Tech / Technology

Best laptop deals ahead of Black Friday: MacBooks, Dell Inspiron, Alienware, and more

Posted on:

Here’s a running list of the best laptop deals from top brands like Apple, Alienware, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Razer, and more as of Oct. 28.
a close-up of a woman in striped shirt typing on a 15-inch apple macbook air at a wooden counter

UPDATE: Oct. 28, 2023, 5:00 a.m. EDT This story has been updated with the latest laptop deals, pricing, and availability.

A quick look at this week’s best laptop deals:
Best laptop deal under $300

Dell Inspiron 15 3520 (Intel Core i3-1215U, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

$299.99 at Dell.com
(save $80)

the Dell Inspiron 15

Best laptop deal under $600

Dell Inspiron 16 5635 (AMD Ryzen 7 7730U, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD)

$599.99 at Dell.com
(save $400)

the Dell Inspiron 16 5635

Best laptop deal under $900

Apple MacBook Air, 13.3-inch (Apple M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

$749.99 at Amazon and Best Buy
(save $249.01)

the 13-inch m1 apple macbook air

Best laptop deal under $1,200

Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (Apple M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

$1,049 at Amazon and Best Buy; extra $50 off for paid My Best Buy members
(save $250)

the 15-inch apple macbook air

Best laptop deal over $1,200

Alienware x14 R2 (Intel Core i7-13620H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD)

$1,699.99 at Dell.com
(save $300)

the Alienware x14 R2

The only thing better than a great laptop is a great laptop that’s on sale. To help Mashable readers find their next computer, we’re compiling a running list of the best laptop deals across major retailers right here every week. From the latest Apple MacBooks to cheap Chromebooks for homework, versatile 2-in-1s for streaming and drawing, and premium gaming machines with a ton of horsepower, read on for our top picks as of Oct. 28 (categorized by price) — including a handful of early Black Friday laptop deals at Best Buy and Dell.

Best laptop deals under $300


the Dell Inspiron 15

Credit: Dell


Our pick: Dell Inspiron 15 3520

$299.99 at Dell.com (save $30)

Why we like it

This Dell Inspiron 15 features a 12th-generation Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, and a 15.6-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s a spec sheet we rarely see at this price point: Most cheap, entry-level PCs under $300 have dinky Intel Celeron N Series CPUs, 4GB of RAM, pokier eMMC flash storage, and 60Hz refresh rates. It’s down to $299.99 on Dell’s website (normally $379.99) during its Black Friday Sneak Peek sale — that’s a fantastic price for these specs.

More laptop deals under $300

Best laptop deals under $600


the Dell Inspiron 16 5635

Credit: Dell


Our pick: Dell Inspiron 16 5635

$599.99 at Dell.com (save $400)

Why we like it

Dell’s 16-inch Inspiron laptop also punches above its current price point with 16GB of RAM (up from the 8GB we typically encounter in models under $600), a whole terabyte of storage, and a peppy AMD Ryzen 7 7730U processor — it’s stellar for multitasking. We spotted it on sale for just $599.99 on Dell.com, which is 40% off its suggested retail price of $999.99.

More laptop deals under $600

Best laptop deals under $900


the 13-inch m1 apple macbook air

Credit: Apple


Our pick: Apple MacBook Air, 13.-inch (Apple M1)

$749.99 at Amazon and Best Buy (save $249.01)

Why we like it

The 13-inch MacBook Air from late 2020 nabbed a Mashable Choice Award upon release for its zippy M1 chip, quiet fanless design, and 18-hour battery life. We’re still recommending it three years later as the best budget MacBook, and right now you can buy its 256GB base model for $749.99 (normally $999) via Amazon and Best Buy. That matches its record-low Prime Day price from July, which has been holding relatively steady ever since.

Read Mashable’s review of the Apple MacBook Air (2020).

More laptop deals under $900

Laptop deals under $1,200


the 15-inch apple macbook air

Credit: Apple


Our pick: Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch

$1,049 at Best Buy (save $250); extra $50 off for paid My Best Buy members

Why we like it

This year’s 15-inch version of the M2 MacBook Air upgrades it with a slightly larger (but just as pretty) Liquid Retina display and two extra speakers (six instead of four). Best of all, it still only weighs about three pounds. Best Buy and Amazon both have the 256GB model marked down to its all-time low of $1,049 (normally $1,299), though the former shaves an additional $50 off for paid My Best Buy members as part of its Black Friday Early Access sale.

Read Mashable’s review of the 15-inch Apple MacBook Air.

