Best UK Black Friday and Cyber Monday tech deals so far
Thanks to tech's modest life cycles, Black Friday deals tend to be dominated by everything electronic. Our trusted brands are forever developing the next best innovation, forever outdating older products as a consequence, and forever looking for ways to shift last gen stock to make room for new releases.
As a rule of thumb, it is smart to assume most 2018-revised electronics will have older models discounted, but there are also a number of ultramodern products that use the sales event to reach new customers.
Black Friday may still be a few days away, but some retailers have already started to release deals. Here are the best of the bunch so far, as well as our guide to what to look out for over the next few days.
Best Black Friday tech deals so far
Google Home Smart Speaker
Was £129, now £79 from John Lewis
If you want a smart-speaker, this is the one to buy. Last month The Telegraph rated this model as the best of the bunch, reasoning: 'The key to understanding what Google Home is all about is in its appearance. That big white block at the top is the processing brain; and the smaller turquoise slice at the bottom is the speaker. Google Home is a smart assistant first, a speaker second.'
As well as searching the web to answer your questions, the voice-activated device can connect with compatible smart home products (like your thermostat or TV) to control them, plays music on command and can set alarms, start timers and add items to your shopping list.
Fire TV Stick 4K and Echo Dot
Was £99.98, now £49.98 from Amazon
The third generation Echo Dot is usually £49.99, so this is a great deal. It is a hands-free, voice-controlled device which allows you to connect to personal assistant Alexa in order do a myriad of tasks: to play music, make calls, ask questions, check your calendar, weather, traffic and sports scores, manage to-do and shopping lists, control compatible smart home devices, and more.
In this bundle deal the Dot comes with the Fire TV streaming stick, which lets you plug in and play thousands of programmes from streaming channels, including its own Prime Video.
Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Tablet
Was £129.99, now £89.99 from Amazon
The Amazon Fire 8 tablet is aimed at kids, giving them access to thousands of apps, books, films, games and more - great for both education and fun. As a specially designed children's tablet, you can set stringent parental controls, such as bedtime curfews and controls on screen time and content.
Garmin vivosmart 4 Fitness Activity Tracker
Was £119.99, now £74.99 from John Lewis
This activity tracker monitors your heart rate as well as providing stress tracking and a relaxation breathing timer, while the wrist-based Pulse Ox4 sensor lets you check your blood oxygen saturation whenever you want. Safe for use in either the swimming pool or the shower, it lasts up to seven days without needing to be charge and can send notifications to your phone via the accompanying app.
Ring Video Doorbell Pro
Was £229, now £139 from Amazon
Want to monitor your front door from anywhere? This doorbell works with selected Alexa devices to allow you to do just that, as well as check in on your home at any time with the device's Live View on-demand video and audio.
It can launch real-time video with your voice; lets you see, hear and speak to visitors from your phone, tablet and PC; and sends alerts when motion is detected or when visitors press the doorbell. This offer knocks almost 40 per cent off the Doorbell so is worth snapping up.
Canon EOS M50 Mirrorless Camera Vlogger Kit
Was £749.99, Now £609.99 (with £140 Cashback from Canon)
There are few cameras on the market as powerful and portable as Canon's 4K EOS M50, making it a great sidekick to anyone interested in telling visual stories in rich colour and detail. The compact digital camera is packed with innovative technologies like cinematic 4K and 5-axis image stabilisation which helped secure the M50 as a kit favourite for Youtubers and budding filmmakers alike.
The set is completed by a Joby GorillaPod and Rode VideoMic GO Microphone, making the kits inclusion in Canon's 'CashBlack' promotion the best value for any budding vlogger.
Xbox One S 1TB with Minecraft Starter Pack
eBay have knocked a massive £70 off their Xbox One S Minecraft bundle, giving you the chance to be part of a worldwide phenomenon for less than ever before.
