How To: All the Best Black Friday Electronics & Gadget Deals of 2013

This year, like every year before it, Black Friday sales are starting earlier than ever. A lot of stores will be opening their doors as early as 5pm on Thanksgiving to get a head start on the madness (and it really is madness).

As we've discussed in the past, one of the keys to emerging victorious on Black Friday is to plan, plan, plan. So, we've compiled some of the best deals in tech, gadgets and appliances to help you prepare for battle.

Remember, it's still early in the season, so not all retailers have released their deals yet. Here are the ones that have been released or "leaked" so far, and we'll update this post periodically as the others come out so be sure to check back. Good luck.

Amazon

Amazon started early on November 1st with a different set of deals each week, and with two Deals of the Day every day, until December 22nd. The daily specials are pretty heavily discounted, but you'll have to remember to check the site daily to find out what they are. Here are some of the other deals on electronics:

• 20% off tablets, laptops, streaming media players, and unlocked phones
• 30% off HDTVs, Bluetooth speakers, digital cameras, and portable GPS units
• 40% off Xbox 360 games and home theater systems
• 50% off headphones, flash memory, and car electronics
• $200 off Dell laptops

Check out their website for more electronics specials.

Apple

As usual, Apple has so far been silent about its annual in-store and online Black Friday specials. The company was planning to open nine stores on Thanksgiving, but cancelled the plans due to opposition from Market Directors. Some stores will be opening early at 3am on Friday, but the majority will open at 6am.

As far as predictions, though, the general consensus is that it's better to buy Apple products from resellers if you want the best deals. The Apple Store usually only offers the following deals.

• 5-10% off anything
• Free shipping on online orders

According to GottaBe Mobile, that means you can expect about $20 off the iPod Touch, $40 off the iPad Air and around $100 off the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air (no word yet on the iPhone 5s or iPad Mini). These deals will likely be available online as well.

If you want to get an early start and don't mind refurbished products, the Apple Store is offering $80 to $130 off the original price on refurbished iPad Minis. That's all we know for now, but we'll be updating as more details come out.

AT&T

AT&T is currently running a pre-Black Friday sale on several smartphones including the lowest price of the season on the iPhone 5s. All deals are contingent on a two-year contract and the $36 activation/upgrade fee still applies.

• Apple iPhone 5s 16GB - $99.99
• Apple iPhone 5c 16GB - $49.99
• Apple iPhone 5c 32GB - $99.99
• HTC One 32GB - $74.99
• Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom 16GB - $99.99
• Nokia Lumia 1520 16GB - $99.99

The iPhone 5s 16GB is also eligible for free shipping if bought online, which makes it an even better deal than any in-store Black Friday specials.

Best Buy

UPDATE: Best Buy has confirmed that they will be opening on Thanksgiving at 6pm to start their Black Friday sale, with Midnight Mystery Doorbusters unveiled online at 10pm (deals are in-store only). More doorbusters will be available in the store at 10am on Black Friday.

Here's some of what they have to offer:

• Apple iPad 2 16GB WiFi Tablet - $299.99 (normally $399.99)
• Apple $100 iTunes Gift Card - $85.40
• Xbox 360 250GB Bundle - $189.99
• Jawbone Jambox - $99.99 (normally $149.99)
• Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7" 16GB - $99.99 (normally $199.99)
• Insignia 39" 1080p 60Hz LED HDTV - $169.00 (normally $249.99)
• LG 55" 1080p 120Hz HDTV - $499.99 (normally $1000+)
• ASUS 15" Touchscreen Laptop w/ Windows 8 - $249.00 (normally $500+)
• FREE Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE Mobile Phone (AT&T/Sprint/Verizon) w/ 2-Year Service Agreement
• HTC One 32GB (AT&T/Sprint/Verizon) - $29.99 w/ 2-Year Service Agreement
• FREE Apple iPhone 4s AT&T 8GB (AT&T/Sprint/Verizon) w/ 2-Year Service Agreement
• Apple iPhone 5c AT&T 16GB (AT&T/Sprint/Verizon) - $48 w/ 2-Year Service Agreement
• Microsoft Surface 32GB RAM Tablet - $199.99 (normally $349.99)
• Nikon D3200 DSLR Camera w/ NIKKOR 18-55mm Lens - $499.99 (normally $799.99)
• 25% off Dyson vacuums

You can find the rest of the list here.

