enter "it" as both the phrase and shortcut, but some users insist this solution does not solve the problem.
A less ideal workaround is to toggle off auto-correction and/or predictive suggestions completely under Settings > General > Keyboard.
This similar "it" to "I.T" issue does not appear to be fixed in iOS 11.1.1 and later. It's unclear if a future software update will be required to address the problem, which MacRumors hasn't been able to reproduce. Apple did not respond to multiple requests for comment about this particular issue.
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with IFROGZ to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win the IFROGZ Impulse Wireless Headphones.
The Impulse Wireless Headphones, priced at $60, are on-ear headphones that are designed to provide immersive, balanced sound with 40mm drivers.
The IFROGZ headphones are Bluetooth-equipped and work with all of Apple's latest devices, and there are on-device buttons for turning the volume up, changing the track, and playing and pausing. If you don't want to use Bluetooth, there's also a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a built-in mic allows for calls.
IFROGZ uses AeroFoam padding on the earpads of the Impulse headphones for both comfort and passive noise isolation. Over Bluetooth, the headphones will last for 12 hours before needing to be recharged, with up to 58 hours of standby time.
When not in use, the Impulse Wireless Headphones collapse down for easier portability, so you can take them anywhere.
We have eight of the IFROGZ Impulse Headphones to give away. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
The contest will run from today (November 27) at 9:45 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:45 a.m. Pacific Time on December 4. The winners will be chosen randomly on December 4 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
Google today updated its collection of productivity apps for iOS with support for the iPhone X, so now anyone who uses Google Docs [Direct Link], Google Sheets [Direct Link], and Google Slides [Direct Link] on Apple's newest smartphone will see full compatibility for the iPhone X's 5.8-inch screen.
Additionally, the same update has introduced drag-and-drop support for all three apps on compatible iPads. This way, users can easily drag and drop content from other apps right into Docs, Sheets, and Slides using multitasking on iPad. The release notes for each app's version 1.2017.46204 update reads as follows:
- iOS 11 and iPhone X support - In iOS 11, easily drag and drop content from other apps into Slides - Bug fixes and performance improvements
While Google has now introduced iPhone X support into its productivity apps, it still has yet to roll out compatibility for the iPhone X's screen size with some of its more popular apps, including Google Maps and Gmail. Many other apps were ready with iPhone X updates prior to the smartphone's launch on November 3, and the list is now growing as more developers update their apps following the iPhone X's debut.
The store is located in the new 300 Ashland building in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, with an official address of 123 Flatbush Avenue. The grand opening will occur Saturday, December 2 at 10:00 a.m. local time.
The store will be Apple's second in Brooklyn alongside its Williamsburg location opened in July 2016. It will also be Apple's 11th store in New York City, with seven locations in Manhattan, one in Queens, and one on Staten Island.
The store is situated near the LIRR's Atlantic Terminal and Barclays Center, home to the NBA's Brooklyn Nets and the NHL's New York Islanders.
Apple has also announced that its store in the Shibuya neighborhood of Tokyo has temporarily closed for renovations. Apple recommends customers visit its nearby Omotesando store during the modernization process.
In related news, Japanese blog Mac Otakara claims that Apple is planning to open a store in Kyoto, Japan by 2019, and possibly two other stores in Tokyo in time for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in the city.
Apple Downtown Brooklyn is the company's 499th retail store location around the world if the new Visitors Center at Apple Park is included.
Just as Black Friday sales have ended, many retailers have now shifted to Cyber Monday deals on a range of Apple products.
Apple authorized reseller B&H Photo Video, for instance, is offering some sizeable discounts on select 2016 MacBook Pro models.
B&H offers free shipping and doesn't charge sales tax upfront on orders shipped outside of the states of New York and New Jersey.
The largest discount is $1,000 off a high-end 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar in Space Gray. The configured-to-order model is nearly maxed out, with a 2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage, and AMD Radeon Pro 460 graphics.
The sale price of $2,499, down from Apple's original price of $3,499 last year, is by far the lowest price we've ever seen for this particular model.
