Black Friday season is well underway, with many companies using the whole of November to showcase their best deals. Laptops are usually among the most frequently discounted products, and that’s no different this year. Here’s our full guide to getting the most out of Black Friday laptop deals.
When is Black Friday 2021?
Black Friday will take place on 26 November this year, closely followed by Cyber Monday on 29 November. Some deals will only be around for a day and others extend across the weekend, but many more will begin well ahead of time. Indeed, plenty have already started.
When do Black Friday laptop deals begin?
Black Friday season seems to be getting earlier and earlier each year. The most common time for laptop deals remains the week leading up to the big day, so it’s worth shopping around from Friday 20 November.
However, early Black Friday deals have become a big thing in recent years, with companies keen to promote their offers ahead of the rush. Many retailers now use the entire month of November as an opportunity to slash prices. Indeed, if you’re looking for deals on specific laptops, we’d encourage you to start checking now.
Are Black Friday laptop deals real?
Over the past few years, people have become a bit less trusting of Black Friday deals – which is understandable. Some deals are better than others and it’s not always clear which is which.
A few months after going on sale, many products drop in price whether there’s a sales event taking place or not. It’s why the LG Gram 17 now starts at £1,099, despite the same configuration costing you £1,399 at launch – there’s no indication it’s a discount of any description.
However, some brands and retailers bump prices back up to the RRP shortly before Black Friday. Then, when the new price is announced, it looks like even more of a saving. There’s a chance it’ll still be a great deal, just not to the same extent as the website is making out.
Nonetheless, the recent release of Windows 11 means laptops are ripe for Black Friday discounts. Most Windows 10 devices are eligible for a free upgrade, but that hasn’t stopped several companies from already releasing laptops running the new OS out of the box.
If you don’t mind using slightly older hardware and spending a few minutes installing Windows 11, there should be some great deals around. These will likely be even more significant on Windows 10 devices that aren’t compatible – the old OS will continue to be supported until October 2025, so there’s no security risk.
The same thing applies on Mac, where the release of Apple Silicon means significant deals on Intel-powered devices are becoming available. Even the M1-powered MacBook Air and 13in MacBook Pro have seen some useful discounts in recent months.
Then there’s Chromebooks. Chrome OS devices are typically more affordable to begin with, but some modest discounts are likely around Black Friday. As with all laptops, we just can’t be certain where the biggest deals will be.
How to shop for Black Friday laptop deals
It’s a good idea to decide in advance what tech you’re shopping for and then be open to the best deals when Black Friday gets underway.
For example, if you’re interested in buying a 15in Windows laptop, have a budget in mind and a feature set that you really want. This way, when a deal comes up, you can quickly check if it’s right for you and jump on it before it sells out.
If you’re looking for a product from a specific brand, you’ll probably have a good sense of what its regular price is. Then decide on what you’ll be willing to pay. Is it worth buying at 10% off? Are you holding out for 25%? Deals could begin as early as the start of November, so begin checking then.
Also look out from curated lists of the best Black Friday deals from specialists. Serious bargain hunters can also sign up to newsletters and download apps from their favourite retailers to get real-time sales alerts.
Where to find the best Black Friday laptop deals
Talking of retailers, there are plenty of candidates when it comes to laptop deals in the UK. The key ones to look out for include Amazon, Currys, Argos and John Lewis. However, it’s also worth checking the likes of Laptops Direct, Newegg and Gearbest.
Sometimes retailers don’t display the RRP, so check the manufacturer’s site or other coverage from launch if you’re unsure. But going direct is also a good option – sometimes prices from the likes of Microsoft, Dell and Huawei are cheaper than via third-party retailers.
There are also several tools you can use, both to find great deals and discover how good the new price really is.
First up is HotUKDeals, where you can create a range of specific alerts for products you’re interested in. Don’t worry, you’ll only be notified when deals are getting a lot of attention.
If you’re shopping on Amazon, CamelCamelCamel is a great tool. Typing any Amazon product or URL into the search bar will give you an overview of how much the price has changed over the past year or so. It also tells you when and how much its lowest price was – if that’s significantly less than now, it might be worth holding off.
