Black Friday is undoubtedly the biggest shopping event of the year, allowing customers to make the most of deep discounts ahead of the Christmas season. This year, the event arrives on 25 November – and while that’s still a couple of weeks away, sales are already in full swing in both the US and UK.
To get the most out of Black Friday discounts, you’ll need to be a savvy shopper – that means knowing what you want to buy and understanding whether a deal is really as good as the retailer claims. It also means staying aware of things like delivery charges, shipping times, additional hidden discounts and other strategies to get the best price. Fortunately, we’re here to help you out.
In this article, we’re taking a deep dive into everything you can expect this Black Friday. We’ll look at which devices to keep an eye on for major discounts, which retailers should have sales, ongoing early Black Friday deals and most importantly, top tips and predictions so you’re wholly prepared to maximize your Black Friday savings.
Black Friday 2022 sales tracker: Sales on now & expected soon
US stores:
Amazon – Black Friday deals live nowApple – Usually a 4-Day Black Friday event – expected to launch on Black Friday (25 November)Best Buy – Black Friday deals live nowTarget – Black Friday deals live nowWalmart – Black Friday deals live now
UK stores:
Amazon – Early Black Friday deals live nowApple – Usually a 4-Day Black Friday event – expected to launch on Black Friday (25 November)Currys – Black Friday deals live nowJohn Lewis – Black Friday deals live now
We’ll be adding more sales to this list as they’re announced, so stay tuned!
Best Early Black Friday deals right now
Here are our top highlights for the best early Black Friday offers, for both the US and UK:
Best US Black Friday deals
Apple AirPods Pro
1
From: Walmart
Was: $249
Now:
$169
($80 off)
Walmart has the lowest price on the AirPods Pro at the moment.
Fitbit Charge 5
2
From: Amazon US
Was: $179.95
Now:
$148.95
($31 off)
The Fitbit Charge 5 tracker now has more than $30 off on Amazon!
LG A2 OLED
3
From: Best Buy
Was: $1299.99
Now:
$569.99
($730 off)
This much money off an LG OLED TV is a rare thing and while it might not be the flagship C2 or G2, there’s still a lot to like.
This 48in model has an α7 Gen5 AI Processor 4K, 100% colour volume and webOS 22 for all your streaming needs.
Samsung UN60TU7000 60in 4K TV
4
From: Walmart
Was: $598
Now:
$448
($150 off)
This Samsung TV has $150 off from Walmart, and comes with 4K UHD resolution, auto game mode, a sleek design and all the entertainment apps you need.
Fitbit Luxe
5
From: Amazon US
Was: $149.95
Now:
$79.95
($70 off)
Amazon has $70 off the compact Fitbit Luxe right now, making it almost half price.
Apple iPad Pro (12.9in, 2021)
6
From: Amazon
Was: $1,099
Now:
$899.99
($199.01 off)
There is now a 2022 iPad Pro, but aside from improving the already-excellent performance, not much has changed. What’s more, you can almost $200 on the slightly older model at Amazon.
Moto G Power 2021 (3GB/64GB)
7
From: Walmart
Was: $250
Now:
$165
($85 off)
Grab this unlocked Moto for use on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon for under $200.
Apple MacBook Air (M2)
8
From: Amazon
Was: $1,199
Now:
$1,099
($100 off)
The latest M2 MacBook Air fluctuates in price quite a lot, but it’s still worth taking advantage of this $100 discount while you can. There’s also $150 off if you double the storage to 512GB.
Fitbit Inspire 2
9
From: Amazon US
Was: $99.95
Now:
$70
($30 off)
Amazon always has great offers on Fitbits, and currently, it has $30 off the Inspire 2. The fitness tracker comes in a choice of three colours, is swim-proof and, right now, boasts a free year’s access to Fitbit Premium.
Dell Inspiron 27 AiO
10
From: Dell
Was: $1,199.99
Now:
$899.99
(25% off)
Dell provides a pleasant design and good feature set from its Inspiron AiO line. That means that this deal for the Inspiron 27 AiO is a great value.
It comes with a Core i7-1255U, Intel UHD integrated graphics, 8GB RAM, a 256GB PCIe SSD, and a 1TB 5400rpm HDD. It also has a 27-inch 1080p touch display, speakers, and a webcam. It’s everything you need for a solid home or family computer.
Best UK Black Friday deals
Six months of Apple TV+ for free
1
From: Currys
Now:
Free with select purchases
Right now, select products in the Currys Black Friday sale come with six months of Apple TV+ for free, which includes shows such as Severance and Ted Lasso. This deal is even available on a pack of 2 LED lightbulbs, which only cost £1.47.