B&H is slashing $900 off a mid-range 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar in Silver. The model is equipped with a 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, and AMD Radeon Pro 455 graphics. This deal is a flash sale, so supplies are limited and will likely sell out quickly.
The sale price of $1,899, down from Apple's original price of $2,799 last year, is the best deal we've ever seen for this particular model.
The base model 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar can be had for $1,799 in Space Gray, which is $600 lower than Apple's original price of $2,399 last year. The model is equipped with a 2.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, 256GB of SSD storage, and AMD Radeon Pro 450 graphics.
B&H offered a better deal of $800 off the base 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro in Silver on Black Friday, but supplies quickly sold out, and $600 off is still among the best deals we've ever seen for this particular model.
While newer 2017 MacBook Pro models with Kaby Lake processors were released in May, the performance improvements driven by the small bump in base and turbo frequencies are relatively minor. For that reason, most customers will find these impressive deals on 2016 models worth considering.
For customers who prefer the latest and greatest MacBook Pro, eBay is offering $270 off a mid-range 2017 model with a 3.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of SSD storage, and Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650. The sale price is $1,529.99, down from $1,799 on Apple.com. Supplies are limited.
Apple authorized reseller Adorama is offering $250 off a higher-end 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar in Space Gray. The custom configuration, now $2,249, is equipped with a 3.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, and Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650.
For additional deals on Apple products and accessories, including other MacBook Pro models, check out our Cyber Monday roundup.
Disclaimer: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with B&H Photo Video, eBay, and Adorama and may receive a small commission if you click one of the above links and make a purchase.
With Black Friday sales wrapping up over the weekend, those still searching for quality discounts on Apple products and accessories have another chance today during Cyber Monday. Essentially all of the same retailers that offered Black Friday deals have launched -- or will soon launch -- Cyber Monday sales, and although the focus of the event is shopping from home, some retailers are also honoring the deals at their brick-and-mortar locations.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Best Buy
Best Buy's Cyber Monday discounts began with early access yesterday for My Best Buy members, and now the deals have expanded to everyone. The retailer is offering free shipping on nearly everything, and a few deals will be extending throughout the week for its "Cyber Week Deals" event.
Amazon's selection of sales is focused on its own line of Alexa products, but it does have a few HomeKit-enabled devices and other accessories Apple fans might be interested in. Head to Amazon's Cyber Monday headquarters to keep an eye on the deals, which will also include more than 30 Deals of the Day and thousands of Lightning Deals across numerous product categories over the course of Monday.
A few of Amazon's sales are listed below, and the full list is available in the company's Cyber Monday press release.
B&H Photo has opened up discounts on a wide range of Apple products for Cyber Monday, as well as highlighted ongoing notable sales like its $1,000 discount on the Late 2013 Mac Pro. B&H also has some of the biggest Cyber Monday discounts on Macs today, including $1,000 off a high-end 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. Check out some of the best deals in the list below and head to B&H to browse the rest.
Adorama's Cyber Monday deals include some of the latest MacBook Pro and iPad Pro models, the late 2015 27-inch iMac, and a few other sales on drones, printers, scanners, and more.
Popular Apple accessory maker Twelve South has begun its Cyber Monday deals with MacBook and iMac accessories on sale for up to 50 percent off until tonight at 11:59 p.m. ET. In total, 17 products are on sale today, which you can find in the list below. For more information on Twelve South's "Cyber Mac Monday" deals, head over to the company's website.
T-Mobile has an offer for new customers considering a move to its cellular plans. If you buy a 32GB 9.7-inch iPad with a T-Mobile ONE plan, then activate a T-Mobile ONE voice line on a new or existing cell phone (which you can carry over from a different carrier and keep your number), you'll get a full rebate for the iPad. The rebate will come in the form of a $460 Prepaid MasterCard Card, which will arrive in the mail within six to eight weeks.
eBay
eBay has a few sales today on select products in its tech storefront, including some notable markdowns on MacBook Air and iMac. There are plenty of other offers to check out for eBay's Cyber Monday sale, with deeper discounts hitting refurbished or used items, so be sure to check out the site for more information.
