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Best 'Black Friday' 2017 Ad Deals: Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Target And Walmart

This article is more than 6 years old.

Black Friday 2017 is nearly here and I have been facing off some of the biggest retailers in my Vs Series: Walmart Vs Amazon, Best Buy Vs Target, Kohl’s Vs Costco, Amazon Vs Best Buy, and Walmart Vs Target. But now it is time to break out the very best Black Friday deals while warning you away from the worst. Here is my big break down of Black Friday 2017’s winners and losers...

This post was done in partnership with BestBlackFriday.com, which specialises in unearthing holiday season sales. Deals highlighted on this page are independently chosen editorial picks and linked to for your convenience. BestBlackFriday may earn affiliate commissions that support its work.

Walmart

Note: you can find more of my dedicated Black Friday store guides here: Apple (guide), Kohl’s (guide), Macy’s (guide), Microsoft (guide), Samsung (guide), Target (guide), Walmart (guide) and JCPenney, Macy's, Dell, HP and Groupon (group comparison).

Star Buys

If you are interested in one of the products listed below then this is the best Black Friday deal you will find on it and it’s the one to buy. Deals are grouped by retailer and deals are/will go live at each product link.

  • Amazon - Amazon Echo Dot for $29.99 (save $20) - product link - This Echo Dot deal is cheaper than Prime Day’s price of $34.99 and Black Friday’s 2016 Price of $39.99. In fact this is the lowest price ever for the Echo Dot and therefore a Star Buy.
  • Amazon - Amazon All-New Echo for $79.99 (save $20) - product link - This is a new model, but the original Echo was available for $89.99 on Prime Day 2017 and $139.99 on Black Friday 2016 so it’s better than all previous offers for its predecessor.
  • Amazon - Amazon Echo Plus for $119.99 (save $30) - product link - This is new for Black Friday 2017 and it’s a very good deal on what will be a red hot product.
  • Amazon - Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote for $24.99 (save $15) - product link - A new price low as this bundle was not discounted at all on Prime Day 2017, while it’s previous low was $29.99 on Black Friday last year.
  • Amazon - Free Amazon Prime Membership Trial - sign-up link - Receive free two-day shipping on most items including those for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This is a must have to get the best access to Amazon Black Friday deals and it can be cancelled with no change inside 30 days letting you get all your holiday sales shopping done first.
  • Best Buy - Sharp 50-inch LED 2160p Smart 4K Ultra HD Roku TV for $179.99 (save $320) - product link - This is not only the best TV deal so far, but in my opinion it is also the top deal overall for Black Friday 2017. On Black Friday last year, Best Buy offered a 49-inch Toshiba 4k HD TV for only $199.99. This year's deal is an inch larger and $20 less expensive. This deal will not be available online.
  • Best Buy - Save $350 on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 Plus with qualified activation - product link - Target is offering the same deal but with a $300 gift card. Best Buy's direct savings of $350 is a better deal and offers more flexibility for those who may not want the limitations a gift card brings. It appears that Best Buy recently increased this offer too from $300 (as seen in the ad) to $350, it’s the best Samsung Galaxy smartphone Black Friday deal out there.
  • Best Buy - Toshiba 55-inch Class LED 2160p w/ Chromecast 4K Ultra HD TV for $279.99 (save $220) - product link - This in-store only Toshiba 55-inch 4K TV deal combines a great discount with a quality set. It also has very good reviews.
  • Kohl's - Haier 55-inch 4K Ultra HDTV + $90 Kohl's Cash for $299.99 (save $100) - product link - A 55-inch 4K Ultra HDTV for under $300 is fantastic and the $90 Kohl’s Cash means a net price of only $210! This is my second favorite 55-inch HDTV deal of the year only behind Best Buy’s Toshiba 55-inch Class LED 2160p w/Chromecast 4K Ultra HD TV for $279.99 listed above.
  • Kohl's - Microsoft Xbox One S 500GB Console + $45 Kohl's Cash for $189.99 (save $90) - product link - Best Buy and Walmart are both selling the Xbox One S 500GB Console for $189 with no incentive. Target has the same $189 price with a $25 gift card but Kohl’s offer of $45 Kohl’s Cash again makes it the clear top dog. It’s the best Black Friday Xbox One S deal.
  • Kohl's - Sony PlayStation 4 1TB Console + $60 Kohl's Cash for $199.99 (save $100) - product link - The $199 price mark for the PS4 1TB Console is the same price offered at rivals Target, Best Buy and Walmart, but the $60 Kohl’s Cash really sets this deal apart and makes it a no brainer. Again this ranks as the best Black Friday 2017 PS4 deal.
  • Kohl's - LG 49-inch 4K UHD HDR Smart LED TV (LGK-49UJ6300) + $120 Kohl's Cash for $399.99 (save $300) - product link - LG is a quality brand this is a good price, but it is the $120 in Kohl’s Cash which makes it a Star Buy. While other 49/50-inch 4K TVs are cheaper, this is arguably the best in terms of quality.
  • Walmart - Free $300 Walmart Gift Card with purchase of Apple’s iPhone X, iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus - product link  - Walmart is the only store offering a $300 gift card for an iPhone X purchase. This is a Star Buy and the Best Black Friday 2017 iPhones deal.
  • Walmart - Google Home Mini + $25 Shopping Offer for $29 (save $20) - product link - Many other stores are offering the Google Home Mini for the same $29, but the benefit of buying at Walmart is it includes a $25 Shopping offer towards a future order when bought through Google Express. With this included the net purchase price is a crazy $4.
  • Walmart - Google Home + $25 Shopping Offer for $79 (save $50) - product link - Many other stores are again matching Walmart’s price but another $25 voucher offer for purchasing through Google Express makes the net purchase price an unmatched $54.
  • Walmart - Sharp 55-inch Class 4K (2160P) Smart LED TV (LC-55P6000U) for $298 - product link - Other stores are offering cheaper 55-inch 4K TVs on Black Friday this year, but what makes this stand out is the brand and quality. Found on the first page of Walmart's ad, it is Walmart’s featured Black Friday 2017 deal.
  • Target - Target REDcard - sign-up link - REDcard holders receive 5% off already low prices for both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It’s an essential purchase if you plan on doing any holiday sales shopping at Target.
  • Target - Beats urBeats Earbuds for $49.99 (save $50) - product link - Very popular earbuds with 50% off and I can almost guarantee they will only be available in limited quantities. Star Buy if you land a pair.
  • Samsung.com - Save up to $400 with an eligible smartphone trade-in when you buy a Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note 8 - product link - This is the best Black Friday 2017 trade-in offer.