Samsung Galaxy S22 (128GB)
2
From: Amazon
Was: £769
Now:
£589
(£180 off)
Poco F4 GT 5G (256GB)
3
From: Amazon
Was: £699
Now:
£493
(£206 off)
Save almost a third of the price on this excellent mid-range phone from Poco, packed with enough power for gaming on the go.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 (13.5in)
4
From: Microsoft
Was: £999
Now:
£829
(£170 off)
The Surface Laptop 5 is here, but that doesn’t mean you should disregard this older model. At just £829, it’s great value for money.
Trend Micro Internet Security – 1 Year, 3 Devices
5
From: Trend Micro
Was: $79.95 / £49.95
Now:
$29.95 / £19.95
(62% / 60% off)
Trend Micro’s online protection for up to three devices is 60% off the first year for those in the UK and there’s a slightly higher 62% discount if you’re in the US (get the deal here).
In AV-Test’s latest report, Trend Micro earns maximum points for protection, usability and performance, making this not just an affordable deal, but top-notch protection as well.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 (8+128GB) – Refurbished
6
From: GiffGaff
Was: £949
Now:
£499
(£450 off)
GiffGaff has £450 off a refurbished Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 phone. The handset is unlocked and comes with a 12 month warranty.See the best Z Flip 3 deals around in our dedicated round up.
Voxi SIM-Only with 25GB data
7
From: Voxi
Now:
£12 per month
(with uncapped social media & video)
Grab 25GB of data for the price of 20GB along with Endless Social Media and Video (TikTok, YouTube, Prime Video and Netflix).
Norton 360 Deluxe (1 year)
8
From: Norton
Was: £84.99
Now:
£29.99
(£55 off)
Device Security for up to 5 PCs, Mac, smartphones or tablets.1st Year intro offer, see subscription details.
Fitbit Versa 3
9
From: Amazon
Was: £199.99
Now:
£120
(£80 off)
Save £80 on the Fitbit Versa 3 from Amazon. Check colours for different prices.
Netgear Orbi Mesh WiFi System
10
From: Amazon
Was: £329
Now:
£174
(£155 off)
Pump up your home Wi-Fi with a massive £155 off this quality 3-pack Mesh WiFi system
Tech brands to watch for Black Friday 2022
You don’t have to be a fortune teller to predict which devices are likely to see Black Friday discounts – all you really need is a strong aware of release cycles, price histories and past trends. Thankfully, that’s our job here at Tech Advisor, so we can save you the trouble.
These are the devices we expect to see on sale within the next couple of weeks if not sooner:
2021 Apple devices (or older)
2022 was a busy year for Apple as the company managed to effectively refresh its entire product line. This means 2021’s devices are all fair game for major discounts:
Don’t forget that Apple also holds a 4-day Black Friday event every year. While it doesn’t slash prices on its products, it does bundle a gift card with select devices. Last year it bundled gift cards worth up to $200/£160.
With Apple’s push towards the AirPods line, you’re also likely to see big discounts on Beats headphones.
Microsoft Surface devices
Microsoft recently launched updates to a whole bunch of its Surface devices as well, so Black Friday season will be a great time to pick up discounts on the previous generation devices. We’re tracking all the
best Surface deals of the month right here but these are the products to watch:
Samsung Black Friday deals: Galaxy S22 range
Black Friday deals on Samsung’s Galaxy S22 range are certain given the phones are nearly a year old. And if Samsung stays true to the predicted release cycle, the Galaxy S23 range should release at a similar time next year, if not sooner. That means Samsung will want to get rid of old stock.
Also see the best deals on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 – which have now been replaced by later models, so are almost certain to see heavy discounts this year.
Black Friday Xiaomi deals
Xiaomi is no stranger to deals and often has sales running through the year in the UK – though sadly its phones still aren’t sold in the US.
We’re almost certain to see discounts on the Xiaomi 12 flagships, but your best bet is to head directly to the Mi Store, because the best savings are usually found across its expansive range of more affordable phones, especially those in the Poco and Redmi lines.
Other tech deals to look for
We expect VPNs, Fitbits and Amazon Echo devices to all have Black Friday discounts as well. We’ll be tracking the best offers in our dedicated round ups:
Predictions for Black Friday this year
1. More shopping in-stores
It’s the moment retailers have been anticipating for nearly two years: in-store shopping.
Now that more people are vaccinated, and shops are widely open again, you can be sure retailers will welcome shoppers back with song and dance (read: very competitive discounts).
While shopping online has ballooned since the pandemic, we’re certain that retailers will want to make the most of their customers’ in-store presence with exclusive discounts, live products demonstrations, and buying advice.
2. Rise of click and collect
We expect click-and-collect to take off – in fact, research from
Business Insider shows this form of purchasing more than doubled in 2020 and will only continue to grow until 2024.
With the increasing strain on delivery drivers, retailers might incentivize buying or reserving online and collecting in-store. This might include incentives like discounts or bundles.