- Walmart: Save $200 on iPad mini 4, $30 on 9.7-inch iPad, and $50 on iPad Pro - Gazelle: Up to 40 percent off select pre-owned iPads, iPhones, and MacBooks. - Pad & Quill: 15 percent off sitewide; customers can get an extra 5 percent off with promo code PQ5 - Incase: Up to 50 percent off select accessories - Speck: Up to 40 percent off select accessories - Zagg: 30 to 50 percent off sitewide - Griffin: 40 percent off sitewide - OtterBox: 25 percent off select accessories - Incipio: 50 percent off sitewide - Native Union: 30 to 80 percent off sitewide - OWC: shop a collection of deals on iPad Air, Thunderbolt docks, Beats by Dre, and more - Lifx: save on the company's HomeKit-compatible smart bulbs - Withings: Up to 50 percent off select scales, watches, air quality monitors, and more - Amazon: $100 iTunes gift card for $85 using promo code ITUNES15 at checkout - BlackPods: $40 off all BlackPods orders with promo code CYBERMONDAY17, and everyone can get a free protective silicone case
We'll update this article throughout the day as new Cyber Monday sales are spotted, so be sure to check back often.
A cabinet minister of the government of India has given the clearest signal yet that the republic is ready to help Apple expand its iPhone manufacturing base in the country and consider its requests for concessions.
Commerce and industry minister Suresh Prabhu was quoted on Sunday by the India Economic Times as saying the state was "very happy" to help Apple in its aims, provided the company makes a formal proposal.
"Let us get a good proposal from them...We will be very happy to receive Apple, one of the top brands in the world. We are willing to find out if there is any difficulty they may face. We will be more than happy to resolve that difficulty. So we will await a formal proposal," Prabhu told PTI in an interview.
Prabhu also reportedly said he was open to calling all state chief ministers who are willing to give Apple the best deal.
The comments come at an important time for Apple as it seeks to expand its manufacturing base in the country. The company has asked state officials for a range of tax and policy changes to help build out its iPhone assembly infrastructure in India, including duty exemptions on components, capital equipment, and consumables for all iPhone assembly and services/repairs for a period of 15 years.
Apple also wants the Indian government to relax rules that require 30 percent of products sold by foreign companies to be manufactured or produced within the country.
iPhone SE handsets have been assembled in India since May by Apple's Taiwanese supplier Wistron, which has reportedly been scouting for additional land in Bangalore to expand its existing facilities. Additionally, a report last week claimed the tentatively named iPhone SE 2 will be assembled exclusively by Wistron at its factories in India.
India recently overtook the U.S. to become the world's second largest smartphone market after China, according to market research conducted by industry analyst Canalys. However, Apple has so far struggled to make a significant dent, mainly because the government levies tariffs on devices manufactured outside the country, but also due to Chinese rivals such as Oppo and Xiaomi offering consumers more affordable high-spec smartphones.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Earlier this month, YouTube came in for heavy criticism after multiple users of its mobile app reported plummeting battery life on their iPhones and iPads. iPhone X users in particular said the YouTube app caused their device to run much hotter than usual when watching videos. YouTube admitted there was a battery-draining bug that it was working to fix, and today the service claims to have done just that.
Version 12.45 of the app was pushed out to users this morning with the accompanying note "Fixed an issue with battery usage". We haven't had enough time with the app to confirm the issue is indeed fixed across all devices, but initial tests on an iPhone X running iOS 11.1.1 seem to support YouTube's claims.
Some users had complained that YouTube was sucking the life out of their phones even while it was running in the background, although it's unclear if that was limited to when users were casting video to a smart TV. Let us know how you get on with the updated YouTube app in the comments below.
Feral Interactive released racing game GRID Autosport for iPhone and iPad today, an iOS version of Codemasters' smash hit triple-A title that looks every bit as impressive as its PC and console counterparts.
The pro-racing game aims to deliver a mix of simulation and arcade handling using intuitive touch and tilt controls, and includes all the original DLC, 28 circuits and over 100 cars. Players can further their racing career by exploring six different disciplines:
Tuner – Drive your Super Modified motor over its limit in Drift and Time Attack events.
Touring – Lead the pack by driving with aggression and determination in full-contact races.
