Black Friday is typically the day after Thanksgiving so on the 2024 calendar, Black Friday is on Nov. 29. However, retailers set their own Black Friday sale start dates and many deals are already live.
While Amazon isn't claiming to offer Black Friday deals now, many of their deals today are Black Friday-worthy. Currently, Amazon offers the Apple MacBook Air M3 15 (16GB RAM/512GB SSD) for $1,389 ($220 off). Amazon price tracker extension The Camelizer shows this is its lowest price ever. The newly released MacBook Pro M4 14 quietly dropped to $1,949 ($50 off) ahead of Black Friday.
Meanwhile, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart are more vocal about bending the rules advertising its Black Friday sales. What's more, Lenovo and Newegg, are backing discounts with Black Friday protection. If the price goes any lower between now and Black Friday, you'll be credited the difference. Target's Black Friday sale extends its price guarantee through Dec. 24.
So why are retailers being so gracious? Black Friday is the most significant time for retailers because that’s when they make the bulk of their sales. It’s also the best time for bargain shoppers as stores scramble to purge their inventory, readying their shelves for the next wave of products set to release in the year.
For this reason, Black Friday is the best time of the year to save big on the most coveted holiday tech. Now let's dive into the most burning questions about Black Friday.
When is Black Friday?
This year, Black Friday 2024 falls on Friday, Nov. 29, but early holiday discounts are available right now.
Long gone are the days when Black Friday is a one-day shopping event. Over the years, retailers began offering holiday sales sooner than ever. This year, we saw sales start in early October with the return of big shopping events like Amazon Big Deals Days.
Why is it called Black Friday?
Historically, the most popular explanation of Black Friday’s name origin traces back to retailers. The moniker is relative to the way retail companies would record their losses and earnings in their end of year closing books. Red would indicate losses whereas profits were recorded in black.
So the day after Thanksgiving, holiday shoppers would head to stores for sales looking for deep discounts. It translated into a hugely profitable day for retailers and became known as Black Friday.
What should you buy during Black Friday?
Black Friday is the best time of the year to snag the lowest prices on all things tech. And we’re not just talking about eye-popping discounts on TVs, laptops, and computer monitors. During Black Friday, you can snag the best end-of-year discounts on headphones, Apple products, PC accessories, select game consoles, video games, collectibles, and toys — especially LEGO. While you’ll see solid deals on just about everything, TVs, laptops, and games often see the deepest markdowns.
Apple products: Outside of back-to-school season, Black Friday is the best time to buy a MacBook, iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPods. This is the time of the year when we see the lowest price ever on just about every device in Apple’s ecosystem. I predict MacBooks to hit new all-time price lows following the recent release of the MacBook Pro M4 series.
Amazon devices: Amazon Black Friday deals typically offer the lowest prices of the year on Amazon devices. With early discounts that slash up to 64% off we're already seeing fantastic Black Friday-worthy deals on Fire tablets, Alexa devices, Fire TVs, streaming devices and more.
Black Friday shopping tips
Make a List: When you’re shopping on Black Friday, it’s a good idea to make a list of what you want to buy. You can create lists on Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart when browsing the web or using their dedicated shopping app.
On Black Friday, deals are so irresistible that it may trigger impulse shopping. It's a good idea to set a budget for yourself so that you don’t overspend. When you see an item you want, we recommend you compare prices with other retailers to be certain you’re getting the best price.
Price tracking: The Camelizer is a free Amazon price tracker that offers comprehensive details about a product's price history. For instance, a quick search of the MacBook Pro M3 in Camelcamelcamel shows its lowest price ever on Amazon was $1,299 within 30 days. With Black Friday being known to offer the best end-of-year discounts, it could return to this price or drop even lower on Black Friday.
