Tech deals and bargains to look out for this Black Friday weekend in Singapore

Unlike what its name portends, Black Friday is not a day remembered for being grim or dark. ’Tis a deeply American tradition, where devotees worship a god called consumerism every fourth Thursday of November. Fun fact: the day has marked the beginning of America’s Christmas shopping season since as far back as 1952. 

While the shopping holiday doesn’t hold as much cultural importance for Singaporeans, it has done nothing to stop corporations from getting on the Black Friday bandwagon to spread the gospel of capitalism via deep discounts and bountiful bargains. 

Typically, Black Friday refers to brick-and-mortar store sales and Cyber Monday (which takes place the following Monday) refers to online sales, but these days — particularly in Singapore — the lines between the two are blurred. So what we have here is an entire four-day shopping spree that’ll kick off this Friday (Nov 29). 

It’ll be, ladies and gents, the perfect time to splurge on the latest gizmos and gadgets you’ve had your eye on all year. May the gods have mercy on our smart wallets. 

Also, no need to worry about the series of chaos commonly seen across the United States during Black Friday. Heck, you might not even need to step outside when the clock strikes midnight on Nov 29. Here’s a compilation of what’s in store for tech heads. 

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Amazon

Of course, I had to mention Amazon up top — it’ll be the first time the online retail titan holds its Black Friday event in Singapore. It was only last month that Amazon (finally) launched its digital outpost here, and even though its range of products may not be as tremendous as its American brethren, the offerings in the realm of electronics are still respectable enough.

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• Prime members get early access to Black Friday deals today (Nov 27).
• Spend $60 with a DBS/POSB Mastercard and you’ll get a $10 Amazon Gift Card.
• Free domestic delivery with no minimum spend on eligible items.
• Access to millions more products that you can't find here available via the Amazon International Store. Free international delivery for orders over $60 (if you’re a Prime member).
• Kindle e-readers get their prices slashed hard.
• Best time to choose from a wide array of clicky mechanical keyboards, from cheap Monoprice sets to premium Massdrop beauties. 
• Save 50 per cent on a X-mini Xoundbar Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker
• AmazonBasics house-brand products are both cheap and great — good to stock up on regular everyday stuff like cables, batteries and computer accessories.

Lazada

Lazada busted out the big guns this year — the homegrown e-commerce brand has teamed up with Metro (yes, the department store) for its Black Friday sales. And that means an assembly of atas kitchenware and home appliances up for grabs.

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• Up to 90 per cent off on products from Mayer, World Kitchen, Dyson, and M.Maison via the Metro Singapore store on Lazmall.
• Up to 70 per cent off in Lazada’s Online Tech Show, with 70 percent off consumer tech and accessories.
   

Shopee

Yes, the online retailer’s cringeworthy Cristiano Ronaldo/Baby Shark ad probably shouldn't have been produced in the first place, but at least Shopee does have some decent tech deals coming this Friday. 

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• Shopee Electronics Exclusives sale, including slashed prices on the Acer Swift and Dell’s P2319H Monitor.
• Awesome deals across Marshall products, with deep discounts on all speakers, earphones, headphones… and shades? 
• Crazy Flash Deals offer up to 90 per cent off prices for Nintendo Switch (Gen 2, the one with a bigger battery) consoles, 43” LG smart TVs, Roborock robot vacuum cleaner, and Dyson Cyclone V10.
• Huge promos on Razer peripherals, including big discounts on Razer’s best gaming mouse DeathAdder Elite (only $49.90), lauded gaming mechanical keyboard BlackWidow Elite ($169.90), and chunky gaming headphones Kraken Tournament Edition ($99.90).

Qoo10

While Qoo10 doesn’t rank up that high when it comes to bookmarked e-commerce sites (they really gotta work on improving their user interface), their Black Friday Official Digital Brands sale is something to keep your eye on, especially when it comes to audio devices.

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• Truly wireless earbuds galore, including Sony’s excellent WF-1000XM3 ($249 instead of $359), Jabra’s sports-ready Elite Active 65T ($298 instead of $497), and Sennheiser’s elegant Momentum ($279 instead of $469). 
• Nintendo DS Lite for $49.90, if you want a cheap handheld console. Alternatively, a 2-for-1 deal on Nintendo Switch games. 
• Gaming keyboards from ASUS and Acer that’s as cheap as $58.

Courts

Courts is going all in for its Black Friday x Cyber Monday sale with discounts of up to 90 per cent off on its online store and its network of 14 physical stores across the island. They didn’t even waste any time — the Pre-Black Friday sale has been going on since Nov 22. 

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• Apple Watch Series 3 with GPS + Cellular is going at $399 instead of $619.
• Google Nest Hub going for only $119 instead of $189.
• Up to 15 per cent discounts on laptops and desktops.
• Best time to get TV soundbars, including the excellent Sonos Beam which is currently going for $549 instead of $699. 
• Courts Online to offer major discounts and exclusive early bird specials on IT and electrical appliances across the entire site for 10 hours once the clock strikes midnight on Nov 29. 
• Between Nov 29 to Dec 2, customers visiting stores can enjoy bundled gifts like 4K smart TVs with tiered spending from as low as $499. 

Harvey Norman 

Harvey Norman didn’t want to wait for Black Friday too and launched their sale earlier this week on Monday (Nov 25). The range on offer at the furniture and electronics retailer range is pretty similar to Courts, but it's easier to navigate Harvey Norman’s website because the deals are all plopped onto one page. 

