Apple’s Black Friday shopping event is somehow worse this year

Apple is revving up to kick off its annual four-day shopping event on Friday, November 25, but don’t get too excited. Apple is once again offering gift cards with new purchases and once again, its newest products are excluded.

As expected, the iPhone 14, Apple Watch Series 8 and Ultra, M2 iPad Pro, Apple TV 4K, and 10th-gen iPad aren’t included in the sale, but there are some other puzzling exclusions as well. The 3rd-gen AirPods with the MagSafe charging case aren’t included, as well as AirTags, HomePod mini, and Mac Studio. Here are the products included in the promotion:

• iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 12, or iPhone SE: $50
• AirPods (2nd gen), AirPods (3rd gen) with Lightning Charging Case: $25
• AirPods Pro (2nd generation): $50 
• AirPods Max: $75
• Apple Watch SE: $50
• iPad Air, iPad mini: $50
• iPad (9th gen): $30
• Mac mini: $100
• M1/M2 MacBook Air, iMac: $150
• 13-inch MacBook Pro: $200
• 14-inch/16-inch MacBook Pro: $250
• Smart Keyboard Folio, Apple Pencil (2nd gen), MagSafe Duo Charger: $25
• Magic Keyboard: $50

You can also get a $50 gift card on the Beats Studio3 Wireless, Solo3 Wireless, Powerbeats Pro, Fit Pro, and Studio Buds, and a $25 card for the Flex headphones.

The standouts in the sale are the iPhone 12 and Apple Watch SE, both of which net you $50 gift cards and are better than the actual sales we’re likely to see at other retailers. And getting a $200 gift card for the 13-inch MacBook Pro is a solid return too since most discounts we’re tracking are $100 or $150 off.

But for the most part, the sale is worse than last year. Excluding the AirPods model most people want is a head-scratcher—especially since it’s been on sale for more than a year—and it’s frustrating that Apple is leaving out the iPad Pro completely. Likewise for the 1st-gen Apple Pencil, since it’s the only stylus compatible with the 10th-gen iPad. And $50 back on the Apple TV 4K, like Apple offered last year, would make it a very compelling purchase.

For most of the products here, you’ll be able to find actual discounts that are better than the gift cards Apple is giving out. We’ll be tracking all of the sales throughout the weekend, so be sure to check Macworld before you press that buy button—at Apple or anywhere else.

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