Best Black Friday deals 2021 UK: top offers on Apple, Oral-B, Xbox

Black Friday is now less than two weeks away. The year 2021 may not have been the smoothest of rides, but the sudden influx of Black Friday sales signifies that it is quickly coming to an end with Christmas fast approaching.

As always, Amazon is expected to throw everything (and don’t discount a kitchen sink) at this year’s Black Friday sale. The retailer giant’s early Black Friday sale has begun and is joined by sales from the likes of AO, Currys, Very, Virgin Media and Sky.

Genuine deals our Technology experts have had their eyes on so far include an Xbox Series S bundle with selected phones from EE, Apple’s AirPods Pro now at their lowest ever price on Amazon, and 63% off this Oral-B iO6 electric toothbrush.

Below, you’ll find more of the best early Black Friday deals, plus all the information you need on this year’s sale season.

Best early Black Friday sales live now: quick links

Technically, Black Friday 2021 will take place on Friday 26th November this year, but many UK retailers have started their early Black Friday sales. Here are the best of the bunch.

Audible – get three months for just 99p
Disney+ – okay, it’s not a Black Friday deal, but Disney+ is just £1.99 until tomorrow
EE – bag an Xbox Series S, 3 months’ Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with selected phones, such as the Google Pixel 6
AO – The retailer has already launched its main Black Friday sale. Get savings across TVs, tablets, smart speakers and kitchen appliances.
Very – There are savings across popular brands including Apple, Garmin, LG and Dell in Very’s early Black Friday sale
Currys – The stand-out Currys Black Friday deals are on kitchen appliances with Tassimo coffee machines for just £29 and £170 off the Kenwood Kmix stander
Dyson – nothing to write home about yet, but you can sign up for updates from Dyson itself
Oral-B – get up to 68% off electric toothbrushes, including premium iO 6 series, iO 8 series and Genius X models
Boots – Black Friday offers now live, including better than half price on selected fragrances and electric toothbrushes
Samsung – savings on TVs and smartphones, which includes a free Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 (worth £949) when you buy a 2021 Neo QLED 8KTV
GAME – the gaming retailer is currently has a 2 for £20 deal on Nintendo Switch games such as LEGO The Incredibles, Overcooked! and Golf With Your Friends
John Lewis – no Black Friday-specific deals just yet but seasonal offers, including savings across electrical, toys, beauty and fragrance
DELL – up to 35% off DELL laptops, desktop computers and monitors
La Redoute – ‘Beat the Rush Black November’ sale now live – up to 40% off 20,000 products
Argos – save up to half price on selected toys, including up to 20% off Harry Potter LEGO sets
Smyths Toys – discounts across toys such as LEGO, L.O.L Surprise!, Disney, and Marvel
Sky – savings on phones and broadband
Amazon – early Black Friday deals now live with offers on Nintendo Switch bundles and cheapest ever AirPods Pro
Superdrug – Black Friday deals are now live for Superdrug members, with discounts on electric toothbrushes, electricals such as hair straighteners and beard trimmers, and skincare
Virgin Media – discounts on broadband and phones, plus some great bundles including iPads and AirPods included in iPhone contracts
giffgaff – extra data included in giffgaff’s Black Friday sale – 30GB data for just £15 per month

Expert pick of the best Black Friday deals right now

1. Google Pixel 6 (10GB+ data plans) with Xbox Series S and 3 months’ Xbox Game Pass Ultimate | from £45 per month and £30 upfront

What’s the deal: Bag the new Google Pixel 6, an Xbox Series S, three months’ Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, 10GB (5G) data and unlimited texts and minutes for £45 per month and £30 upfront.

Why we chose it: Technically, this isn’t even a Black Friday offer, but it’s one of the best bundle phone deals we’ve seen in a very long time. A new phone and a new console all at once.

2. Kindle Paperwhite | £149.99 £79.99 (save £70 or 47%)

What’s the deal: Save £70 (47%) on the Kindle Paperwhite. Usually costing £149.99, the 32GB Wi-Fi Kindle is now at its lowest ever price.