PriceSpy is also an effective way to find a great deal. It compares deals from all the major retailers, so you know you’re getting the best price. What’s marketed as a Black Friday deal on one site may turn out to be cheaper on another.
Best Early Black Friday laptop deals
Most retailers haven’t started their Black Friday sales just yet, but deals on laptops are available all year round. Here are the best we’ve found:
Top 10 Laptop Deals
Avita Liber V 14
Avita might not be the most well-known laptop brand but we’ve been impressed with the ones we’ve tested. The Liber V has an AMD Ryzen 3 processor and 256GB for not much money at all.
Huawei MateBook D 15 (2021)
The latest version of the excellent MateBook D 15 has a decent saving of £300 with an AMD Ryzen 5 and 512GB SSD.
That’s amazing for the price and Huawei offers discounts on a selection of other products.
Huawei MateBook 14s
The MateBook 14s sits atop our best laptop chart having gained a 9/10 score in our review.
This £400 discount is incredible and Amazon has the same price.Microsoft Surface Laptop Go (2020)
This is an excellent deal on the Surface Laptop Go, a great laptop for students.
Save a decent £100 on this model, which comes with an i5 processor and 64GB of storage.
Huawei MateBook 14 (2021)
A huge £450 off an excellent MateBook 14 on the official store is a great deal. You get a Core i5, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.
Huawei also offers a selection of other products at discounted prices.
Asus ZenBook 13
There’s a whopping £350 off the excellent ZenBook 13 which has an OLED screen, Core i5, 512GB SSD and 32GB of additional Intel Optane memory.
Samsung Galaxy Book Pro
The Galaxy Book Pro is now under £550 in this deal from Currys.
The laptop has an Intel Core i5, 256GB SDD and a whopping 20-hour battery life.
Acer Swift 3 14in Laptop (8GB/512GB)
If you want top-notch specs for an almost budget price then this Swift 3 is a great option. It comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.
Apple MacBook Air M1 (2020)
The MacBook Air with M1 chip is now the older model and has a new lower RRP of £999 but you can still get it cheaper than that thanks to AO.
It’s not the biggest discount we’ve seen but they are rarer for Apple hardware.Lenovo Legion 5i
This powerful gaming laptop has a 120Hz screen, Intel Core i5 processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card.
The eCoupon ‘BACK2SCHOOL’ should automatically be applied and you also get one year of Premium Care services for £1.
If you’re looking specifically for discounts on Microsoft hardware, here are the best deals on Surface products.
Top 10 Surface Deals
Microsoft Surface Duo 2
The Surface Duo 2 has had a big price drop, but it’s not in stock everywhere. Microsoft has £500 off the 128GB model or £555 off if you want 512GB of storage.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio (i7, 2TB)
This is a huge 22% saving on the top-spec model, although £87.84 off the cheapest configuration is also worth considering,
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 (15in)
If you’ve got your eye on the 15in Surface Laptop 4, this Ryzen 7 model with a 512GB SSD is a great option. You’ll also find £80 off the cheapest 13.5in configuration.
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (512GB)
Surface Pro 8 discounts aren’t as big as they were around Prime Day, but there are still some decent deals available. £200 off this mid-spec model is joined by £78 off the cheapest configuration at Amazon.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go (128GB)
The Surface Laptop Go’s successor has arrived, but it remains a capable device that will serve you well for many years. This 12% saving on the mid-spec model is worth considering.
Microsoft Surface Go 2
If you don’t mind slightly older hardware, the Surface Go 2 remains a great portable PC. The top-spec Wi-Fi version is currently available with a useful £120 discount, or you can save £144 on an LTE model.
Both these roundups are regularly maintained, so check back soon to see more offers. You may also be interested in other articles from our Black Friday section.
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Author: Anyron Copeman, Senior Staff Writer
As the resident expert on Windows, Senior Staff Writer Anyron’s main focus is PCs and laptops. Much of the rest of his time is split between smartphones, tablets and audio, with a particular focus on Android devices.