Black Friday 2024: when is it and what deals to expect

Various tech products including a TV, PS5, phone, laptop, vacuum and more surrounding the TechRadar Black Friday deals logo
(Image credit: Future)

Black Friday 2024 is still many months away but if you want to get an early head start on your prepping for this year's mega sales event we've got all the latest news and information right here. You'll also find our predictions for this year's Black Friday and a quick overview of last year's best deals so you've got an idea of what to expect in 2024.

What's become clear over recent years is that Black Friday is no longer a one-day event in November. It takes place over multiple weeks now as retailers such as Amazon, Currys, Argos, John Lewis, AO and more launch deals as early as October to have an extended sales period.

While that may have changed, what's clear is our interest in the Black Friday sales is as strong as ever. Adobe Analytics reports that £24.4 billion was spent last year over the Black Friday period from October to the end of December. That's an increase of 3.7% compared to last year - and the first time consumer spending has increased in the last two years.

So, Black Friday deals are certainly still popular. That means it's more important than ever to use this as your destination for all the best offers once the sales get underway later in the year. 

I'll use almost a decade of my own experience covering Black Friday, as well as the combined knowledge of TechRadar's team of experts, to ensure you only see the top deals available on the products we've tested and trust the most in this year's sales.

Black Friday 2024: Key Information

A selection of key tech items expected to be popular over Black Friday

(Image credit: Future)

When is Black Friday 2024?

This year's Black Friday falls on November 29. It always lands on the first Friday after Thanksgiving in the US.

While that is a key date to remember, Black Friday deals are available much earlier than that - usually in October. Retailers now run extended sales periods to stretch out the end-of-year shopping season and allow you to spread your purchases rather than cramming them into a single 24-hour period.

When do Black Friday deals start?

Black Friday deals start well before the day itself. The sales period has got longer and longer over the years with many offers now live from the start of October.

Amazon usually leads the way with the start of its second Amazon Prime Day event at the start of the month. It serves as an early preview of some Black Friday deals that are exclusively available to its members. 

Other retailers usually follow suit and launch early Black Friday deals throughout October - a good number of which do not fall any cheaper throughout the sale.

The next big milestone is exactly one week before Black Friday as that's when retailers unleash the full extent of their sales. This is the time to buy if you've been holding out for weeks as prices are very unlikely to fall any lower from this point onward.

Where to find the best Black Friday deals

With so many retailers to choose from over Black Friday, it's not always easy to find the best deals. We've found the stores below often feature some of the top offers during the sales period in specific areas. We'll search through them and share the best ones when Black Friday starts but you can also take a look yourself if you just want to browse.

Amazon: often cheapest for almost everything
Argos: great for tech, furniture and toys
AO: best offers on major appliances
Currys: big savings on TVs, laptops and appliances
John Lewis: deals on furniture, fashion and tech
Smyths Toys: vast selection of toys, electronics & gadgets
Very: fashion, furniture and tech offers

What to expect from Black Friday in 2024

We've got a good idea of what to expect from each Black Friday now as we've covered the sales for over ten years here at TechRadar. Ultimately, it doesn't change too much each time, with a similar set of products on offers and retailer sales to choose from if you're looking to do some shopping.

Dropping back into the Adobe Analytics data shows that electronics, apparel and toys all received their biggest discounts of the year during Black Friday.

So, it's still one of the best times to make that big-ticket purchase you've been waiting on for the whole year. Whether it's a brand-new TV, a popular kitchen appliance, a powerful laptop, a handy tablet or a slick smartwatch, then Black Friday generally has some of the lowest prices we've seen all year.

Pay particularly close attention to some of last year's best-selling items as you should be able to get them for their cheapest prices over Black Friday as retailer's clear space for new and upcoming models. Just because they're slightly older doesn't mean you should pass them up, especially if it's a big discount on some of our best-reviewed products.

Black Friday is also an important time for smaller purchases and subscription offers. Lots of great smart home tech such as video doorbells, cameras and streaming sticks all fall to new low prices during the end-of-year sales. You can pair them with discounted subscription fees where needed (often for new and returning members).

And that's not counting all the other product categories that are featured and independent retailers that get involved for Black Friday. Practically everyone and everything is involved. That can make is hard to separate the good deals from all the noise, but you can stick with us as we share all the best offers right here when the time comes.

Last year's best Black Friday deals

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Ninja AF300UK Foodi 7.6L 6-in-1 Air Fryer: was £219.99 now £139 at Argos
The Ninja AF300UK 7.6L model is down to its cheapest price in two years at Argos for Black Friday. It's definitely worth it at this price, given we awarded it the full five stars in our <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/ninja-foodi-dual-zone-air-fryer-af300uk-review" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">Ninja AF300UK review. It's smaller than the other models but a good option if you don't need as much space and want to spend less. We particularly praised the multiple settings, the ability to sync cooking times and the quality of the food it made.

