Black Friday 2018: The Best Tech Sales at Walmart and Best Buy
Don't sleep on these.
by Danny PaezAmazon might be your first stop when you’re on the hunt for Black Friday and Cyber Monday tech deals, but they also tend to carve out the best deals for their own hardware. That why you may not want to sleep on the gadget deals that Best Buy and Walmart are offering this holiday season.
Everything from the Apple HomePod, Nintendo Switch, and Google Home Mini are either being marked down or being bundled with other items. If you’ve been dying to test out this year’s best tech, wait no longer. The fall’s best discounts are almost here.
10. Best Buy: Nintendo Switch Mario Kart Deluxe Bundle - $299.99
The Nintendo Switch is the greatest things the Japanese gaming company has put out since the Wii in 2006. It was the hottest selling item online during last Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, according to Adobe Digital Insights and this year it comes with a free game.
Super Mario Kart Deluxe would normally run you $60, but Best Buy will toss a copy in gratis if you purchase a Switch on Black Friday. It’s the perfect game console to bring to a Friendsgiving potluck.
9. Best Buy: Anki Vector Robot - $199.99
It's like Wall E for your desk.
The Anki Vector is like if Clippy jumped out of Windows 98 and bended into a miniature forklift. It’s adorable, can be helpful with reminders, and could be what kicks off a trend of robotic office assistants.
So if you’ve always wanted a cute robotic assistant, your sci-fi dreams have finally come true.
8. Walmart: RCA Voyager 7-inch 16GB Tablet - $28
Kindles are perfect for commuting book-worms, but spending close to $100 for a device just for reading could be a dealbreaker for certain consumers. The RCA Voyager can do everything a Kindle can for $28.
Don’t expect this tablet to pack the same punch as an iPad, this is more of a ‘leisurely read at the park’ sort of device.
7. Walmart: HP Pavilion 15.6-inch with 1TB of Storage - $599
Get gaming without obliterating your bank account.
Trying to get into PC-gaming without spending a month’s rent on a rig? The 15.6-inch HP Pavilion has got you covered for $600.
Its Intel Core i5 processor, 1TB of storage capacity, and NVIDIA GeForce GX1050 will give it the power it needs to support many of today’s most popular titles. An Amazon customer said it was able to run Fortnite, Rainbow Six Siege, and Paladins at or close to 60 frames per second.
6. Walmart: Fitbit Versa - $149
If you’ve been toying with the idea of picking up a smartwatch, this might be your entry level option. For under $150, the Fitbit Versa will track all the usual fitness metrics like heart rate, steps walked, and provide other intel about your workouts. It’s also stepped up its sleep analysis and women’s health-tracking features.
This wearable isn’t trying to be a flash extension of your smartphone. It’ll breakdown the information you need to help you exercise, sleep, and live better.
5. Best Buy: Apple HomePod - $249.99
The perfect speaker for Apple ecosystem die-hards is now $100 off.
The HomePod is kind of a flex. You need to be really into Siri and have an Apple Music subscription to make the most out of it. But if you’re committed to the Apple ecosystem then there won’t be a better smart speaker for you out there.
Its sound quality has been applauded by CNET, TechRadar, and Wirecutter. So if you consider yourself an audiophile or throw a fair share of parties, this could be the move for $100 off.
4. Best Buy: Jabra Elite 65t True Wireless Earbuds - $119.99
The Jabra Elite Active 65t Earbuds have less of a tendency to wiggle out of your ears compared to the AirPods
Not an AirPods fan? Not an issue, there are countless earbuds one sale that rival Apple’s pair, like the Jabra Elite 65t buds.
These won’t slip out of your ears like AirPods have been known to. A plethora of Amazon reviews praise their “great fit” making them ideal for working out or any outdoor activities.
3. Walmart: Google Home Mini - $25
The Home Mini is Google's response to the Amazon Echo Dot.
Google’s voice assistant is second to none. With its Duplex update set to begin to roll out in 2019 anyone into smart home A.I. will want to try out a Google Home device.
The compact Home Mini will be available for half of its original asking price. Use it to read the news in the morning, blast some tunes in the shower, or listen to a podcast when you’re cooking.
2. Walmart: iPhone 6S Plus on Straight Talk - $299
Throw it back to 2015.
Home button: check. Headphone jack: check. Notch-less display: check. For everyone that has taken issue with Apple’s design choices over the past few years look no further than the iPhone 6S.
Its 4.7-inch LCD screen still holds up with many of today’s smaller phones, it’s a fraction of the cost of any iPhone on the market, and requires no dongles whatsoever. If you still think that 2015 was a golden year for iPhones, this may be your best bet for holiday smartphone shopping.
1. Best Buy: Insignia 32-inch 720p Smart TV - $129.99
While Apple has officially priced one of their smartphones at more than $1,000, this television costs little more than tenth of that. You wouldn’t want to make this your home’s main TV. This is more of a kitchen screen to watch reality shows on as you wait for your dinner to finish in the oven.
It’s small compared for today’s standards and only supports 720p videos. But it comes with Netflix, HBO, Prime Video, Hulu and tons built-in streaming services for under $150. In a time when robot dogs are on sale for almost $3,000 this is a breath of fresh air.
