The Best Black Friday Deals on Macs, iPads, iPhones, Apple Watch, and More
With the Thanksgiving holiday well underway in the United States, Black Friday deals at both online and brick and mortar stores are starting to go live. Many major retail stores like Target, Best Buy, and Walmart will be opening up in the early evening, and most online-only deals are already live.
We’ve rounded up a few of the absolute best deals that can be had on products like the iPad, iPhone, MacBook, iMac, and Apple Watch below, and even more deals can be found in our full Black Friday roundup, which has a long list of retailers that are offering discounts.
Apple Watch
Both Target and Best Buy are offering Apple Watch deals. At Best Buy, the Apple Watch is up to $100 off, with a $50 discount for Apple Watch Sport models and a $100 discount for stainless steel Apple Watch models.
Target is offering a $100 Target gift card with the full price purchase of any Apple Watch or Apple Watch Sport.
iPhone
With the purchase of an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus on a device installment payment plan from Verizon, Sprint, or AT&T, Target is offering customers a $250 Target gift card.
With the purchase of an iPhone 5s, 6, 6 Plus, 6s, or 6s Plus using AT&T Next or a Verizon device payment plan, Walmart is offering $200 off in the form of a $100 bill credit and a $100 Walmart gift card.
iPad Air 2
There are a lot of deals available on the iPad Air 2, with discounts as high as $150 off.
Sam’s Club is discounting its entire stock of iPad Air 2 models by $150, dropping the price of the entry-level Wi-Fi only iPad Air 2 to $349.
Staples is selling the 64GB Wi-Fi only iPad Air 2 at a $150 discount, dropping the price to $449. The 16GB Wi-Fi only model is available at a $125 discount, dropping the price to $374.
Best Buy is selling the 16 and 64GB Wi-Fi only iPad Air 2 at a $100 discount, dropping the price to $399 and $499, respectively. The 128GB Wi-Fi only model is available at a $125 discount, dropping the price to $574.
For those who would prefer a gift card to a straight cash deal, Target is offering a $150 Target gift card with the purchase of any iPad Air 2 model.
iPad mini 4
Best Buy is selling the 64 and 128GB Wi-Fi only iPad mini 4 at a discount of $100, dropping the price to $399 and $499, respectively.
Staples is selling the 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad mini 4 for $299, a $100 discount off the regular price of $399.
For those who would prefer a gift card to a straight cash deal, Target is offering a $100 Target gift card with the purchase of any iPad mini 4 model.
12-inch MacBook
While Adorama and MacMall are offering $100 discounts on the 12-inch Retina MacBook, Best Buy and B&H Photos deals are the best, dropping prices by as much as $200.
– 1.1GHz/8GB/256GB Gold – $1,179, $120 off
– 1.1GHz/8GB/256GB Silver – $1,149, $150 off
– 1.1GHz/8GB/256GB Space Gray – $1,179, $120 off
– 1.2GHz/8GB/512GB Gold – $1,429, $170 off
– 1.2GHz/8GB/512GB Silver – $1,429, $170 off
– 1.2GHz/8GB/512GB Space Gray – $1,399, $200 off
MacBook Air
Best Buy and B&H Photo have the best prices on stock MacBook Air models. For non-stock models, MacMall is offering $81 off to $100 off.
– 11-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB – $774, $125 off
– 11-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/256GB – $979, $120 off
– 13-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB – $879, $120 off
– 13-inch 1.6GHz/4GB256GB – $1,079, $120 off
MacBook Pro
B&H Photo, MacMall, and Best Buy all have deals on Macs, with the lowest prices on stock configurations listed below. MacMall has discounts on a wide range of non-stock models, with $150 to $250 off.