This offer features the Xbox One S console with 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray™, 4K video streaming, wireless controller and High Dynamic Range, plus a full-game download of Minecraft and its accompanying Starter pack. Even if the game isn't your cup of tea, the console itself is rarely this affordable and has over 1,300 other games (including 200 console exclusives) available for your enjoyment.
All the products mentioned in this article are selected and reviewed independently by our journalists. The Telegraph makes money by adding affiliate links to some of the products.
The tech products to watch this Black Friday
Some deals may already have been released - but we are expecting to see a lot more over the next few days (and continuing through to Cyber Monday on November 26). Here is our guide on what to look out for.
Desktop PCs, laptops and tablets
iPads, Macbooks, and iMacs are a Black Friday favourite and should be available from major retailers. While Apple tends to stick to gift card incentives over discounts, stockists like Amazon, Argos, Carphone Warehouse, Currys, eBay, Debenhams, John Lewis and Tesco usually include decent Apple offers.
Lenovo’s beloved ThinkPad family grew two computers larger this year and both feature a state-of-the-art HDR display which experts believe is far superior to 4K. There are so many stakeholders involved (Amazon’s Alexa, Microsoft’s Cortana, Intel’s newest eighth-generation processors), which make it a likely candidate for discounts.
Tech insiders have put the Huawei MateBook X Pro in the running for the best laptop in the world this year, but its £1k+ price tag has alienated some buyers. If they discount this product in 2018, they may repeat the Black Friday success of their Mate 10 Pro deals last year.
Offers on individual desktop PC deals are fairly inconsistent, but companies like HP and Dell almost always offer discounts exceeding 20 per cent off across all models.
Smartphones
Apple, Samsung, Sony, Huawei, HTC, Google, Nokia, LG, and Motorola smartphones are all likely to be discounted this year. Traditionally, older models will have bigger discounts, but newer models will be packaged with other incentives (like reduced monthly tariffs). Do your research beforehand to ensure you get the perfect deal.
To make way for the HTC U12+, the HTC U11 is already discounted (more than £150 off its RRP this month alone). The U12+ is, undeniably, the better all-rounder but the U11 boasts a similarly impressive camera, slick design and superior performance. At hundreds of pounds less, it could become a Black Friday dream deal.
The rumour mill has also been chock full of gossip about the Red Hydrogen One this year. The much-hyped and very ambitious smartphone is said to be equipped with a holographic-ready screen and a camera that is able to record in 2D, 3D and H4V, making it the first of its kind. A Black Friday deal should more than facilitate the indie company’s promotional needs. We remain hopeful.
Cameras
Nikon has told The Telegraph that it will host a 24 hour Black Friday offer on a Nikon D7200 kit (including a 18-140mm lens) on the Nikon Store website exclusively.
This year’s Black Friday GoPro of choice - likely to be the HERO 2018 - has been priced everywhere from £220 to £160 across the internet since May and appears to be on the way down.
Sony have used the Black Friday to build its reputation as a photography giant for years. This year should be no different, as last year’s deals - like the Sony ILCE5100LB.CEC Compact camera - have already been reduced.
TVs
There is typically a TV for everyone on Black Friday and smart TVs are likely to be the big ticket item this year. Curved screen sales are expected to be on offer, and supersized models like the Samsung UE75NU7100 75-Inch 4K Ultra HD are likely to sell en masse, having already had up to £1000 knocked off their hefty £2,499.99 price tag.
4K LEDs are a likely category for many retailers’ doorbusters. The LG 49SK8000PLB 49-Inch Super UHD 4K HDR Premium Smart LED TV is part of the category setting the trend, selling tonnes (with rave reviews) at almost half price already.
Read our guide to shopping for TVs on Black Friday.
Gaming
The Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch are all expected to make appearances in Black Friday deals.
Take a read of The Telegraph’s complete Black Friday gaming deals guide for more.
Headphones and earbuds
Though Apple AirPods have secured status as the most popular wireless earphones of the year, their restricted availability means they are unlikely to be discounted as a Black Friday deal. Thankfully many other products, like the rave-reviewed PaMu Scroll, have emerged to mimic the AirPods' unexpected success. Though the brand's crowdfunding process ends soon, the 'investment' price of £30 is likely to be reintroduced over the Black Friday sales period.