Costco

Costco's Black Friday specials will be split into three different sales. The first starts on Sunday, November 24 and is for Samsung products only. The second is the three-day in-store Thanksgiving weekend sale, and the third is the online-only offers. Here are some of the best deals from each one:

Samsung Sale: Sunday, November 24 - Monday, December 2

• Samsung 10.1" 16GB Galaxy Tab 3
• $50 off Samsung 8.0" 16GB Galaxy Tab 3
• $30 off Samsung 7.0" 16GB Galaxy Tab 3
• $105 off Samsung 2.1 Bluetooth Sound Bar w/ Wireless Subwoofer

Thanksgiving Weekend Sale: Friday, November 29 - Sunday, December 1

• HP Envy 15.6" Touchsmart Laptop - $799.99 (normally $999.99)
• Nikon D3200 24.2MP DSLR Camera Kit w/ 2 Lenses - $599.99 (normally $879.99)
• Panasonic Lumix ZS25 16MP Digital Camera w/ 20x Optical Zoom - $179.99 (normally $249.99)
• Dyson DC50 Multi Floor Plus Compact Ball Upright Vacuum - $299.99 (normally $399.99)

Online-Only Sale: Friday, November 29 - Sunday, December 1

• Dell Inspiron 15R 15.6" Touchscreen Laptop - $649.99 (normally $799.99)
• HP Envy 15t Quad 15.6" Laptop - $599.99 (normally $749.99)
• Toshiba Satellite S75 17.3" Laptop - $699.99 (normally $799.99)

See the full list here.

Dell

This year, Dell is doing an online door-buster sale that starts at midnight on Black Friday with certain items going live at 8am. Here are some of the more notable deals:

• Dell Inspiron 660s Desktop w/ Celeron Processor 4GB RAM, 500GB HHD - $199.99 (normally $299.99)
• Dell Inspiron 15, 15.6" Laptop w/ Celeron Processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB HHD - $199.99 (normally $379.99)
• Dell Inspiron 15, 15.6" Laptop w/ 3rd Gen Intel Corre i3, 4GB RAM, 500GB HHD - $299.99 (normally $449.99)
• Dell 23" Widescreen Monitor - $99.99 (normally $199.99)

You can find the full item list here.

eBay

A preview of eBay's Black Friday sale with a list of 8 items has been posted. They include:

• Apple iPad Mini 16GB WiFi Tablet - $239.00
• Call of Duty: Ghosts - $39.99
• Sony PlayStation Vita - $149.99
• Canon EOS Rebel T3i w/ 18-55mm IS II 18MP DSLR Camera - $419.99
• $100 Target Gift Card - $90
• Western Digital My Passport 2TB External Hard Drive - $89.99

See the full ad here.

GameStop

GameStop will be officially opening at 5am on Black Friday with over 4,000 locations starting at midnight on Thanksgiving. They, too, had their list of specials leaked early this year and it's all good news for anyone who wants to snatch up a PS3 or Xbox 360 at a discount before the new consoles come out on the 15th. Here's what they're offering:

• Xbox 360 250GB Bundle - $199.99
• PlayStation 3 250GB Bundle - $199.99
• $50 off Pre-Owned PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 Slim
• PlayStation Plus Membership - $29.99
• Xbox Live Gold 3-Month Subscription - $14.99
• 10% off Beats by Dre
• 16GB Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1" Tablet - $299.99

There are also a bunch of discounted games for PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Wii, PC and more, so check out the full list to see the rest.

Home Depot

Home Depot is running a Pre-Black Friday Appliance Sale starting November 10th. This includes major appliances and home items like washers and dryers, refrigerators, microwaves, and vacuum cleaners. You can find the full list of all 54 items and pricing here.

Macy's

Macy's is opening at 8pm on Thanksgiving Day to kick off Black Friday specials with door-buster prices available from 8pm Thursday to 1pm Friday and again on Saturday from 7am to 1pm.