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Sony WF-C500: was £90 now £43.69 at Amazon
We already called these earbuds 'great value for money' in our <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/sony-wf-c500" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"" target="_blank">Sony WF-C500 review – and that was at the full asking price. With 45% off, we think they're an absolute steal and then some. Yes, 20 hours of battery can be bettered – but 10 hours from the buds alone certainly can't at this new low price point. They're also light and comfortable, providing an exciting, musical sound. Oh, and this is the cheapest price ever - sounds perfect. Also available for <a href="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-6361382-15618761?sid=hawk-custom-tracking&url=https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9507559" data-link-merchant="argos.co.uk"" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">£45 at Argos.

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Hisense A6K 43-inch 4K TV: was £429 now £249 at Currys
If you're looking for a budget TV for your general everyday viewing then Currys has a good selection of Hisense TVs at very affordable prices. I think the best value options are at the lower end - such as this super-cheap 43-inch option - considering these TVs are fairly basic overall. That's fine if it's for a second screen in the house like the kitchen or bedroom where premium picture quality isn't a must-have. Just to be clear, though, these are still decent displays with support for ultra-HD 4K resolution, voice controls and access to all the major streaming apps.

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Sony WH-1000MX4: was £249 now £197.99 at Amazon
The Sony WH-1000MX4 are a little older now but they are still some of the best over-ear headphones ever. These wireless Sony cans package together top-notch audio, excellent comfort, and effective noise cancellation all at a reasonable price point that's £80 less than the newer Sony XM5. We still rate these as the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/news/audio/portable-audio/best-headphones-1280340" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">best headphones for most people, exactly because you can find them at a price like this for Black Friday.

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Fire TV Stick 4K: was £59.99 now £34.99 at Amazon
As the name suggests, the all-new Fire TV Stick 4K streams shows and movies on your TV in ultra-high 4K resolution. It's a good offer for a solid streaming stick that comes with access to all the major apps and supports voice controls through Alexa. Be aware, though, that the previous generation model has been as low as £22.99 before - but that was well over a year ago. Chances of seeing that price again are slim given the upgrades in this new version and the fact that the older one has been discontinued.

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Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: was £1,249 now £999 at Samsung, plus up to £500 off with a trade-in
By applying code S23ULTRA250 at checkout, you can score a whopping £250 discount on a fully unlocked Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in any storage configuration. Winner of <a href="https://www.techradar.com/tech/techradar-choice-awards-2023-winners" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">TechRadar's reader's choice awards for 2023, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is a fantastic pick if you're on the hunt for a flagship device with heaps of power, a gorgeous display, and class-leading cameras. This Black Friday deal also stacks on top of the usual trade-in rebate of up to £500, offering just about the lowest possible price out there right now for an unlocked Galaxy S23 Ultra.

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Fujifilm Instax Mini 12: was £79 now £69 at Argos
We rate the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 as <a href="https://www.techradar.com/news/best-instant-camera" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">the best instant camera you can buy, and it's currently available for £69 from Argos in several different colours: Blue, Mint Green, Pink, White and Purple. It's an easy-to-use instant camera that's particularly good for parties, and we think would make an excellent Christmas gift for a snap-happy youngster.

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Apple iPad 10.2 (2021): was £369.99 now £299 at Very
The 2021 iPad may be slightly older tech, but the 10.2-inch Retina display and A13 Bionic chip ensure excellent picture quality and superior performance to this day. The entry-level tablet can do it all without issue, according to our <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/new-ipad-102-2021" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">Apple iPad 10.2 review, whether that's browsing the net, streaming media, light work, or playing games. Today's deal from Amazon brings the tablet down to £299, which is the best price ever.

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Amazon Smart Plug: was £24.99 now £12.99 at Amazon
Even if you don't have a house full of smart devices, this handy little gadget from Amazon can add smart capabilities to attached tech such as timers, schedules and voice controls. It also works great with other Alexa devices such as the Echo Dot or Echo Show. Now over £10 off - it's a super useful and cheap addition to your shopping cart this Black Friday.

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Smarty 32GB SIM: £8 per month at Smarty
Data:
32GB
Mins/Texts:
Unlimited
EU Roaming:
Yes (up to 12GB per month)

Smarty's Black Friday SIM-only deal is fantastic value for money as you get a reasonable 32GB of 5G data for £8 per month. It's the lowest price right now for this amount of data across all the low-cost networks, and it's more than enough to cover even the most enthusiastic social media user, music streamer and video downloader each month. Naturally, unlimited minutes and texts are also included, but so is EU roaming at no extra cost. That's a somewhat rare find these days. And there's no long-term contract as you pay on a rolling one-month basis for added flexibility. Want more data? There's also a <a href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=10933&awinaffid=103504&clickref=hawk-custom-tracking&p=https%3A%2F%2Fsmarty.co.uk%2Fplans%2F100gb-calls-and-data" data-link-merchant="smarty.co.uk"">125GB SIM for £12 per month.