Why we chose it: This is the lowest price we’ve ever seen Kindle Paperwhite sold on Amazon. Key features include it being waterproof, a 6-inch display and a built-in adjustable light that lets you read indoors and outdoors, day and night.

3. Nintendo Switch Neon + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle | £319.99 £299.99 (save £20 or 6%)

What’s the deal: Now £299.99, this Nintendo Switch Neon + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle currently has a £20 discount.

Why we chose it: Decent Nintendo Switch bundles at a discounted price are hard to come by. That £20 off might not seem like much, but with Nintendo Switch stock hard to come by at the moment, any bundles (especially discounted) are welcome.

4. Merlin Platinum Pass | £299 £239 (save £60 or 20%)

What’s the deal: Merlin Entertainment (who own Legoland, Thorpe Park and Alton Towers) has slashed the prices of all their annual passes. You can now save up to £60 on the annual passes with premium Platinum Pass, offering the best discount.

Why we chose it: The Platinum Pass gives pass holders entry to Merlin’s theme parks for 364 days of the year, free parking at attractions, £5 Off Fastrack Vouchers and Share the Fun Vouchers, along with in-park discounts.

If you’re not sure you’ll make good use of the 364 days of entry, there are cheaper options starting from just £69 a person. These still get you a pretty impressive 190 days of entry to the Merlin attractions. The passes can also be paid for monthly.

5. Roku Express | £29 £13.99 (save £15.01 or 52%)

What’s the deal: Get £16 off Roku’s most affordable streaming player. With an RRP of £29.99, the Roku Express is now just £13.99.

Why we chose it: Featured on our best streaming stick guide, the Roku Express is an affordable way to get HD streaming of smart TV apps such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video on an old TV. This is the lowest price we’ve seen the streaming stick sold for.

6. Oral-B iO6 Series Electric Toothbrush | £300 £110 (save £190 or 63%)

What’s the deal: Get 63% off this extremely sophisticated electric toothbrush. Typically £300, the Oral-B iO6 Series is now just £110 (down from £300).

Why we chose it: This Oral-B toothbrush is now at its lowest price ever and is filled to the brim with tech, including five brushing modes, a pressure sensor that flashes red when you brush too hard and an interactive display. With this purchase, you also get free next day delivery.

7. Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless Earbuds | £279 £168.99 (save £92.01 or 33%)

Sennheiser wireless earbuds black friday deal

What’s the deal: Now £186.99, these Sennheiser wireless earbuds currently have a saving of £92.01. Though, it’s worth noting that some retailers state the RRP as £249. However, Amazon still has the best price and it’s quite rare to see any discount on this model.

Why we chose it: In our Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 Earbuds review, we awarded these wireless earbuds 4.5 stars out of 5. We loved their comfortable fit, brilliant sound quality and battery life that lasted up to seven hours on a single charge. This earned them a spot on our best wireless earbuds guide as the best premium earbuds we have tested.

8. Samsung AU7110 65-inch Smart TV (2021 model) | £949 £699 (save £250 or 26%)

What’s the deal: This 2021 Samsung TV currently has a huge £250 off. Usually priced at £949, the 4K 65-inch TV is now just £699.

Why we chose it: This is a substantial saving on a TV that is not yet a year old. And, it has some brilliant features. These include; working with Alexa and Google Assistant, 4K picture quality and Motion Xcelerator, which is an algorithm that predicts and automatically compensate frames, making it great for gaming.

9. AirPods Pro (2021) with MagSafe charging case | £239 £199 (Save £40 or 17%)

What’s the deal: Save £4o on these Apple AirPods Pro. Now £199, they come with a MagSafe charging case and Active Noise Cancellation.

Why we chose it: Apple AirPods are consistently one of the most popular products on Black Friday. After all, it is one of the only times of the year where there are substantial discounts on the Apple earbuds. This is the cheapest ever Amazon price for the premium model in the AirPods family, which has recently been updated with the release of the new AirPods 3 last month.