Endurance – Test your mental strength and physical stamina in extended night-time races.
Open Wheel – Accelerate to 200mph while perfecting your racing line in lightweight racing machines.
Street – Ramp up the fear factor on perilously tight city circuits.
Party Mode – Battle to become the last car standing in Demolition Derby, get the farthest in Checkpoint, and make sure you stay out of last place in Eliminator!
A quick race is all it takes to confirm GRID Autosport's exceptional graphics and nippy performance. However, drivers should take note that the console-quality assets do make GRID pretty demanding – the game requires an iPhone SE, an iPhone 7 or newer, an iPad (2017) or any iPad Pro, and iOS 11 or later.
As noted on MacRumors sister site TouchArcade, the sheer graphical richness of GRID has also led Feral to implement an unusual post-install process – the game itself is a 4GB download on the App Store, but several gigabytes of additional content and high resolution textures are delivered as free IAPs, bringing the storage space requirements to around 6GB.
If you're still not sure whether your device can handle the game, here's a full rundown: supported iPads include iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch, iPad Pro 10.5-inch, iPad Pro 9.7-inch and iPad (2017) 9.7-inch. Supported iPhones include iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 7, and iPhone SE.
As mentioned, players will need 6GB of free space to install the base game with all of the free DLC packs, although Feral recommends having at least 8GB of free space to avoid installation issues.
Steady improvements in iPhone X supplies that have seen shipping estimates fall to 1-2 weeks are due to better-than-expected improvements in production since the device's launch, rather than any weakness demand, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who shared the information in a new research report obtained by MacRumors.
According to Kuo, who frequently shares accurate information from Apple's supply chain, iPhone X production issues "have been well addressed" in recent weeks, with Foxconn's production now at 450,000-550,000 units per day compared to just 50,000-150,000 a month or two ago as Apple geared up to launch the device.
Two of the primary bottlenecks that contributed to tight supplies of the iPhone X have largely been resolved, according to Kuo, with Career quickly making up for lost time after Murata was unable to provide LTE antenna components as originally planned and LG Innotek and Sharp seeing improved yields for the dot projector module of the TrueDepth camera.
(1) Hon Hai’s daily shipments of iPhone X have climbed to 450-550k units, up from 50-150k units 1-2 months ago; (2) shipments of Career’s LCP LTE antenna will likely grow 100% MoM in both November and December; and (3) production yield of Dot projection module, made by LG Innotek (KR) and Sharp (JP), has moved quickly above 80-90% or higher from below 60% 1-2 months ago.
As a result of the improved production, Kuo believes iPhone X shipments in the fourth calendar quarter could be 10-20 percent higher than he previously estimated, with some orders previously estimated as shipping in the new year being pulled in and shipped before the end of the quarter. That acceleration means Kuo is predicting that iPhone X shipments in the first quarter of 2018 will be flat or slightly lower compared to the fourth quarter.
Apple's financial guidance for the current quarter points toward record performance, suggesting the company is confident any production troubles have been resolved and that demand for the high-end iPhone X will be strong throughout the quarter.
The special Black Friday sale drops the price of last year's high-end MacBook Pro in Space Gray to $1,899, down from Apple's original price of $2,899 last year. That is by far the lowest price we've ever seen for this particular model.
The high-end 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro is equipped with a 2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, 256GB of SSD storage, and both dedicated AMD Radeon Pro 460 and integrated Intel HD Graphics 530 graphics.
While newer 2017 MacBook Pro models with Kaby Lake processors were released in May, the performance improvements driven by the small bump in base and turbo frequencies are relatively minor and shouldn't be a big deal for most customers.
B&H Photo Video has a few other notable discounts on select 2016 MacBook Pro configurations:
The deals are available until various times today while supplies last. B&H Photo Video was earlier offering $800 off the base model 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, but it has run out of stock for that particular deal.
For additional deals on Apple products and accessories, including other Macs, be sure to check out our Best of Black Friday article and Black Friday roundup, which both continue to be updated throughout the day.
Disclaimer: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Adorama and B&H Photo Video and may receive a small commission if you click one of the above links and make a purchase.