– 13-inch 2.7GHz/8GB/128GB – $1,179, $150 off
– 13-inch 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB (Best Buy) (B&H Photo) (MacMall) – $1,349.99, $150 off
– 13-inch 2.9GHz/8GB/512GB – $1,599, $200 off
– 15-inch 2.2GHz/16GB/256GB – $1,699, $300 off
– 15-inch 2.5GHz/16GB/512GB – $2,149, $350 off
iMac
On stock iMac models, Best Buy, B&H Photo, and MacMall have some of the best deals available. For non-stock configurations, MacMall is offering discounts between $101 and $201.
– 21.5-inch 1.6GHz/8GB/1TB – $899, $200 off
– 21.5-inch 2.8GHz/8GB/1TB (B&H Photo) (MacMall) – $1,179, $120 off
– 21.5-inch 4K 3.1GHz/8GB/1TB – $1,299, $200 off
– 27-inch 5K 3.2GHz/8GB/1TB – $1,599, $200 off
– 27-inch 5K 3.2GHz/8GB/1TB Fusion (B&H Photo) (MacMall) – $1,799, $200 off
– 27-inch 5K/3.3GHz/2TB Fusion – $2,029, $250 off
Apple TV
As a doorbuster deal, Target is offering 25 percent off all Apple TVs. Supplies for this deal are likely to be limited.
Accessories
– iPods – $50 off
– Beats by Dre Powerbeats – $99.99, $100 off
– Pebble Time – $129.99, $70 off
– Fitbit Charge HR – $119 $30 off
– Beats Solo 2 headphones – $97, $103 off
Software
– Fantastical for iPhone – $2.99, 40 percent off
– Fantastical for iPad – $4.99, 50 percent off
– VMware Fusion Pro – $119 to purchase/$71.99 to upgrade, 40 percent off
– VMware Fusion 8 – $55.99 to buy/$34.99 to upgrade, 30 percent off
– VMware upgrades from Parallels – 55 percent off
– VMware Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro bundle – $224.98, 50 percent off
– Adobe Premiere Elements 14 – $59.99, 39 percent off
– Adobe Photoshop Elements 14 – $59.99, 39 percent off
– Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac – $99, $34 off
– Pixelmator for Mac – $14.99, 50 percent off
– Pixelmator for iPhone – $1.99, 50 percent off
– Parallels – $79. Comes with 7 free apps, including 1Password and Evernote Premium
Make sure to check out the Black Friday roundup for specific times on when retail stores will open and more information on each of the deals listed above.
MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.
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Watch ESA explain how it plans to find gravitational waves
In just under a week the European Space Agency (ESA) will launch its LISA Pathfinder spacecraft on a Vega rocket. Buried within the vessel are two cubes made of gold-platinium which, scientists hope, can lay the groundwork for measuring gravitational waves in space. The theories and testing procedures can be tricky to wrap your head around, but thankfully the ESA has made some explainer videos (below) to help you out.
Source: ESA (YouTube)
[TA Deals] Get a VPN Unlimited lifetime subscription for 92% off and take 15% off on all VPNs
Keeping your data hidden and secure is a hefty concern these days, and unfortunately, that’s just not possible without using an extra layer of security. That’s where Unlimited VPN comes in, securing your Wi-Fi connection to ensure all of your private data is both hidden and encrypted from prying eyes.
There are a lot of advantages to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), such as being able to watch region-locked content, keep your data secure, and so on. Unfortunately, a big drawback is that a VPN normally murders the speed of your connection. Thankfully, VPN Unlimited claims that its users will continue to experience unlimited high-speed internet, which is something many VPN services don’t even advertise.
Here’s what you get with VPN Unlimited:
- Secure public Wi-Fi connection: your data is hidden & encrypted
- Unlimited traffic bandwidth: no need to worry about your data usage
- Unlimited high-speed connection
- A growing selection of servers globally
- VPN Unlimited 3.0 added features
- Fully downloadable global servers list
- Fast server switching & app operating
- Added servers in Romania, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Ukraine, Japan, Texas (USA)
- Hands-on statistics for each device (mobile & desktop)
For a limited time, we’re offering our readers here at Talk Android 92% off on a lifetime subscription to VPN Unlimited. It normally retails for $500, but this discount brings it down to a meager $32, a deal you don’t want to pass up. That’s not where the savings stop, though.
