While most women update their wardrobe and accessories regularly, I approach fashion with a minimalistic attitude. Instead I shop for a new laptop towards the end of almost every summer. While most of my upgrades are a result of unfortunate timing — I inevitably spilled something, dropped something, or ran out of space around this time each summer — it turns out I was subconsciously shopping for the lowest prices, too.
At least, that's what the latest research from Decide.com reveals. In case you're not familiar with Decide.com, they sift through massive amounts of pricing data to predict the best time to buy consumer electronics and appliances. What they discovered through analysis is a dramatic swing in pricing at three key times during the year.
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By examining pricing trends from 116 sellers offering 3,600 laptop models, Decide.com uncovered three distinct times when you should be considering a laptop upgrade. Right now, just before laptop manufacturers release their back-to-school models, is one of those times. You won't be getting the newest model, but you will be getting a new model with solid features at one of the best prices of the year. The other two great buying periods are immediately after the back-to-school shopping season and mid to late December after the holiday shopping frenzy is over.
The average price savings for laptops is 10 percent, which translates to an average savings of up to $240. Overall laptop prices across the category slowly rise as peak shopping seasons approach.
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"Contrary to popular belief, the best time to buy a laptop is before or after the Back to School season," said Mike Fridgen, CEO of Decide.com. "So if you are in the market for a new laptop, now is a great time to buy before prices rise."
The laptop market is constantly shifting, so you may want to browse Decide.com to look for the best deal to meet your current needs, but if you're looking for some of the best deals on the market, you may want to consider:
A 13.3-inch MacBook Pro from Amazon instead of the Apple Store. A 15.6-inch Toshiba at approximately $100 off its early price. Or maybe an HP ENVY that's about $250 from the original price as I write this.
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Aside from leveraging seasonal trends, Decide says that shoppers looking for a deal on a specific laptop model can benefit by not buying immediately when it hits the market. According to their research, consumers who wait 50 days or more after a model is introduced have a 33 percent chance of scoring a price drop of 10 percent or more. By waiting 100 days after the model is released, consumers have an 70 percent chance of getting a lower price of 10 percent or more. In other words, being an early adopter costs more.
