Black Friday Electronics Deals
Black Friday Electronics and Entertainment Deals
With all those nifty and alluring devices out there for the plucking, it's getting harder and harder to separate electronics from entertainment. Early come-hither holiday shopping ads are pouring forth, and we've searched for the best Black Friday electronics deals and the best Black Friday entertainment deals. Here are our current findings.
Nook Simple Touch
Black Friday Ereader Deals.
A review of the available Black Friday electronics deals revealed only a few discounts on ereaders this year. Target is selling the Nook Simple Touch for $49, or 45 percent off the usual $89 charge. As we were researching Black Friday electronics deals, Sears came out with an even better "doorbuster" price: $39.99 for the same ereader. The Nook Simple Touch comes with 2GB of internal memory, enough for about 1,000 ebooks, and has a memory slot that can expand capacity by an additional 32GB. The six-inch screen boasts a 600x800 resolution and uses E Ink technology, which makes reading less of an eye strain. The Nook also boasts one of the longest lasting batteries in an ereader -- up to 75 hours after a three-hour charge. As the name implies, though, this is a very simple device, one that only supports ebooks; forget about video or audio files with this model.
The Nook Simple Touch Reader scores 10 out of 10 for design, memory, and battery life in a review at TopTenReviews, and an overall score of 9.65. Online reviews by users comment appreciatively on the Nook Simple Touch's light weight and the ability to buy ebooks from a variety of stores. Several reviewers, however, complain about customer support and units that fail shortly after purchase. But at less than $50 and with generally positive reviews, it's hard to pass on this Black Friday ereader deal.
Black Friday Tablet Deals.
The Apple iPad with Retina display is praised by many as the best tablet in the marketplace today. It's relatively rare to find discounts on Apple products, but we did spot a Black Friday tablet deal for iPads including the iPad 4 at Target. The devices bear their full retail prices, which start at $399.99 for the iPad 2, but the retailer is including a $60 Target gift card with a purchase. If you have a Target REDcard, you qualify for an additional 5 percent off the price.
The new iPad is very similar to previous models in terms of size and weight. But this iPad with Retina display features upgraded cameras on the front and back, an upgraded processor for increased performance, and new Wi-Fi capabilities that give you connection speeds up to twice as fast. The iPad 4 earns an Editor's Choice award from PC Mag, five out of five stars from CNET, and a 10 out of 10 score from TopTenReviews. Although you won't technically be saving any money with this Black Friday tablet deal, the offer from Target is looking like the best available this holiday season.
Black Friday Laptop Deals.
There are a variety of Black Friday laptops deals and we've sorted through the leaked ads to find the most worthy. Individual needs play a large part in deciding which laptop to buy, so if a basic machine is in your sights you'll find several Black Friday laptops deals for less than $250 at vendors such as Best Buy, Office Max, Sears, Walmart, and Kmart.
The machine we favor is discounted 23 percent to $599.99 at Office Depot from the everyday $779.99 cost. For this price you'll get a 15.6-inch Toshiba Satellite with a third-generation Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 750GB hard drive. This Black Friday laptops deal at Office Depot offers potential owners a quality machine for a very reasonable price. Reviews posted online at sites such as Best Buy generally laud the speed, crisp display, and good speakers. On the downside, some users suggest it feels a bit chintzy, the hard drive seems slow, and the 1366x768 resolution is disappointing. The Toshiba model is not perfect, but the low Black Friday price for a laptop this powerful makes it an appealing bargain.
Toshiba Satellite Laptop
Black Friday Smartphone Deals.
Would you believe? This Black Friday you can snag a new, top-of-the-line smartphone for less than a dollar. Sam's Club is offering the Samsung Galaxy S III for 96 cents with a two-year service agreement compared with the regular $148.88. An amazing price for sure, but nonmembers will need to shell out an additional $40 for a one-year Sam's Club membership to qualify for this Black Friday smartphone deal. For consumers unwilling to jump through that hoop, Best Buy is offering a doorbuster deal on a 16GB Samsung Galaxy S III. The cost is $48 with a two-year contract from Sprint. The Samsung Galaxy S III can be updated to run Android 4.1, it connects to 4G LTE networks, and it features a 4.8-inch multi-touch display with a 1080p resolution. This slim smartphone is powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor that smoothly plays HD videos and games.
It takes a while to sort through the many Black Friday smartphone deals, and we chose the Samsung Galaxy S III because of the next-to-nothing price and its compatibility with all the major carriers. The Galaxy S III also scores in the ratings, which range from 4 to 4.5 (out of 5) from the likes of CNET, Laptop Mag, PC Mag, and PC World. User reviews at Amazon
Black Friday TV Deals.
A popular Black Friday item for many shoppers is a new television set. Some Black Friday television deals cover budget sets sold at steep discounts. While appealing, stepping up to a set with newer technology might be a better investment. This year Walmart is offering a Black Friday TV deal on the Samsung 46-inch Smart LED TV (UN46EH5300) with built-in Wi-Fi for $598, which saves you 19.5 percent off the standard $742.77 price. The model features an HD 1080p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate.