Black Friday Monday TV tip: always check the specific TV model when retailers release their deals, particularly Amazon which often hides this until the last minute. Remember even the best manufacturers have weak models in their line-up so do your research before buying.

Target

Solid Deals

Remember this is a Best Of roundup so to make it into the Solid Deals category, it’s a high quality discount you should strongly consider. Again all deals are/will go live at each product link:

  • Amazon - Amazon Tap for $79.99 (save $50) - product link - The Tap was available for $79.99 on Prime Day 2017, so the price is being matched here, but it is a popular product and it was $89.99 for Black Friday last year.
  • Amazon - Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition for $69.99 (save $30) - product link - Another deal which is no better than the Amazon Prime Day 2017 listing, but it is cost $74.99 on Black Friday last year.
  • Amazon - Amazon Fire HD 8 for $49.99 (save $30) - product link - As above, a match for Amazon Prime Day 2017, but this time $10 cheaper than last year’s Black Friday.
  • Amazon - Amazon Kindle Paperwhite for $89.99 (save $30) - product link - Another Amazon Prime Day match, but again $10 cheaper than it was during Black Friday last year.
  • Amazon - Amazon Kindle for $49.99 (save $30) - product link  - The original Amazon Kindle was available for $49.99 on Prime Day 2017 and Black Friday 2016 so while this remains a good price, it is a familiar one.
  • Best Buy - Insignia 32-inch Class LED 720p Smart Roku TV for $129.99 (save $50) - product link - Not a bad price for a 32-inch Roku TV. The brand is average but the integration of Roku’s popular platform at this price makes it a solid deal.
  • Kohl’s - Apple Watch Series 3 + $90 Kohl's Cash for $329 (no direct discount) - product link - No direct discount here so I cannot rate this a star buy. But, the $90 Kohl’s Cash makes it a very solid deal.
  • Target - Westinghouse 55-inch 4K Smart UHD TV - $249.99 (in-store only) - product link - This is the cheapest price for a 55-inch 4K TV this year and one of the cheapest that I have seen. Unfortunately for online shoppers, this deal is in-store only and it isn’t a premium brand. But you are still getting a lot of HDTV for your money.
  • Target - Polaroid 32-inch LED TV for $89.99 (save $40) - product link - This will not be the cheapest 32-inch TV this year (Amazon has one for $69.99 but is withholding the brand), still $89.99 is still a very low price for a set of this size.
  • Walmart - Element 39-inch Class HD (720P) Smart LED TV for $125 - product link - Walmart has the cheapest Black Friday deal of the year for a 39-inch TV. This is not a premium HDTV, but the price is solid.
  • Walmart - Apple iPad 32GB Wi-Fi (5th Generation) for $249 (save $80) - product link - Good discounts on Apple products are rare, but this is a good deal for a popular iPad model. It isn’t exclusive, Target offers the deal at $249.99, but you’re still pocketing an extra dollar if you buy it at Walmart.
  • Walmart - PlayStation 4 GranTurismo Sport VR Bundle for $299 (save $100) - product link - Released earlier this month, the Playstation 4 GranTurismo Sport VR Bundle is already on sale for $299 at Walmart. While many other stores have this same deal, Walmart's price follows a familiar theme being $0.99 less than competing stores.

