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Things you should rarely buy at full price: Pixels, LG phones, and smartwatches
I’m not the most frugal guy you’ll ever meet, but who doesn’t like to save a buck or two? Or, in the case of 2019’s holiday season, sometimes hundreds of dollars.
This year’s top tech was discounted for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and there are still plenty of deals to be had on smartphones, wearables, laptops, and more. Coincidentally, some of the most overpriced tech products from 2019 saw the biggest discounts this holiday season, solidifying the idea that you shouldn’t have to overpay for the latest smartphones or wearables.
Here’s a quick list of things you should generally not pay full price for.
Pixel, LG, and Motorola phones
Everybody says it, and I’ll say it again: Don’t pay full price for the latest Pixel phones, LG phones, or Motorola phones.
One of the main criticisms we had with the Google Pixel 4, 4 XL, and LG G8 was the fact that each one was overpriced at launch. Google was asking $800 for the base model Pixel 4 that was clearly overpriced and under-spec’d compared to the competition. Sure, pre-order bonuses helped alleviate some of the sting, but no one should be paying that much money for a device that received such poor reviews. Taking $200 off that price tag during Black Friday, however, made for a nice discount.
When the Google Pixel 5 or LG G9 launches, you might want to rethink that pre-order.
Same thing with the LG G8. $840 for one of the most mediocre flagships of the year? Hell no. But at $400, that’s actually a really good deal. It’s still on sale, by the way.
Motorola phones are in a bit of a different category, as they normally don’t launch with astronomical prices. But during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Motorola’s budget-friendly Moto G7 — one of the best cheap phones of the year — dropped down under $250.
This has been the case for the past few years with these brands, too. Google and LG traditionally launch smartphones at prices most would consider to be too high, then discount them a few months later to much more stomachable price tags. So, when the Google Pixel 5 or LG G9 launches, you might want to rethink that pre-order.
Smartwatches and fitness products
This one’s a bit of a mixed bag, because there aren’t many companies that have similar reputations to that of Google or LG. Still, there were a huge amount of smartwatch and fitness tracker deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday that, frankly, you might have kicked yourself over if you recently bought any of the devices at full price.
Case in point: the Misfit Vapor X. This device launched in September at a ridiculous $279. The price was so high that we told you not to buy it. During Black Friday, though, you could get your hands on one for $179. Even today, the Vapor X received another discount, and you can buy it for $144.
Also read: The best new smartwatches you can buy this holiday season
It’s a similar situation with just about every Garmin watch that launched this year. The Garmin Venu and Vivoactive 4 are some seriously great fitness wearables, but wow are they pricey at $400 and $350, respectively. For Black Friday and Cyber Monday you could pick them up for $299. These are also still on sale if you’re interested.
Other good wearables received discounts, too. The Fossil Gen 5 dropped to $205 (now up to $219), the Fitbit Versa 2 was going for $130, and the Galaxy Watch Active 2 was on sale for $229.
The moral of the story: If you’re looking for a wearable around the holiday season, wait for it to go on sale.
Accessories, Bluetooth speakers, smart speakers, and televisions
I’ll keep this one short and sweet. Here are a few other frequently discounted products you should really never be paying full price for:
- Smartphone cases from major brands like Otterbox, Spigen, Speck, and others
- Bluetooth speakers and headphones like the Galaxy Buds or Jabra Elite Active 65t
- Smart speakers: These things are on sale all the time. The Google Nest Hub, Nest Mini, and Echo Show are still all on sale at various retailers.
- Smartphone chargers, USB cables, and power banks
- Televisions
How can I find the best deals?
Read Android Authority. No, but really! We do our best to pass along the best deals we can find around the web, and we really hope it helps you find better deals on the tech you’re interested in.
If you’re always looking for the best deals possible, camelcamelcamel is a super useful website for checking up on Amazon price history. There’s even a Chrome extension.
Related: Here are the best times to buy a new phone and save big money
Honey is also a must-download Chrome extension that notifies you of any coupon codes for that order you’re about to place. Seriously, it’s saved me hundreds in 2019 alone.
The Price.com Chrome extension is also useful if you don’t mind shopping at other retailers. Just pull up the product listing you’re looking for, hit the Chrome extension, and it’ll find you the best deal available right now.
Of course, you should probably buy products at full price if you, like, really need a new device, or if you absolutely can’t wait for it to go on sale. Hopefully, next time you’re ready to hit that pre-order button, you’ll have a second thought about overpaying.