Maybe your laptop is getting old, and you want to replace it with new laptop models. Alternatively, perhaps your old laptop no longer works, or the battery life is not the same as when you bought it, and you need a new one. But, of course, before you buy a laptop, you want to know how to get the best deal, and the timing of the purchase influences that.
So whether you are going for new models or older models, it is crucial to know the best time to buy a laptop. Of course, the obvious answer is to buy a new one now if you need it. But what if you are looking to replace your current laptop in the near future and want to take advantage of bargain buys?
Like there is the best time to buy a TV, a refrigerator, or furniture, there are good and bad times to buy a laptop if you’re looking to save. Keep reading to discover the best times to buy a computer and what else you should consider in getting a good deal.
When Is the Best Time to Buy a Laptop?
According to Consumer Reports, some of the best times to buy new laptops are September, April, and May. However, some experts say springtime is one of the best times to start shopping if you are looking for the best deals on an older model.
Other prime shopping times include:
- Back-to-school sales season (June to September)
- The holiday shopping season (end of November to the beginning of January)
- Before and after big product releases
Back-to-School Season
The back-to-school season falls between June and September. But according to the analyst Stephen Baker, who studies laptop pricing and sales for a market intelligence firm called NPD Group, it’s typically the last three weeks of July and the first three weeks of August when bargains are the most bountiful for most laptops. This applies to both Macs and
The back-to-school season falls between June and September. But according to Stephen Baker, an analyst who studies laptop pricing and sales for a market intelligence firm called NPD Group, it’s typically the last three weeks of July and the first three weeks of August when bargains are the most bountiful for most laptops.
This applies to both Macs and PCs. Those who want to buy notebooks can do so between the last week of July and the first three weeks of August.
The Holiday Season
Aside from the after-Christmas sales and other shopping holidays, Cyber Monday is another prime shopping day for a new computer. Some of you might think, “well, what about Black Friday?” While yes, you can get great deals on Black Friday, Black Deals are better for purchases of some items than others.
With regards to laptops, Honey states that it’s better to wait until Monday to get the lowest price. Their company research found that the savings per user per purchase during the 2018 Cyber Monday was about 21%. That average is higher than the 18.5% that came from Black Friday.
Big Product Releases
Outside of specific seasons, you can get the best prices from major retailers on a laptop soon before or after big product releases. So if you’ve ever purchased a phone or a laptop in the past to find out that the price dropped a few weeks later when an updated version was released, you’ll want to pay attention to this next time.
For Apple laptops (Macs), you will usually see older versions (the previous generation) going out of style and dropping in price around September. That’s around the time they have their special Apple products event. Note that this event is not the only determinant for getting steep discounts, as September is generally a good time to look for good deals on any new Macbook.
For Microsoft laptops, there are deep discounts around their big October event.
As a general rule of thumb, you’ll see newer model PCs released during early spring. However, you’ll also see new laptop models arrive from bigger-name manufacturers between June and August and late fall and December.
You can always check the release events from a specific manufacturer if you want to buy many laptops. Therefore, if it’s not too far away, it’s worth waiting to see if you can get a discount on the model you purchase.
It’s important to note that not all manufacturers may decide to offer special deals on their older products. A company may choose to remove an outdated model from its store, and that’s it.
How Often Should You Replace Your Laptop?
Now that you know when the best time to buy a laptop is when you can get the best deal, you should also know how often you should replace your laptop. After all, part of the “best” timing also includes knowing when you need to buy a new laptop to replace your old one, regardless of what deal you get.
Typically, with budget models, you’ll want to replace those after three years. At that point, the laptop’s battery life and processing power will be weak and likely stop functioning. Concerning higher-end, more durable laptops, you should replace them every 4-5 years.
Therefore, if your laptop is aging to the point where you’ll have to replace it soon, that’s also the best time to buy a laptop.
Is It Better to Buy a Laptop In-Person or Online?
Now, if you mainly want to know when the prime day to buy a laptop is because you want to get a good deal, you’ll also want to see if it’s better to buy a laptop in-person or online. After all, every tip counts if you are trying to save money on your next computer.
The best way to buy a laptop is online. For one, buying online is usually cheaper than at a brick-and-mortar store. You’ll sometimes see the same laptop you found on a store website (like Best Buy) sold at a higher price at their in-store locations.
Additionally, online is the way to go regarding price shopping. It is significantly less time-consuming than going into a million different stores to compare the prices of laptops. You can compare prices right from home and at your fingertips when you shop online.
You also don’t need to worry about having a car to drive to a store. The best part is that you can shop 24/7, anytime you want.
How to Know What the Best Laptop Deals Are Each Year?
If you want a good deal, various articles are written each year on the best laptop deals for that year. That can give you an idea of what laptop to buy. However, it’s essential always to research a laptop’s quality to see if it’s going to do what you need it to do.
It doesn’t matter if you get an extremely cheap laptop if it doesn’t function the way you want it to. For instance, a notebook is not the best choice if you want to perform complex tasks like video editing.
Here are some qualities the right laptop should have:
- USB ports (including USB C ports)
- Quality CPU cores
- Graphics card
- New processors
- It should be able to store large files
Also, the laptop should have at least one year warranty. For more information to help you decide what laptop you should purchase, click here,
How Do You Know If You Got a Good Deal?
Now that you know when the best time to buy a laptop is and that you should purchase online, you’re still going to want to make sure you got a good deal.
A price tracker tool is one of the best ways to know if you got a good deal. One helpful tool that tracks price history is camelcamelcamel.com. You can use their Chrome extension to show your price history for products on Amazon. If you want one for Newegg, use the Hover Hound Chrome extension.
However, some websites do not have a price history tracker like these two. Therefore, you should keep an eye on the laptop you want from month to month and start looking to purchase around the times previously mentioned. Also, read what other users say about the laptop, but be mindful of fake reviews.
Wrapping Up: Best Time to Buy a Laptop
Now you know the best time to buy a laptop. You can check for a better deal at different times throughout the year.
The best time for you will depend on how quickly you want to replace your laptop and how close that replacement date is to the season that will provide you with the most significant laptop discounts. If you want the best deal, you should focus on shopping online. You’ll also be able to track price history for individual retailers that way.
However, it is essential to know that not every laptop will go on sale. So if you want a quality laptop at a reasonable price, you can get an idea about this from various websites that will recommend their top picks.
Remember, though, that the cheapest isn’t always the best quality. Sometimes, it pays to fork up a little bit more money for a higher-quality laptop.
Now, it’s time for you to decide what laptop you want!