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Apple AirPods Pro 2: was £229 now £199 at Amazon
They only launched a couple of months ago and this is the first discount I've seen on the latest generation Apple AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C support. As well as that more universal connection option, Apple's newest premium earbuds come with sought-after improvements to audio quality and noise cancellation. In our <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/airpods-pro-2" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">AirPods Pro 2 review, we said that these upgrades ensured they were a big step up compared to the originals and helped them truly compete with other high-end buds.

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Microsoft Surface Pro 9 + Surface Pro Signature Typecover: was £1,558 now £899 at Currys
Here's an excellent value bundle if you're interested in one of Microsoft's laptop-tablet hybrids that we awarded four stars out of five in our <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/microsoft-surface-pro-9-5g" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">Microsoft Surface Pro 9 review. It boasts solid specs for the price, including an Intel i5 processor and a healthy 16GB of RAM that offers speedy performance. The 256GB SSD is a little small but is enough for all your essential storage needs. The fact you get the essential type cover keyboard accessory included for free is a huge bonus, too.

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Emma Original Mattress: was £311 now from £248.80 at Emma
The medium-feel Original is especially comfortable for side sleepers, with a memory foam layer that adapts to your body for tailored pressure relief. In our <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/emma-mattress" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">Emma Mattress review, we were especially impressed with the contouring comfort offered by the plush sleep surface. You'll get a 200-night trial and a ten-year guarantee. The current deal knocks 20% off RRP, which takes the price of a double size to £379. 

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Nintendo Switch OLED + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe + 3 Months Switch Online: £299.99 at Amazon
A new and brilliant Nintendo Switch OLED bundle has launched for this year's Black Friday. It includes the upgraded Switch OLED console, a digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and a 3-month Switch Online membership. This represents a saving of around £70 compared to buying all three separately so it's excellent value for money if you are looking to buy the popular Nintendo console for the holidays.

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Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3: was £399 now £249 at Amazon
We're big fans of the Lenovo Chromebook Duet at TechRadar so definitely want to share this significant reduction on the flexible 11-inch laptop that brings it down to a record-low price for this configuration. In our very positive <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/lenovo-ideapad-duet-chromebook-review" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">Lenovo Chromebook Duet review, we thought the original version offered an excellent balance between tablet portability and Chromebook flexibility. This version boasts 8GB of RAM for good performance and a healthy 128GB of storage. Plus, the day-long battery life is a huge boost for those who are always on the go.

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Shark WandVac 2.0: was £179.99 now £99.99 at Amazon
This current generation model of the Shark WandVac is now the same price as the older version so you may as well get the latest iteration of the popular handheld vacuum cleaner. Our original <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/shark-wandvac" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">Shark WandVac review praised its strong suction, lightweight design and how easy it is to use. It's definitely one not to miss now it's down to its cheapest price this year.

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Meta Quest 2 (128GB) + £50 Argos Gift Card: was £349 now £249.99 at Argos
The Oculus Quest 2 / Meta Quest 2 is now down to its lowest price ever at Argos - plus you get a £50 gift card included for free. This price cut felt inevitable during this year's Black Friday considering the Meta Quest 3 is now available, but this is still a great choice for an accessible VR headset at a reasonable price. It remains a great piece of kit thanks to its ease of use, comfortable weight vast catalogue of supported games and reasonable 128GB of storage.

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Nextbase 222X Front and Rear Dash Cam: was £109.99 now £94.99 at Argos
Nextbase makes some of the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/best/best-dash-cam" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"">best dash cams you can buy so we'd definitely recommend this offer of a front and rear camera bundle at Argos. In our Nextbase 222X review, we called it a perfect dash cam for drivers on a budget thanks to its ease of use, generous feature set and good-quality video results.

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Google Pixel Tablet: was £699 now £599 at Amazon
The <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/google-pixel-tablet-review-a-new-home-for-the-same-old-android" data-link-merchant="techradar.com"" target="_blank">Google Pixel Tablet has been available for six months and this is the first significant discount I've seen on the manufacturer's first foray into the world of portable slates. This one is mostly designed for use around the home, though, as it also comes with a Charging Speaker Dock so you can use it as a smart display. Performance is good, too, thanks to Google's Tensor G2 chip, 8GB of RAM and decent 256GB of storage.

James Pickard
Senior Deals Editor

James Pickard is a Deals Editor at TechRadar. After many years of scouring the net for the cheapest games and tech for his own personal use, he decided to make it his job to share those bargains with you. James also has over five years of experience covering some of the biggest sales events of the year at Eurogamer and VG247, including Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Amazon Prime Day. When not deals hunting, James can be found on the PS5, watching a classic film noir or cheering on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With contributions from