For all its inventiveness, the tech industry can seem rigid on one aspect – price. For instance, Apple never offers any significant discounts on its products, although even that immovable object started to shift recently.
The company knocked up to $70 off iPhones in January to counter a sales slump in China. It also endured a full four-quarter slide in revenue in 2023, its longest in two decades.
The frequency at which new smartphones hit the market is so high that waiting just a few months before upgrading can make the difference between a £10 saving and a £100 one – but is there any way to predict when the discounts are coming?
The answer is ‘yes’ – provided you know (or learn) how to wait.
Fear of Missing Out
Patience is a virtue but marketers prefer immediacy. Fear of Missing Out is why most promotions succeed at pulling customers in, i.e. they have a time limit. Alternatively, they may have conditions such as a gift on top of a purchase.
Buy one, get one free is a staple of supermarkets (and double-glazing companies) in the UK, affecting everything from crisps to vitamins. Whether it’s a means of shifting an overstock or simple generosity in times of need is up for debate but it’s hard to imagine shopping without its siren call.
Promotions aren’t exclusive to conventional goods. Mobile developers advertise their premium currency as on sale or bundled with more gems, while casino operators use sign-up bonuses to make their product more appealing than the competition’s.
PlayStar’s NJ casino promotions fit the latter niche, offering a 100% match on first deposits. Ultimately, this means that new members can play for longer.
Tech offers tend to be much more seasonal. The obvious answer to questions about when to purchase new devices is the festive season, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and the ensuing January sales, when the previous year’s lines need to go.
Launch Events
Black Friday is a bit of a ruse. It’s one of the worst times of year to shop, according to Which? Retail. The watchdog noted that 98% of 208 items were either the same price or less expensive in the months before and after the peculiar event.
Instead, tech experts recommend smartphones are purchased in the month after a new release. For Apple, this is usually October or November. Samsung prices come down in May and June, while Google’s lineup is most affordable in February.
Sales aren’t as predictable as they used to be in the 80s and 90s. Today, they’re (usually) dependent on the arrival of launch events. This can be anything from the Consumer Electronics Show and Apple Events to a well-timed insider leak.
The TechRound website adds that cameras are often cheaper in February, April, and October, while TV prices bottom out in June. Work laptops and computers don’t have much of a schedule and can be some of the more affordable tech products on the market year-round.
The best advice is to keep a calendar updated – and forget about Black Friday.
