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)
TmoBin said 12:55PM on 3-02-2009
I would like to know exactly how the iPhone could be considered "technologically advanced." There's nothing "advanced" about it except maybe the software. ALL the hardware in that phone is 3-5 years old, so i would definitely rephrase.
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wako said 2:18PM on 3-02-2009
if you dont consider software advancement a technological advancement you are a fool
Pak-Kei said 1:52PM on 3-02-2009
A full touchscreen multi-touch finger-friendly phone is the first of its kind. Didn't Engadget or Gizmodo just write an article about how much the UIs in Japan sucks? I think the problem is not because iPhone is not "technologically advanced", it's just that the Japanese love for live video or television is inexplicable, and they completely lag behind in terms of Web 2.0 applications.
Honestly, who but Average Joes are convinced by those V-Cast live television? The US is already beyond the age of television.
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euphori said 12:20PM on 3-29-2009
maybe iphone is the best touchscreen device out there, but it's 5 years older in terms of technology..
is it technologically advance just because of the software?
mobile phones here in japan have high levels of sophistication
not just for watching tv but also for riding a bus, train, e wallet, etc.
its everything.
DarkLight said 5:28PM on 3-02-2009
First off, the iPhone's software is not advanced technology... It doesn't even have copy/paste. Graphic art doesn't count as technology.
Second, the iPhone actually sucks.... It looks prettier than other phones, and it does have one cool feature (the accelerometer), but those are superfluous features that do not actually do anything...
And on the other hand, it lacks A LOT of features that are actually helpful
Only sheeps like the iPhone. (Or the iPod, or Macs, or any product from Apple for that matter)
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ecco6t9 said 6:22PM on 3-02-2009
I've got to agree the only reason I want the iPhone is for the games that it has and nothing more.
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Dach said 6:55PM on 3-02-2009
The other BIG reason the iPhone is a failure in Japan? There's no place to hang a phone strap from it.
It might sound silly to Americans, but the Japanese LOVE to hang things from their phones. Sometimes LOTS of things. Often, I've seen the charms and mascots outweigh the phone itself. Clearly Apple underestimated the appeal of the strap. Bad Apple!
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nipponjayk said 9:33PM on 3-16-2009
Oh how rude! I'm no sheep!
The iphone doesn't have a few things most Jap phones do: the strap hole and the highly intricate menus combine with the no bluetooth, no infrared and no tv to make a comparatively deficient device. Despite the reputation, Japan isn't the technological civilisation par excellence: there isn't wi-fi in every shop and on every corner.
Most people here are using their mobiles to chat on email, and the keyboard on the iph isnt the easiest to use. Compared to phones in eu and oz, most j-mobiles are years ahead, and they have it by providing a maximum number of functions.
Personally, i dont need or want a million functions, strap hole or intricate menus, but a music player, msg device and bluetooth. The thing that really interests me about the iph are the apps! THAT is the functionality that is a lot more advanced than anything else.
The iphs approach with a simple menu is probably the worst mistake for this market closely followed by the lack of a strap hole. A little market research couldnt have hurt i guess.
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