At the other end of the spectrum, the luxe Sennheiser Momentum Wireless over-ear headphones are a consumer favourite and noise cancel both in-ear and in-microphone. The Momentum also featured in recent flash deals for as much as £180 off.
New research suggests that the global earphones and headphones market is expected to soar over the next few years, and with such big profits at stake many brands could well throw their audio tech into the Black Friday ring for the first time.
VR and AR
The HTC Vive - currently considered the number one VR headset on the planet - is the deal to watch. Though Oculus Rift retails for slightly less, it does not have the roomscale, wireless, or tracking capabilities of Vive. Both sets will be likely be competitively priced throughout Black Friday, with HTC likely to throw in a free Viveport subscription.
Google and Alibaba-backed AR company Magic Leap secured billions in investment without a product to show for it. When Magic Leap One finally arrived in August, the augmented reality device hoped to be the gateway to mixed reality for the masses. Like the pricier Microsoft HoloLens, the company is marketing its device to developers, but regular consumers might get lucky this Black Friday.
Other Black Friday VR deals are expected to be spread across the most popular headsets (Oculus and Vive), consoles (PSVR), phones (Galaxy Gear and Google Daydream), and standalones (Oculus GO and Vive Focus).
Tech toys
It may only seem like yesterday since the Furby took over the nation's Christmas lists, but kid-friendly robots have advanced well past the domestic gremlin this side of the millennium. Robots like the Anki Cozmo develop their own character over time through human-like interaction, game play, and limitless educational coding possibilities. Argos is already selling Cozmo at 10 per cent off and the deal is likely to increase.
Wireless karaoke microphones are a firm favourite with young performers and many high-tech versions end up on offer over Black Friday (and let's face it, they're a winner for amusing Christmas entertainment). Look out for versions which include a bluetooth speaker, music player, and recording device as they have been seen for over £70 off in previous years.
Engineers of the future will love the KANO Computer Kit, which enables children aged 6+ to build their own computer through a simple storybook. There are over 100 apps available on their completed computer helping them to do everything from watching YouTube to coding art, music, and games. The company has confirmed their Kano Computer Kit will be reduced from £149.99 to £99.99 for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2018.
Amazon and Alexa products
Amazon has already been selling its flagship products at reduced rates for its Black Friday sales period, with the Echo Dot and Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Tablet on offer today.
In 2017 the Amazon Echo and its smaller cousin the Echo Dot were big hitters as the voice-automated smart home gadget took off into the mainstream - and this year is expected to be no different.
Some of Amazon's services linked to the devices include Amazon Music, Spotify, BBC News, Hive thermostats, Uber taxi orders and Domino's Pizza deliveries. Users can also make calls and send messages with the Echo. It can even read you stories from the Telegraph.
Read our guide to the best smart home devices of 2018 here.
Everything else
NVIDIA’s RTX 2080 is one of the most powerful graphics cards on the market. Only beaten by its newer Ti release, the card uses special technology to track how each beam of light would travel around a scene, creating the most impressive gaming visuals ever seen. Its hefty £749 price tag is likely to be discounted for Black Friday alongside the NVIDIA Shield TV for the perfect gamer package.
Drones of all classifications are expected to be discounted too. While drone enthusiasts should keep their eyes out for deals on the DJI Mavic Pro, offers on models like the popular DBPOWER UDI U818A are expected for entry-level drone hunters (its HD camera and headless mode make it a great starter option).
Soundbars, smartwatches and sat-navs are also a dime a dozen during the Black Friday sales. Set your spending limit in advance and look out for the highest tech specs.
Some of the biggest deals will be found on tech you may not instinctively search for. Mini projectors (like the XuanPad Mini Projector - recently discounted at £447 off) and electric toothbrushes are Amazon favourites.
