Retailers have kicked off the holiday shopping season early with sweeping price cuts on Apple hardware, slashing $50 off the AirPods Pro 3, offering the Apple Watch Ultra 4 at $699, and discounting M-series MacBooks ahead of the official Nov. 27 Black Friday date.
With Black Friday officially set for Nov. 27, major vendors including Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target are competing aggressively on early doorbusters to draw holiday buyers, according to Mashable. Retailers like Walmart and Amazon are infamous for outdoing each other by a single cent as they duke it out for the best prices on MacBooks, iPads, and AirPods ahead of the hectic Black Friday weekend.
AirPods Pro and Max Models Drop in Price
Wireless audio gear has dropped to notable seasonal lows. The Lavx report shows the AirPods Pro 3 at $199, marking a $50 markdown from their regular $249 price, though they previously dropped to a record low of $169 ahead of June’s Prime Day sale. Additionally, the AirPods Max 2 dropped from $549 to $449, while the AirPods Max are available with a $100 discount, impressing testers with their spacious, symphony-hall quality sound, powerful active noise cancellation, and new USB-C charging.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 has dropped to $699.99 on Amazon, matching its all-time low. The Black model of the Apple Watch Ultra 4 featuring a Burgundy Trail Loop or Alpine Loop sits at $699, down from $799, while Milanese Loop variants in Black and Natural are reduced from $899 to $799. Buyers seeking the previous generation can find the Apple Watch Ultra 3 at Best Buy for an even steeper discount of $549, and the Apple Watch SE 3 is expected to return to its October Prime Day price point of $199.
MacBook and Mac Mini Discounts Offset Summer Price Hikes
Laptops and desktop configurations see some of the deepest dollar-value reductions of the early sales window. Amazon has cut $199 off nearly every model of the M5 MacBook Air, bringing the 13-inch 512GB configuration down to $1,099.99 and the 15-inch 16GB/512GB model to $1,299.99, according to MacRumors and 9to5Mac. The M5 MacBook Air has returned to Prime Day lows, with the 13-inch 16GB/512GB model costing $1,099 ($200 off) and 1TB and 24GB configurations matching previous lows at $1,399 and $1,599. The 15-inch M5 MacBook Air 16GB/512GB model is available for $1,339, and the 16GB/1TB model is on sale for $1,599 down from $1,799. Centered around the M4 processor, the 2026 revision of the 13-inch MacBook Air delivers enhanced artificial intelligence capabilities alongside multi-core processing speeds that are roughly 25% faster than past generations.
Desktop buyers can secure the M6 Mac mini starting between $779.99 and $780, representing a $119 to $150 markdown driven by steady retailer competition, as reported by Lavx and MacRumors. The MacBook Neo has received a rare price reduction on entry-level 256GB models, dropping to $669.22 from $699 on MacRumors. One of the best early Black Friday deals is also featured on the M5 Max Mac Studio with 36GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, which is on sale for $2,299.99 down from $2,499.00.
AirTags and Productivity Accessories Hit Record Lows
Tracking tags and tablet peripherals are also seeing immediate holiday markdowns. Apple’s AirTag 2 is available as a single unit for $23 to $24 on Amazon, marking an all-time low, while four-packs have dropped from $99 to $70—lowering the per-unit cost to $17.50—as highlighted by Zdnet.
The Apple Pencil USB-C has been discounted to $69 from $79, according to retailer listings. Other accessory price cuts feature the 2026 Apple Magic Keyboard reduced from $99 to $80, alongside the World Travel Adapter Kit for $39, the 70W USB-C Power Adapter priced at $59, and the 140W adapter available at $99.
Earlier coverage: Best Early Black Friday iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo Deals