Best Buy

Treat With Caution

Black Friday is perhaps as famous for its dodgy deals as its acclaimed discounts and it can be easy get duped by misleading savings or a fire sale on a bad product. You would have to desperately want one of these specific deals to buy it:

  • Amazon - Amazon Cloud Cam for $99.99 (save $20) - product link - Decent price but reviews are very poor. Wait for the next generation model. Instead I'd suggest you check out this dedicated Black Friday camera guide for better options. 
  • Amazon - 32-inch 720p TV (brand unknown) for $69.99 - product link - While this is a great price for a 32-inch TV, the model number is not listed, which makes it impossible to rate. It is very likely to be from a no-name brand and the quality will be subpar. Amazon is also not saying when it will go on sale, which means this TV is going to be tough to get with the limited quantities which risks buyers rushing to secure an unknown model.
  • Amazon - 49-inch 4K TV (brand unknown) for $159.99 - product link - As above, nothing is known about this TV. While $159.99 is a steal for a 49-inch 4K TV, this carries all the same risks and Amazon has not announced when it will go on sale or in what quantities.
  • Walmart - Sony PlayStation 4 1TB for $199 (save $100) - product link - This is a similar discount to most stores this Black Friday, so why should you should steer clear? Because BJ's Wholesale Club and Costco list it for $189 (membership required) while the standout deal is Kohl's which is offering the same deal but with $60 in Kohl's Cash for free. That’s the deal to buy.
  • Target - Free $250 Gift Card With Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus With Activation - product link - Not a bad deal in isolation, but Walmart is offering a $300 gift card with the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus on activation. There is no reason to sacrifice the additional $50 in gift card credit.

Black Friday 2017 is going to be the biggest Black Friday in history. Some stores have even had deals running since the start of November. But all the very best deals are still available now and many only launch on Black Friday itself. Amazon, Best Buy, Kohl’s and Walmart are leading the pack this year and I give particular praise to Kohl’s with its incredible Kohl’s Cash deals.

To keep up with all my daily Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals and analysis (and there is plenty more to come) you have two options. Either bookmark my Forbes page or navigate to it and click the ‘Follow’ button to receive email notifications for new articles.

You will also find a selection of my Black Friday 2017 coverage below while I am already starting my Cyber Monday 2017 previews.

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More Of My Black Friday Coverage On Forbes

Amazon 'Black Friday' 2017 Deals: How Good Are They?

Amazon Vs Best Buy: Best 'Black Friday' 2017 Deals

Apple 'Black Friday' 2017: Best Buy, Target, Walmart Deals

Amazon 'Black Friday' 2017 Deals: How Good Are They?

Best 'Black Friday' 2017 Ad Deals: JCPenney, Macy's, Dell, HP, Groupon, Microsoft

Best Buy 'Black Friday' 2017 Ad Deals: How Good Are They?

Kohl’s 'Black Friday' 2017 Deals: How Good Are They?

Macy's 'Black Friday' 2017 Ad: The Best Amazon, Apple, Headphones Deals

Microsoft 'Black Friday' 2017: Early Galaxy S8, Surface, Windows, Xbox Deals

Sam's Club Black Friday 2017: Breaking Apple, Microsoft, Samsung Deals

Samsung 'Black Friday' 2017: Live Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note 8, 4K HDTV Deals

Target 'Black Friday' 2017 Deals: How Good Are They?

Walmart 'Black Friday' 2017 Ad Deals: How Good Are They?