Tech
Best tech Black Friday deals 2024: Early offers and what to expect
Frantic shoppers fighting over TVs in stores during the Black Friday sales permanently baked into your head? You’ll know that tech is hot property on Black Friday, and with November in full swing, thousands of deals on headphones, fitness trackers, smartphones and more are about to start dropping.
Major tech retailers, including Very, Argos, Currys and John Lewis have already kicked off their early Black Friday sales, and Amazon has announced that it will start cutting prices on 21 November. The annual discounts bonanza marks the best time to save on the gadgets you’ve had your eye on throughout the year.
Read more: Black Friday 2024 shopping guide
Whether it’s tech from Apple, high-spec laptops or even gaming deals and VR headsets from Sony, Xbox Meta or Nintendo, you should be able to find it all with a price cut during the November shopping event. Below, I’ve outlined all the best tech deals to expect this Black Friday, plus the best deals you can shop now.
When will tech Black Friday deals start in 2024?
Black Friday takes place on the Friday after Thanksgiving in the US, meaning the sale will kick off on Friday 29 November this year and end on Cyber Monday (2 December). While those are the official dates for Black Friday, the tech deals often start to drop well in advance. Last year, I began seeing the early Black Friday sales kick off on the first day of November, and I’ve already seen the same this year, with everyone from Currys to AO already starting the celebrations.
What to expect from tech Black Friday deals in 2024
If you’re hunting down new gadgets to upgrade your life, you’ll want to wait until Black Friday for the cheapest prices. I’m expecting games consoles to gain big discounts in the sale this year – the PS5 Slim, Nintendo Switch OLED and Xbox series X have all started receiving discounts, especially with the imminent launch of the PS5 Pro and rumours regarding the Nintendo Switch 2, as well as new Xbox consoles already available to pre-order. I reckon the discounts will continue into Black Friday, so, you may want to wait if you’re hoping to buy a new machine.
Headphones and earbuds also see hefty discounts on Black Friday, making it an ideal time to pick up some AirPods or Sony headphones and earbuds.
There should be plenty of choice when it comes to smartphone deals this Black Friday, too. Every year, mobile phone carriers and retailers battle to offer the best discounts, giving customers loads of choice when it comes to choosing mobile phone contract deals or SIM-free phones from the likes of Amazon and Currys. Expect iPhones and top Android handsets from Google, Samsung and OnePlus to go on sale.
Fitness trackers are another big highlight on Black Friday – I’m expecting to see big discounts on Fitbit trackers, the best smartwatches from Garmin and more, plus smart speakers and Bluetooth speakers from Amazon and Sonos should see some sizeable price cuts.
Read more: Black Friday 2024 live updates
Best early tech Black Friday 2024 deals
Best games console deals
Save a huge 24 per cent on the Meta Quest 3 VR headset in this deal that has just dropped after the release of the Meta Quest 3S. “The Meta Quest 3 is an astounding virtual-reality headset, and is arguably the best consumer VR device currently out there,” I said in my review. “With full-colour passthrough, a faster processor, a more comfortable and ergonomic fit, as well as better hand tracking and, of course, those sweet, sweet pancake lenses that make everything so much more stable, this is the VR headset to beat.”
Nintendo Switch OLED with ‘Super Mario Bros. Wonder’ and a 12-month Switch Online membership: Was £309, now £269.99, Johnlewis.com
Nintendo has just released a Nintendo Switch OLED bundle deal, which includes a free copy of Super Mario Bros. Wonder and a 12-month Nintendo Switch Online membership. If you buy the bundle from John Lewis, you’ll get an additional £40 sliced off the console’s asking price, plus the game and membership thrown in for free. Its colourful display, better build quality and bigger storage makes buying the Nintendo Switch OLED a no-brainer,” I said in my review of the console. “New to Nintendo? Buy the Switch OLED and never look back.”
Despite only launching a week ago, John Lewis and the EE Store have already slashed the price of the PS5 Pro by £40 in their early Black Friday sales, taking it down to just £660. Boasting 8K graphics, more internal memory, improved ray tracing and upscaling through Sony’s PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) technology, it’s a powerhouse of a games console, blowing the Xbox Series X out of the water. It also comes with 2TB of internal storage, so you can store even more games.
Best smartphone and tablet deals
You can save £20 on the all-new iPhone 16 by buying the phone from Giffgaff. Just add a £10 mobile phone contract, then cancel it or switch it as soon as you’ve got the phone – you’ll end up paying £20 less for the phone itself. Sneaky.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Was £1,469, now £779, Amazon.co.uk
An astonishing deal on the most powerful phone Samsung makes, this discount brings the price of the Galaxy S24 Ultra down to just £779. A huge phone with a capacious display that’s ideal for getting work done, the Ultra includes an S-Pen stylus that slides out of a compartment in the frame. You can stay productive with quick note-taking and sketching, while Galaxy AI features can transcribe meetings into neatly formatted minutes, or add fun extras to your photos.
