5 tech gadgets you should buy in February
Like many of you, I love to shop and, like everyone, I love to save money. That means I'm always on the lookout for great deals at my favorite stores. I sign up for every deal email I can, and regularly pop onto RetailMeNot and other coupon sites.
I also keep a close eye on the calendar, and not just for the big shopping holidays like Memorial Day. The month you shop can make a big difference in what kind of deals you can get for certain items. For example, it makes sense that summer brings the best deals on winter clothes, but does technology have similar rules? It does. Let's take a look at what kind of deals on tech you can find in February.
Before we look at specifics, remember that President's Day is on February 15 this year, which means a nice three-day Valentine weekend. However, President's Day is also a day for sales, and historically more than 30% of the sales are on electronics.
Office Depot, Staples and Dell Small Business typically offer coupons for $10 to $50 off entire purchases. If you've got your eye on a tech gadget, I'd wait until at least the middle of the month to buy. There are, however, one or two exceptions I’ll cover.
1. TVs
Aside from President's Day and Valentine's Day, the other big event of February is the Super Bowl, which is on February 7 this year. Of course, retailers know you don't want to watch the biggest game of the year on a tiny TV, so they offer deals on newer, bigger TVs. Learn what else you need besides a nice TV to throw the best Super Bowl party of the year.
Unlike Black Friday, these deals focus more toward larger sets and more recognizable brands like Samsung, Sony and LG. Depending on the TV, you can save anywhere from $100 to 40% or more. So it's a good time to buy a new TV for your living room, and shuffle your current TV off to a bedroom.
Before you hit the store, make sure you know the general details of what you want, such as size, 4K vs. 1080p, smart vs. dumb, etc. Read my comprehensive TV buying guide to help you figure out the answer to these questions and more.
2. Smartphones
In general, February isn't the best time to buy a smartphone. New models are often announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, or shortly afterward, but aren't available until spring. You typically want to wait until those go on the market so you can buy today's models at a steep discount. For example, if you're looking at a Samsung Galaxy S6 or S5, you should wait for the S7 to become available in a few months. Then, both of those models will drop another hundred dollars or so.
That being said, around Valentine's Day you'll often see "his & hers" offers on smartphones and cellular plans. With Verizon, for example, if you buy a Droid Turbo 2 or Droid Maxx you get 50% off a second one. It's also offering $200 off on iPads and deals on smartphone accessories like battery cases.
You might find similar or better deals from other carriers, so be sure to look around as Valentine's Day approaches. If you need new smartphones now, the savings could be enough to make them a good buy.
3. Tax software and service
Tax season is here and even though you have until April 18 to file (yes, it's the 18th this year), tax preparation companies are already trying to grab your attention. They do that by offering services and software at a discount, or special promotions.
TurboTax, for example, is knocking at least $20 off every tier of software, while H&R Block is giving away $1,000 to 1,000 people every day. TaxAct is offering free state filing in addition to free federal filing on simple tax returns. Learn more ways to file your taxes for free.
4. Computers
Historically, February is a good month for buying computers. With new models appearing at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, retailers offer deals on older models to try and clear the shelves for new items. You might not get as many deals as the back-to-school sales over the summer, but it's still a good time to buy.
This year, there's another reason to buy. Microsoft has announced that computers running the latest Intel processors (6000 series), and any new processors going forward, are not going to support any Windows version other than Windows 10. That doesn't mean older versions of Windows will magically stop working, but you might not get the full performance of the hardware, and you might run into driver glitches, especially for video.
If you're looking to buy a Windows 10 computer and install Windows 7 or 8.1 on it, now's a good time to buy an older model before they leave the stores. Be sure to grab a model with an Intel 5000 series processor for the best compatibility and performance.
5. Fitness trackers
If you're in the mood to get fit, a fitness tracker like the Fitbit or Jawbone makes a good workout companion. You should be able to get them fairly cheap this month as well. Plenty of retailers stocked up on them in December to capitalize on the "lose weight/get fit" New Year's resolutions. Now that January has come and gone, they need to get rid of the rest. Check out my fitness tracker comparison chart to see which fitness tracker is right for you.
More thoughts
As I said above, there are going to be plenty of other tech deals this month if you keep your eyes open. Make a list of things you want and the current prices. That way, you'll know what kind of deal you're really getting. You can even use a site like CamelCamelCamel to keep track of prices for you and let you know when they drop.
On the Kim Komando Show, the nation's largest weekend radio talk show, Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today's digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website at Komando.com. Email her at techcomments@usatoday.com.