Good tech deals await on Cyber Monday
There were quite a few good deals to be had on Black Friday this year, but as in recent years some of the best deals of the holiday season won't be found on the day after Thanksgiving. In recent years, Cyber Monday, the online equivalent to Black Friday, has eclipsed the Friday before Thanksgiving as the day to find the best deals.
This year appears to be no exception, particularly when it comes to cell phones and TVs. Here are a few of the ones you should watch:
TV DEALS
Unlike Black Friday, there doesn't appear to be many crazy cheap "doorbusters" featuring 32 or 40-inch no-name brands under $150. There are some significant discounts on TVs from well-known manufacturers like LG, Sharp, Sony, Samsung and Vizio. Best Buy will be selling a 42-inch Sharp 1080p LED HDTV for $299.99 (an $180 discount from its usual price) while Target will be bundling a $20 gift card with the purchase of a 39-inch Vizio 1080p LED HDTV for $349.99 and a $30 gift card with the purchase of a Samsung 40-inch 1080p Smart LED HDTV for $379.99 (a $250 discount). Dubbing this new week after Thanksgiving "Cyber Week," Target will be offering discounts up until December 6th.
BIG PLANS FOR AMAZON
Similar to Target and its own Black Friday deals, Amazon will also be spreading out its Cyber Monday deals into its own "Cyber Week" that has already begun on the company's site and runs throughout the week. As with Black Friday, Amazon will be posting new "Lightning Deals" to its Cyber Monday site every 10 minutes during this time. While the good news is the deals extend for more than a single day, it can be frustrating for shoppers as Amazon hasn't said when exactly each deal would run (though the company does have an "upcoming" tab which is worth periodically checking to stay up-to-date on when the company will be putting certain products on sale). Among the deals to look out for on Amazon include 40-inch 1080p LED HDTVs from Samsung and Sony for $298.
In a bid to attract more smartphone shoppers, Amazon will also be offering "exclusive Lightning Deals" on Cyber Monday to users of the company's apps on iOS, Android or the company's own Fire OS (the software that power Amazon's Kindle Fire tablets and Fire Phone smartphone).
GREAT TIME TO SNAG A SMARTPHONE
Beyond TVs, there are also a variety of deals to be had for other electronics, particularly off-contract smartphones. Motorola will be offering $140 off the off-contract price of its latest Moto X, bringing the device's starting price down to $360. Motorola will offer prospective buyers a window on Cyber Monday to register at Motorola.com to receive a discount code. Registration will open at 11:00 a.m. CT and the company plans to keep the deal running until supplies last or 5:00 p.m. CT Monday evening. Discount codes must be redeemed by December 15 at 11:59 p.m. CT, giving buyers a bit more time to take advantage of the discounted pricing.
OnePlus, a startup company out of China that made waves in tech circles earlier this year by offering a powerful smartphone for a low cost, will be making its smartphone, the OnePlus One, available to all buyers on Cyber Monday. It previously was only available to those who had an invitation that could only be obtained from someone else who had already purchased the device. The phone runs Android and features a 5.5-inch, 1080p HD display, quad-core processor with 3GB of RAM as well as a 5-megapixel front camera and 13-megapixel rear camera. Unlike the Moto X, which can be bought off-contract for any of the major US carriers, the OnePlus One is sold unlocked and will only work on T-Mobile or AT&T in the US. It's available in a 16GB white version for $299 or a 64GB black version for $349.
There aren't many new deals for the iPhone on Cyber Monday, but those with T-Mobile will also be able to buy a 64GB iPhone 6 for the price of a 16GB iPhone 6, an $100 savings. T-Mobile will also be offering a 64GB iPhone 5S for the price of a 32 GB 5S and a 32GB iPhone 5C for the price of an 8GB 5C. T-Mobile's deal begins at 12:01 a.m. PT on the company's Cyber Monday site.
BATTERY CHARGING FOR CHEAP
For those looking for portable chargers, accessory maker PowerSkin will be offering its PoP'n battery packs for one cent (plus shipping) with the promo code "penny." The battery packs usually cost between $49.99 and $59.99 and are designed to attach to the back of either an iPhone (4/4S or 5/5S) or Android device and give your phone an additional 70% of battery life. The company's new PoP'n 2 designed for the iPhone 6/6 Plus is not included in this Cyber Monday deal. The chargers come in a variety of colors and the deal will run throughout Cyber Monday on PowerSkin's website, though purchases are limited to one per email address.
Best Buy will also be offering 50% off all myCharge power banks including the Hub series, now priced between $34.99 and $64.99 depending on size, that includes built-in Lightning and microUSB cables to easily connect an iPad, iPhone or Android/Windows Phone device.
THE REST OF THE DEALS
Other deals worth keeping in mind: Google will be offering the Chromecast for $25 and bundled with 90 days free of the company's Google Play Music service and 2 free months of Hulu Plus, while rival Roku will offer the Roku LT box for $29.99 ($10 off) and its Roku streaming stick for $39.99 (also $10 off) on its site bundled with 2 free months of Rdio Unlimited streaming. For those looking for a deal on a game system, Walmart will have a $449.99 PS4 bundle that includes the console, Lego Batman 3, LittleBigPlanet, an extra controller and your choice of one of 12 games, including The Lego Movie Videogame and Madden NFL 15.
UPDATE: More Cyber Monday deals keep coming in. Roku updated their Cyber Monday deals to include 3 months of Hulu Plus in addition to the discounted price and 2 months of Rdio streaming. Meanwhile, Amazon announced that later this afternoon, it will cut the price of its Fire TV streaming box to $69 for Cyber Monday (down from $99). While Amazon's streaming box is still lacking HBO Go, Amazon hopes to add the service before the end of the year, at $69 is a solid Roku and Apple TV alternative.
Microsoft added a new Xbox One bundle to the company's online store, offering the Xbox One with Assassin's Creed Unity and Black Flag as well as Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition for $329.99 (The Microsoft Store listing says it is a "free game of your choice," but USA Today confirmed with Microsoft Diablo is the extra game that will be bundled because other options quickly sold out).
For those not interested in Diablo III and Assassins Creed, Walmart is also offering a variety of Xbox One bundles on Cyber Monday including an Xbox One bundled with the new Halo: Master Chief Collection for $329.99.
We'll keep monitoring the deals but if you see any good ones that we missed let us know in the comments or on Twitter.
Follow Eli Blumenthal on Twitter @eliblumenthal