Black Friday sales are underway, and as part of it, we’re offering an additional 15% off all VPNs store-wide with the code VPN15. If you’re looking at picking up the VPN Unlimited lifetime subscription, that promo code makes the deal even sweeter.
Come comment on this article: [TA Deals] Get a VPN Unlimited lifetime subscription for 92% off and take 15% off on all VPNs
‘Pro Evolution Soccer’ gets a free-to-play version this December
For years, FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer have been fighting for the hearts of football fans. EA has always had the money, with authentic strips and team names, but PES players will argue that Konami’s gameplay makes it a technically superior franchise. If you’re currently sat in the FIFA camp, or have been avoiding football games altogether, Konami hopes to win you back with a free-to-play version of PES 2016. Details are scarce, but Polygon reports that it’ll be available from December 8th on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, with an Exhibition Mode featuring seven professional teams. Like the yearly FIFA demos, these include some pretty all-star squads — you can expect the likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus and AS Roma to be available from the outset. You’ll also get access to MyClub, which is a mode where you can build and manage your own custom team. Even if you play it just a handful of times over the Christmas break, it’s free, so really what’s there to lose?
OnePlus won’t replace the 2’s flawed USB Type-C cable
Google engineer Benson Leung recently tested the OnePlus 2‘s USB Type-C cable and said it “may cause damage to your charger, hub or PC USB port” if used on a fast-charging device. OnePlus has now admitted that it doesn’t conform to the USB Type-C 1.1 spec, and has agreed to give refunds to its customers. There’s one large caveat, however. Since the cable can’t cause problems with the OnePlus 2 itself (it’s not a fast-charging phone), the company won’t give refunds or replacement cables to buyers of the handset. Instead, it will only refund customers who purchased the cable separately.
Source: OnePlus
Black Friday deals: here are the UK’s best
It’s that time of the year again. Black Friday has finally arrived, bringing with it a near-endless stream of deals and discounts for you to consider. If you’ve decided to stay at home and avoid the chaos outside — we don’t blame you, it gets pretty crazy out there — we’ve rounded up the best price-drops from across the internet. If you spot anything that we might have missed, drop us a note in the comments below and we’ll add it to our list as soon as possible. These deals are targeted at Brits mind you (US deals can be found here), so we’re avoiding anything that forces you to pay in a currency that isn’t Sterling.
Lenovo Yoga 900 review: Same thin design with fewer compromises
Lenovo’s Yoga laptops hardly need an introduction at this point: The company’s iconic 2-in-1s are so popular that its competitors have been copying them right and left. Last year’s edition, the Yoga 3 Pro, was especially notable for how thin and light it was: just 2.6 pounds and half an inch thick, and that was with a folding touchscreen, too. The problem, we found, was that as easy as it was to hold, that compact design came with significant compromises, including lackluster performance and mediocre battery life. Enter this year’s model, the new Yoga 900 ($1,199 and up). Like its predecessor, it has a 13-inch, 3,200 x 1,800 screen and a slim build, but this time it claims faster performance, longer battery life and a sturdier hinge. It is, essentially, an improvement in almost every way.Slideshow-342989
Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at Android Authority!
It’s that time of the year again. For those in the States, today is the day we gorge ourselves into near coma and spend the day with friends and family. Not to mention many of us make a tradition out of watching the big game(s) on the TV. Regardless of where you are at, what you are doing, and whether or not Thanksgiving celebration is part of your day — we wanted to take the time and thank our readers for faithfully visiting our site and engaging with us and one another in the comments and via our forums.
Without our readers, we wouldn’t be where we are today. And we’ve come a long ways at that! While we may not be perfect, our goal has always been and will always be to climb “onward and upward” (a favorite saying of our Editor-in-Chief Darcy LaCouvee), and we are so thankful for how far we’ve come and where we are going next.