Some of the best appliance specials include:

• KitchenAid 4.5-qt. Classic Plus Tilt Head Stand Mixer (KSM75SL) - $199.99 after Rebate (normally $349.99)
• Cuisinart 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker - $39.99 (normally $129.99)
• 25% off Assorted Dyson Vacuum Cleaners

Head over to the Macy's website to see the rest.

Microsoft

As with Apple, Microsoft has yet to officially release any information on Black Friday sales, but it's predicted that the Surface 1 and Surface Pro 1 will be some of the best tablet deals around in 2013.

Earlier this year, the 32GB Surface 1 with Windows RT was temporarily sold for $314 (it's currently $349.00), so a lot of people think that price will probably come back for Black Friday. As for the 64GB Surface Pro 1, it's already been discounted down to $699.00 with the Surface Pro 2 out now, so don't expect much there.

Last year, Microsoft only offered small discounts on the Touch or Type Cover when purchased with a Surface, so expect that deal to pop back up.

UPDATE: Microsoft has released its Black Friday Deals for The Microsoft Store. Here are some of the highlights:

• Dell Inspiron 15z Touchscreen Laptop - $399
• Microsoft Surface RT 32GB Tablet - $199
• Microsoft Surface RT 64GB Tablet - $379
• Xbox 360 250GB Stingray Console - $199.99
• Xbox 360 4GB Trinity Kinect Console - $179.99
• Call of Duty: Ghosts for Xbox 360 - $39.99
• Call of Duty: Ghosts for Xbox One - $49.99
• Grand Theft Auto V - $33.99

See the full list here.

Office Depot

Office Depot's Black Friday sale starts on Thursday from 8pm to 11pm, when the store will close and reopen on Friday morning at 8am. The store's online sale is available all day on Thanksgiving.

• Google Nexus 7 16GB Tablet - $199.99 (normally $229.99)
• Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16GB Tablet - $169.99 (normally $269.99)
• Apex 7" 4GB Tablet - $49.99 (normally $79.99)
• HP Pavilion 17.3" TouchSmart Laptop - $369.99 (normally $669.99)
• Dell Inspiron 15.6" Touchscreen Laptop - $349.99 (normally $549.99)
• Canon Powershot 16MP Digital Camera - $69.99 (normally $99.99)
• Monster DNA Earbud Headphones - $49.99 (normally $99.99)
• Westinghouse 39" Class LED HD TV 1080p - $179.99 (normally $299.99)
• 15% off all iTunes Gift Cards

See the full ad here.

Office Max

Office Max is offering several "sets" of deals starting at 8pm and 11pm on Thanksgiving and ending at 2am. Additional doorbuster deals will be starting at 5am on Black Friday. Here are some of the highlights.

Thanksgiving Day 8pm to 2am

• Double Power 7" 4GB Tablet - $46.99 (normally $99.99)
• HP Pavilion TouchSmart 15-n034nr Notebook PC - $399.99 (normally $479.99)
• Dell Inspiron Slim Tower Desktop w/G470 Intel Celeron - $199.99 (normally $349.99)

Thanksgiving Day 11pm to 2am

• HP Pavilion TouchSmart 14-n014nr Notebook PC - $319.99 (normally $449.99)
• Lenevo IdeaTab 10.1" Tablet, MTK MT8389 Quad Core Processor, 16GB HD, IPS Display - $199.99 (normally $229.99)

Black Friday

• Epson Expression Premium XP-800 Small-in-One Printer - $99.99 (normally $279.99)
• Azpen (A909) 9" 8GB Android Tablet - $89.99 (normally $149.99)
• HP Pavilion 17" Labtop w/ AMD Elite Quad-Core, 4GB RAM, 750 HD - $349.99 (normally $499.99)
• Toshiba N2810 Touch Screen Laptop - $299.99 (normally $379.99)
• Lenovo Ideapad S510p Touch - $499.99 (normally $699.99)
• Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 16GB Tablet - $169.00 (normally $269.00)
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1" 16GB Tablet (White) - $299.99 (normally $359.99)
• Garmin Nuvi 42LM 4.3" GPS - $99.99 (normally $129.99)

See the full ad here.