Today is Black Friday, meaning many people are out shopping at physical stores to take advantage of the best deals, but there are also discounts hitting apps and movies that you can buy at home on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. Because of this, we've taken a look at the best games, productivity apps, and movies you can buy at a discount today. Of course, this is just a glimpse into the extensive sales you can find by checking out the App Store and iTunes Movies Store.
We've listed some of the best deals on the most popular apps below, but to find tons more apps and games that are on sale, make sure to visit our sister sister site AppShopper.
If you want to build up your iTunes Movies library, this week is the time to do it because Apple is discounting a long list of films on iTunes for Black Friday. Prices have dropped on everything from holiday favorites to new releases, all encompassing multiple genres. We've rounded up some notable deals below, with additional sales available through iTunes on Mac and iOS devices, as well as the Apple TV.
This limited time Black Friday deal drops the price of Apple's budget tablet to an all-time low of $259 for 32GB of storage or $359 for 128GB of storage, compared to regular prices of $459 and $559 respectively, in the United States.
The deal is available for select Gold and Space Gray models on Best Buy's website, with the deal for other models available at Best Buy stores only.
Apple's fifth-generation iPad is its latest 9.7-inch tablet, released in March 2017 as a lower cost alternative to the iPad Pro.
The tablet, simply named iPad, is similar in many ways to the iPad Air 2, but it has a faster A9 chip, a brighter Retina display, and it is slightly thicker and heavier. It also lacks a fully laminated display and anti-reflective coating.
Other tech specs include an 8-megapixel rear-facing iSight camera, 1.2-megapixel front-facing FaceTime camera, two speakers, Lightning connector, 3.5mm headphone jack, Touch ID with Apple Pay, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, and Bluetooth 4.2.
Given its price point, the tablet lacks most iPad Pro features, including a True Tone display, Smart Connector, Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support, 4K video recording, LTE Advanced, and four-speaker audio.
For deals on other Apple products and accessories, including non-cellular iPad and iPad Pro models, make sure to check out our Best of Black Friday article and our Black Friday roundup, which continue to be updated throughout the day.
Disclaimer: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy and may receive a small commission if you click one of the above links and make a purchase.
Similar to years past, one of the best deals going on this Black Friday revolves around discounts on the App Store and iTunes gift card, allowing you to snag some expensive cards at a slight discount and apply it to your Apple Music subscription, movie and book purchases, and much more. For this reason, we've decided to round up some of the places that are offering nice discounts on App Store and iTunes gift cards today.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
We've noted the retailer, discount amount, and whether the card is physical or delivered via email in the list below, all of which are in stock as of writing:
- PayPal Digital Gifts on eBay: $100 for $85 (email) - Amazon: $100 for $85 with promo code ITUNES15 (email) - Target: Buy one get one 30 percent off (email) - Best Buy: Buy one get one 30 percent off (physical) - GameStop: buy one get one 20 percent off (physical, in-store only) - Costco members: $200 for $180, $100 for $90, and $25 for $22.50 (email)
As an example, the BOGO 30 percent off deals (when purchasing two cards of the same amount) will break down like this:
- Buying two $15 iTunes Gift Cards = $25.50 - Buying two $25 iTunes Gift Card = $42.50 - Buying two $50 iTunes Gift Card = $85 - Buying two $100 iTunes Gift Card = $170
Sam's Club is one of the major retailers that had an iTunes gift card deal, but it's out of stock online now. The deal was $84.47 for an iTunes card multipack that totaled $100. Also of potential note for frequent Walgreens shoppers: the retailer has a deal where you can get a $10 Walgreens gift card when you buy a $30 or $50 iTunes gift card.
For a look at all of the best Black Friday sales, make sure to check out our main post and visit our Black Friday Roundup.
Thanksgiving is well underway in the United States, and Black Friday deals online and at brick and mortar stores are starting to go live across the country. Major retail stores like Target, Best Buy, and Walmart will be opening their doors this evening, while many online-only deals are already live.
