Black Friday Week has come at last! The ads are in, and we're ready to present our definitive guide to the best Black Friday deals.
Here you'll find all of our ad analyses in one convenient place. Read on to see all our final picks in laptops, tablets and electronics.
Best Black Friday Laptop Deals
ASUS X205TA 11.6" Intel Laptop for $100 at Staples
This star of Staples' Black Friday ad will likely show up in severely limited quantities, but for the lucky few who snag this offer, it's the best laptop deal in DealNews history. Not only does itbeat our laptop prediction for budget machines by $78, but it's also the cheapest price we've seen for this notebook by $80. The machine itself won't break any speed records, though: it's housing an Atom processor, only 2GB of RAM, and a 32GB eMMC (embedded MultiMediaCard), the latter of which is slower than a traditional SSD. Nevertheless, as far as budget systems are concerned, this deal is poised to blow all other deals out of the water.
Acer Intel Celeron 2.16GHz 11.6" Chromebook for $149 at Best Buy
Despite the modest hardware, Chromebook sales are on the rise. If the thought of a cloud-based Google machine sounds intriguing, Best Buy offers the Acer CB3 for $149, which is the best discount we've seen on this specific model by $30 and the cheapest Black Friday Chromebook deal we've seen. A close runner-up is this Asus 13.3" Intel Celeron Chromebookfor $150 from eBay, which offers more screen real estate than Best Buy's Acer for just a buck more. Alternatively, Meijer will offer the Samsung Exynos 1.7GHz 11.6" Chromebook for $199 bundled with a $50 Meijer coupon; assuming you'll use the credit, that brings the cost of the Chromebook down to $149.
Related: 7 Ways to Get the Best Black Friday Deals Without Going Crazy
HP Intel Celeron 15.6" Laptop for $159 at Walmart
If Staples' doorbuster laptop is too bare bones for your needs, this budget machine only costs $59 more and features slightly better specs, including 4GB of RAM (rather than 2GB) and a full 500GB hard drive (instead of a 32GB flash drive). This machine is also $19 under our Black Friday prediction and the second-cheapest laptop we've ever seen. It beats Office Depot's budget machine (which only has 2GB of RAM) by a buck, it beats Radioshack's doorbusteroffering (which also only features 2GB of RAM) by $41, and Dell's similarly-configured budget machine by $31.
HP Pavilion Core i5 15.6" Laptop for $300 at Office Depot and OfficeMax
This laptop features mainstream specs at an extraordinarily low price. In fact, it beats our Black Friday prediction for mainstream laptops by $25, which is no easy feat. Our only gripe is that this deal might be limited to just four machines per store. (Though you can also purchase it online!)
Toshiba 15.6" Laptop with 6GB RAM and 750GB HDD for $300 at Staples
As far as 16" Core i3 machines are concerned, this is the cheapest we've seen all year by $50. But we especially like that this machine goes slightly above and beyond the usual configuration by including 6GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive.
Acer Aspire Core i7 15.6" Laptop for $750 at TigerDirect
This is an epic laptop deal on multiple levels. For starters, it couples a Core i7 processor with a massive 16GB of RAM and generous 1TB hard drive. Moreover, it's $50 under last December's cheapest powerhouse laptop, meaning this machine sets a new price low for all Core i7 laptops with 16GB of RAM. If that's overkill for you, grab this Toshiba Satellite Core i7 15.6" laptop for $580 from Staples, which comes with 12GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive for $170 less than the model above. (It's also an all-time low for its build.)
Apple MacBook Pro Intel ivy Bridge Core i5 2.5GHz 13.3" Laptop for $900 at Best Buy
To be fair, eBay will have its own MacBook Pro deal for $850, but we have no idea which model they'll feature. Best Buy, on the other hand, is definitely offering the mid-2012 MacBook Pro for a very competitive price. Keep both deals in mind if you're in the market for a Mac this year.