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• Up to 59 per cent off for TVs with pretty decent deals for Sony’s 4K smart TV range.
• One of the best wireless mouse known to man — the Logitech MX Master 2S — is only $89.10.
• Kitchen appliances get up to 60 per cent off while home appliances get up to 70 per cent off, so this would be the best time to replace old household items.

Gain City

In case you’re not aware, Gain City has a special deal on home appliances for new homeowners, so you don’t really have to wait for Black Friday to furnish your fresh abode. Their Pre-Black Friday sale has already started (surprise, surprise), which offers 15 per cent off prices site-wide. 

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• Apple products get big discounts, including iPads, AirPods, and MacBook Pros. 
• No air conditioner yet in your home? There’s a sale that has units going for 40 per cent off across various brands. Plus, Gain City prides itself on its aircon installation, servicing, and repair so you can trust 'em to handle cooling solutions at home. 

PlayStation

Not wanting to be left out of the joyous shopping soiree, PlayStation will be dropping deals on PS4 console bundles, games and accessories that’ll be available at all authorised dealers, Sony stores and consumer electronics retailers across the island. 

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• Need an extra controller? Dualshock4 wireless controllers are going for $59.90 instead of the usual $79.90.
• Up to 80 per cent off best-selling game titles on the Playstation Store, including Red Dead Redemption 2 and FIFA20. 
• Authorised retailers will have Marvel’s Spider-Man, Concrete Genie, Days Gone and Left Alive for just $28.90 each.
• Console bundles for football fans: FIFA20 packaged together with 2 wireless controllers and a choice of a PS4 Pro ($569) or a PS4 ($419).
• A care package for those who want to experience some of the best games of the current console generation: The Last of Us (Remastered), God of War, and Horizon Zero Dawn. For $389, they come alongside a PS4, a wireless controller, a 3-month Playstation Plus membership. 

Google

Google is keeping their cards close to their chest — they’ve yet to reveal any inkling of what will be on sale this Friday. Nonetheless, there will be Black Friday deals on the Google Store, and you can sign up to stay updated on them. Probably a good time to get their array of smart home stuff like the Nest Mini, Nest Hub and Nest Wifi for cheaper than usual. 

Lenovo

The tech company has a Black Friday sale of its own on its website, with discounts of up to 20 per cent on select PCs. 

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• Up to $80,000 worth of products during the Lenovo Gifting Season giveaway.
• Savings of over $1,600 on selected PCs.
• Online exclusive deals on Lenovo’s beloved ThinkPad laptops. The ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2, for example, starts at $2,207 after a $1,212 price slash. 

Fitbit

Give your loved ones the gift of health and wellness — or at least something to aid them towards it. Being synonymous with activity bands for a long time, Fitbit has dived into the world of smartwatches with their Versa series, and the brand’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale would be the best time to get one strapped around your wrists. 

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• Just $98 (instead of $118) for the slim Fitbit Inspire or top up a little more to get the Fitbit Inspire HR for $128 to get advanced stats with a heart rate sensor. 
• The Fitbit Versa and Fitbit Versa Special Edition get $80 shaved off their usual prices. 
• The fancier Fitbit Ionic won’t cost a bomb anymore during the sale season — $348 instead of $418. There’s an Adidas Edition that’ll go for $388 instead of $458. 
• Fitbit Versa 2 will be a steal at $205, but you’ll have to get it shipped from overseas via Amazon.

Funan

Despite trying its hardest to veer away from its past as a tech mall, Funan can’t resist a big shopping gala with something called the Greatest Of All Time (G.O.A.T) Black Friday sale. 

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• Free parking at Funan after 6pm with $30 spent from Dec 1 onwards.
• Get CapitaLand vouchers when you earn enough points from purchases made at the mall.
• Exclusive daily deals at participating stores including T K Foto, the MI Store, Lenovo and more. 
• $100 off for all digital drums and digital pianos at Cristofori.

Alan Photo

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Alan Photo’s a familiar name for Singapore’s photographers, videographers, and camera enthusiasts, and the homegrown retailer’s own Black Friday super sale returns to its Sim Lim Square branch this week. It's offering up to 80 per cent off everything you need to capture images and videos. 

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• Accessories up for grabs in a giveaway contest.
• Nearly every major camera and lens brand is participating in the sale, including Leica, Sigma, Ricoh, Canon, Sony, etc. 
• Camera bags going from as low as $9.90.
• Major discounts for Varavon camera sliders.

SITEX 2019

If we’re talking tech deals on Black Friday, can’t miss out doing a shout out to SITEX 2019 this weekend, the last consumer electronics expo of the year. It’ll be two entire halls at the Singapore Expo dedicated to all things tech and gaming, and it’ll be a great opportunity for families to get some Christmas shopping in before the holiday season. 

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• Huawei’s own wireless earbuds with noise-cancellation go on sale for $238 with a generous gift bundle.
• A whole array of discounted Logitech gaming peripherals, including keyboards, mice, and headphones. 
• Underrated TV brand TCL offering their top-notch screens for as little as $249. 
• Seagate storage drives for cheap. A 4TB drive at $129 instead of $269; a 5TB drive at $159 instead of $329. 
• Free engraving services with every purchase of the (very cool) triple black edition of the Klipsch T5 True Wireless Earphones, which will have a $50 price cut.
• Usual suspects Aftershock PC, Omnidesk and Prism+ are going all out for the final tech expo of the year with exclusive deals and big discounts that’s super hard to ignore and exceptionally tempting.

ilyas@asiaone.com