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Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2014: Deals to look out for

By Team HardwareZone - 1 Dec 2014

Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2014: Deals to look out for

It's that time of the year again! Nope, it's not Christmas, although with some of the deals we've seen, it sure feels like it, especially with both Sitex and Black Friday happening at the same time. If you've been holding out for something that you really want, there's no better time to get it than now because chances are, the prices won't be this low again for awhile.

If you have any questions about Black Friday, like what's the best way to import an item into Singapore, or if you need to pay tax, check out our Black Friday FAQ at the bottom of the page (or click here).

Apple iPad Air 2

You can often find great deals on older generation iPads on Black Friday, but amazingly, Best Buy is offering $100 off any brand new iPad Air 2. The iPad Air 2 is thinner, lighter, and more powerful, and is the first iPad to come with a Touch ID fingerprint scanner.s

  • More information: HWZ review

  • Local price: From S$688
     
  • Black Friday price: US$100 off all models

  • Available at: Best Buy

 

Microsoft Surface Pro 3

The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 combines the best features of a tablet and a notebook. Its 12-inch 2160 x 1440 pixel resolution display, Intel Core processor, speedy SSD storage, amazing keyboard and stylus make it one of the best productivity devices available, and at just 800g and a mere 9.1mm thick, it’s one of the most portable tablets out there too. Best Buy is offering up to $150 off any 128GB model or better.

  • More information: HWZ review

  • Local Price: From S$1348
     
  • Black Friday Price: US$100 - 150 off 128GB or better models

  • Available at: Best Buy

 

Playstation 4 Console with Lego Batman and Little Big Planet 3 bundle + choice of extra game and controller

For US$449, not only are you getting a PlayStation 4 console, but also a copy of Lego Batman and Little Big Planet 3. What’s more you can even pick an additional free game and they will even throw in a free controller too. However, note that the sale only goes live on 1st December 2pm PST.

  • More information: HWZ review

  • Local price: S$639 (console only)
     
  • Black Friday price: US$499

  • Available at: Walmart

 

Seagate Backup Plus Slim (2TB, USB 3.0)

High resolution audio and 4K video content are some of the reasons why we are running out of storage. Fortunately, hard disk drive manufacturers are creating higher capacity drives and 2TB is now the new yardstick of portable external hard disk drives. Although this Seagate Backup Plus Slim is not dirt cheap, it does represent significant savings.

  • Local price: S$199
     
  • Black Friday price: US$89

  • Available at: Newegg

 

AKG K 240 Studio headphones

The over-ear, semi-open headphones offer incredible dynamic range and detail thanks to the advanced XXL transducers with Varimotion diaphragms, and now they're almost half price off. Certainly a bargain by any sense of the word, so pick them up from Amazon before they're all gone.

  • Local price: S$209.90
     
  • Black Friday price: US$68.63

  • Available at: Amazon

 

Nikon D7100 with 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR & 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR + WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter, 32G SD card

This Nikon D7100 twin lens kit is incredible value given that you get two VR lenses, the WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter, and a 32GB SD card for barely more than what you'd pay for just the body alone; and that's after accounting for GST!

  • Local price: S$1510 (body only)
     
  • Black Friday price: US$1,496.95

  • Available at: Adorama

 

Disney Infinity 2.0 Xbox One

Disney Infinity 2.0 is the latest version of Disney’s answer to the Skylanders games. Using NFC tech, you can constantly add in new characters and stages by just buying new packs and then scanning them in. Infinity 2.0 adds in the Marvel Universe. Comes with $10 Xbox Live gift card.

  • Local price: S$99
     
  • Black Friday price: US$39.99

  • Available at: Microsoft Store

 

Alien Anthology Blu-ray

The Alien Anthology is bar none, one of the best values you can get, even at full price. It comes with all four Alien movies (Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection) each with theatrical release and director’s cut. The extras include hours of commentary, behind the scenes footage, scripts and tons of other stuff!

  • Original Price: US $79.99
     
  • Black Friday price: US$24.96 (Flash deal on 29/11 at 0420hrs local time will see the price drop even more)

  • Available at: Amazon

 

TomTom Runner GPS Watch

With a large display (22 x 25mm) and up to 10 hours of battery life, the tough and waterproof TomTom Runner GPS watch is, as its name suggests, designed for runners - whether you run outdoors, indoors, or on a treadmill. You can view your training progress, and use the QuickGPSFix feature to find your precise location before every run.