Discounted by an enormous £500, Google’s flagship Pixel 8 Pro is one of the best smartphones we’ve ever tested. “This year’s Pixel phones go hard on fancy generative AI features, but underpinning all of Google’s software cleverness is an excellent device boasting a significant hardware upgrade over last year’s model,” our writer said in their review. “With a telephoto lens and extra RAM, as well as a Tensor G3 processor, AI-fuelled photo editing features and a glorious 120Hz display, it’s the Android device to beat.”
Apple iPad, 9th generation, 2021: Was £369, now £279, Very.co.uk
The cheapest iPad around is the 10.2in model, which launched in 2021 and is still sold by Apple. The ninth-generation iPad is still a fast and powerful tablet with a great screen and full-sounding stereo speakers. It works with the Apple pencil and the smart keyboard, too, unlocking extra functionality for anyone who wants to stay productive while on the move. With a £90 discount, this is a pretty good saving on the entry-level iPad.
Best smartwatch deals
Apple Watch Series 9, GPS, 45mm: Was £394, now £349, Amazon.co.uk
Released last September, the Apple Watch Series 9 might not be the latest smartwatch in Apple’s repertoire, but it’s still a very good smartwatch. Featuring an always-on display and the brightest screen on any Apple Watch ever, it’s the new S9 processor that makes the Apple Watch stand out. With a £50 saving, this is well worth picking up if you’re in the market for a new smartwatch.
Garmin Forerunner 255 smartwatch: Was £329.99, now £225.14, Amazon.co.uk
Although simpler than the Garmin Forerunner 955 and with fewer features, the 255 still includes a wide range of health and fitness tracking functions, including a race widget to help you prepare for your next event. There’s also a whole catalogue of daily workout suggestions, a widget for estimating your recovery time after each exercise session, and detailed running metrics, including cadence, stride length, ground contact time and balance.
Best smart home deals
Two Echo Dots and a Sengled Alexa smart plug bundle: Was £124.97, now £48.98, Amazon.co.uk
Save a huge 60 per cent on this Amazon bundle, which comes with two Echo Dots and a Sengled Alexa-compatible smart plug to help you control any plugged-in device with the power of your voice (and your phone). “Cheap and cheerful, the Amazon Echo Dot speaker Alexifies every room in your home on a budget, while still delivering decent sound and good smarts,” I said in my review of the smart speaker. With this deal, you essentially pay for one Echo Dot, and get a second thrown in for free, as well as a free smart
Best headphones and speakers deals
You can save almost 25 per cent on this top-rated soundbar from Sonos. When I put the device to the test, I said: “The Ray boosted the clarity of people’s speech in films with poor sound mixing, making it easier to understand conversations.” I added that, while “bass wasn’t as heart-thumping as I had liked, the Ray handled music really well.” Overall, this is a nice starter Sonos soundbar if you want to get into Sonos’s burgeoning ecosystem.
Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones: Was £379, now £269, Amazon.co.uk
Sony’s flagship over-ear wireless headphones comfortably hold the top spot in my review of the best wireless headphones. They’re currently discounted by over £100. With next-generation features and impressive noise cancellation, I can attest to their quality. “Whether it’s orchestral music, rap, podcasts or your favourite pop tracks, the WH-1000XM5 handle it all with poise and gumption,” I wrote in my review. “They never miss a beat”.
Sony XG300 X-series portable wireless speaker: Was £259, now £149, Amazon.co.uk
You can currently save more than 40 per cent on this IndyBest-approved Bluetooth Sony speaker. “Our pick of the bunch, Sony’s XG300 X-series portable wireless speaker is perfectly portable, thanks to its ergonomic design. However, it’s the abundance of tech, sound distribution and brilliant functionality that bagged this speaker the top spot,” our writer said in their review.
Best camera deals
GoPro Hero 13 Black action camera: Was £399, now £339, Amazon.co.uk
Released in September, GoPro’s all-new flagship Hero 13 Black action camera has just received a £60 price cut at Amazon. The latest camera is compatible with three new HB-Series lenses with auto-detect, adds compatibility for magnetic latch mounting and charging. Plus, it boasts a redesigned battery that the company says has a 10 percent higher capacity than its predecessor.
Voucher codes
For the latest offers on tech and more, try the links below:
Prepare to save, with our cheat sheet to the Black Friday 2024 sale