The benefits of C&C is that you can jump the queue, have a look and feel of the item before you pay for it (if you pay on collection), and save on delivery costs.
3. Free next-day delivery
In the same vein, retailers may entice shoppers with free next-day delivery to limit people from crowding stores.
It’s also one way retailers online can compete with Amazon, which often becomes the go-to for shoppers with a Prime membership. Prime allows unlimited next day delivery on eligible items for free. Sign up for a free 30-day trial or check out our full guide to Amazon Prime ahead of Black Friday.
4. Live shopping deals (especially on social media)
Last year UK retailer Currys introduced its live-shopping service called LiveShop. At its launch, which coincided with Amazon’s Prime Day, LiveShop allowed customers to tune into a livestreamed demo of Google Nest and Pixel devices, while gaining an exclusive discount on the devices.
It was another way in which Currys competed with Amazon, which in the US similarly served customers exclusive discounts via
Amazon Live – Amazon’s influencer-hosted live shopping service.
Liveshopping e-commerce isn’t new. In fact, it’s a massive multi-billion dollar e-commerce business in Asia, but it’s only just picking up in the US and UK.
Last year we saw OnePlus launch exclusive discounts through its its Instagram and social feeds, and it wouldn’t surprise us if the brand did something similar over Black Friday. We’d recommend following all your favourite brands on social media (if only over Black Friday season) so you can pick up any exclusive discounts announced on social.
5. More ways to pay: Buy Now Pay Later
2020 and 2021 also saw the rise of Buy Now Pay Later services such as Klarna, ClearPay, AfterPay and PayPal Credit – even Apple’s gotten in on it now. These services allow you to split payments into 3-4 chunks or delay payments without interest (or late fees in some cases).
There are risks associated if you’re unable to pay back, of course, and
reports show that it can lead to debt (see our
full guide to Klarna), but given the popularity of such services, you’re likely to see more of them at checkout over Black Friday, or retailers offering their own financing options.
We’d advise you to use these services only if you’re certain you’ll be able to keep up with the monthly payments.
6. Slower delivery times
While we mentioned that free next day delivery is likely to be on the cards for many retailers wanting to attract customers, it’s also likely that delivery bottlenecks may make this option unviable.
The global supply chain crisis that’s leaving warehouses short-staffed and under-resourced means your orders may take longer to arrive.
It’s worth thinking about such potential setbacks. Just because you’ve beaten the crowd and bought that last 43in OLED 4K TV, it doesn’t mean you’ll get it in time for Christmas or the holidays (which is another reason to buy early if you see a good deal ahead of Black Friday).
7. Expect more refurbished offers and Black Friday trade-in deals
The refurbished market has skyrocketed since the pandemic, and for good reason. Refurbished devices (if you buy smart –
here’s how) are repaired to work just like new, are cheaper, and save the planet from electronic waste.
With new phones and laptops releasing every month, you’re almost guaranteed to find refurbished models of the latest devices – but at lower prices. Keep track of the best refurbished phone deals here.
In the same vein, we’re starting to see lots more retailers do trade-in offers too – from Currys and John Lewis to KRCS (for Apple products), you can expect additional discounts when submit your old device. MusicMagpie is a refurbished retailer that always has competitive prices on refurbished goods.
Keep an eye out for extra savings with trade-in this Black Friday!
8. Lottery deals
This Black Friday, we expect retailers to drum up excitement by giving away discounts by lottery systems, which proved popular last year.
9. More exclusive deals online and better offers
Expect to see more “online exclusive” Black Friday prices, codes, and vouchers.
Retailers wanting to compete with Amazon online are likely to offer big discounts online, some of which you may not see in-store. These are typically earmarked as “online only”.
Some of those voucher codes may only be available via newsletters – which is why we’d highly encourage you to sign up to retailer and brand newsletters right now. Not only does it improve your chance of getting exclusive discount codes, you’ll also know about Black Friday deals as soon as they launch. Similarly, many retailers also have Black Friday sign up pages so you can hear about deals before anyone else. You can sign up to a few below:
10. Slower online experience
With more offers online, you can expect incredibly high volumes of traffic on your favourite retailers’ sites. Brace yourself for being pushed into virtual waiting rooms like Queue-it – especially if you’re after consoles like the PS5 (here’s where to look for stock).
This means you will just need to be more targeted with your shopping. Shop by the product instead of the retailer, so you have other options if the site you’re looking at has any difficulties. Better yet, add those items to your cart now so when Black Friday approaches, you simply have to head to checkout when the price goes down.
Most retailers offer the same prices across the board once sales go into full swing – and if there is a price difference it probably won’t be more than a few pennies.
We’ll be keeping an eye on the best Black Friday 2022 tech deals and also offering detailed coverage of the best Black Friday offers.
And if you’re an Apple fan, see the best Black Friday Apple deals on our sister site Macworld UK