Related: 10 Unexpected Black Friday Deals
Apple MacBook Air Intel Haswell Core i5 1.4GHz 11.6" Laptop for $780 at Best Buy
Apple fans, as of today this is the best MacBook Air deal of Black Friday. It's beats ourMacBook Air Black Friday price prediction by $19 and it's the lowest price we've ever seen for this machine. Even better, unlike most back-to-school sales we saw this summer, this deal doesn't require a valid .edu e-mail address.
Best Black Friday Tablet Deals
ProScan 7" 8GB Android Tablet with McAfee Security Suite for $5 at TigerDirect
In addition to crushing our Black Friday tablet prediction of $20, this $5 tablet also beats the cheapest refurb models we've ever seen. Sure, there's a rebate involved, but it's possible we won't see another tablet this cheap till Black Friday 2015. If you don't want to deal with the hassle of mail-in rebates, Toys "R" Us' Polaroid 7" Android 4.4 Tablet hits our budget tablet prediction and beats Walmart's $29 doorbuster.
$70 Off Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 8" 16GB Android Tablet at Costco
This 8" version of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 4 currently sells for $240 via Samsung. Assuming Costco sells it at list price, this tablet will drop to $170 after Costco's $70 discount, which blows away its previous all-time price low of $220. It also beats Office Depot, Toys "R" Us and Sears, which will sell this tablet at $200 (although Sears includes a $20 credit). What's more, Costco throws in a bonus protective sleeve for your Tab.
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4" 16GB Android Tablet for $200 at Best Buy
At $200, this Galaxy Tab Pro beats our previous price low by $50. If that still doesn't grab your attention, this new tablet is tied with our October mention of a refurb model. Simply put, this is the best price we've ever seen for this quad-core KitKat tablet.
Apple iPad mini 2 16GB Tablet with a $100 Gift Card for $299 at Target
Target is selling the iPad mini 2 at full retail value. However, the inclusion of a $100 Target gift card helps offset the cost of the tablet and it's likely to provide a better value than the Apple Store's deal. The honorable mention goes to Staples, which will offer the iPad mini 2 16GB for $239 (sans gift card).
Apple iPad Air 16GB Tablet for $299 at hhgregg
Beating out $100 gift card bundles at Walmart and Target, hhgregg's offer will be tied with a short-lived deal from last week as the best outright price we've ever seen for the 1st-generation iPad Air.
Apple iPad Air 2 16GB Tablet with $140 Gift Card for $499 at Target
Target is sure to be the king of iPad Air 2 deals, bundling a very generous $140 Target gift card with the purchase of any iPad Air 2. That's effectively $140 off the tablet's retail price and easily trumps last Black Friday's $429 iPad Air low. If you don't want to deal with gift cards or if you just want to pay the least amount possible, Best Buy will shave $100 off the full cost of the iPad Air 2. Either way, these offers both beat Apple's expected Black Friday sale.
Best Black Friday Electronics Deals
Free $25 Visa Prepaid Card with Wearable Tech Purchase at Staples
Get a jump start on your gadget gifting with this hard-to-beat deal from Staples. Purchase any piece of wearable tech in-store or online and get a $25 prepaid Visa card in the mail. Assuming you'll use the gift card, it's among the best wearable tech deals we'll see this Black Friday.
Related: Consumer Alert: 4 Pricing Tricks in Black Friday Ads
Fitbit Flex Wireless Wristband for $69 at Walmart
The Fitbit Flex tracks your steps, calories, distance, and sleep. Although it hit this price point once before (last December), it's a very rare low for this still-popular fitness tracker. Additionally, it'll beat the Kohl's Black Friday offer by $6.
Pebble SmartWatch for iOS and Android Devices for $80 at Best Buy
Best Buy is slashing the prices of both the Pebble base model and the Pebble Steel, making both smartwatches a smart buy. The original Pebble will fall to $80, beating our previous low by $19; similarly, the Pebble Steel will surpass its previous best price by $20.
Amazon Fire TV Streaming Media Player for $74 at Staples or Meijer
Amazon's Fire TV is a well-polished set-top streamer, especially if you're already an Amazon Prime subscriber. At this price, it's a buck under our prediction for this streamer. Best Buy andhhgregg will both charge a dollar more, so they get an honorable mention for beating Amazon's $99 list price.
