Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday: The Battle for 2024’s Top Tech Deals

Coca-Cola is under fire for using AI to create a Christmas ad that many criticized as lacking creativity and human touch. While the company defended blending AI with human storytelling, critics argue AI disrupts the holiday sentiment and risks sidelining artists.

A peek into today’s addition:

Your tech guide for Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Tech Byte: A PS5 pizza warmer and a Minecraft theme park
Will Google part ways with Chrome?

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are here, and while tech gift guides are everywhere, I’m here to spotlight the best deals, must-have gadgets, and a peek into the data behind these shopping events.

IRL vs. Online Shopping

There will always be immediate gratification when you shop in person and can take your purchases home instantly, but shopping from the comfort of your home has its perks, too. Most notably, you don’t have to fight the crowds, long checkout lines, and limited stock. On the flip side, you’ll miss the doorbuster deals and hands-on testing experiences, but a wider selection and extended sales online are sometimes superior.

In 2023, Cyber Monday drove $11.3 billion in online sales compared to $9.12 billion on Black Friday. Cyber Monday reigns superior by the dollars, but both shopping events kind of vibe off of each other. For instance, some stores run hybrid shopping models by letting shoppers buy online and pick up in-store. Conversely, the two shopping events show different data for peak shopping times. Online traffic peaks mid-morning and evening, while in-store shopping peaks when doors open.

Data on top purchases during BFCM varies, but one trend stands out: Electronics consistently lead as the most popular category.

On Black Friday, shoppers mainly buy smartphones, laptops and tablets, 4K smart TVs, gaming consoles and accessories, and home appliances. On Cyber Monday, shoppers are purchasing streaming devices and smart home tech, wireless earbuds and headphones, laptops plus work-from-home gear, online subscriptions, and wearable tech.

This year, I’m running a personal experiment and doing vibe checks at major stores like Target, Best Buy, and Apple on Black Friday to see firsthand how they operate during the chaos. I’m also curious to track how in-person Black Friday deals impact online Cyber Monday deals for companies with physical stores and online shops. For example, Best Buy and Target often provide early online access to sales, but in-store experiences may include exclusive promotions.

This year, Black Friday falls on Nov. 29, and Cyber Monday is on Dec. 2.

The Tech Deals to Watch

Many outlets like Engadget and TechCrunch have gathered more extensive lists worth checking out, but here are my unsolicited top 10 tech deals and shopping notes to be mindful of during BFCM:

Amazon is running a Black Friday Week from Nov. 21-29 before running Cyber Monday specials on Dec. 2.
If you’re looking for a new laptop, the Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 chip dropped down to $844 on Amazon.
Walmart is running deals on gaming consoles, accessories, and games, including a more than 50% discount on EA Sports’ College Football 25 for $30 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox.
You can find up to 50% off headphones and speakers, up to $200 off Apple devices, and many other deals on electronics at Target.
Bose knocked $150 off its QuietComfort headphones, bringing them down to $199. I’d advise you not to sleep on this one!
LG‘s 65-inch 4K Smart TV is going for 45% off on Amazon, taking it down to $1,496. The device includes a magic remote powered by Alexa.
As always, Best Buy has the best deals on cameras, including $100 off of the popular Sony ZV-E10 vlogging camera.
Business Insider gathered a comprehensive list of deals on streaming services, with big deals from Amazon Prime Video and various Disney+ bundle options.
The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are 20% off, knocking the lowest price down to $239.20. If you want a more hands-free experience when capturing short-form content, I highly recommend grabbing a pair.
The Google Store is running many deals on Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit devices, including $100 off the newly launched Pixel Watch 3. The 41mm is going for $279.99, and the 45mm is going for $329.99.

I have two fun bits for you this week because I genuinely didn’t see either coming. Pizza Hut Canada created a 3D print of a Pizza Warmer designed to fit on top of a PlayStation 5 and utilized the heat from the gaming console. In other news, the classic video game Minecraft is getting a US theme park that could open for business by 2027.

The rumors are true. On Wednesday, the Justice Department asked a judge to force Google to sell off its Chrome browser, which Bloomberg reports is worth up to $20 billion. The proposal comes after Google lost a big federal court case in August that deemed it an illegal monopoly in the search engine market.
Meta announced some major upgrades across its family of apps. The big tech giant is testing recommendation resets for all Instagram users, adding new features, including AI backgrounds and audio messages to Messenger, and adjusting Threads‘ algorithm to prioritize accounts users already follow.
Comcast announced that it’s spinning off select cable networks, including MSNBC, SyFy, and CNBC, into a publicly traded, independent media business that will launch next year. Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes will also move over to the new company, while NBC, Bravo, Telemundo, and streamer Peacock will continue operating under Comcast.
Aside from some big wins across its streaming service, Netflix was hit with two new lawsuits this week. First, a class action lawsuit was filed in Illinois, alleging Meta quietly shut down its Facebook Watch streaming platform after striking an anti-competitive agreement with Netflix in exchange for Netflix sharing its customer data and ad spend metrics. The big streamer also faces multiple class action lawsuits for its glitchy Mike Tyson–Jake Paul boxing match.
New money is rolling in. Anthropic raised another $4 billion from Amazon and made Amazon Web Services its primary training partner. Smart ring maker Oura raised $75 million in new funding, valuing it at over $5 billion, and announced a new partnership with medical device maker Dexcom.
Bose acquired audio systems leader McIntosh to push into the high-end luxury audio market and tap into a new customer base. As part of the deal, Bose also acquired Sonus Faber, and McIntosh will continue manufacturing audio equipment.

Nvidia became the most valuable company in history this month after its market cap briefly eclipsed $3.6 trillion. Given its steady ascent, I’m betting Nvidia will reach a $4 trillion market cap by 2025, surpass Apple, and permanently secure its position as the most valuable company.