Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.
Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.
Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.
Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.
HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.
HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.
HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.
GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.
Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.
Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.
Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jay said 12:07AM on 4-13-2007
Silly question?? You SHMUCK!! That's a legitimate question. You'll take the poor child's opinion and his money, and care less how they attain the means
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Ron said 1:44PM on 5-04-2007
I understand what you meant by asking a silly question to teenagers. Parents are the ones who will buy this phone for some child. I just can't believe children are given toys, gadgets that cost more than 5 years worth of Christmas/birthday gifts I received growing up. That said, it is a lot of money for a phone/ipod/text/email thingamajig.
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rob said 11:57PM on 5-04-2007
what's the gb on it?
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Meg said 8:54PM on 5-14-2007
Personally, im paying for my own iphone, not my parents and im assuming thats the case with most teenagers. I dont think that kids are as spoiled as most adults assume them to be. They just get better paying jobs than you had when you were 16, and they save up for what they want. So i see nothing wrong with teens getting these "toys". And dont generalize, its wrong.
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K-Dog Killa said 4:08PM on 5-31-2007
This is funny how people think that $500.00 dollars is expensive for a phone. The Razoe when it first came out was 500 bucks and most "smartphones" cost at least 500 dollars when they are NOT subsidized. This phone is in a great price range for the category it will compete in. And for those of you who have been saving up 500 dollars don't worry when it is released you will not pay the full 499 or 599. It is obvious that cigular will offer it at a discount. The downfall of the iPhone will be Cingular not Apple.
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pflinn said 12:05PM on 6-04-2007
iphone is worth it. You are getting an ipod music/video player plus a smartphone. If you bought these separately they would be at least $500. There is nothing out there like it.
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Freddy said 3:20PM on 7-10-2007
I agree with pflinn. If you don't already own a digital camera ($150-250) - cell phone ($50-$300) -ipod ($100-300) then the iphone is worth having. Otherwise it's still a cool all in one device if you've got the EXTRA cash to buy one.
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Michael said 5:10PM on 8-15-2007
HEY!!! Im 14 and im saving up, my parents arent going to pay for mine! Were not as spoiled as you think!!! and im doing a good job, i have saved $400 as of today, 200 to go (i want the 8gb iPhone =] i personally cant wait, with all the applications+the web+THE WEB APLICATIONS (the programs made for the iphone that peopel put on the web) it is WELL over it i cant waitt~!
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