Apple TV Media Receiver for $79 at Staples
Staples briefly slashed the Apple TV down to $79 last week, and we're betting they'll drop it back down for Black Friday (mostly because their confirmed ad says they will). This price is only a buck over our Black Friday prediction for this set-top box. If you're shopping elsewhere,hhgregg will have the next best price at $80.
Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD Drenched On-Ear Headphones for $70 at RadioShack
Chances are you know at least one person who wants Beats headphones for the holidays. If so, this will be the cheapest pair of Beats Solo HD headphones we've seen, even beating out the best price we've seen on a refurb. What's more, RadioShack's deal demolishes our previous pick from Best Buy by a solid $10.
Apple iPod Touch 16GB MP3 Player (5th Generation) for $150 at Best Buy
Though not as popular as it was in its heyday, this is the best iPod touch deal we've seen for Black Friday 2014. (You typically pay this price for refurbished iPods). If you miss Best Buy's deal (which starts Thursday at 5 pm in-store and online), Toys "R" Us will offer the same model at the same price starting Friday at 7 am in-store and online.
Related: Black Friday Shoppers Want More Than Discounts
Best Black Friday Smartphone Deals
Free $100 Gift Card with Select Android Smartphones at Walmart
There are many sub-$50 phones included in this Walmart sale, so depending on your smartphone needs you could walk away with a small profit. That's a great deal, especially if you're not trading in an iPhone this Black Friday.
Samsung Galaxy S5 16GB Android Phone for free at RadioShack
Practically every major retailer will discount the Samsung Galaxy S5 on Black Friday, but none will top this freebie offering from RadioShack. While we may see some for-profit deals down the line, this is as good as smartphone deals get for the moment. Honorable mention goes toTarget, which will sell the S5 for 1 cent. Alternatively, Sam's Club and Best Buy will sell it for a buck.
Motorola Moto G Android Smartphone for Verizon for $39 at Walmart
The Moto G has set a new benchmark for what budget smartphones should look like. It lacks 4G support (instead it packs a 3G radio), but PC Mag calls it the "best-built, unlocked smartphone under $200 available today." On Black Friday, this phone will hit a new price low of $39, which is $20 under our October mention and the best price we've ever seen for this phone.
HTC One M8 Windows Smartphone for 1 cent at Amazon
This is a very rare discount for the HTC One M8, a phone that CNET says pairs "elegant style, raw power, and sophisticated features." This offer falls right in line with our smartphone predictions and gets our nod of approval.
Nokia Lumia 635 No-Contract Windows Phone 8.1 for AT&T for $40 at Best Buy
In addition to being 50% cheaper than our previous mention of the Lumia 635 at the start of this month, this deal beats Radio Shack's price for this GoPhone by $10. It'll be available online and in-store starting on Thanksgiving Day.
Apple iPhone 6 16GB Smartphone for $99 at Sam's Club
With just 15 units per store, this Sam's Club deal should sell out quickly. For the lucky few who manage to get one, it's the cheapest iPhone 6 we've seen since the phone's release, and by far the best iPhone 6 Black Friday deal out there. Surprisingly, this deal beats both Walmart andBest Buy, which traditionally have the best iPhone deals.
Related: Thanksgiving Day Mall Madness Is Out of Control
Apple iPhone 5s 16GB Smartphone with $30 Gift Card for $79 at Target
Costco has offered the iPhone 5s for as low as $58 in the past, but if you factor in this deal's bundled $30 gift card, Target's Black Friday sale is a price low by $9. Got an old iPhone to get rid of? You can score the 5s for just $1 from Best Buy via its trade-in deal.
Apple iPhone 5c 16GB Smartphone with $30 Gift Card for 1 cent at Target
We've seen this iPhone for free multiple times before (even Apple offers it for free on contract), but this deal merits your attention because it's the first for-profit iPhone 5c deal we've ever seen. Thanks to the bundled gift card, after purchasing this deal you'll have an extra $30 in your pocket.
This article originally appeared in DealNews.
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