  • Local price: $249
     
  • Black Friday price: US$99.99

  • Available at: Amazon

 

Garmin Vivofit Fitness Band

 

The Garmin Vivofit is an activity tracker with a super-long battery life - more than 1 year, to be precise. Be it recording calories burst, tracking your step goal, or monitoring your sleep pattern, the Vivofit does it all; and you can see the stats on the LCD display. Even when you lose track of time and have been inactive for a while, a red move bar will appear on-screen to prompt you to get your rear off the chair.

  • Local price: $209
     
  • Black Friday price: US$79.99

  • Available: Amazon

 

Metro DataVac Electric Duster 500 (220V)

It's technically not a Black Friday deal, but hey you get close to 50% off! After you buy the DataVac eletric duster, there's no need to rely on compressed air to clean out your PC or keyboard. It's loud and it's strong. Just don't forget to buy the 220V version unless you want a fried motor inside.

  • Local price: Unknown / Usual Price: US$120
     
  • Black Friday price: US$64

  • Available: B&H Photo

 

Kindle Paperwhite Touch

If you don't need the latest Kindle Voyage, there's always the Paperwhite. Grab one of the best e-readers on the market at a discount during this year's Black Friday sale. Unlike the older Kindles, you can read in low light or even in the dark.

  • Local price: Unknown / Usual Price: US$119
     
  • Black Friday price: US$99.99
     
  • Available from: Amazon

 

Black Friday FAQ

When should I get an item I want?
The rule of the thumb here is that if it's on sale on Black Friday itself (and not a pre-Black Friday sale promotion), you should get it. There's a very slim chance it might be a bit cheaper on Cyber Monday (the Monday following Black Friday). If you're feeling lucky, you can stalk an item you want throughout the day since as we mentioned earlier, most sites have flash sales. Flash sales have prices that tend to offer even higher discounts over the Black Friday ones but the downside is that these sales last only a short time (hours, sometimes minutes) and the inventory assigned to them is limited. It's not uncommon for a retailer's website to crash because of the immense traffic flash sales generate, especially if it's a great item that's on sale. It happens every year and chances are it'll happen again this year too.

Will there be voltage issues with electrical products?
Yes. The US uses 110V while we use 240V for our electricity. Before buying make sure to check the voltage requirements of your item. If it's listed as 110V only, you will need a step-up transformer to safely use it. On the other hand, if the voltage requirements list it as being from 110V - 240V then you're safe.

Is there local warranty?
In most cases, no. But some retailers allow you to return your purchases to them if they fail or you're not satisfied with your item within a specific amount of time for replacement or reimbursement. Check where you bought your item to find out their return policy.

Is there tax?
Do keep in mind that anything above SGD$400 or more will incur a 7% tax
. If you're buying a single item that costs more than that, you're out of luck and just have to bite the bullet but if you're buying multiple items, you can ship them separately so that they don't end up costing more than SGD$400 total.

What do I do when an item won't ship locally?
It used to be that when an item wasn't available to be shipped overseas, you'd have no other option but to wail and gnash your teeth in frustration. Thankfully, nowadays that problem is easily solvable. Simply use freight forwarding services like vPost, Comgateway or Borderlinx. The Straits Times article has more information.

How do freight forwarders work?
Think of them as virtual addresses. When you sign up with a forwarder, you'll be assigned a custom address for your mail. Simply use that address when you're buying stuff and get your items sent there. Once the forwarders receive your item, they'll match it to your assigned address and then appraise you of its arrival and delivery charge. You'll have a deadline to pay (from a few weeks to a two months depending on which service you use) before your item gets charged for using up storage space. Some forwarders also offer extra services like repacking options (in which they compile all your packages into one to cut down on weight and shipping charges). If there's tax to be paid, the forwarders will take care of it too and then include the price in your final total. Once everything is settled and you've paid your bill, the forwarders then mail your item to your local address.

Are freight forwarders trustworthy and safe?
Generally they are BUT some people have mentioned of late deliveries and lost mail. We've been using them for a while ourselves and can confirm that sometimes they do deliver packages later than the due date but thus far, have zero issues with lost packages.

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