Doing deal week differently

A different approach to deal week

Jared Newman | July 8, 2025

Once again, we’ve entered that strange time of year in which every online store suddenly discounts its wares without explanation.

Of course, they’re all responding to Amazon, which 10 years ago designated a date in July as “Prime Day,” before extending it to two days, and now four (July 8 through July 11). Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and countless others have followed with their own sale events, collectively inventing a week-long consumerist indulgence out of thin air.

As always, many of these deals are no better than the standard sale prices that I track throughout the year. Filtering out the noise can be exhausting, especially with so many websites just angling for sales commissions on offerings that won’t really save you money. With Advisorator, I’m taking a different approach:

I’ll spotlight some better-than-normal deals on tech that I’ve personally used and enjoyed.
I’ll offer some advice on how to find worthwhile deals on your own.
For Advisorator members, I’m using my recently-launched “Tech Buds” forum to maintain a longer list of deals and answer questions from readers. You can get 30 days of membership for free to check it out.

How to avoid getting ripped off

Check price histories: List prices hardly ever apply in tech, so the advertised savings can be deceptive. Here’s how you can vet deals with real historical data:

Copy the Amazon link, head to CamelCamelCamel.com, and paste the link into the search bar to see its price history.
Using a computer? Install CamelCamelCamel’s extension for your browser. Then, click the extension icon while viewing any Amazon listing to see the price history.
On your phone? Install Keepa, then hit the Share button on any Amazon product page and share it with the app to see the price history.
Shopping on another site? Checking the Amazon price trends can still help you determine a deal’s value.
Still not sure? Look up the product on Slickdeals to see what previous sales have looked like, or search the web for the product name along with terms like “record-low” or “all-time low” for previous deal posts on sites like 9to5Toys.

Check the second-hand market: Used and refurbished gear can save you money year-round, but it can also help determine whether the price of a new product is remarkable by comparison.

eBay and Back Market sell lots of certified refurbished gear with warranty coverage.
Swappa lets you buy tech products directly from other users, which is cheaper but lacks warranty coverage.
Best Buy often sells open-box products at discounts that reflect current sale pricing. Buying in “excellent” condition will get you a like-new product for less.

Read real reviews: Don’t let sale prices alone be your guide, especially for TVs, soundbars, and other products with endless model options to sift through.

I like RTings for home entertainment, Soundguys for audio gear, and my pals at PCWorld for laptop reviews.
Use specific model numbers, such as “OLED65B3PUA” instead of “LG OLED TV.” Especially for laptops, make sure the review matches the specific configuration of what you’re looking to buy.
I also like browsing deal pages on sites that link to their own in-depth reviews, like Wirecutter and Engadget.
If no reviews exist, consider that a red flag.

Resist FOMO: A lot of the deals that emerge around Prime Day wind up coming back later in the year. Avoid impulse-buying products for the savings alone, and always have a clear idea of how you’ll use whatever you buy.

Notable deals

Here’s a short list of deals that are better than usual, on products I personally like:

iPads: Basic model for $280, iPad Mini for $379, iPad Air for $479. These are all $20 less than previous record lows.
Samsung’s 2024 65-inch QD-OLED S90D for $998 refurbished with a two-year warranty using promo code JULYFINDS. I got this exact deal around Black Friday, but for the 2023 model. Eye-searingly bright and vivid picture at a killer price.
Roku players: Streaming Stick HD for $20, Streaming Stick Plus for $30, Streaming Stick 4K for $35, Ultra for $69. Consult my Roku Decision Flowchart for help deciding.
Beelink SER5 Mini PC for $234. I use this little desktop PC as my everyday computer, and I paid $56 more for it.
Dell 27-inch 4K 120 Hz monitor for $240. Okay, I haven’t used this one myself, but I did commission a monitor expert to write a buying guide for us, and this is an upgrade from one of his picks.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $149. $10 less than Black Friday.
Pixel 9 Pro XL for $749 unlocked (in Hazel only). Or open-box in black for $584. To me, it’s the best non-foldable Android phone you can buy.
Apple Watch Series 10 for $280 (42mm) or $309 (46mm). New lows for Apple’s latest smartwatch. Other color options and band sizes available.
Apple AirTags for $20, or a four-pack for $68. $2 more than record-low for the four-pack, but lowest price since March.
Baseus 10-in-1 USB docking station, plus a pair of 45W chargers and cables, for $46 total. Add the dock to your cart, then add the chargers, and you’ll see the discount at checkout. This is Wirecutter’s pick for best USB hub—which was written by me.

Deal week megathread and more

For Advisorator members, I’ve set up a longer list of deals on my recently-launched discussion forum. It follows the same no-nonsense format as above, but sorted into categories. I’ll be updating it with new deals during the week and answering questions from readers.

Here’s what else I’ve got in this week’s members-only portion of the newsletter:

How Google Photos got worse.
A helpful trick when deleting files from your computer.
A free tool for seeing what hackers know about you.

If you haven’t tried an Advisorator membership before, you can get 30 days free for a limited time:

Get a free month of membership

Thanks for reading! Catch you next week.
Jared

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