- Apple Store apparently going with gift cards for Black Friday buys
- Different from past years; Apple offered discounts on some items
- Some competitors sticking with cutting prices
(CNN) -- It's a Thanksgiving custom as traditional as turkey, stuffing or collapsing on the couch while watching NFL football: the Apple Store's announcement of Black Friday discounts.
Except, this year, there don't seem to be any.
Instead, as a number of websites have reported, Apple will apparently give out Apple Store gift cards to purchasers of various products. In Australia, where sales have already begun, Apple is awarding gift cards worth an estimated 10-15% of the price for certain Apple devices, and more for accessories.
So the purchase of an iPad Air, worth $599 (Australian), gets you a A$75 gift card; a Fitbit Flex, at A$129.99, earns a A$25 card. (An Australian dollar is equal to about $0.91 American.)
At present, the Apple Store website is offering no indication whether U.S. sales will follow the same pattern.
Online sales in the United States begin after midnight Pacific time on Friday. Many brick-and-mortar Apple Stores will open at 6 a.m.
Some of Apple's competitors are sticking with the traditional Black Friday discounts. A number of items at the Microsoft Store are on sale, and the Sony Store also has a number of Black Friday deals.
Last year the Apple Store offered discounts of about 10% for expensive items and up to 40% for cheaper products.
