What Can We Expect Apple to Offer on Black Friday?

— -- Apple may launch its largest Black Friday sale in history which could, or at least should, include the iPhone, according to Ben Reitzes of Barclays Capital. In a report to clients, obtained by Apple Insider, Reitzes said, ""We have not seen any Apple Black Friday ads yet (as is customary), but expect the company to be more aggressive than usual in its one-day sale, perhaps with $100 off a few Mac models and discounts on several iPods."

Reitzes also notes that Orange, the iPhone's carrier in France, has slashed the cost of its iPhone from 149 euros to 99. It seems unlikely that Apple would slash iPhone prices in the United States even for a limited time, especially considering its dominant place in the US market. But then again, a need to stay ahead of the pack may prompt Jobs & Co. to spread some iPhone Holiday cheer.

Speculation by Reitzes was prompted after Black Friday ads began to leak online. According to BlackFridayAds.com, Dell is planning on selling the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 netbook for $299 (base price is typically $349) and Wal-Mart is offering a limited supply of 15" Compaq notebooks for $298. Apple has not unveiled any pricing for their annual sale, but the company may want to follow up its this year's back-to-school sale with something comparable.

Black Friday is a time for companies to charge towards the year-end finish line and rake in profits as holiday shoppers start to search for bargains in droves. Electronics are always high on the list, and this year is no exception, but the market has changed drastically since 2007. Low-cost options for ultra-portable netbooks, the newly announced Flip Mino HD camcorder, and-as Luke Landes points out in his Insider's Guide to Black Friday Bargains-even some HDTV models and Blu-Ray players are starting to go for bargain prices. Whether Apple will make some dramatic cuts in prices or glide towards the finish line with customers lusting after iPods, iPhones, and Macs remains to be seen.