The holiday season is right around the corner and so is Black Friday, when the Christmas shopping season officially begins. But in fact, if you’ve been following recent deals, you may have noticed that many major retailers will start their Black Friday sales earlier than the date. For example, Amazon will be offering deals starting November 19th.
The best way to make the most of Black Friday savings is to be prepared. That’s why we kick off the holiday with DealNews’ 5th Annual Black Friday Predictions, as compiled by their expert staff. If you’re wondering how little big-screen HDTVs can go, how much you’ll need to spend on a good laptop, or whether you’ll really see a discount on an iPad, you’ve come to the right place. We also have predictions for smartphones, ebook readers, game systems and more.
Just a few quick clarifications before we start forecasting. First, these are predictions for the absolute best deals of the Black Friday season. They are the lowest, not the average (see our methodology). Second, we’re predicting that these deals will take place during the “Black Friday season,” which is a DealNews euphemism for Cyber Monday, through mid-November. In conclusion, our methods have proven effective over the years; For example, three out of four of our 2011 predictions were either at or below our expected value – and we expect to do even better this year.
hdtv deals
No device celebrates Black Friday like an HDTV. From leaked commercials to doorbuster sales, HDTV deals can be found everywhere during the Black Friday week—it really is a prime time to buy a new set.
Once again this year, we’re predicting that many sizes will arrive at new all-time low prices on Black Friday. However, an important rule to keep in mind is that most of these “rock-bottom” prices will be for sets of third-tier manufacturers. If you’re interested in a high-end model from Samsung, it probably won’t fall as low as these predictions.
Last Black Friday, we listed some great HDTV deals, but none turned up as many heads as the Sharp 42″ 1080p LCD HDTV we saw in a Best Buy ad for $200 in-store The deal blew our prediction by a full $119, and it was an easy contender for best deal of the year. However, this year we’re predicting 42″ 1080p LCD HDTVs for even less — albeit, a little — and $ Will reach 189.
While $189 may sound very aggressive, it won’t be the first. In fact, a similar Sharp 42″ 1080p LCD HDTV hit $189 last December. (The deal lasted much less and lasted about 20 minutes on our site.) This year we’re predicting that $189 price point higher. Will be broader and comparatively more attainable. While last year’s lightning-fast reflexes were needed to score the above deals, this year you may have more opportunities.
If 42″ is too big for your living room, or if you need a new TV for your already cramped bedroom, we estimate a 32″ 1080p LCD HDTV will cost $159. However, keep in mind that 42″ HDTVs can top out at $189, so unless you’re really tight on space, a buyer will get the most value out of a 42″ set.
47″ TV becomes the new entry-level size
Not so long ago, HDTV owners used to have a 42″ screen size. However, today’s consumers are slowly upgrading to larger TVs, especially those with 46″ or 47″ screens. More such as- As these sets get more mainstream, so do the prices.
For most of 2012, we’ve found deals on 46″ and 47″ 1080p LCD HDTVs that fall short of their best Black Friday mentions from 2011 (see chart below). As a result, several times over the summer we’ve reminded our readers to look for deals on 47″ sets. Not surprisingly, we’re now predicting an aggressive Black Friday price point of $299. 42″ sets. With that bottomed out at $189, the 46″ and 47″ HDTVs are the new “entry level” TVs, giving retailers plenty of room to slash prices. We’re doubling that way and predict that this size category, like last year’s 42″, will see the most aggressive deals this November.
Is a sub-$500 55″ HDTV in our future?
Once unaffordable to the average consumer, the price of 55″ 1080p HDTVs has dropped over the past year. This Black Friday we anticipate they’ll drop to $499. That’s an amazing price, two years ago, we saw 55″ Saw the best deal for.” The HDTV was $798. As of 2012 to date, we’ve already seen 55″ LCD HDTVs go for as low as $580 (back in January), so $499 isn’t far off.
If you want a 55″ 1080p LCD HDTV with built-in 3D, you may have to pay a premium. Although 55″ 3D LCD HDTVs have made some progress in terms of affordability, they are still considered a gas-guzzling SUV. TV industry. Last Black Friday this range hit our estimated price of $999.