Posted inTechnology

The best early Black Friday laptop deals include MacBooks, Galaxy Books, and more ahead of Cyber Monday

November 16, 2022

UPDATE: Nov. 3, 2022, 1:00 p.m. EDT This story has been updated to include the latest deals and pricing changes ahead of Black Friday.

  • BEST MACBOOK DEAL: The M1 Pro Apple MacBook Pro is a 14-inch workhorse from late 2021 with a gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display — $1,599.99 $1,999.99 (save $400) + get 4 months of Apple Music, 3 months of iCloud+, and 3 months of Apple TV+ for free

Black Friday season is always a major moment for laptop deals — and 2022 is no different. As early as mid-October, well before the official holiday shopping celebration, retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target started dropping Black Friday deals. And sure enough, laptops were a major part of those deal drops.

While Microsoft and Dell still largely seem to be holding out on us, plenty of other big brands, including Apple, Samsung, Asus, Lenovo, and Razer, are giving us a head start on holiday savings. Whether you’re looking to snag a laptop for someone on your list, or you need to upgrade your own setup, we’re compiling a list of the best deals on laptops as we inch closer to Black Friday.

What are the best Black Friday laptop deals (so far)?

That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? As you probably could’ve guessed, it’s panning out to be a huge year for Apple; we found some recent MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models at discounts way beyond the usual $100-off range.

If you’re more of a Windows or Chrome OS person, some big lines from each laptop brand are also seeing price cuts — think Lenovo IdeaPad, HP Spectre, and Asus TUF, as well as Samsung Galaxy Books. There’s definitely something for everyone, and chances are that you’ll be able to save a good amount on whatever laptop you’ve had your eyes on lately.

We’ll be updating this list regularly through the official Cyber Weekend, so check back often if you don’t already see what you’re looking for.

Best MacBook deals


Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch Laptop (M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

Credit: Apple


Our pick: Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch Laptop (M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)
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$1,599 at Best Buy (save $400) + 4 months of Apple Music, 3 months of iCloud+, and 3 months of Apple TV+ for free



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Why we like it

Even the base model for the M1 Pro MacBook Pro is, as Mashable’s Joseph Volpe put it, “a glorious beast of a machine.” The downside? It’s crazy expensive, with a starting price of $1,999. While it’s primarily a video editing and graphics workstation, this $400 discount at Best Buy makes it more affordable for everyday laptop users. (At the time of writing, it’s sitting at $300 more at Amazon.) Released at the end of 2021, the 14-inch MacBook Pro uses the 70 percent faster M1 Pro silicon chip, includes an updated Liquid Retina XDR display, a 1080p FaceTime camera, a MagSafe power cable, more ports, and the return of physical function keys. It’s truly a powerhouse of a machine designed for creators.

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Best gaming laptop deals


Razer Blade 15 Advanced Gaming Laptop (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

Credit: Razer


Our pick: Razer Blade 15 Advanced Gaming Laptop (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)
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$1,401.40 at Amazon (save $1,198.59)



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Why we like it

The Razer Blade 15 Advanced model is packed with solid internals that’ll work well for PC gaming newbies and seasoned players alike. Under the hood, you’ll get a 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10875H processor with up to 5.0 GHz max turbo and 8 cores, as well as an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 graphics card that has the power to run some pretty visually intense games. The 300Hz screen provides buttery-smooth frame rate performance and offers full HD visuals within a bezel-less display. It’s all housed within a thin, compact body that you can take anywhere. At $1,401.40, it’s less than 2 bucks away from its lowest price ever at Amazon.

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Best Chromebook deals


Asus C304 14-inch Chromebook (Intel Dual-Core Celeron N3350, 4GB RAM, 32GB eMMC)

Credit: Asus


Our pick: Asus C304 14-inch Chromebook (Intel Dual-Core Celeron N3350, 4GB RAM, 32GB eMMC)
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$89 at Walmart (save $190)



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Why we like it

At such a low price, you’d expect kind of a piece of junk, but the Asus C304 is anything but. Rugged, spill-resistant, and running Chrome OS, you’ll have quick and easy access to all the basics — web browsing, email, document editing, and more. It also can last up to 12 hours on one charge and can lay flat for easy collaboration, which is pretty good for less than $100. It won’t be able to power extreme video editing or graphics apps, but it serves as an ideal companion for students.

More Chromebook deals

Note: Discounts on Chromebooks that are convertible laptop/tablet hybrids can be found in the “Best 2-in-1 laptop deals” section (below).

Best 2-in-1 laptop deals


Asus 2-in-1 14-inch Chromebook Flip C433 (Intel Core M3-8100Y, 8GB RAM, 64GB eMMC)

Credit: Asus


Our pick: Asus 2-in-1 14-inch Chromebook Flip C433 (Intel Core M3-8100Y, 8GB RAM, 64GB eMMC)
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$179 at Best Buy (save $200)



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Why we like it

Less than $200 for a laptop that doubles as a tablet? Sign us up. The Asus 2-in-1 14-inch Chromebook Flip C433 is already at its Black Friday price at Best Buy, so there’s no reason not to snag it now. This model packs an Intel Core M3-8100Y processor, 8GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage, which is pretty powerful for a Chromebook — especially one at this price point. Its 14-inch four-sided NanoEdge display gives you the most screen area in the least physical space, while its two full-function reversible USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C ports, single USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A port, and microSD card slot give you plenty of options for connectivity and storage.

