Just like the hardware itself, laptop deals come in all shapes and sizes. And that's only more amplified on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with a massive range of discounts from a variety of U.S. retailers.
Among the best Black Friday laptop deals available this year, there's a Chromebook you can buy for just $99, models from Dell and HP, and a discount on a laptop that many tech sites call the best ever made — the Apple MacBook Air M1 for less than $1,000.
1. Apple MacBook Air with Retina Display: $729
(Image credit: B&H Photo)
Black Friday 2021 has been a fine year for Apple laptops so far, with the MacBook Air range offering some of the biggest discounts. The best price right now comes from an unlikely source, B&H Photo. But the price can't be argued with — it's down to just $729 from the $999 SRP. For that, you get a a 10th Gen Intel processor, 8GB of Ram and Apple's gorgeous 13.3" Retina Display.
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If you want the best laptop "ever made" — according to TechRadar, which describes it as a "a thin and light laptop that offers great performance, even with 4K video editing, while also offering incredible battery life" — then this Best Buy deal is the one to opt for. The 256GB version of the 2020 AirBook running on the rapid M1 chip is down to a ridiculously low price and we'd be surprised if it got much cheaper now this year.
As ever, Microsoft is duking things out with Apple when it comes to which manufacturer is making the best laptops right now. The Surface Laptop 4 is the best of its range, with a 13.5" touch screen and 128GB SSD. It may not quite have the power of the MacBooks above, but it comes in with a cheaper price this Black Friday and Tom's Guide says it "offers strong performance, impressive audio and very good battery life"
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The Dell XPS 13 has had its hat well and truly in the ring for a few years now when it comes to conversations around what the best laptop is. Laptop Mag gives it the full five stars in its review, noting that "the laptop has consistently come out on top, retaining its spot as our favorite ultraportable". It's currently down to less than $700 for the 11th Gen Intel Core i5 version, running off Windows 11, with 256GB SSD, and toting a Full HD 13.3in display.
Somehow it's possible this Black Friday to get a new laptop for less under $100. This 11.6in Chromebook from Asus has 4GB Ram and 32GB flash memory and clearly isn't going to suit all people. But if you just want something cheap for checking emails, browsing the web, and the odd bit of video streaming, you won't find anything more affordable than this.
If you like the idea of a Chromebook but feel like the one above may be a bit small or underpowered, then this HP model may be a better fit and still costs less than $200. You get the benefit of a broader 14in screen and double the memory with 64GB. There are USB Type-A and C connectors available, and the stated batter life is over 12 hours.
Is it a tablet, is it a laptop? In truth, it's somewhere in between and in the lead up to Black Friday 2021 the newest edition of the Microsoft Surface Pro has been one of the best sellers so far. This model has 128GB SSD storage, 4GB Ram, and attractive 12.3" touchscreen.
Big screen laptops aren't exactly in vogue these days, with most manufacturers defaulting to 15 inches or under for their flagship models. That makes this 17in laptop from HP a rare find, now available for less than $400. It matches the gargantuan screen, with a powerful 8GB of Ram and speedy 256GB SSD.
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Adam Marshall has written about tech, lifestyle, and software for titles such as TechRadar, Tom's Guide, T3, and Creative Bloq. Among his professional and personal interests are cinema, sport, culture, and TV. A law graduate from the U.K., Adam also has a history as a practicing lawyer and a tech product researcher.
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