Black Friday 2025: Discounts Over 50% on Apple AirPods and PlayStation Controllers – Friday, November 28, 2025

Black Friday 2025 delivers substantial discounts on a range of tech gadgets, including Apple AirPods and PlayStation controllers, with some items marked down by more than 50%. These deals underscore retailers' strategic efforts to drive sales and clear inventory during the critical holiday shopping season.

Who should care: AI product leaders, ML engineers, data science teams, technology decision-makers, and innovation leaders.

What happened?

This year’s Black Friday event features significant price reductions across a broad spectrum of tech products, capturing the attention of consumers eager to secure premium devices at attractive prices. Apple products such as AirPods and AirTags are among the standout deals, offered at noticeably lower prices than usual. Similarly, the DualSense Edge controller, a highly sought-after accessory for PlayStation gamers, is available at one of its lowest price points to date. These discounts reflect a wider trend where many tech gadgets are being sold at over half off their original retail price, making them especially appealing as holiday gifts. Retailers are strategically using Black Friday to both clear out existing inventory and boost overall sales volume ahead of the holiday rush. The discounts extend across multiple categories, including audio equipment, gaming peripherals, and smart home devices, providing a diverse selection for tech-savvy shoppers. This approach not only attracts bargain hunters but also helps retailers manage stock levels and maintain competitive positioning in a crowded marketplace. The breadth and depth of these markdowns indicate a concerted effort by retailers to capitalize on heightened consumer demand during this peak shopping period.

Why now?

The timing of these aggressive discounts coincides with the traditional holiday shopping surge, when consumer spending reaches its annual peak. Over the past 18 months, consumer behavior has shifted notably, with an increasing preference for online shopping and a stronger focus on value-driven purchases. This evolving landscape has pushed retailers to enhance their Black Friday offerings to capture a larger share of the market. Furthermore, ongoing economic pressures have made consumers more price-conscious, prompting them to seek out the best deals possible. In response, retailers are motivated to present compelling discounts to sustain sales momentum and remain competitive in a challenging economic environment.

So what?

The deep discounts on tech products during Black Friday 2025 are likely to drive increased adoption of new gadgets and electronics, accelerating technology penetration among consumers. For AI and technology companies, this surge in sales offers valuable insights into shifting consumer preferences and spending patterns, which can be leveraged to inform product development and marketing strategies. By analyzing these trends, companies can better tailor their offerings to meet evolving market demands and optimize pricing models.

What this means for you:

• For AI product leaders: Track consumer purchasing trends closely to refine product features and adjust pricing strategies in real time.
• For ML engineers: Use sales data to build predictive models that anticipate consumer behavior during peak shopping seasons.
• For data science teams: Capitalize on this period to extract insights into consumer preferences and enhance personalization algorithms for improved targeting.

Quick Hits

• Impact / Risk: Deep discounts may accelerate consumer adoption of tech products, reshaping competitive dynamics in the market.
• Operational Implication: Retailers must efficiently manage logistics and supply chains to accommodate the surge in demand and avoid stockouts.
• Action This Week: Analyze current sales data to identify emerging consumer trends; update the executive team on potential market shifts; adjust inventory and supply chain strategies to prepare for ongoing demand fluctuations.