How do you feel when you buy a new laptop and later discovered that your pricy device is obsolete? It will be like cold water poured to the heart as the joy suddenly turns to remorse. Most of us have been in such a shoe. I have bought a computer I thought was the latest and most expensive and soon become obsolete and less valued because the newer version just got released, which I was not aware of.
The metamorphosizing of the technology world leaves this kind of experience for buyers if care is not taken. Because of the spontaneous changes in the electronic market, which usually leads to alteration in prices and newer models frequently around the corner, we have to ask ourselves this question: what time is the best to buy a laptop? The answer is a few steps away!
How Soon Do You Need A Laptop?
Like you will naturally drink water when you are thirsty, so also you should buy your laptop when you need one. For example, if your current notebook got broken, you would want to go for one with higher performance for work or play. In this case, nothing should hold you back.
On the contrary, if what you have is an old and competent laptop and you have been saving up to get rid of it for new technology, it is advantageous for you to wait strategically. Targeting major retailers’ sales periods, such as the back-to-school sales by Amazon and Walmart, can put you on hold as it will guarantee you a reduction in cost.
Refresh Schedule and PC Laptops for Sale
The new model of PCs is released three times a year. These are spring (February to April), back-to-school season (around June to September), and the holiday season (from September to December). Upgraded models are usually shipped when these windows start or in the middle. Note that it is best to make your laptop purchase at the heart of school or holiday seasons, which are July/August and November/December respectively.
A seasoned analyst who has been into laptop pricing and sales for the NPD Groups says, “The best time to buy notebook is between the last week in July and the first three weeks in August when the back-to-school merchandising frenzy is in full force.” You should probably agree with this as Stephen Baker confirmed that this time frame covers both PCs and Macs.
It has been discovered that prices of laptops can be low or even lower at the end of the year, during which consumers spend their money on buying gifts for themselves and family members. For instance, a drop in price was experienced by the 12-inch MacBook (Core m3, 256GB) from $1,299.99 to $1,099. It was sold for $1,299.99 in June 2018 on Amazon, but at the onset of back-to-school, it dropped to a steady price of $1,099.
I cannot tell you if the product you desire will have a lower price in August or December than the price tag on it in April. Nevertheless, a new release can come at the same price, which is suitable for your budget.
Nvidia Refreshes and Intel CPU Lead the Industry
Even though the PC industry has the habit of releasing new products at 3-times of the year, each model is usually not refreshed more than once in the year. All updates are targeted to meet with the release schedule of the Intel CPU. As soon as the laptops are released, manufacturers aim to make their computers carry the latest generation of processors.
When next you go shopping for a new laptop, check the first digit of its four-digit model number to know the generation of the processor. For example, 8(ex: Core i5-8250U) indicate the processor is 8 generation processor while the older version will have 7, 6, and less as the first number.
MacBooks
It is a habit of Apple to upgrade its products annually. They release the new products in batches without following a regular schedule. The Mac laptops were last upgraded in June 2017; these include the MacBook Pro 13-inch, 12-inch MacBook, a MacBook Pro 13-inch with Touch Bar, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro 15-inch with touch and bar. Except for MacBook Air, all MacBooks are currently running Intel’s 7th generation “Kaby Lake” processors.
But in the fall of 2017, Intel released plenty of its 8th generation “Kaby Lake Refresh” processor. This action jeopardized Apple’s entire laptop and putting it at a technical disadvantage in comparison to its PC competitors, which has the 8th generation Core.
From the situation above, it is glaring that Apple laptops processors are obsolete considering the Intel 8th generation CPU, which are 92% faster than the 7th generation processor used by apple. The performance, therefore, will compensate for the wait.
Conclusively, wait. If what you are buying is a MacBook or MacBook Pro. New and upgraded models will come around in the next few months, but there seems to be no prospect on the MacBook Air getting upgraded pretty soon.
Which laptop CPU Should you go for?
Gaming laptops incorporate Pascal, faster performance, and VR-readiness that is more important than the CPU refreshes. A chip refresh sometimes may evolve a new model, and at other times it could just be one or more changes in the design that has been in existence before such as the ThinkPadX280.
Summarily, most laptops that are used for business or by consumers have the latest processor. However, if yours is still generations behind, delay your purchase for the latest processor to be released.
How Do You Know You Are Getting A Good Deal?
Use a price-history tool: some sites track price changes over time. You can use such websites to ascertain the price when you want to purchase.
Visit deal aggregators: most news site monitor the pricing of laptops and other devices. Also, they draw attention to the best deals in their posts. You can visit sites such as techbargains.com or laptopmag.com for up-to-date info.
Weed out fake reviews: while users’ reviews can be helpful, fake reviews can be misleading; therefore, you can engage Fakespot: a website used to filter out fake reviews on Amazon.
When is the Best Time to Buy a Laptop?
Whatever type of laptop you may be eyeing can be gotten either at back-to-school (June – August) or holiday (mild October – December) seasons, and you are more likely but not sure to get the best prices.