Apple’s Black Friday deals in Australia are in, and they’re free gift cards with a purchase. This is very likely to be what Apple is doing in the U.S. and other countries further behind the date line. The company is offering AUS$35 gift cards with an Apple Watch Series 1, up to $70 with an iPhone, up to $140 with an iPad, and a $200 gift card with a Mac.
The gift cards work out to a 5-14% discount, depending on the device you get, with most falling in the 10-12% range. Or, looked at another way, you can get a free Apple Pencil (AUS$145) with the purchase of an iPad Pro (9.7-inch).
I popped through the store, and on categories defined as “up to,” one must, of course, buy the more expensive devices to get the maximum gift card. For instance, iPhone SE comes with a $35 gift card, while iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus come with a $70 gift card.
All Apple Watch Series 1 devices come with a $35 gift card and all qualifying Macs come with a $200 gift card. Apple Watch Series 2 is not included.
Load Her Up
I also found that gift cards were included with every device I added to my cart, as shown below, rather than being limited to one-per-transaction.
My best guess is that U.S. gift cards will be roughly 25% less face value. Say, US$20-$25 with an Apple Watch, $50-$60 for an iPad, and maybe $150 with a new Mac. We’ll know in a few hours.