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It’s that time of year again.
Your feeds are cluttered with deal posts. Your local stores are inundating you with sale ads. Commercials are hawking wares to festive tunes. It’s the holidays, and with that comes huge mark downs across retail, especially on Black Friday.
Also: Best Black Friday deals 2018 CNET
Though the specific day — and its infamous incidents (trampled customers, fistfights over sale items, etc.) — has lost its singular cachet, the idea of Black Friday as the time to grab the best deals of the year has become firmly entrenched in the mind of the consumer.
To help you wade through the chaos and suss out the real deals, we’ve combed through all the Black Friday ads for you and compiled this rundown of all the basic information you need to do holiday shopping the right way. Think of this as a 101 guide to Black Friday in 2018.
Best Black Friday 2018 deals: Retailers
Amazon
See it now: Amazon Black Friday 2018 sale hub
Amazon gave ZDNet a sneak peek at the deals it has planned for its own devices over the next couple weeks. Everything from Fire TV Cube to Echo Show will be on sale.
Fire HD 10 for $99.99 (was $149) – starts Nov. 16 Fire TV Cube 4K for $59.99 (was $119) – starts Nov. 18 Echo Dot (second-gen) for $24 (was $50) – starts Nov. 22 Amazon Smart Plug for $5 with purchase of an Echo device – starts Nov. 22 Fire HD 8 and Show Mode Dock for $79.99 (was $109) – starts Nov. 22 Fire HD 10 and Show Mode Dock for $144.99 (was $190) – starts Nov. 22
See the full list of best deals here:
Amazon Black Friday 2018: See early deals on Echo, Fire HD, and more
Best Buy
See it now: Best Buy Black Friday 2018 sale hub
Best Buy will open at 5pm local time on Thanksgiving and stay open until 1am on Friday, Nov. 23. Doors will reopen at 8am on Black Friday. Select deals are already live now through Sunday, Nov. 11. For all other online deals, prices are valid through Saturday, Nov. 24.
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 12.3-inch with keyboard for $600 (was $960) HP Pavilion x360 14-inch with Intel Core i5 for $549 (was $72) Ring Doorbell 2 +amazon Echo Dot 3rd gen for $140 (was $199) Apple Watch Series 3 (32mm) for $229 (was $279) Apple iPad 2018, 128GB: $329 (was $429) Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch 2018 for $1,150 (was $1,300) Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch 2018 for $2,150 (was $2,400) Ultimate Ears Megaboom for $100 (was $249)
See the full list of best deals here:
Black Friday 2018 sales starting earlier than ever at Best Buy CNET
Costco
See it now: Costco Black Friday 2018 sale hub
Costco will close its doors on the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving and reopen at 9am local time on Black Friday. Many of Costco’s deals will be available both in stores and online — though some are exclusively online.
Surface Pro 6 with Type Cover and Surface Pen for $800 (was $1,000) Apple iPad 2018 with 32GB for $250 (was $320) Lenovo Ideapad 330 Core i5 1TB HDD for $450 (was $599) Dell XPS 13 for $1,500 (was $2,000) Dell UltraSharp 27 InfinityEdge Monitor for $300 (was $370) Google Home Mini (3 pack) for $70 (was $100) Bose On-Ear Wireless Headphones for $100 (was $160)
See the full list of deals here:
Costco Black Friday 2018 deals arrive: $250 iPad, $300 Dyson and more CNET
Jet
See it now: Jet Black Friday 2018 sale hub
Jet (only online) posted its Black Friday preview, with sales starting Nov. 21 at 10pm ET.
Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones ll for $299 (was $350) Apple iPad 2018 with 32GB for $249 (was $330) Fitbit Versa for $129 (was $179) Fitbit Charge 3 for $119 (was $149) Bose SoundSport wireless headphones for $99 (was $149) Google Home Hub for $99 (was $149) Google Home Mini Chalk 2-pack for $50 (was $78) Google Home Mini and Chromecast bundle for $45 (was $84) Roku Streaming Stick HD for $29 (was $49) Google Home Mini for $25 (was $49) Google Chromecast for $25 (was $35)
Newegg
See it now: Newegg Black Friday 2018 sale hub
Newegg is online only — it has no retail shops. Some of its deals are already live and are limited-time only. Many other promotions don’t start until Nov. 20, while others begin on Black Friday. We’ve included information about start and end dates where possible.
