No sooner had we said goodbye to the second Prime Day in Australia are we saying hello to Black Friday weekend. Easily the biggest shopping weekend of the year, Black Friday is highly likely to be your best bet for any final bargains because Christmas rolls around and we usher in the New Year.
This year, Black Friday falls on Friday 29th November and will run through until Cyber Monday on Monday 2nd December. Of course, history tells us that the majority of retailers will likely jump the gun and begin dropping deals roughly a week before the official date, so you'll want to be keeping your eyes peeled if there's anything in particular you're after this year.
As ever, we'll be keeping this page updated with the best Black Friday deals we find on TVs, home cinema, headphones, hi-fi and more. And, to further ensure you're only getting the best deals, we'll only be recommending products that have the What Hi-Fi? stamp of approval – our 2024 What Hi-Fi? Award winners will be our first port of call when we get to scouring the internet, you can be sure of that.
So, are you busting for a bargain? Looking to get your Christmas shopping in early? You have come to the right place. This regularly updated Black Friday tech sale round-up contains everything you need to know to make the most of the sale.
Editor's picks: the best Black Friday deals overall
Black Friday FAQ
When is Black Friday 2024?
Black Friday always takes place on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which means this year Black Friday falls on Friday 29th November and will conclude with Cyber Monday on Monday 2nd December.
Most retailers will want to make the most of what will typically be the busiest 24 hours of the event, meaning we can expect deals going live at midnight and running until the end of the day.
Of course, you can rest assured that Black Friday will stretch out longer than just 24 hours – those days are long gone. Instead, expect at least a week of build-up, maybe longer, from many retailers. And of course, the Black Friday sales continue through to Cyber Monday, which is always the Monday after Black Friday.
What is Black Friday?
Black Friday started life in the US, but has since become a global shopping phenomenon and has proven to be particularly popular here in Australia. It's regarded (and backed up by stats) as the busiest shopping day of the year – both online and in-store – and officially kicks off the holiday season.
Why is it called Black Friday? The date was traditionally the start of the Christmas shopping season when retailers hoped to move out of the "red" (loss) and into the "black" (profit), hence Black Friday. Cyber Monday is the online equivalent to Black Friday, and was created to give smaller websites a chance to compete with larger retailers.
What is Cyber Monday?
The term 'Cyber Monday', meanwhile, was coined by Scott Silverman and the National Retail Federation's Ellen Davis in a bid to encourage people to take their shopping online during the Black Friday event. That was back in 2005, when people needed such encouragement! It's always the Monday after Black Friday.
How long will Black Friday last?
Technically, Black Friday itself is just 24 hours and it's the same for Cyber Monday. But, as with other major sales event, there is always a deluge of deals during the entire shopping weekend, and usually a week prior.
Are Black Friday deals any good?
Usually, yes. However, we have found in our experience of covering more Black Friday shopping weekends that we care to admit that some retailers may end previous discounts so that it looks as though you're getting a good deal come the end of November. In reality, you're just getting the same discounted price that had been available throughout the majority of the year.
There are no doubt exceptions to this rule, and Black Friday can certainly be the shopping event that delivers the biggest and best discounts. And that's where we come in, as we have the experience to know if the prices being offered throughout the weekend are actually any good.
If there are any products you're going to be paying particularly close attention to, whether it be a shiny new TV or a pair of headphones, you may already have a good idea of the maximum price you'd be willing to pay.
What Black Friday deals can you expect?
LG OLED TVs, JBL Bluetooth speakers, Sony wireless earbuds and Bose headphones, Alexa and Echo devices, Apple AirPods... you get the picture. Some of the most popular products of the year are almost guaranteed be on offer at pretty much every electronics retailer during Black Friday 2024.
Previous big-sellers over Black Friday also include the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), Sony WH-1000XM5 and WF-1000XM5, Amazon Echo and Fire products, Bose wireless earbuds and noise-cancelling headphones, UE speakers, Naim Mu-so products, Denon AV receivers, OLED TVs and plenty more.
It's fair to say Australia doesn't have quite the same expansive network of retailers as our friends in the UK or US, which can occasionally limit the number of deals we see, but you can still be sure of a good selection of knock down prices.
Where do you get the best Black Friday deals?
A good number of 4K TVs, smart and Bluetooth speakers and wireless headphones will almost certainly be on offer at pretty much every electronics retailer, while soundbars and hi-fi components are also likely to make an appearance in sales across the board (albeit perhaps in lesser quantities).
The likes of JB Hi-Fi and eBay will always go big on games console bundles ahead of the holiday season, and as OLED continues its dominance in the premium TV market, some cheap OLED TV deals are likely on the cards too.
Even though Amazon Australia has its fun with Prime Day and various other smaller events throughout the year, we don't see the online retail giant missing out on the Black Friday sales. In fact, to compete with all the other retailers, it is often a go-to destination for choice deals and lowest prices during Black Friday. Those looking to buy into or build upon an Amazon Alexa ecosystem will be able to save money on the Echo speaker range, as pretty much every Echo, Fire TV and Fire tablet device get generously discounted that weekend.
Retailers such as Sony and LG will also likely host Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts on their own websites, too, so they could undercut third-party retailers prices for OLED TVs and soundbars.