We certainly have a lot to be thankful for in 2015. Aside from our dedicated readers (and viewers over at YouTube), we are also extremely thankful to have seen our staff grow tremendously over the last year, welcoming in plenty of new talent, both on the writing and YouTube teams. We’ve also introduced further refinement to our site’s layout throughout the year, continued to expand our YouTube channel, and have even tried new things this year such as attending E3 for the first time last summer and bringing more humor and mobile culture-type content to the site. It’s been a great year so far, and we have plenty more great content coming as we march towards the year’s end.
So that’s what we are grateful here at Android Authority. Now it’s your turn. What are you grateful for, both in the world of Android tech, and in general? From all your friends at Android Authority: Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!
ZeroLemon launches 3,500mAh battery case for Galaxy S6 Edge+ & Note 5
ZeroLemon, the accessory maker that specializes in battery cases for smartphones, has launched new 3,500 mAh units for the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Galaxy Note 5.
At present, the most common solution to juicing up a smartphone is to carry a portable power bank. Carrying a power bank is pretty common these days. However, it’s a cumbersome task at times, adding one extra item to your carry bag. ZeroLemon’s solution are battery cases, and they’ve just released new ones for the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Galaxy Note 5.
See also: Best Galaxy Note 5 cases & accessories
The new battery cases have a built-in 3,500 mAh battery, which are capable of fully charging the internal battery of either device. Basically, slapping the ZeroLemon battery case to your Galaxy phablet will probably double your battery life. But the extra battery life comes at a cost – your phone will be heavier, thicker, and a lot less sexy.
Both models come with a black TPU case, which houses the 3,500mAh batteries, where you can slide your phone in with ease without having to worry about any wire connections. The TPU case does add some level of protection to your phone from accidents such as hard drops, but as mentioned previously, it makes your device quite bulky.
See also: Best Galaxy S6 Edge Plus cases
ZeroLemon’s new battery cases are now available on Amazon. While the suggested retail price is $69.99, you can find listings as low as $39.99 for these newly launched products. Granted, one can simply buy a power bank for cheaper and carry it around, however, the benefit of having a product such as a battery case is certainly worth considering.
Buy the ZeroLemon battery case for Note 5 for $39.99
Buy the ZeroLemon battery case for Galaxy S6 Edge+ for $39.99
Watch out OLED here comes PCOLED!
RGB OLED may form the basis of a number of high end TV and smartphone displays, including new flexible designs, but the technology could one day be replaced by an improved Plasmon-Coupled Organic Light Emitting Diode (PCOLED) architecture. Taiwan-based ITRI has announced development of its PCOLED design, which could boost the lifetime of displays by up to 27 times.
PCOLD replaces the traditional red, green and blue phosphorescent color layers used to produce white light with a red, green and green plasmon-coupling phosphorescent design, complete with a double metal structure. This is still able to produce very similar while light as the traditional RBG design, but has major benefits when it comes to display life time.
The weak link in a display’s lifetime is usually the blue fluorescent layer, which has a substantially reduced lifetime compared with different colored layers. When display quality begins to decrease due to age, it’s usually the blue pixels to blame. By replacing the blue fluorescent layer with a green phosphorescent layer, the white light can still be produced but with the green layer now dictating the minimum material life time. This could be up to 27 times longer than before.
Dr. Ming-Shan Jeng offers an explanation as to how this works:
“In the green phosphorescent material, there is actually a blue emission band in addition to the green one, but it is very weak. With the double metal structure, we actually generate more plasmons and shift the probability for emission from the green to the blue band.”
Apparently, the discovery was made by accident while conducting another experiment. Since then, the ITRI has developed two display samples at 10×10 and 15×15 cm sizes and is currently looking for commercial partners as it continues to develop the technology. ITRI is already working with WiseChip to begin production of a PCOLED structure on a passive matrix OLED line. That said, we are still at least 1-2 years away from the announcement of any PCOLED based products.
AIVAnet 