Acer Aspire 5 for $500 (was $700) – starts Nov. 20. Asus ROG Strix Scar gaming laptop for $800 (was $900) Acer Switch Alpha 12 for $520 (was $750) Acer 24-inch FHD FreeSync gaming monitor for $100 (was $150) – starts Nov. 23 LG 32GK650F-B 32-inch gaming monitor for $450 (was $550) Nvidia Shield for $140 (was $180)
See the full list of deals here:
Newegg Black Friday 2018 deals revealed CNET
Office Depot and Office Max
See it now: Office Depot Black Friday 2018 sale hub
Office Depot and OfficeMax stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, but it will do online sales from 12:01am ET Thanksgiving Day and in-store at 8am local time on Friday, Nov. 23.
Dell G3 15.6-inch gaming laptop for $899 (was $1,100) HP Pavilion 15.6-inch 2-in-1 laptop for $699 (was $1,100) HP 15.6-inch touchscreen laptop for $519 (was $700) HP Pavilion 24-inch All-in-One desktop for $469 (was $680) Lenovo Flex 5 15.6-inch touchscreen laptop for $499 (was $799) HP Pavilion desktop for $399 (was $650) HP 15.6-inch laptop for $349 (was $650) HP 15.6-inch touchscreen laptop for $349 (was $550) HP Pavilion desktop for $349 (was $530) Dell Inspiron 15.6-inch laptop for $319 (was $500) HP Slimline desktop for $279 (was $450)
Sam’s Club
See it now: Sam’s Club Black Friday 2018 sale hub
Sam’s Club is planning a one-day-only for Saturday, Nov. 10.
$50 off select models of Apple Watch (regularly starting at $374) $150 off the 10.5-inch iPad Pro (regularly starting at $640) $30 off Apple’s AirPods (was $147) $50 App Store and iTunes gift card multi-pack for $42.98
Staples
See it now: Staples Black Friday 2018 sale hub
For Black Friday, most of the discounted prices below should be available on Thanksgiving Day, and picked up or purchased in-store starting at 7am local time on Friday Nov. 23.
Amazon Echo Dot for $24 (was $50) HP Pavilion 14 for $360 (was $410) Lenovo Flex 6 2-in-1 for $529 (was $629) HP Pavilion 15 for $499 (was $669) Canon imageClass MF244DW laser printer for $99 (was $199) Google Home Hub for $99 (was $149)
See the full list of deals here:
Best Black Friday 2018 deals at Staples: $60 Fire TV Cube, $99 laser printers and more CNET
Target
See it now: Target Black Friday 2018 sale hub
The retailer’s doors open at 5pm on Thanksgiving and close that night at 1am. Then it will reopen on Black Friday, Nov. 23, at 7am. Online prices are valid through Saturday, Nov. 24.
Apple iPad 2018 with Wi-Fi and 32GB for $250 (was $329) Google Home Hub for $100 (was $149) Beats Powerbeats3 Wireless Earphones for $90 (was $199) Fitbit Versa for $150 (was $199) Amazon Echo Dot 2018 for $24 (was $50) Google Home Mini for $25 (was $50) TCL 55S405 55-inch 4K HDR Roku TV for $350 (was $449) Amazon Fire TV Stick for $25 (was $39) Roku Streaming Stick for $30 (was $49)
See the full list of best deals here:
Walmart
See it now: Walmart Black Friday 2018 sale hub
Walmart’s store event kicks off at 6pm local time on Thanksgiving, and the online deals start at 10pm ET on Wednesday, Nov. 21. Prices are valid through Friday, Nov. 23 while supplies last.