RadioShack

Unlike some of the bigger stores, RadioShack will actually start its Black Friday specials on Black Friday at 8am. A list of 124 sale items for the store leaked a few weeks ago, including:

• Garmin nuvi 50LM 5" GPS w/ Lifetime Maps - $89.99 (normally $149.99)
• Beats by Dre Pill Wireless Speaker - $149.99 (normally $199.99)
• Canon PowerShot A2500 16.0MP Digital Camera (Black) w/ Free 8GB SDHC Card & Case $79.99 (normally $109.99)
• Auvio Home Bluetooth Speaker (White) - $79.99 (normally $129.99)
• McAfee Internet Security 2014 for 3 PCs - $9.99 (normally $69.99)
• Skullcandy Hesh 2.0 Headphones - $29.99 (normally $59.99)

You can find the rest of the leaked list here.

Staples

Staples is planning a week-long sale starting Sunday, November 24, with some items and deals exclusive to Black Friday. They've posted a 4-item preview on their website including the following items:

• Samsung Galaxy S4 16GB Android Cell Phone w/ 2-Year Service Agreement - $49.99
• Kindle Fire Tablet - $79.00
• HP Chromebook - $179.99
• Toshiba Laptop w/ AMD A4 Processor - $249.99

Like Target's ad, the specific details of the items have not yet been disclosed. If the Kindle tablet is the 16GB version, then Staples will have beaten Best Buy's price by $20. More details to come.

Target

Target's Black Friday Deals are going on November 28th-30th, with an early special for gamers to celebrate the release of the PlayStation 4. Starting November 10th (according to a leaked ad), they'll be running a Buy Two, Get One Free Promotion on select PS4 games.

The titles include Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Battlefield 4, and Madden NFL 25. The rest of Target's Black Friday deals have not yet been released.

UPDATE: Target's Black Friday ad has been posted. Here are some of the highlights:

• Apple iPad Air 16GB Wi-Fi Tablet - $479
• Apple iPad Mini 16GB w/ WiFi - $299.99 (normally $459)
• Apple iPhone 5s 16GB (Verizon or AT&T) w/ 2-Year Service Agreement - $179.99
• Element 50" 1080p 60Hz LED HDTV - $229 (normally $599.99)
• Samsung Galaxy S4 (Verizon or AT&T) w/ 2-Year Service Agreement - $39.99
• Beats by Dre Solo Headphones - $119.99 (normally $179.99)
• Nook 7" 8GB HD Tablet - $79.99 (normally $129.99)
• Samsung 40" 1080p 60Hz LED Smart HDTV - $397.99 (normally $499.99)
• Vizio 47" 1080p 60Hz LED TV - $379.99 (normally $519.99)
• FREE Target Gift Card for $30, $50, $75 or $100 with purchase of Apple iPad, iPad Mini or iPhone
• PlayStation 3 250GB Bundle - $199
• Xbox 360 Kinect Bundle w/ Kinect Sports & Kinect Adventures & 1 month of Xbox Live Gold - $189.99
• Xbox Live 3-Month Gold Membership - $10

See the full ad here.

Toys"R"Us

The Black Friday sale for Toys"R"Us starts on Thanksgiving at 5pm with door-buster prices available until 9pm. The rest of the deals are good through November 30th. Here are some of the most notable for gaming and gadgets:

• PS3 250GB with The Last of Us and Batman: Arkham Origins - $199.99
• Buy 1, Get 1 for $1 on Select Video Games (Nintendo 3DS, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)
• Kindle Fire HD 8.9" + $20 Gift Card - $179.99 (normally $219.99)
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1" (White) - $299.99 (normally $359.99)
• Polaroid V7 7" 4GB Tablet - $49.99 (normally $129.99)

You can find the full list here.

Verizon

Verizon is doing a two-item Black Friday only sale which includes a Verizon Ellipsis 7" Tablet and a Motorola Limited Edition Droid Razr HD. Both are free with a 2-year activation. The following deals are available Friday, November 29 through Sunday, December 1:

• Samsung Galaxy S4 - $99.99 w/ 2-year activation
• HTC One - $99.99 w/ 2-year activation
• Motorola Droid Maxx - $199.99 w/ 2-year activation
• Motorola Droid Ultra (Kevlar Reinforced) - $99.99 w/ 2-year activation
• All 10" Samsung Tablets - $150 off w/ 2-year activation
• Jawbone Jambox Portable Bluetooth Speaker - $99.99 (normally $149.99)
• Mophie Juice Pack Powerstation 4000 - $59.99 (normally $79.99)

See the full list here.

