Earlier this week, Apple teased its upcoming Black Friday promotion, which typically sees the company offering small discounts on a select number of products.
While Apple normally offers standard price cuts during Black Friday, this year’s event might focus on Apple Store gift cards with purchase rather than straight discounts, according to 9to5Mac. The promotion could see customers receiving an Apple Store gift card for later use when buying an eligible product.
Gift cards will likely be offered with the flagship products that Apple typically discounts, including iPads, iPods, MacBooks, and some accessories.
The gift card amounts are said to fluctuate based on the product. For example, gift cards that accompany accessories will have lower amounts of money than Macs. We’re hearing that accessories, such as the Dropcam, will likely include a gift card worth around $25, and Macs could include a $100 card. iOS Devices like the iPad will include a $50 Apple Store gift card. Some more expensive third-party products will also include $50 gift cards.
Apple is expected to announce its Black Friday deals on Friday, November 28 at midnight Pacific Time in the United States, but more information should be available tomorrow morning when Black Friday deals go live in Australia provided the gift card promotion isn't limited to the United States. Last year's discounts included $101 off MacBook Pros and Airs, $41 off the iPad with Retina Display, and $31 off of the iPod touch.
Apple will never do big sales as such it would devalue the brand and likely see a huge portion of users only buy products on the single sale day of the year given the savings of 25%
I've never seen an Apple gift card that could be used toward hardware.
http://www.apple.com/gift-cards/
"Use your Apple Store Gift Card for the purchase of a new iPad, iPhone, Mac, or anything else at the Apple Online Store or Apple Retail Store. Gift cards are available in stores, by mail, or by email."
Instead of taking $100 off the price, savings which can be spent anywhere you want (including an Apple competitor), you'll instead get a gift card that can only be spent with Apple. Very clever way of still getting you to pay full price for a device and still have to do further business with Apple when using the gift card.
It's a brilliant strategy, really :D
My thoughts exactly. Thats why I give this idea a thumbs down, and I see it as yet another greedy move by a company that I'm having an increasingly hard time defending anymore. (Yes I used to drink the Kool-Aid, now I'm a recovering addict.) All those MBA's are thinking hard how they can separate us from more cash- and somebody got a big promotion for coming up with this idea. Apple will make millions more on that day because of it. Naturally, the consumer (yes, thats you and me) loses in the end.
Its like a 10 percent off deal, but you have to buy two. That's not as good as a 10 percent off deal on one item because you have to spend more money to get the deal.... lots of people don't really realize that.
Why not just give us a discount like almost all other companies will do on this big sales day? Is that really so hard?
Please don't act like Apple started this. Walmart and Target having been using this approach for years. Apple has only started doing this recently
I don't think he ever said that Apple invented the concept. But if you want something from Walmart or Target that's on sale tomorrow, you will receive that item for less money. No gift card requirement.
Wouldn't you rather just get something cheaper instead of paying more up front and getting handed a gift card for later?
You know, as a customer, you have the right to criticize ANY company if they are doing something that's not in your best interest. Even :apple:.
I've never seen an Apple gift card that could be used toward hardware.
I think you're confusing Apple gift card with iTunes gift card. It's true that an iTunes gift card can't be used for hardware (or any store merchandise), but an Apple gift card can be used for anything in the Apple Store.
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April.
iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
As previously rumored, the next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a unified volume button and a mute button, according to leaked CAD images shared in a video on the Chinese version of TikTok and posted to Twitter by ShrimpApplePro.
Instead of separate buttons for volume up and volume down, the iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to have a single elongated button for...
Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:01 am PDT by Juli Clover
The iOS 16.4 update that is set to be released to the public in the near future includes voice isolation for cellular calls, according to notes that Apple shared today.
Apple says that Voice Isolation will prioritize your voice and block out the ambient noise around you, making for clearer phone calls where you can better hear the person you're chatting with and vice versa.
Voice...
Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:43 am PDT by Juli Clover
The iOS 16.4 release candidate version that was provided to developers today appears to hint at a new set of AirPods that could be coming in the near future. According to @aaronp613, the beta features references to AirPods that have a model number of A3048 and an AirPods case with a model number of A2968.
There have been no rumors that new AirPods are on the horizon, and it is early for...
Wednesday March 22, 2023 9:48 am PDT by Juli Clover
Nothing today announced the launch of its second-generation wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2), which offer many of the same features as Apple's AirPods Pro 2 at a lower price point. We went hands-on with the Ear (2) earbuds to see whether they're a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 for those who want to save some cash.
The Ear (2) earbuds are the successor to the Nothing Ear (1),...
Tuesday March 21, 2023 10:25 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the launch of the fourth betas. The RCs mark the final version of the software that will be provided to the public in the near future. Registered developers are able to download the iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates...
Thursday March 23, 2023 3:41 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer.
Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least...
Thursday March 23, 2023 6:42 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular.
Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...
Apple on January 23 released iOS 16.3, delivering support for Security Keys for Apple IDs, changes to Emergency SOS functionality, support for the second-generation HomePod, and more.
Top Rated Comments
http://www.apple.com/gift-cards/
"Use your Apple Store Gift Card for the purchase of a new iPad, iPhone, Mac, or anything else at the Apple Online Store or Apple Retail Store. Gift cards are available in stores, by mail, or by email."
My thoughts exactly. Thats why I give this idea a thumbs down, and I see it as yet another greedy move by a company that I'm having an increasingly hard time defending anymore. (Yes I used to drink the Kool-Aid, now I'm a recovering addict.) All those MBA's are thinking hard how they can separate us from more cash- and somebody got a big promotion for coming up with this idea. Apple will make millions more on that day because of it. Naturally, the consumer (yes, thats you and me) loses in the end.
Its like a 10 percent off deal, but you have to buy two. That's not as good as a 10 percent off deal on one item because you have to spend more money to get the deal.... lots of people don't really realize that.
Why not just give us a discount like almost all other companies will do on this big sales day? Is that really so hard?
I don't think he ever said that Apple invented the concept. But if you want something from Walmart or Target that's on sale tomorrow, you will receive that item for less money. No gift card requirement.
Wouldn't you rather just get something cheaper instead of paying more up front and getting handed a gift card for later?
You know, as a customer, you have the right to criticize ANY company if they are doing something that's not in your best interest. Even :apple:.
I think you're confusing Apple gift card with iTunes gift card. It's true that an iTunes gift card can't be used for hardware (or any store merchandise), but an Apple gift card can be used for anything in the Apple Store.