The annual Apple iStore sale is almost upon us, and this year it’s got at least a few deals worth looking at. All the offers will be available in your nearest iStore, as well as online, from 23 May to 9 June. It’s perhaps kicking off a little too far on the wrong side of payday, but that’s what the discounts are for.

Specials range from R20,000 for a 13in MacBook Pro, to R1,000 for an Apple Pencil 1st-gen (which saves your pocket R1,100). If you’ve been holding off on buying an Apple Pencil, now is the time. You can also get an Apple Watch Series 3 38mm for R4,400 but these are limited to the first 250 customers in-store. Too bad you won’t get get the Vitality-boosting steps for the sprint to be first in line.

Most of the big-ticket items like MacBooks, iPads, iPhones and Apple Watches have a credit facility with FNB. If you bank with First National Bank, you can grab certain specials on credit and pay them off over 37 months.

A clean slate

iPhones and iPads can also be bought through Vodacom contracts, but these specials are exclusively available at iStore. Don’t go running to your nearest Vodacom store, is what we’re saying. For example, you can get an iPhone 6S for R250 a month on a Flexi125 contract, or an iPad Pro 10.5in on a 5GB data plan for R600 a month. The Vodacom specials only run until 7 June, so keep that in mind.

You’ll likely find the biggest savings are on smaller accessories. Phone cases, Beats audio kit and Knomo bags are the key items to look out for. You can pick up a pair of Beats Studio 3 Wireless headphones for R3,500 or a Marshall Acton Wireless Bluetooth speaker for R2,000.

If you’re great at planning ahead: this is the time to buy all the Christmas presents. And if you’re not great at planning ahead — it’s a great time to buy a Father’s Day gift.