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It’s that time of year when our inboxes are overflowing with lots of deals for Black Friday, Cyber Week, and all the sales promotions that follow.
But this year, we are in a unique situation. We live in an age of famine driven by global chip shortage, widespread unemployment, and the effects of government-imposed lockdowns aimed at halting the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. has disrupted global supply chainsmade production difficult and prevented the shipment of products worldwide.
This is now affecting the types of tech items we can buy for our loved ones this holiday season. gaming devices such as play station and Xbox consoles that have been in constant shortage over the past year will continue to be hard to find. And the list of hard-to-get items got longer, encompassing Wi-Fi routers, cheap laptops, and audio gear.
Shoppers looking to buy consumer electronics will need to change their game plans. The biggest takeaway? Don’t wait until Black Friday.
“Buy early,” said Patrick Moorhead, CEO of Moor Insights, a technology research firm. “Decide between saving some money or not buying the product at all.”
Here’s a guide to consumer electronics that will be hard to find this year.
Game consoles and high-end graphics cards
Let’s start with some of the most desirable and hard-to-buy tech products: Sony’s PlayStation 5, Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Nintendo’s new Switch, which was nearly impossible to find on store shelves last year.
Historically, some console manufacturers have limited production of machines to help create excitement for the products, game analysts say. But the shortage of chips – and the increased demand for gaming devices as many people stay at home during the pandemic – has exacerbated the shortage.
Many major retailers only sell new consoles online, and the new PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch consoles will sell out within minutes when they come out. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have warned that chip shortages could lead to supply restrictions by 2022.
Mr Moorhead said the shortage of chips and the excessive demand for gaming products has led to a constant shortage of high-end graphics cards that people use to upgrade their computers to run more powerful games.
Game plan? Consider automation. Millions follow Twitter accounts that scan retail sites and tweet as soon as game consoles and graphics cards are back in stock. Here’s how you can set up your Twitter apps: send a notification I recommend you to follow these accounts on your phone as soon as they are published. @mattswideris the editor-in-chief of the TechRadar blog, which relies on resources at retailers to post inventory updates on game consoles and graphics cards.
network devices
On Black Friday, new Wi-Fi routers often get huge discounts. But this year we should expect less of those deals.
William Crockett, vice president of component manufacturer Tanaka Precious Metals, said the reason was a domino effect related to the lack of legacy nodes, a miniature chip used to build wireless sensors in network equipment. Because this component is not readily available, companies can make fewer routers. That means retailers are less likely to lower router prices to avoid running out of routers, he said.
Case in point: Last year, one of Amazon’s hottest Black Friday deals Big discount for Eero, the popular Wi-Fi router. This year, the Eero is blatantly absent. Amazon’s best deals list for Black Friday.
An Amazon spokesperson said the company has planned promotions for the Eero throughout the holiday season. Only on high-end Eero Pro models so far received significant discounts.
So if you or your friends and family want an internet router, buy it now. In the unlikely event that the item goes on sale this Black Friday, you can request a retroactive price adjustment from the seller or return the item and purchase it at a lower price.
cheap laptops
Retailers often launch a large number of low-cost laptops under $400 on Black Friday, including Chromebooks and laptops from manufacturers like Acer, Dell, and HP.
Expect these discounts to be more scarce this holiday. Mr Moorhead said computer manufacturers are struggling with a shortage of USB controllers, the chip that lets a computer talk to a USB port. That’s why manufacturers are prioritizing these parts for the production of more expensive laptops with higher profits, he said.
The bottom line: You can expect discounts on premium laptops like MacBooks, but less discounts on cheaper items.
There are a few rare deals online for low-cost laptops – you just need to be proactive. Walmart sold an HP laptop last week for about $280, according to Pete King, a manufacturer. slickdeals, a website that tracks online discounts.
“If you haven’t started looking now, you’re already late to the game,” he said.
audio accessories
Finally, the chip shortage has affected analog chips, the circuits that devices rely on to manage power. The tech products most affected by this are audio accessories such as speakers and headphones, which rely on analog chips to reduce power consumption and connect wirelessly to laptops and smartphones.
But the shortage won’t affect all audio accessories. Mr Moorhead noted that Sony and Apple are developing their own chips for the audio hardware, so people should have no problem buying fancy headphones from big tech companies this holiday.
This is good news for AirPods fans, but bad news for TikTokers and Gen Zers who are actively trying to do so. make less popular headphones trendy.
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