What Is The Best Time Of The Year To Buy New Technology?

Are you obsessed with technology and happy to stand in line for hours in order to be one of the first to purchase the newest Apple device? Electronic gadgets permeate all aspects of our life whether it is the latest Samsung Android Smartphone or the latest wearable contraption from Sony.

Like any other industry, tech has its seasons. There are regular times of year when shiny new things arrive to replace those that have lost their luster.

Smartphones

Smartphones are a staple of our lives as advances in telecommunication technology has been unimaginable in recent years. For 2016, the number of Smartphone users in America is estimated to reach 207.2 million.

In the United States, the most popular brands are Samsung and Apple.1 One of the most eagerly anticipated purchases for most people is to be the first to own a new Apple iPhone. The crowds that line up outside the Apple stores worldwide are infamous.  These are the Apple groupies that are committed to becoming one of the first to lay their hands on the newly unveiled creation.

Apple is a pretty easy company to predict. Its release schedule is established now, with only the odd variation appearing from time to time. For the past few years the latest iPhone model has made its debut around the third week of September.

Usually on a two year contract with phones, it makes sense that new models are released every year to ensure that those whose contracts are maturing will upgrade to the latest model and stay with the same platform.

April has been known as “Android Month.”  For example, Samsung’s Smartphones also follow a predictable pattern, although are on a different timeline than Apple. The Samsung Galaxy S7 was announced in March 2016 and shipped in April, which is the same timing as the previous three years. Samsung Electronics leads the global market in high-tech electronics manufacturing and digital media so their products are often in high demand.

Many industry experts suggest that it pays not to jump on the bandwagon.  Some of the best phone deals happen in the months after a smartphone initially goes on sale. If you don't need the latest and greatest right now, it's worth holding out for a bit until prices fall.

Personal Computers

The experts at PC World suggest, “There are four best times of the year to buy a laptop or desktop PC. The first three are the holiday shopping season, the back-to-school period in August and September, and inventory clearance time in late January and February. The fourth time is …when a new technology is introduced, the channel typically tries to flush the older stuff…”  Consumer Reports agrees with this logic stating that “January, July, and October are usually good times to shop; new models show up in stores at those times, meaning older inventory must be cleared out to make room.” 

It makes sense…the end of summer is the time of year when students head off to universities and it is a great time stock up on new machines to take them through their educational adventures. There are often deals available in August as the back to school promotions kick in.

Many retailers, like Microsoft, Apple and Sony may  also give exclusive discounts to actual students.

To save even more money, look for bundle deals. These usually include a laptop or workstation PC along with things like antivirus software and/or printer. If you need all of these items, bundle packages are a great way to save money.

Although there is never going to be a perfect date for buying a new computer. Prices are subject to change all the time – they could go up and down without warning.

Consumer Reports also states that “Our subscriber surveys have generally found online retailers superior to walk-in stores for selection and price.”2 You can save money by using coupons and forum sites such as CouponsCodePlus.com.

Tablets

Tablets are a budget-friendly technology product that can often provide a good option from computers. The popularity of tablets has grown where over 20% of the US population owns and uses a tablet,  such as Sony’s slim and lightweight Xperia Tablets.

The tablet sector’s growth for Samsung, Apple and other models is exploding to the point that it is estimated that in 2017 global shipments of tablets are expected to reach 276 million units.

Although Apple products are rarely discounted, the timing for iPads is similar, but slightly later than Apple iPhones. For the past four years, new Apple iPad models shipped in late October or early November. For the 2014 holiday season, Apple iPad sales reached a massive 11 billion dollars in revenue just from iPad sales.

An ideal time to buy tablets and desktop computers as stores want to attract shoppers before back-to-school shopping kicks into high gear.

Other Technology Gizmos

Be prepared for an onslaught of unique devices throughout 2016 such as the Sony Xperia Ear that reads out messages, notifications, weather, news and more.

New innovations such as virtual reality headsets, new video game releases, 4K television sets and other head-spinning inventions have not yet established a pattern for finding the best deals.  It is predictable that these latest technology discoveries will likely have attractive deals for the holidays on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  These two days are well known for having the largest sales and best discounts.

However, the latest technology and electronic merchandise often have limited quantities of products available at special prices.  So be a shrewd shopper and grab discounts and deals quickly on those items you simply cannot live without or the latest gadgets to indulge your family.

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1. http://www.statista.com/statistics/201182/forecast-of-smartphone-users-in-the-us/

2. http://www.pcworld.com/article/140740/article.html

3. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/computers/buying-guide.htm

4. http://www.statista.com/statistics/256277/ownership-and-personal-use-of-tablet-computers-by-country/

5. http://www.statista.com/statistics/269912/worldwide-tablet-shipments-forecast/