Reviews for this Black Friday TV deal paint a pretty picture. Buyers praise the high quality sound and picture and are impressed by the user-friendly setup. CNET is happy with the inclusion of Samsung's Smart TV Platform in the 5300 series. (Smart TV lets you access Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora, and other apps using the built-in Wi-Fi access.) This is also the only Internet TV, apart from the Roku box, that gives you access to HBO Go content.
If you're looking for a larger set and are psyched for an all-night camp-out, head for the door buster Black Friday television deal at Sears. For just $299.99 you can pick up the well-regarded Toshiba 50-inch LED 1080p, a price cut of 66.67 percent from $899.99. Important note: Each store stocks only a few.
Sony PlayStation
Black Friday Gaming System Deals.
It's been a while since a new big-name game console has been released. Although the next generation is just around the corner, this year's Black Friday gaming systems deals focus on money-saving bundle packs. For $199.99 (versus the full price $359.99), the Sony PlayStation deal at Best Buy includes a 250GB PlayStation 3 Super Slim, a DualShock 3 controller, and five games. A 4GB Microsoft Xbox 360 system is available at Walmart in a bundle package with two games, Kinect, and a controller -- all for $229.99, a nice 32.35 percent discount off the regular $339.98 price point.
Both systems are well known and have received strong customer feedback over the years. If you're a gamer you've probably played one or both and may already have a favorite. Some games are exclusive to each system, and the inclusion of a Kinect makes the Xbox 360 bundle a particularly attractive Black Friday gaming system deal. The Kinect is a motion and voice-sensing device that turns your body into one big controller. Anyone eager for still more entertainment in the living room will find the Black Friday gaming systems bundles let you live your dreams without spending too much.
You may also have your eye on the Wii U system that was just released. You won't find it here because it's already on back order and retailers aren't offering Black Friday deals on the system. In fact, people are already selling it for double the retail value on eBay. If you are one of the lucky few who snagged a Wii U for the holidays, you may find some deals for games on Black Friday. Old Navy is giving away Super Mario Bros. U to the first few customers who spend at least $40 this Friday. There are also rumors of the next-generation PlayStation and Xbox being released before the end of 2013. If you're not in a rush to add a gaming system to your living room, it may make sense to wait, although release dates have not been confirmed yet.
Black Friday Cameras Deals.
Ads for Black Friday camera deals arrive just in time for family gatherings during the winter holidays. At Target you'll find the Canon EOS Rebel T3, with a Canon EF 75-300mm telephoto zoom lens as well as an EF-S 18-55mm lens. This Black Friday camera deal for $499.99, reduced 33.33 percent from $749.99, also includes a 4GB SDHC memory card and a handy Canon bag so you can carry all the accessories with you. This 12.2mp DSLR camera is lightweight for its class and can shoot up to 700 pictures on a single battery charge.
Reviews of the Canon T3 call this a top entry-level camera and praise its low-light performance. Although it doesn't fully rival other DSLR cameras, it is definitely a step up from digital point-and-shoots. Reviews posted at Amazon
Update: Tiger Direct is offering a Canon EOS Rebel T3 bundle for the same price (in retail stores only) but throwing in several extras: a tripod, a card reader, a lens cleaner pen, and a screen protector, as well as a larger 8GB memory card.
Black Friday Electronics Deals at a Glance
| Item | Best Black Friday Deal Retailer | Black Friday Price | Non-Black Friday Price | Black Friday Savings Percentage | Store Gift Card? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nook Simple Touch ereader | Sears | $39.99 (doorbuster) | $89 | 55% off
No | |
| iPad with Retina display | Target | Starting at $499.99 | Starting at $499.99 | 0% off
$60 gift card | |
| Toshiba Satellite 15.6" laptop (Intel Core i7, 8GB RAM, 750GB HDD) | Office Depot | $599.99 | $779.99 | 23% off
No | |
| Samsung Galaxy SIII phone (with 2-year activation) | Sam's Club | 96 cents | $148.88 | 99% off
No | |
| Samsung Galaxy S III 16GB phone (Sprint; with 2-year activation) | Best Buy | $48 (doorbuster) | $148.88 | 68% off
No |
Black Friday Entertainment Deals at a Glance
| Item | Best Black Friday Deal Retailer | Black Friday Price | Non-Black Friday Price | Black Friday Savings Percentage | Store Gift Card? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung 46" Smart LED 1080p 120Hz HDTV with Wi-Fi | Walmart or Amazon | $598 | $742.77 | 19% off
No | |
| Toshiba L2200 50" LED-backlit LCD TV | Sears | $299.99 (doorbuster) | $899.99 | 67% off
No | |
| PlayStation 3 250GB bundle | Best Buy | $199.99 | $359.99 | 44% off
No | |
| Xbox 360 4GB with Kinect bundle | Walmart | $229.99 | $339.98 | 32% off
No | |
| Canon EOS Rebel T3 bundle | Tiger Direct | $499.99 | $822.93 | 39% off
No |