Apple iPad 2018 with Wi-Fi and 32GB for $250 (was $325) 65-inch TCL 65S4 4K Roku TV for $398 (was $598) 65-inch Sharp LC‑65Q7300U 4K Roku TV for $398 (was $498) Google Home Hub for $99 (was $149) Bose SoundSport wireless headphones for $99 (was $149) Samsung Chromebook 3 for $99 (was $199) RCA Cambio 2-in-1 notebook/tablet for $89 (was $149)
See the full list of deals here:
Walmart Black Friday ad features $99 Chromebook, $89 Windows 2-in-1 laptop
Wellbots
See it now: Wellbots Black Friday 2018 sale hub
Wellbots.com is online-only site for all things IoT related. Here are some exclusive Black Friday 2018 deals it is offering ZDNet readers this holiday season:
Meural Canvas Digital Art Frame, $50 off – starts Nov. 22 Neato D4/D6/D7, $100 off all three – starts Nov. 20 Hobot Legee 668 Vacuum-Mop 4 in 1 Robot, $100 off – starts Nov. 21 ECOVACS Deebot M88, $150 off – starts Nov. 22 ECOVACS OZMO 930, $200 off – starts Nov. 23 Coway 300S/400S Wi-Fi Air Purifier, $150 off – starts Nov. 21 InMotion Glide 3 Unicycle, $50 off with code ZDNET50 – starts Nov. 17 EcoFlow RIVER, 100 off + 8% off with code ZDNET100 – starts Nov. 19 Swellpro SplashDrone 3, 10% off with code ZDNETFLY – starts Nov. 21 SwellproSpry Drone, 10% off with code ZDNETFLY – starts Nov. 21
Best Black Friday 2018 deals: Vendors
Google Store and Nest
See it now: Google Store Black Friday 2018 sale hub
Google and Google-owned Nest have announced a bunch of deals that will extend through Cyber Monday, with some sales starting as early as Nov. 18. You may have noticed but these same discounts will be available from other retailers, including Best Buy, Target, and Walmart.
Google Pixelbook laptop for $300 – Nov. 18 to 28 Nest Learning Thermostat for $129 (save $70) – from Nov. 21 to 28 Nest Hello Smart Doorbell for $129 (save $50) – from Nov. 21 to 28 Nest Cam Outdoor for $149 (save $50) – from Nov. 21 to 28 Nest Learning Thermostat for $139 (save $30) – from Nov. 21 to 28 Nest Cam Indoor for $129 (save $70) – from Nov. 21 to 28 Nest Protect smoke and CO alarm for $99 (save $20) – from Nov. 21 to 28 Google Home Hub for $99 (save $50) – from Nov. 22 to 26 Google Home for $79 (save $50) – from Nov. 22 to 26 Chromecast Ultra for $49 (save $20) – from Nov. 22 to 26 Google Home Hub for $25 (save $24) – from Nov. 22 to 26 Chromecast 3rd generation for $25 (save $10) – from Nov. 22 to 26 Chromecast Audio for $15 (save $20) – from Nov. 22 to 26
Lenovo
See it now: Lenovo Black Friday 2018 sale hub
Lenovo’s Black Friday sale will see hourly sales starting at midnight on Thanksgiving and continuing through 8pm local time on Black Friday.
ThinkVision P24q for 30% off, $188.30 – starts Thanksgiving week ThinkPad T470s for 54% off, $779.99 – starts Thanksgiving week ThinkPad laptop sleeve for 35% off, $32.49 – starts Thanksgiving week 45% off the Yoga X1 second-gen – starts Thanksgiving 10% off site wide (use code BLACKFRIDAY10) – starts Black Friday 40% off the YOGA 920-13IKB – starts Black Friday 54% off of the X1 Carbon fifth-gen, $899.99 – starts Black Friday 57% off of the IdeaPad 130s-11IGM, $99 – starts Black Friday $200 off the new Yoga C930 2-in-1 – starts Black Friday
Best Black Friday 2018 deals: Product categories
The deals below are current as of Nov. 9, and include Target,amazon, and Best Buy.
Windows laptops, Chromebooks, and tablets
See CNET’s guide for the best sales:
Black Friday 2018 deals: Laptops, PCs, Chromebooks, tablets, monitors and more CNET
iPhone and smartphones
See CNET’s guide for the best sales:
Black Friday 2018 deals: Laptops, PCs, Chromebooks, tablets, monitors and more CNET
When is Black Friday?
