(Newswire.net — September 9, 2014) — Cell phone deals carried the torch for last year’s best Black Friday deals as big retailers took aggressive measures to lower prices on the majority of top smartphones, specifically the iPhone 5S, 5C, and Samsung Galaxy S4. Moany major stores offered in-store gift cards as a bonus to advertised price drops creating some of the lowest smartphone prices we’ve ever seen (with a 2 year contract). Meanwhile, retailers produced a record number of Black Friday deals, especially for cell phones (347 deals in 2013 vs. 137 in 2012).
With Apple’s Tuesday announcement of the iPhone 6 coming available later this month (iPhone 6 Plus in early 2015), cell phone retailers will have good reason to tempt consumers with another strategic assault of special discounts on smartphones this holiday. FatWallet.com PREDICTIONS for the 2014 Holiday shopping season weigh heavily on how consumers respond to the choice of cheap upgrades vs. buying “new”, especially iPhone users that may want to wait for a Black Friday iPhone 6 discount off the $199 entry price. Top stores like Best Buy, Walmart and Target are assured to offer the iPhone 5S for near $0 with a 2 year contract, and Samsung and Motorola users can expect similar savings manuevers on the newer Galaxy S5 and Moto G models come Black Friday, if not before. Amazon’s Fire Phone has already dropped to $0.99 (from $199) and carriers like Verizon and Sprint should compete with heavy discounts and increased cash back rewards on newer LG, HTC and Nokia brands to stay competitive with iPhone 6 deals. Other holiday smartphone savings include a potential price drop for family plans under $100 (current T-Mobile offer) and expect steep price drops of $200 or more on many top NO CONTRACT smartphone purchases leaing up to Black Friday, through the end of the year.
To read the full 2014 Black Friday Predictions and review of the Top 10 Smartphone Deals from 2013, visit FatWallet Trends.
About this Series: Black Friday Deals Recap and Predicitions is an in-depth series from FatWallet.com reviewing the top stores, brands, products and deals from the 2013 holiday shopping season and includes Black Friday Predictions for 2014. Series content is based on 2013 sales and shopping activity from FatWallet’s Black Friday Ads (and mobile app) which featured 37,000 deals, 7,000 Doorbusters, 13,000 deals under $20 and +110 retailr ad flyers (including specific Thanksgiving Sales and 2013 Cyber Monday Deals).
About FatWallet: As the preferred online resource for millions of savvy consumers, FatWallet rewards consumers by providing cash back on purchases while also providing access to thousands of coupons, discounts, and promotions at over 1,500 retailers including eBay, Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon. FatWallet members have earned more than $50 million to date. The much celebrated FatWallet forums represent the pulse of an evolving online marketplace where savvy shoppers gather to share and learn.