More laptop deals under $1,200

Laptop deals over $1,200


the Alienware x14 R2

Credit: Alienware


Our pick: Alienware x14 R2

$1,699.99 at Dell.com (save $300)

Why we like it

The Alienware x14 R2 earned an Editor’s Choice Award from the experts at PCMag (which is owned by Mashable’s publisher, ZiffDavis), who deemed it “a near-flawless compact gaming laptop.” This especially beefy configuration comes equipped with a 14-inch QHD+ 165Hz display, a 13th-gen Intel Core i7 H-Series processor, 32GB of RAM, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics; it should be able to plow through demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Starfield. You can snag it for $1,699.99 (down 15% from its $1,999.99 MSRP) when you order it directly through Dell’s website.

More laptop deals over $1,200

Tech / Technology

Amazon Luna gaming controller deal: Take 29% off

Posted on:

The Amazon Luna wireless gaming controller is on sale for $49.99, or 29% off, at Amazon as of Oct. 27.
Amazon Luna wireless gaming controller pictured with laptop on a desk

SAVE $20: The Amazon Luna wireless gaming controller is on sale for $49.99 at Amazon. With a regular list price of $69.99, that’s 20% off.


Amazon Luna wireless gaming controller

Credit: Amazon


Amazon Luna wireless gaming controller

$49.99 at Amazon (save $20)

If you haven’t tried out Amazon’s cloud gaming service, Luna, now is the perfect time. You can get a wireless controller made just for the Luna experience for less today.

The Amazon Luna wireless controller is $49.99, down from $69.99, at Amazon as of Oct. 27. That’s $20, or 29%, off. We’ve seen the controller drop to $39.99 before, but the last time the price dropped that low was in January. We wouldn’t recommend sleeping on today’s savings.

SEE ALSO:

Our favorite tech gifts: Stocking stuffers, kitchen gadgets, and gaming galore

It’s important to note that in order to stream your favorite games through Amazon Luna, there are a few things that you’ll need in addition to the wireless controller. First, you’ll need a Luna+ subscription, which costs $9.99 per month. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can play some games (like Fortnite and Trackmania) without a Luna+ subscription.

Once you establish your subscription, you’ll need a compatible streaming device. Fortunately, you probably already have one of these: the Luna controller connects to your device through the cloud, so you can move seamlessly between any of your PC, Mac, Fire TV, iPhone, iPad, Android, and select Samsung smart TV devices.

Score the Amazon Luna controller today for $20 off and bring a whole world of gaming to your fingertips.

Tech / Technology

Samsung early Black Friday deals have already started on its 2023 Neo QLED TVs

Posted on:

Some Samsung Black Friday TV deals are already live and mostly focus on the brand’s 2023 QLEDs. The best ones include the 85-inch Q80C QLED for $1,999.99 and the 55-inch QN85C Neo QLED for $999.99.
Samsung TV with ocean screensaver on TV stand in living room

Several Samsung TVs on sale have already been marked as Black Friday deals, and we expect more to quietly pop up in the coming weeks. Here are our favorites so far:

Best early Samsung Black Friday deals
Best QLED deal

Samsung 85-inch Q80C QLED TV

$1,999.99 at Samsung
(save $1,300)

Samsung TV with blue abstract liquid screensaver

Best Neo QLED deal

Samsung 65-inch QN90C Neo QLED TV

$1,699.99 at Samsung
(save $1,100)

Samsung TV with purple abstract liquid screensaver

Best OLED deal

Samsung 65-inch S90C OLED TV

$1,599.99 at Samsung
(save $1,000)

Samsung TV with pink and red abstract water screensaver

Samsung’s Black Friday sale is already live, apparently — at least on the TV side of things. But you wouldn’t know that from glancing at the website.

Rather than any mention of early Black Friday deals on the home page, several of the brand’s 2023 QLED, Neo QLED, and OLED releases have quietly been christened with a red or blue “Black Friday deal” tag. Many other Samsung TVs are still on sale for Samsung Week, but not confirmed at Black Friday prices. The sale prices with the tag, however, are very believably Black Friday-ish. Discounts range from 26% to 42% off, which shakes out to $1,000 to $2,000 off in some cases — most being even further discounts than the already-good sale prices we’ve been seeing from Samsung when tracking the best TV deals from all brands for the week.