Below, we've rounded up some of the best deals we've come across on Apple products like iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Macs, and accessories, and many, many more deals can be found in our dedicated Black Friday roundup.
iPhone
Walmart is offering a $300 Walmart Gift Cardwith the purchase of an iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7, or iPhone 7 Plus on an AT&T Next or Verizon Device Payment plan. This deal is limited to stores, with activation appointments available starting at 6:00 p.m. Actual activations will begin at 8:00 p.m.
Sam's Club is offering a $100 Sam's Club gift card with the purchase of "any Apple iPhone," which may include the iPhone X, but it isn't clear if the retailer will have any in stock. This deal does apply to the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus.
Target is offering a $250 Target gift card with the purchase of an iPhone 8 or an iPhone 8 Plus on an installment plan from Verizon, Sprint, or AT&T.
If you prefer a straight cash discount, Best Buy is offering up to $200 offthe iPhone 8 and 8 Plus on an installment plan from Verizon, Sprint, or AT&T.
iPad Pro
There are several deals to be had on the latest 2017 10.5 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, with multiple retailers offering discounts.
Best Buy is discounting the 10.5-inch iPad Pro by up to $150, while Target will be offering a $120 discount, dropping the price on the entry-level 64GB 10.5-inch iPad Pro model to $530, down from the regular price of $650.
B&H Photo is also offering several iPad Pro models at $50 to $100 off.
Both Target and Best Buy are offering the 2017 32GB iPad for $249.99, which is a discount of $80 off of the regular price of $329.99. Walmart is offering the same deal.
For some cellular 2017 iPad models, Best Buy is offering a $200 discount. At $200 off, the 32GB 2017 iPad with cellular is available for $259, down from the regular price of $459. A two-year Verizon service contract is required to get the deal.
Apple Watch
There are essentially no deals on the new Apple Watch Series 3 models, with the exception of Kohl's. Kohl's is offering $90 in Kohl's cash with the purchase of select Apple Watch Series 3 models.
When taking into account B&H Photo's free shipping and no taxes on orders outside of New York, the company is offering the best deals on most MacBook Pro models. Adorama, which doesn't charge taxes outside of New York and New Jersey, is also offering the same discounts. MacMall and Best Buy's prices are similar on most Macs, but they can't beat no taxes for the most part.
Best Buy does actually have the best discounts on 15-inch MacBook Pro models and some higher-end 13-inch models, offering $50 off over Adorama and B&H, but in states where sales tax is a factor, B&H or Adorama deals are still likely to be better overall. In some cases, Amazon also has comparable deals.
Best Buy is discounting all 15-inch MacBook Pro models by $250, while 13-inch models are between $150 and $200 off.
13-inch MacBook Pro models
- 2.3 GHz, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD in Silver (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,149, down from $1,299 - 2.3GHz, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD in Space Gray (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,149, down from $1,299 - 2.3GHz, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD in Silver (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,349, down from $1,499 - 2.3GHz, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD in Space Gray (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,349, down from $1,499 - 3.1GHz, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD in Silver (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,649, down from $1,799 - 3.1GHz, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD in Space Gray (Adorama) - $1,629, down from $1,799 - 3.1GHz, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD in Silver (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,849, down from $1,999 - 3.1GHz, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD in Space Gray - (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,849, down from $1,999 - 3.1GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD in Space Gray (Adorama) - $2,049, down from $2,199 - 3.5GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD in Space Gray (Adorama) - $2,249, down from $2,499
15-inch MacBook Pro models
- 2.8GHz, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD in Silver (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $2,199, down from $2,399 - 2.8GHz, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD in Space Gray (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $2,199, down from $2,399 - 2.9GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD in Silver (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $2,599, down from $2,799 - 2.9GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD in Space Gray (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $2,599, down from $2,799 - 3.1GHz, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD in Space Gray (Adorama) - $3,199, down from $3,399
MacMall is offering discounts on a wide range of MacBook Pro models with non-standard configurations, allowing customers to purchase machines with upgraded components like RAM and graphics cards.
Adorama and B&H are offering the best deals on the current 2017 12-inch MacBook Pro models, with discounts of $150.
