Which One Really Has the Best Black Friday Deals?

Walmart and Target are both slashing prices in the hopes that you’ll spend your hard-earned Black Friday dollars with them this year. But we’re not made of money; let’s see which retailer has the best deals in some key categories.

When Do the Deals Start?

Walmart’s official Black Friday event begins online at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 27 and in stores on Thanksgiving Day, beginning at 6 p.m. local time. For those who can’t wait, Walmart.com has some “Buy Now” Black Friday deals today, and more “Pre-Black Friday” deals on Nov. 22.

Target will kick off its in-store event at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Stores will be open until 1 a.m. on Black Friday, Nov. 29, then reopen at 7 a.m. Of course, you can always skip the in-store hassle and shop online.

Black Friday TV Deals: Target vs. Walmart

Here in the US, you can usually score the best TV deals ahead of the Super Bowl, but if your living room is crying out for a new massive television, there will be a few deals on offer at Walmart and Target.

At Walmart, you can nab a 65-inch Vizio 4K set for $398, a $130 discount, as well as a 50-inch Walmart-brand Onn TV for $150.

A 50-inch and 55-inch Samsung 4K set will be $278 and $328, respectively, at Walmart—both $50 discounts. Target will have the same Samsung 4K sets for $279.99 (50-inch) and $329 (55-inch), so basically the same prices. In stores at Target, a 55-inch 4K Element Roku TV will be $279, though Samsung is usually better in terms of brand satisfaction.

Smart Speaker Deals: Target vs. Walmart

If you’re looking to add a smart speaker to your home this year, Target is the place to check for Amazon Echo discounts. It’ll have the third-gen Echo Dot for $22 (down from $49.99), the Echo Show 5 for $49.99 (down from $89.99), and the third-gen Amazon Echo for $59.99 (down from $99.99).

If you prefer the Google Assistant, Target will have the original Google Home for $49 (currently $79) and the original Home Mini for $19 (currently $25).

Walmart is not currently selling any Amazon Echos, but it too will have the Google Home Mini for $19, and it will throw in a $5 Vudu credit. You can also get a Google Home Mini + Google Chromecast + $10 Vudu credit bundle for $35 (save $29). The Lenovo Smart Clock will also be on sale for $39 (save $40).

Deals on Smart Home Devices

Whether you want to keep tabs on your holiday package deliveries or have a robot vacuum clean up your Thanksgiving dinner mess while you blow your kid’s college fund on Black Friday deals, Target and Walmart are at your service.

Target:

Walmart:

Black Friday Deals on Games and Consoles

Video games and game consoles are usually a good bet for Black Friday savings, but Walmart has a slight upper hand over Target this year.

Walmart is teasing lots of $30 Nintendo Switch games, several of which are the cheapest they’ve ever been. Target has similar titles for $30 (Mario Odyssey, Mario Aces, Zelda: Breath of the Wild), but not as many.

Both retailers will have a Nintendo Switch Mario Kart 8 bundle for $299 and the Gears 5 Xbox One X bundled for $350, though Target throws in a $40 gift card with the purchase of any Xbox console.

Though the PS5 is on the horizon for 2020, neither Store is offering a discount or bundle on the Playstation 4 Pro.

Smartphones

In recent years, Black Friday deals on high-end smartphones have mostly included trade-in offers or gifts cards alongside a full-price purchase. Target is not offering deals for Sprint users, which could make a difference for some. Walmart’s gift cards are also much higher and seem like the obvious choice.

Target

• $200 gift card with activation on AT&T or Verizon: iPhone XS, XS Max, iPhone 11 Pro Max, 11 Pro, and 11

• $400 gift card with activation on AT&T or Verizon: Samsung Galaxy S10+, S10, or Note10+

Walmart

Walmart is offering gift cards with activations on Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon.

• $450 gift card with the purchase of an iPhone XS

• $400 gift card with the iPhone XR or XS Max

• $300 gift card with the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, or 11 Pro Max

• $450 gift card with the Galaxy S10, S10+, or Not 10+

• $300 gift card with the Galaxy S10e or Note 9

• $100 gift card when buying an iPhone 6s on Straight Talk or Total Wireless

Walmart is also offering up to $250 in additional gift cards if you trade in a device.

This article originally published at PCMag
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