Nov. 23, 2018: As always, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, but that hasn’t stopped retailers from using turkey day to get a head start on the festivities (though not without a backlash from some stores and shoppers).
Also: Best Holiday gifts 2018 CNET
When will the first Black Friday ads appear?
Among computer/electronics retailers, Dell has jumped the gun over the last few years with its ads (both consumer and small business), which “typically leak” right around Nov. 1. Last year some deals from them started almost immediately. You’ll usually see ads from the big boys — Best Buy, Target, and Walmart — made public about a week later.
Also: Best TVs to give for the holidays CNET
Where can I get the best deals on Apple products on Black Friday?
Apple has been notoriously stingy when it comes to any kind of sales on its products in general, and not even the yearly mania around Black Friday gets it to budge much. In fact, the tech giant abandoned discounts at its Apple Stores on Black Friday years ago, only attempting to entice shoppers with free iTunes gift cards with iPhone, iPad, and Mac purchases.
Also: The do’s and don’ts of giving holiday gifts to your coworkers TechRepublic
It’s a tactic that other Apple partners have adopted as well — you’re now much more likely to get a store gift card from Target and Walmart when you purchase an Apple product than any kind of savings from the normal price. You’ll generally need to rely on retailers like MacMall and B&H Photo for actual deals, particularly on MacBooks.
How cheap will laptops be on Black Friday?
Chromebooks helped usher in the era of the $100 PC, forcing Microsoft to respond by slashing the price it charged manufacturers to license Windows in order to stay competitive in the budget market. That seems to be the floor for the cost of a new computer, though you may see one or two deals for $89 systems. Of course, at this price point, you are getting the barest of specs — no HD screen, 2GB of RAM, a minimalamount of built-in storage, a slower processor — that can handle Internet browsing and basic productivity tasks.
Also: Photos: Cool gifts for bosses to buy for employees TechRepublic
For an additional $100 to $200, you should be able to locate a deal on a more powerful computer with a few better specs that won’t require as many compromises.
How will I know if I got a good deal on Black Friday?
There definitely will be a handful of legitimately great prices on items during this extended shopping period, often as a “doorbuster” special that may be available in limited quantities or for a short window of time. But despite retailers’ promises to the contrary, Black Friday prices aren’t always the best of the year. In fact, product review site Wirecutter recently pointed out that of the more than 78,000 deals it tracked for Black Friday 2017, only about 450 were worth highlighting.
A big reason for that can be found if you look closely at how the percentage off figures trumpeted in Black Friday ads are calculated. You may notice that stores use the original or list price as the starting point, but that often isn’t the price they are currently using to sell a product. For instance, a desktop PC may have an original price of $399, so its $249 Black Friday sale price looks like a pretty significant discount. However, if that desktop is being sold for $279 in the weeks running up to holiday shopping, it’s a lot less impressive.
Also: A guide to tech and non-tech holiday gifts to buy online TechRepublic
This tactic is fairly widespread, so you need to do your homework before succumbing to Black Friday fever. We can help you determine the real deals and not-so-real ones as we report on the major tech retailers’ ads as they are leaked. Make sure to come back to ZDNet often during the coming weeks to find out what the best sales will be for Black Friday 2018.
For more great deals on devices, gadgetry, and technology for your enterprise, business, or home office, see ZDNet’s Business Bargain Hunter blog. Affiliate disclosure: ZDNet earns commission from the products and services featured on this page.
Previous and related coverage:
Great gifts: 5 best TV streaming devices of 2018
Yes, you can buy a TV with streaming, but internet TV streaming devices are still a great deal. Here are this year’s best to consider for your viewing pleasure.
Work and play: Our picks for the holiday’s best tech gifts
In work and play, do you always give it your best? Then you probably want to give the best gifts, too, right? We’ve got your covered.
Best gifts: 20 luxury gadgets for the billionaire who has everything
Money may not be able to buy you happiness — but it certainly can provide you with some crazy technology and gadgets. Here are some of our favorite luxury gifts.
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