- 1.2GHz, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD in Gold (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,149, down from $1,299 - 1.2GHz, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD in Rose Gold (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,149, down from $1,299 - 1.2GHz, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD in Silver (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,149, down from $1,299 - 1.2GHz, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD in Space Gray (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,149, down from $1,299 - 1.3GHz, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD in Gold (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,449, down from $1,599 - 1.3GHz, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD in Rose Gold (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,449, down from $1,599 - 1.3GHz, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD in Silver (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,449, down from $1,599 - 1.3GHz, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD in Space Gray (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,449, down from $1,599
MacMall has a decent discount on an older high-end 2016 MacBook model if you don't need the latest version, offering it for $1,379, down from its regular price of $1600.
Best Buy has the best deals on the MacBook Air at $200 off each model. These are the 2017 MacBook Air models that received refreshed processors back in June.
Best Buy, Adorama, B&H Photo, and MacMall all have deals on various iMac models, some of which are discounted by $200 or more.
21.5-inch
- 2.3GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB HD (Best Buy) - $899.99, down from $1,099.99 - 3.0GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB HD (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,179, down from $1,299 - 3.4GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB Fusion (Best Buy) - $1,599.99, down from $1,799.99
27-inch
- 3.4GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB Fusion (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,649, down from $1,799 - 3.5GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB Fusion (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,849, down from $1,999 - 3.8GHz, 8GB RAM, 2TB Fusion (Amazon) (B&H Photo) - $2,099, down from $2,299 - 4.2GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB SSD (Adorama) - $2,849, down from $3,099
Amazon and eBay Deals
Both Amazon and eBay are offering a huge number of rotating deals that will change on a regular basis throughout Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
Deals go so quickly and are so numerous that it's impossible to list them, but make sure to check out both sites to see what's on sale. eBay and Amazon are both offering discounts on iPhones, iPads, and tons of Apple accessories.
Make sure to check out our Black Friday roundup for specific times on when retail stores will open and for more information on the deals listed above. Our roundup also features hundreds of additional deals on Apple products and Apple-related accessories, so it's worth taking a look if you want to get a good deal on a new Mac, iPhone, or iPad.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
The iPhone X officially landed in 13 more countries on Friday, with launches in Albania, Bosnia, Cambodia, Kosovo, Macau, Macedonia, Malaysia, Montenegro, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, and Turkey.
In the countries and territories listed, Apple's latest smartphone is being sold exclusively by authorized third-party resellers and carriers, with the exception of Turkey – where Apple has a retail presence in Zorlu Center and Akasya Acıbadem – and Macau, where an Apple store is based at Galaxy Macau. Apple's flagship device also became available to customers in Israel on Thursday for the first time.
The iPhone X is also available to buy through regional online Apple stores in Malaysia (from RM 5,149), South Korea (from ₩1,420,000), Thailand (from ฿40,500), and Turkey (from 6.099 TL), with prices varying depending on local currencies. Apple appears to have made provisions for launch day availability in the above countries, with online shipping estimates at 1 to 3 business days at the time of writing.
Over the last couple of days, iPhone X shipping estimates have improved to around 1-2 weeks in the U.S. and Canada, and across Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, where the iPhone X has been available since November 3. Early iPhone X rumors had suggested the device would be available in severely limited numbers until well into next year, but the balance between supply and demand appears to be leveling worldwide.
In related news, according to a report on Thursday in the London Metro, Apple's offices in South Korea were "raided" earlier this week by state regulators. The article reports that authorities visited Apple's Seoul offices and questioned the company's business practices.
The raid is said to be part of an ongoing probe that was launched after Apple took action to address local authorities' concerns about unfair contracts that the company had with South Korean firms commissioned to repair its devices. However, the incident has led some to question whether South Korean authorities are trying to hamper the success of iPhone X in the region, which is home to rival Samsung.
Lee Jae-yong, acting chairman of Samsung, was jailed for five years for corruption in August 2017. He was charged with bribery, perjury and other crimes following an investigation which led to the impeachment of South Korea's then-president, Park Geun-hye. Also known as Jay Y Lee, the 49-year-old business magnate was accused of making payments in exchange for political favors.
Just as Black Friday sales have ended, many retailers have now shifted to Cyber Monday deals on a range of Apple products.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
