Walmart's best Black Friday tech deals
It’s November, and besides the election, that means two things: Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales. And while I can’t help you with the former because I’m a terrible cook, I can help you with the latter by giving you the scoop on Walmart’s upcoming Black Friday tech deals.
TVs
First up on the list of TVs. Walmart will have 11 different televisions on sale for the big day including a 55-inch Philips 4K smart TV for $298, a Samsung 50-inch 4K smart TV for $398 and a 60-inch Vizio HD TV. Of those offers, I’m most intrigued by the Samsung 50-inch model, as Samsung generally produces quality TVs and 50 inches is just about where you’ll begin to see the benefits of a 4K-resolution display.
Walmart hasn’t said how many of those televisions it will have in each store, but the company announced that it would offer wristbands to the first few shoppers intent on buying them. So don’t expect a ton of inventory.
Laptops and tablets
This year Walmart is offering 10 laptops and tablets for sale. Of the lot, Samsung’s Chromebook 3 is the most interesting laptop, while the iPad Mini 2 is a solid deal. Walmart is also pushing a $249 15-inch HP laptop this year.
For what it’s worth, when it comes to laptop and tablet shopping, I always advise avoiding these kinds of deeply discounted products, because they’re never that great to begin with. Instead, you’re better off holding on to your money and saving for a more powerful device that will last longer.
Drones
Drones are expected to be a hot holiday gift this year, so Walmart is selling DJI’s Phantom 3 Standard for $369. That’s a $130 discount. The Standard isn’t exactly a professional-grade drone, but it should suit most beginners and novice drone users just fine.
Video games
The holiday season is always a great time to find deals on video games and consoles and Walmart is certainly doing its part in that department. Stores will sell 500GB PlayStation 4 Slim models with “Uncharted 4” for $249. That will also get a $30 gift card.
For Xbox fans, Walmart is selling the 500GB Xbox One S with “Battlefield 1” for $249. The company also says it will offer 90 games starting at $8, though don’t expect to get any newer titles such as “Titanfall 2” or “Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare” for that price.
Wearables
Walmart is going all in with Fitbit this year with promotions on the company’s Fitbit Charge 2 for $129, Fitbit Flex 2 for $69 and Fitbit Alta for $99. Each of Fitbit’s models are impressive fitness trackers, but our David Pogue was enamored with the Charge 2 in particular.
Smart home gadgets
If you’re hoping to turn your dumb home into a smartphone, Walmart has you covered with sales on Nest’s third-generation smart thermostat for $199 and the Nest Cam smart camera for $149. Both products offer $50 savings.
More from Dan:
‘Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare’ review: The future is dated
Google Home review: A promising but unfinished smart home device
Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.
