The Best Time Of The Year To Get A Deal On Apple Products
Have you ever found yourself drawn to an Apple product only to get discouraged by the price tag? Well, you're not alone. The good news is you can still score a deal if you know when and where to look. The "when" is arguably more important since Apple rarely offers product discounts. Retailers, dealers, and authorized resellers do offer discounts, but not throughout the entire year.
This is partially because Apple follows a relatively strict product release cycle. iPhones are usually released in September, just like Apple Watches and accessories. iPads and MacBooks typically hit the market in spring, while software updates are deployed in autumn. Naturally, when a new product is announced, the price of older models drops. But that doesn't mean you need to wait for a new iPhone to come out to get the one you're after for a reasonable price. So, what is the best time of the year to get a deal on Apple products?
Wait for sales events and holidays
Major retailers offer competitive deals for a wide variety of goods on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and Apple products are no exception. Walmart, Best Buy, Costco, and Target are decent options during that time of the year, as they are all authorized Apple resellers. Amazon is also an authorized reseller, so you can snatch a pretty good deal at the e-commerce giant during these sales events.
Similarly, Apple launches its own Back to School deals every year. These deals are available to college students, homeschool teachers, faculty, and staff. If you fall into one of these categories and fulfill Apple's requirements, you will get a significant discount on various Apple products, from Mac computers to iPads. If you're neither a student nor a teacher, you might still be able to get a good deal at an authorized reseller.
Then there are also Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Amazon Prime Day. Depending on the Apple product you want, you should monitor these sales events for promotions and discounts. The period between Christmas and New Year's is also a good time to do this because of end-of-year sales and holiday discounts.
It's all about timing, so get it right
Apple devices are not for everyone's budget, but you can save a lot of money if you get the timing right. While being familiar with Apple's product release cycle certainly helps, you don't have to wait an entire year to make a purchase or hope Apple drops a new product out of nowhere. With that said, you should still arm yourself with patience and make sure to compare the prices between various retailers since they can vary wildly.
If you're struggling to get a good deal that fits your budget, look into Apple Certified Refurbished products. These are devices that have been returned to Apple for minor issues. They undergo rigorous refurbishment (which sometimes includes parts replacement) and testing before being put back on the market at a discounted price. Refurbished Apple products also typically come with a one-year limited warranty and up to three months of complimentary technical support.