As a student, having your device break down in the middle of the semester or work session is one frustrating thing that could happen to you. It can push you to want to buy a new laptop desperately.
However, if you’re on a budget, you should immediately take your time buying a new laptop. Wait for the best time of the year to buy a new laptop. Read this article to learn what time of the year is best to buy a new laptop.
Now look at this scenario: a student bought a new Dell laptop in December, then right after he purchased it, Dell released a unique model of laptops in January, and the one the student bought initially slashed by 40%.
At this point, the student wished he had waited till January to buy the laptop. As a student on a budget, he could have spent his money better.
The truth is that as newer model of laptops comes out, the price of existing laptops drops. However, waiting for the best time to buy a laptop depends on your current circumstances.
This and more is what we will discuss in this article. You will learn all you need to know about buying a new laptop, what to consider before buying, and how to get the best price. The table of content below will help you easily navigate this article’s pages.
Table of contents
- When is the Best Time to Buy a Laptop? Everything You Need to Know
- What to Consider Before Buying a Laptop
- How to Get the Best Price on a Laptop
- FAQs Best Time to Buy a Laptop in 2024
- Conclusion
- References
- We Also Recommend
When is the Best Time to Buy a Laptop? Everything You Need to Know
It is easy for one to buy the newest and most significant when it comes out, but you will pay a premium. Practice a little patience (and keep in mind that a year-old laptop is still a very good laptop), and it could save you some money.
Here are some of the best times of the year to buy a new laptop in 2024:
See Also: Lenovo Student Discount: Why Get Lenovo Student Discount in 2024
#1. When New Laptop Models Arrive
The last thing you want to do is pay a high price for the latest and greatest laptop, only to see that a few weeks later, the same laptop costs a few hundred dollars cheaper and is no longer the last or the best. You can appreciate the endless exaggerated cycle of product launch events.
You are probably wondering when the best time to buy a computer is, then?
If you like Apple products and want to buy a MacBook, you will generally see pop-up deals around your special product event, which is still in September. This year, MacBook discounts took a bit longer, as the 16-inch Pro shipped in November, but it’s a good rule of thumb that for Apple products, September means savings.
On the other hand, if you expect to shave off a few dollar signs from this Microsoft Surface Pro, you’ll be in luck at the company’s massive October event. This year, the latest model was announced on October 2, and offers started a few days in advance. Similarly, the Google Pixel 3a went on sale for $100 cheaper just after the announcement of the new Pixel 4 in mid-October.
If you’re not sure when the manufacturer of your favorite electronics is hosting their live product launch events, at least be sure to check them out before you buy a laptop because if it’s only in a month or a few weeks, you will start to see discounts soon.
#2. Black Friday/Cyber Monday (Late November)
Gone are the days of waiting in the cold for hundreds of people to get this deal on laptops at Walmart at 3 a.m., but Black Friday is still alive, primarily online. But then again, the same goes for Cyber Monday, which is just three days later. So what is the difference? When will you get more for your hard-earned money?
Cyber Monday has only been around since 2005, but it appears to have been around for centuries. It wasn’t long before the new shopping vacations became popular as more and more people started buying their first laptops. Naturally, though, Black Friday is anchored in the capitalist Christmas shopping repertoire of the United States and continues to shift business from red to black.
Okay, but what day is the best for bargains?
Well, the two days are just different animals. If you’re looking for something in a department store, like a big 4K HDR TV, it’s hard to beat Black Friday. But for the laptop purchase, you’d better wait until Monday, according to Honey, a browser extension for coupons and discounts.
Research by this company has shown that last year’s cyber Monday savings per user per purchase have reached around 21%, while Black Friday shoppers have seen an average savings of 18.5% on the tip.
#3. Back-to-School (June to September)
It is optional to be a student to take advantage of the savings made during the beginning of the school year. According to Consumer Reports, July and August compete with November and December for the best time to buy a laptop.
“It is the best time of the year to buy laptops in 2024, and it is exactly when you think it is, between the last week of July and the first three weeks of August, when the back-to-school frenzy is underway booming, “analyst Stephen Baker, who studies laptop prices and sales for NPD Group, a market intelligence company, told Laptop Magazine. It’s for Mac and PC.
Traditionally, these savings are driven by back-to-school purchases, but Amazon Prime Day thanks you more and more for launching these offers. This year Prime Day fell on July 15, just in time for the start of the school year.