Walmart

As usual, Walmart is trying to beat everyone else to the punch by starting their sales earlier than ever. This year, they're running a month-long Early Bird Online Special, which started on November 1st, with new items featured each week until Black Friday. They're also selling the iPad Air 16GB for $479, but it's currently out of stock as of this writing (don't worry, there will be more).

Walmart is also offering seven special deals in addition to the rest of the Early Bird Specials. They include a 42-inch JVC LED TV for $299 and a 10-inch Xelio 4GB tablet for $49, both of which are the lowest prices the store has ever offered. The deals start right after midnight on Friday, so check the store's website then for the rest.

UPDATE: Walmart has released an ad for a Pre-Black Friday Event starting at 8am on Friday, November 22. The sale will price match some of their competitors' best Black Friday deals, including Target, Best Buy and Toys"R"Us. Here are the deals on electronics:

• LG 50" 50LN5200 1080p 60Hz LED HDTV - $448.00 (normally $598.00)
• Select Xbox One and PS4 Games including Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts - $49 (normally $59.96)
• Skylanders and Infinity Starter Packs - $37 (normally $74.96)

See the full ad here.

As for Black Friday itself, the sales will be starting at 6pm on Thanksgiving. They'll be separated into three different "events" with two sets of doorbusters on Thursday evening. Here are some of the highlights in electronics:

Doorbuster Sale (Event 1): Thursday, November 28 from 6pm to 7pm

• Apple iPad Mini 16GB Wi-Fi Tablet + Walmart $100 Gift Card - $299
• Vizio 60" 1080p 120Hz LED Smart HDTV - $688 (normally $998)
• Funai 32" 720p 60Hz LED HDTV - $98
• HP Pavilion TouchSmart 14" Laptop - $278 (normally $398)
• Call of Duty: Ghosts (Xbox 360 or PS3) - $39.96
• Xbox 360 4GB Console - $99 (normally $179)
• PlayStation 3 12GB Console - $149 (normally $199)
• PlayStation 4 System - $399 (normally $517)
• Nintendo 2DS (Blue or Red) - $99 (normally $129.96)

Doorbuster Sale (Event 2): Thursday, November 28 from 8pm to 9pm

• Beats by Dr. Dre Solo Headphones - $114.96 (normally $199.95)
• RCA 7" 8GB Dual Core Tablet - $49
• HP 7" 8GB Single Core Processor Tablet - $89
• Samsung 10.1" 16GB Galaxy 3 Tablet - $299 (normally $359)
• Emerson 50" 1080p 60Hz LED HDTV - $288
• Samsung 40" 1080p 120Hz LED Smart HDTV - $397
• Samsung 46" 1080p 120Hz Smart LED HDTV - $497
• HP Black Licorice 15.6" Laptop PC - $178 (normally $318)
• HP Pavilion 15.6" TouchSmart Laptop - $388 (normally $448)
• Nikon D5100 16.2MP DSLR Bundle w/ 55-250mm Lens - $499 (normally $649.95)
• GoPro Hero 3: White Edition w/ $30 Walmart Gift Card - $199
• Canon Powershot SX160 16MP Digital Camera - $79 (normally $169)

Black Friday Sale (Event 3): Friday, November 29 through Sunday, December 1

• iPhone 5c + $75 Gift Card (Verizon or AT&T) - $45 w/ 2-year agreement
• iPhone 5s + $75 Gift Card (Verizon or AT&T) - $189 w/ 2-year agreement
• Samsung Galaxy S4 (Verizon, AT&T or Sprint) - $99 w/ 2-year agreement
• Samsung Galaxy S III + $100 Gift Card (Verizon) - $0.97 w/ 2-year agreement

See the full ad here.

Again, more information will be released all month and we'll be updating accordingly as it comes out. Don't forget to check back and let us know any tips or awesome deals you come across in the comment section below.