SEE ALSO:

Everything you need to know about Black Friday 2023: The first early deals arrive in late October

As far as we can tell, there’s not a way to sort deals by the Black Friday tag alone. Maybe there’s some sort of science behind consumer behavior when they feel like they’ve stumbled across a magical early Black Friday deal when they weren’t looking for one. At any rate, we’ve gone through and pulled them all out here:


Samsung TV with blue abstract liquid screensaver

Credit: Samsung


Our pick: Samsung 85-inch Q80C QLED TV

$1,999.99 at Samsung (save $1,300)

Why we like it

Of the handful of 80-or-more-inch Samsung TVs on sale this week, we think the opportunity to snag the 85-inch Q80C QLED for under $2,000 is the best bang for your buck.

The Q80C is Samsung’s most advanced QLED before meeting the more expensive Neo QLED side of the family, still packing nearly 100 local dimming zones for the meticulous pixel-by-pixel brightness necessary for watching sports in the daylight. The Q80C is also a stellar gaming TV complete with advanced gaming features like a 120Hz refresh rate and VRR support.

More early Black Friday TV deals from Samsung

Tech / Technology

Samsung Galaxy S7 deal: Save up to $150 at Best Buy

Posted on:

As of Oct. 27, you can get a Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE for up to $150 off the usual price at Best Buy — your purchase will also come with some extras, including three-month subscriptions to Xbox Game Pass, YouTube Premium, and a six-month membership to Norton 360.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE

SAVE UP TO $150: As of Oct. 27, you can get a Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE for up to $150 off the usual price at Best Buy. Your purchase will also come with some extras, including three-month subscriptions to Xbox Game Pass, YouTube Premium, and a six-month membership to Norton 360.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 deals
64GB

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE

$399.99 at Best Buy
(save $130)

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE

128GB

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE

$449.99 at Best Buy
(save $150)

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE

256GB

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE

579.99 at Best Buy
(save $100)

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE

We know what you’re thinking: If you already have a laptop, why on Earth would you need a tablet? And that’s actually a pretty good point, but we’re big proponents of having both. (Hellow portability!) Plus, they’re fun to use — who doesn’t love a good touchscreen?

If you’re thinking of hopping on the tablet train and don’t want to immediately jump to an iPad, we think the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is a fantastic alternative. At the time of this writing, you can get one on sale at Best Buy for up to $150 off the original price, and it comes with some fun extras including three-month subscriptions to Xbox Game Pass, YouTube Premium, and a six-month membership to Norton 360. (Amazon also has the Galaxy Tab S7 FE on sale for the same price, but you won’t be getting the bonus perks.)

SEE ALSO:

The best laptop deals for October 2023, from MacBooks to gaming PCs

While newer versions of the Galaxy Tab have since been released, the S7 is still a more-than-worthy tablet for plenty of people. It comes with a large, high-quality touchscreen, which is paired with Samsung’s fan-favorite S Pen — perfect for taking notes, drawing doodles, and regular web browsing. The battery life is also pretty impressive, clocking in at around 12 hours on a single charge (that’s comparable to most iPads, if not better). It’s all brought together by the device’s Qualcomm SM7225 Octa-Core processor, which will allow you to work, browse, and stream at the speeds you’d expect from a great tablet.

Tech / Technology

Buy a Samsung Galaxy S23 FE, get a $100 Amazon gift card

Posted on:

As of Oct. 27, you can score a $100 gift card when you buy a Samsung Galaxy S23 FE at Amazon.
Samsung Galaxy S 23 FE

GET A $100 AMAZON GIFT CARD: As of Oct. 27, Amazon is offering a $100 gift card when you purchase a Samsung Galaxy S23 FE in any storage capacity (128GB or 256GB).


Samsung galaxy s23 fe cell phone and gift card

Credit: Samsung


Samsung Galaxy S23 FE cell phone (128GB) + $100 Amazon gift card

$599 at Amazon

Looking for a new phone without breaking the bank? Amazon and Samsung have teamed up to offer a $100 Amazon gift card with the purchase of a Samsung Galaxy S23 FE.

For a limited time, you get a $100 Amazon gift card just for buying a new Samsung Galaxy S23 FE. The 128GB model is $599.99, and the 256GB model is $659.99. With most smartphones costing upwards of $1,000, this is a pretty sweet deal for anyone on a budget.

The Galaxy S23 FE is a great phone, too. It has a powerful processor, a beautiful display, and a versatile camera system. It’s also packed with features like a long-lasting battery and a fast-charge system.

SEE ALSO:

Samsung Galaxy S24 rumors: Every single thing we know so far

What’s even cooler is that the Galaxy S23 FE has a built-in object eraser, so you can remove unwanted objects from your social media photos without using a third-party app. This can be a huge time-saver for social media managers, influencers, or anyone else who wants to post perfect photos without spending hours editing them.

Get a new phone plus a little something extra at Amazon while this deal lasts.