Now You Know the Best Time to Buy a Laptop, You Should Check Out These 10 Tech Gadgets For College Students In 2024 | Very Needful
What to Consider Before Buying a Laptop
Before going to the mall to buy a new laptop, it is important to do a lot of research. You will also need to decide what to look for. What type of laptop do you want? Do you care about the screen size or resolution?
Are you worried about battery life or laptop portability? Once you have chosen a particular laptop to buy, you can search for promotions and clearance events.
If price is an essential factor, you may need to compare different stores to ensure you get the best deal. Using an overtime price tracking tool (like camelcamel.com) might be helpful. If you go for the cheapest laptop you can find, know what you’re getting into. In a few years, it may need to be replaced.
One last thing: it is better to test the laptop before buying it. For example, when you want to get an Apple laptop, do well to test it before going home. You won’t be happy if you go home and find that the computer you just bought doesn’t have enough USB ports or that the keyboard is too small.
Many large retailers like Apple, Microsoft Store, and Best Buy allow you to test various functions of different laptop models before making a purchase. However, if stopping at your local store is not possible, consider buying a laptop from an online store with a robust return policy.
Just in Case Laptop is Not What You Can Afford, Then Check Out These 20 Best Tablets for College Students on a Budget | 2024
How to Get the Best Price on a Laptop
Whenever you find a laptop sale in December, August, or April, it can be not easy to know if you are really getting a reasonable price or just a slight discount on the MSRP unless you know what the price is. The product is typically sold.
There are two ways to say this:
#1. Use a Price-History Tool:
Some sites track price changes over time, so you can see if today’s price is really the lowest you’ve ever had at a particular retailer. Camelcamelcamel.com (and its Chrome extension) will display a price history chart for most products on Amazon, while the Hover Hound Chrome extension does the same for Newegg.
However, we have yet to find any services that track the price history of other key services, like Dell.com, Lenovo.com, or the Microsoft Store, all of which offer great prices. We have yet to find a tracker that displays the price of the same product at various retailers. Therefore, Amazon’s lowest price can always be higher than someone else’s.
#2. Visit Deal News Sites:
Most deal news sites monitor prices and draw attention to the best deals in their posts. We keep an up-to-date list of deals on Laptopmag.com, and you can also check sites like techbargains.com.
#3. Sieve Information from User Reviews
User reviews can come in handy when making a large purchase. However, there are many unwanted reviews. Amazon shoppers can use the Fakespot website to remove false and honest reviews. The site uses an algorithm to identify questionable reviews and evaluate user reviews of each product based on their findings.
There are exceptions, but as a general rule, the best times to buy a computer are Black Friday, Cyber Monday, three-day weekends (think: Presidents Day weekend), Amazon Prime Day, and back-to-school season. Black Friday, in particular, is a beneficial time to save. This year, Black Friday falls in Nov.
It’s no surprise that most deals showed up during November around Black Friday, which means if you’re shopping for the holidays, you may thank yourself for waiting. Companies like Best Buy, Dell, and Lenovo also offer deals throughout the remainder of the year.
In 2024, the best time to buy or pick up a laptop is around November. This is the time were a lot of companies host their Black Friday.
The major PC manufacturers release new laptops at three times of the year: back-to-school season (June to September), the holiday season (September to December), and spring (February to April). New models usually ship at the beginning or middle of these windows.
FAQs Best Time to Buy a Laptop in 2023
According to Consumer Reports, July and August compete with November and December for the best time to buy a laptop.
When New Laptop Models Arrive
– Black Friday/Cyber Monday (Late November)
– Back-to-School (June to September)
Yes, laptops get a bit cheaper after Christmas. This is because laptops are typically too expensive to consider a holiday gift. For this reason, retailers will tend to give discounts to attract buyers.
Conclusion
This article will give you the best insight into the best time of the year to buy a new laptop in 2024.
There are exceptions, but the best times to buy a computer are Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Three-Day Weekends (think Presidents’ Day Weekend), Amazon Prime Day, and back school. Black Friday, in particular, is a good time to save. Luckily, this year Black Friday falls in November, just right at the time you get admission.
Hence you should start saving now, because, in 2024, November is the best time of the year to buy a laptop.
References
- Smartasset.com – The Best Time to Buy a Laptop
- laptopmag.com – The Best Time to Buy a Laptop
- popularmechanics.com – When (and How) To Buy Your Next Laptop
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DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.
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