Black Friday isn’t here yet, but deals are already starting to pop up. Chromebooks see some of the best prices during Black Friday because $100 or $200 off an already-low cost makes for some really great price points. Now is a great time to spring for a Chromebook or Chromebook Plus device, as we’ve seen lots of upgrades and new features in ChromeOS this year.
Also: The best Black Friday deals so far
With manufacturers rushing to adopt AI-powered features, Chromebooks have the upper hand with their lean and snappy operating system. Our top five devices listed here represent some of the best bang for your buck on the market today. If you’re looking for a new light-and-lean Chromebook, we pulled together the best sales from HP, Acer, Lenovo, Asus, and more.
Our favorite early Chromebook deals for Black Friday 2024
- Lenovo IdeaPad 3i Chromebook: $129 (save $120 at Best Buy): The quintessential budget work Chromebook, Lenovo’s IdeaPad 3i is adaptable and portable, with 4GB of memory for a price you can’t argue with.
- HP 15-inch Chromebook Plus (Full HD): $399 (save $100 at Best Buy): HP’s Chromebook Plus is a staple for college students. It’s got an Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of memory, and a full HD display.
- Asus CM14 Chromebook: $166 (save $113 at Amazon): Featuring an anti-glare display and HD webcam, Asus’ CM14 is a budget Chromebook that’s great as a secondary device for handling web browsing and email.
- Acer Chromebook 315: $569 (save $130 at Best Buy): If you’re looking for a mid-range convertible Chromebook, this model from Acer has a traditional 14-inch display that folds back into “tent” or tablet mode. The 8GB of memory and Intel Core Ultra 5 processor allow for multitasking and speedy web browsing.
- Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 Chromebook 2-in-1: $219 (save $160 at Best Buy): Lenovo’s previous models of the Duet are on sale, featuring the detachable keyboard that enables the device to swap between laptop and tablet mode.
- Current price: $129
- Original price: $249
Lenovo’s IdeaPad 3i is a staple Chromebook that couldn’t be more affordable for basic tasks. Whether you’re a student looking for a note-taking device, or a hybrid worker that needs a portable machine for checking emails and work messages, the IdeaPad 3i is durable, lightweight, and great bang for the buck.
- Current price: $399
- Original price: $499
Best Buy has a great deal on HP’s 15-inch Chromebook Plus right now, bringing all the new features in ChromeOS to a mid-sized laptop with a Full HD display. The Intel Core i3 processor and 8GB of memory keeps the price point low, and right now it’s $100 off.
- Current price: $166
- Original price: $279
Asus is known for its great displays, and this Chromebook is no exception for the price. The 14-inch anti-glare display and lightweight form factor comes with an HD webcam for videoconferencing, while the 4GB of RAM is sufficient to handle basic tasks.
- Current price: $569
- Original price: $699
If you’re looking for a mid-range Chromebook Plus with a convertible form factor, Acer’s Spin 714 has an Intel Core Ultra 5 processor paired with 8GB of RAM for snappy performance in ChromeOS. This is a device you could definitely do some cloud gaming on, and the touchscreen display opens up a handful of use cases.
- Current price: $219
- Original price: $379
With the release of Lenovo’s Duet Chromebook Generation 9, previous models are seeing some big price reductions — and they’re still great Chromebooks, especially for these prices. The Duet is famous for its ultraportable form factor and detachable keyboard, making the swap from laptop to tablet a breeze.
More early Black Friday Chromebook deals we recommend
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook: $139 (save $90 at Target): If you’re looking for maximum portability, Lenovo’s aptly named Slim 14 has 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and weighs less than 3 pounds.
- HP 14-inch Chromebook Plus x360: $429 (save $120 at Walmart): If you’re looking for a good deal on a mid-range 2-in-1 Chromebook, HP’s Chromebook Plus x360 has all the new ChromeOS features, a convertible form factor, and touch display with 8GB of RAM.
- Asus Chromebook Flip C433: $359 (save $40 at Amazon): This Asus 2-in-1 features a display with ultra-thin bezels, making for a premium-looking visual device with a roomy 64GB of storage and 8GB of RAM.
- Samsung Chromebook 4: $200 (save $50 at Amazon): With the release of Samsung’s new Chromebook Galaxy Chromebook Plus, its older versions are heavily marked down. This mid-range ultraportable Chromebook features a nice 11-inch display and over 12 hours of battery life.
- Asus Chromebook with Detachable Keyboard: $229 (save $70 at Best Buy): Similar to Lenovo’s Duet, this compact Chromebook has a detachable keyboard and can act as a tablet or a laptop, while weighing a diminutive 1.9 pounds.
FAQs
When is Black Friday?
Black Friday occurs the day after Thanksgiving. This year, it’s on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024.
When is Cyber Monday?
Cyber Monday falls on the Monday immediately after Black Friday. This year, it’s on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024.
Are laptop deals really better on Black Friday?
Absolutely! Amazon has added tons of devices from all the big brands over the past few years to hype up their Black Friday sales events, and they’ve gotten quite good. For example, when Amazon first started selling Apple’s MacBooks and MacBook Pros at discounted rates, it was one of the first online retail outlets to do so.
What’s the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
Black Friday has traditionally been a more general sale day to kick off the holiday shopping season. Cyber Monday specifically refers to sales offered by online retailers that aren’t available in physical brick-and-mortar stores. These deals are often sharply discounted, as retailers can adjust prices far more easily online than on physical products on a shelf.
How did we choose these Black Friday deals?
There are tons of Chromebook deals out there, but we only highlight products we’ve either gone hands-on with personally or would consider ourselves. For example, laptops and Chromebooks come in a myriad of configurations and versions. If we’ve tested one model that we recommend, but a lower- or higher-end configuration is on sale, we’d still feel confident recommending it.
We also looked over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the deals we’re recommending. Our recommendations may also be based on our own testing — in addition to extensive research and comparison shopping. The goal is to deliver the most accurate advice to help you shop smarter.
Where can you shop the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals?
The biggest retailers for laptops (that also have the best sales) are Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, and B&H Photo Video, and many of our top-rated sales come from these destinations.
What are the best Black Friday 2024 deals?
ZDNET’s experts have been searching through Black Friday sales live now to find the best discounts by category. These are the best Black Friday deals so far, by category:
You can also find the best Black Friday deals by price:
And the best Black Friday deals by retailer:
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