Laptops make the world turn. That’s not an exaggeration, it’s an indisputable fact. Every day, more people are choosing the convenience and capability of laptops to handle their most important tasks. Laptops make up the majority of PC sales, and that trend is not slowing down any time soon.
Still, by impulse buying a new laptop upgrade, or by not taking advantage of seasonal sales and retailer discounts, millions of Americans are leaving too much money on the table. The laptop market is ultra-competitive, and unsold never-used models are having their prices slashed every day. To learn how to maximize your savings, read ahead.
Essential Laptop Shopping Tips
Unless you somehow manage to walk by an electronic’s store that’s going out of business, you’ll likely have to do a little research. That’s ok though. Nothing good ever came easy, and a little bit of bargain hunting never hurt anyone. If you spend enough time looking, you’ll probably score a great deal. If you don’t have a lot of time, the following tips will help expedite your laptop search.
Know Your Needs
Understanding what you need, and how much you’re willing to spend is essential to making the most of your money. Pick your price range, and prioritize your must-have features. Storage space, speed, brand, and screen size all come into play here. So be realistic about your budget and clear on your needs to make sure you don’t spend too much for extra features that you’ll never end up using.
Know When to Buy
While it is true that there are always great laptop deals to be found, there is a higher concentration of deals at different points throughout the year. Annual shopping seasons that typically feature laptop deals include:
- Back to School
- Black Friday
- Cyber Monday
- Boxing Day
Brands slash the price of older models around the time they announce and release their latest ones. So if there is a brand you like, keep an eye out for new product launches and the deals that they inevitably lead to.
Take Advantage of Student Discounts
Laptops are an essential part of the modern learning experience. Having a reliable laptop for schooling, social media, and more flat out makes students’ lives easier. Students also make up a large portion of the annual laptop sales figures each year. To entice students to their respective brands, laptop makers and sellers offer a variety of student discounts for eligible buyers.
Apple
Current and newly accepted college students, their parents, faculty, staff, and homeschool teachers are eligible for special Apple education pricing on a new Mac or iPad.
Dell
Students save 10% off select Dell products and are eligible to participate in the PC maker’s popular trade-in program to save even more.
Microsoft
Microsoft offers savings of up to 10% off select products and Surface devices for students, their parents, and faculty.
Samsung
Qualified buyers can take advantage of up to 15% in additional savings, which can be used on already discounted laptops for even more savings.
Best Laptop Deals
There are a million different places to get a great deal on a laptop. Most of the biggest brands ship directly to consumers, and your local area likely has a handful of electronics stores and computer retailers. Online, the most popular places to buy laptops are Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon.
The best laptop deals available at those retailers can be found below.
Walmart
$299 for a 14-inch HP Chromebook, a savings of $100.
$439 for a 15.6-inch Lenovo FHD Laptop, a savings of $70.
$499 for a 14.1-inch Gateway Ultra Slim Notebook, a savings of $100.
$499 for a 14.1-inch Gateway 2-in-1 Elite Notebook, a savings of $200.
$979 for a 15-inch Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro, a savings of $220.
Best Buy
$329 for a 15.6-inch Lenovo Flex 3i Chromebook, a savings of $100.
$379.99 for a 15.6-inch Dell Inspiron Touch Laptop, a savings of $220.
$699.99 for a 13.5-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop 4, a savings of $200.
$699.99 for a 14-inch Dell FHD+ Touch Laptop, a savings of $300.
$1,249.99 for a 13.5-inch HP Spectre x360 Laptop, a savings of $500.
Amazon
$147.97 for a 11.6-inch ASUS Ultra-Thin Laptop, a savings of $92.02.
$299.99 for a 13.3-inch Lenovo Ideapad Flex 5i, a savings of $130.
$381 for a 15.6-inch Lenovo Ideapad 3, a savings of $578.
$399.99 for a 14-inch HP Light–Weight Laptop, a savings of $80.
$594 for a 17.3-inch HP Laptop, a savings of $135.99.
Save Big on a Brand New Laptop Today
Never pay full price for a laptop again. You really don’t have to! With lots of independent and big ticket retailers vying for your laptop dollar, there’s always another great laptop ready for you to discover. So mark the deal seasons on your calendar, take advantage of any applicable student discounts, or opt for a refurbished model and score a great deal on a quality laptop today.
Shutterstock: Damir Khabirov