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Samsung laptop deals


Samsung 15.6-inch Galaxy Book Pro (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

Credit: Samsung


Our pick: Samsung 15.6-inch Galaxy Book Pro (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD)
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$704 at Amazon (save $395.99)



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Why we like it

Though it was released in 2021, the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro is still an excellent laptop. This particular configuration packs an Intel Evo Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and an extremely generous 512GB of storage. Weighing in at less than 2 pounds, it’s the ultimate travel laptop. Yet, despite its portability, it offers a gorgeous 15.6-inch AMOLED display. You’ll also get up to 20 hours on one charge, making this the ideal workhorse for those folks who are constantly on the go. At $704, it’s not exactly its lowest price ever, but still a great deal.

More Samsung laptop deals

Even more laptop deals

How to shop for a new laptop

Choosing a laptop is entirely dependent on what you’ll be using it for. Beginner laptop owners need something user-friendly and straightforward, frequent travelers need something light with a long battery life, designers and gamers need top-notch 4K graphics and quick central processors, and everyone needs something that will last. 

The first thing you should do is ask yourself a simple question: PC or Mac? This is an important question, as it’s going to make a world of difference in what you can and can’t do with your computer. Are you a gamer? A video editor? A business professional? An Apple device owner? The answer to any of these will probably point you towards your final answer. If you’re constantly buying the new iPhone every year, editing YouTube videos, recording a podcast, or other creative endeavors of the sort, your best bet may be a Mac laptop. Apple obsessives will be happy with their Mac’s compatibility with their other Apple products, and everyone can benefit from Macs’ propensity to have better virus protection than that of a PC. 

That brings us to the perks of picking up a PC. You can still complete a number of creative projects on a personal computer, but where PCs really shine are their options for customization. PCs are much easier to upgrade part-by-part, as they aren’t constrained to Apple-manufactured products (like Macs). And because there is a seemingly endless supply of PC manufacturers, there are a lot more options from what brand you chose, to the software you buy, to the type of graphics card you pick out for your gaming rig. Yes, gamers should always go the PC route — they are far more powerful than what a Mac laptop can handle, and also give you the option to connect VR headsets, if you’re into that sort of thing.  

What size laptop should you get?

This really comes down to two things: Personal preference and lifestyle. Personal preference is self-explanatory, really — do you like having a huge display, or do you prefer something more compact? Lifestyle is where practicality comes into play. If you’re traveling often and usually have your computer on your back in some way, you’re going to want to go with something more light and compact (thin, 11-inch models will most likely be the best). But if you’re a huge movie buff who doesn’t normally take their laptop on the road with them, spring for a 15-inch (and higher) screen with a bulky construction so you can have epic Netflix sessions. If you’re getting a gaming laptop, you should probably “go big or go home,” as well.  

How much should you spend on a new laptop?

This is much more subjective, and at the end of the day, it’s really going to come down to your budget. But, if money isn’t the number one concern for you, you should really think hard about what you’re going to use your laptop for. Need a device with lots of power under the hood and bountiful storage space? Aim for something in the $800 and beyond range. Only using your laptop to edit the occasional Google Doc? Then you can probably get away with spending way below the $500 mark. In other words, don’t blow your savings if you don’t need to. And if you’re looking to go all out, meaning buying a laptop with every bell and whistle imaginable, you can get a monster of a machine for somewhere closer to $2,000.

Are cheap laptops worth it?

You know the old saying: You get what you pay for. But thanks to the technology boom of the last few decades, a cheap laptop can actually take you pretty far and won’t break down immediately. It’s all about knowing which one to select. Depending on what you use your laptop for the most, staying stingy might be your best option. Check out our roundups for the ones that we think are worth it — here are our favorite cheap laptop models under $500, and the best under $300.  

What does it mean when a laptop is “certified refurbished”?

Don’t let the words “refurbished” or “renewed” scare you away — these types of devices are usually perfectly viable options and can end up saving you a lot of money without sacrificing much of anything.

A refurbished device, in its simplest terms, is a product that has been bought, but then returned for some reason. Notice that we didn’t necessarily say that it was returned due to some sort of fault on the device’s part. While that can certainly be true in some cases, it isn’t always. Oftentimes, a certified refurbished laptop never even left its original packaging.

While yes, saving money is a huge benefit of buying a “refurb,” it’s far from the only reason to consider getting one. What’s great about refurbished devices is that they undergo rigorous performance tests to ensure that they are still in good condition (sometimes more strictly than the stuff coming right off the production line). There’s also a chance that any refurbished laptop you buy may have been so lightly used, that it could almost be considered brand-new (just way cheaper).

We’re big fans of buying refurbished gear for kids, especially when it comes to electronics. If you’re shopping for a laptop for a kid who is under the age of 15, then refurbished is really the way to go. For kids of high school age and beyond who are a bit more careful with their digital gear, then a new laptop isn’t as risky. Of course, it depends on the kid.