Apple very rarely launches a sale, so our Top Tech team has picked out the biggest discounts available at Sky and Amazon
As we get close to Christmas morning hints of Apple products may be flowing rapidly around your home, with loved ones ‘hinting’ they’d like a new pair of AirPods, a MacBook to replace a slower laptop, or iPad. This December the deals are dropping left, right, and centre, so we’ve rounded up the biggest savings from the much loved tech brand.
In this series of TopTech – where we scour the internet and our connections for the best deals, around Apple is high up on our list. As retailers drop the price of AirPod, MacBook Air and iPad models.
In a slight twist though, shoppers will actually find themselves saving more by ditching the Apple Store, as the giants rarely offer sales our Commerce Editor Harriet Morphy-Morris and Tech Writer Jake Hackney have found much cheaper offers at rival retailers – Sky and Amazon.
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If you’ve clicked onto this and you aren’t an Apple fan, Samsung’s currently offering a cashback sale for Christmas which may sway Android fans. Back to Apple, and the discounts, sales, and plans are rounded up below.
AirPods Pro 2 £50 than Apple’s price
The AirPods Pro 2 cost £229 over at the AppleStore, and if you don’t shop around you may be under the impression that it’s the going rate for these advanced listening accessory, but that’s not the case. Apple has a known reputation for being pretty strict on its deals so price cuts are rare, but a quick look at Amazon proves you can get the for cheaper.
£50 cheaper to be exact as the Prime retailer stocks them for £179 – down from the usual £229. Plus if you’re shopping for Christmas the online giants have posted a confirmation that these popular gadgets will arrive in time – with an ‘arrive by Christmas’ reassurance for shoppers.
Spread the cost of the new AirPods Pro 4
Ditching Amazon’s cheaper £50 off on the older Pro2 pair, if you fancy getting your hands on the latest AirPods, but are put off by their high price point, Sky Mobile will let you spread the cost and pay nothing up front. You can currently get the new AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation for £6 when spreading the cost.
These earbuds would usually set you back £179 if buying outright from Apple, but you can avoid forking out a large sum by paying them off over time, with the cheapest monthly option coming in at £6 over 36 months. This does work out at £37 more expensive in the long run – with a total of £216 paid over the length of the plan – but is a good option for those who prefer to pay for their new gadgets monthly and avoid a large initial outlay.
Sky will let you pay for the AirPods over 24 or 12 months if you’d prefer for £9 or £18 respectively, but the total price paid is the same regardless of which option you choose. Sky also offers several other AirPod models on its monthly plans, including the AirPods 4 from £4 and the AirPods Pro from £7.
MacBook Air M2 – Save £80 at Sky
Upgrading to a new laptop can cost a lot, so splitting the cost is often a welcomed feature. Known for its speeds and performance Apple’s Macbooks have become about their appearance and brand just as much as their look. You can now get the MacBook Air M2 (2022 model) on a more affordable plan thanks to Sky.
Instead of paying hundreds upfront the provider has split the cost to £20 per month – down from its usual £22 monthly this cuts £84 off the usual contract price. Shoppers will need to pay an uprfont fee of £20 to get the deal though, but be prepared to enter the seemingly lengthy 48-month contract – a downside to the cheaper price.
Alternatively, another retailer that caught our eye is John Lewis – as it offers the 2022 model for £749, that’s a £150 saving. You can shop the rival offer here.
Save on an older iPad
For those in the market for a new iPad that won’t break the bank, it’s worth considering some of the older models. Opting for an older iPad doesn’t necessarily mean you have to sacrifice quality, but does mean you can save yourself hundreds of pounds.
This 10.9” iPad (10th generation) was released in 2022 and is the latest version of Apple’s standard iPad range, with newer models coming in the iPad Air and Pro ranges. It features a redesigned Liquid Retina display that extends closer to the edge of the device and is compatible with the Magic Keyboard Folio, a physical keyboard designed specifically for this model.
Apple currently charges £329 for the 10.9” iPad with 64GB of storage, but you can save £40 at Amazon and Currys, as both retailers offer it for £289. According to Amazon price tracker camelcamelcamel, this is the iPad’s lowest price ever.