O.K., so we’ve spent a month compiling retailers’ best-laid plans for Black Friday. But now that the big day is upon us, who, exactly, is offering the best deals in tech?
To answer that question, we turned to two resources, WalletHub and BestBlackFriday.com. The former, a consumer finance site, compared sale prices advertised between Oct. 19 and Nov. 17 with those appearing in Black Friday circulars.
BestBlackFriday took it one step further by also factoring in last year’s Black Friday pricing. Among the key takeaways, said co-founder Phil Dengler:
*Best Buy dominates the tech category with seven of the shopping advice site’s Top 25 deals;
*TVs in the 40-inch to 60-inch range are the most requested; and
*TVs, video games, smartphones and other tech are among the most popular Black Friday product categories.
So, without further ado, here are the top tech (and appliance) winners of Black Friday 2016:
Best Deal Overall
WalletHub: Dell XPS 13.3-inch touchscreen laptop with Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB memory and 512GB SSD for $1,299, at Costco
BestBlackFriday: Toshiba 49-inch 4K UHD TV with onboard Chromecast for $200, at Best Buy
Best TV Deal
WalletHub: Sony 75-inch 4K UHD HDR TV for $2,500, at hhgregg
BestBlackFriday: see Best Deal Overall
Best Computer Deal
WalletHub: See Best Deal Overall
BestBlackFriday: Microsoft 12.3-inch Surface Pro 4 with Intel Core m3 processor and Signature-type cover for $600, at Best Buy
Best Major Appliance Deal
WalletHub: Samsung 24.5-cubic-foot side-by-side fridge for $899, at AAFES
BestBlackFriday: Kenmore 3.3-cubic-foot top-load washer and 6.5-cubic-foot dryer laundry pair for $550, at Sears
Best Gaming Deal
Wallet Hub: “Xcom 2” for Xbox One for $30, from GameStop
BestBlackFriday: Xbox One S 500GB Battlefield 1 bundle with “Gears of War 4” and extra controller for $250, from Dell
Best Smartphone Deal
Wallet Hub: n/a
BestBlackFriday: Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge with free Samsung Gear VR headset, $50 Oculus content pack and a $250 gift card upon activation and installment payments, at Target
Best Audio Deal
Wallet Hub: Denon soundbar with wireless subwoofer for $350, at Best Buy
BestBlackFriday: Amazon Echo for $140, at Amazon
Best CE/Majap Retailer (Most Good Deals)
WalletHub: BJ’s Warehouse Club
BestBlackFriday: Best Buy
Best Product Category (Biggest Black Friday Discount)
Wallet Hub: Video games
BestBlackFriday: TVs, gaming, computers (tie)
Source: WalletHub
Source: WalletHub