10. Nespresso by Magimix Vertuo Next & Milk Coffee Machine | £199 £119 (save £80 or 40%)

What’s the deal: There’s currently a decent 40% off this Nespresso coffee machine, bringing the price down to an affordable £119.

Why we chose it: A coffee machine can make a brilliant gift (for yourself or someone else), and Black Friday always offers some brilliant deals. What makes this Nespresso great is that it also comes with a milk frother so you can make the perfect cappuccinos.

It’s also worth noting that Nespresso has recently launched its own deals on further Vertuo models.

When do Black Friday sales start in the UK?

Black Friday officially takes place on Friday 26th November 2021, but if you’ve got this far, you’ll have realised that many Black Friday deals and sales have already started. With toy shops warning of stock shortages this festive season, we’ve seen a flurry of early Black Friday deals. Currys, Very, AO and Boots were among the earliest, with Oral-B, Samsung and Amazon hot on their heels. This week, we’ve seen Virgin Media and Sky follow.

Black Friday is followed by Cyber Monday 2021, which takes place on 29th November. Traditionally, Cyber Monday was always an online-only event versus the discounts of Black Friday that took place in-store. However, these days there’s not much practical difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

It is worth noting that there is often a lull in fresh deals in the two-day weekend period between the two dates, with new offers released for Cyber Monday and continuing throughout the following week.

What products will be popular for Black Friday 2021?

Last year, search experts Semrush confirmed that the most in-demand product groups were laptops, TVs, microwaves and furniture. Yet, Google searches for individual products were ten times greater in some cases. The Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Apple’s AirPods and Apple Watch were among the most sought after products last year and Amazon Black Friday deals also continued to prove popular.

We are already seeing similar demand for these products in 2021, helped by the release of the iPhone 13, Nintendo Switch OLED, AirPods 3 and Apple Watch 7.

This means that the iPhone 12 series, along with other previous generation devices, will see discounts during the shopping event, so it’s definitely worth keeping an eye out for Black Friday iPhone deals. As we get to the week of Black Friday itself, we may also see bundles containing the new Apple and Nintendo products.

If you’d prefer not to wait to buy the new Apple flagship, we’ve pulled together the best deals currently available on our iPhone 13 availability page. Or, for more advice on which smartphone to choose, read our guides on iPhone 13 Pro vs Pixel 6 Pro or decide on an iPhone 12 using our iPhone 12 vs mini vs Pro vs Pro Max comparison.

Are Black Friday deals real?

Yes – in fact, it’s usually in the Black Friday sales that you’ll find the hottest discounts of the year. It’s at this time of year that you’ll see retailers at their most competitive, dropping prices as low as possible to outbid their rivals.

Demand for the annual sales event also continues to grow. According to figures from Adobe, online sales on Black Friday last year reached $9.03 billion, up 22% from $7.4 billion the previous year. And, search experts Semrush reported a 14% global increase in interest for Black Friday last year.

That being said, there’s a fair bit of filler alongside the killer: not every deal you’ll find during the Black Friday sales is a gem. Money Saving Expert, Martin Lewis, has warned people against getting “caught up in the hype” of Black Friday.

He instead suggests making a list of everything you intend to buy. “[N] ow’s a good time to start noting down the prices of items – that way you’ll know if it’s a good deal when the Black Friday bonanza kicks off,” he advises on his website. “Do your own research to make sure you’ve found the best deal and before you spend, ask yourself, do I need it? Can I afford it? If the answer is no to any of those questions, then DON’T buy.”

How to get a good deal on Black Friday: top tips

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of discounts that you’ll find online during the Black Friday sales. We’ve put together a few tips and tricks to help you get prepared for deal-hunting.

If you’ve been thinking about buying a high-value tech item this year, now is the time to do it. But don’t pin all your hopes on one item – put a wishlist together instead. For example, if you’re thinking of replacing your phone, read our best smartphone or best Android phone guides, and search out a handful of devices that pique your interest. We’re certain at least one of them will be discounted come Black Friday.
The last year or so has been riddled with stock issues on popular items such as AirPods, Nintendo Switch consoles and iPhone models. Unfortunately, these are expected to continue through to Christmas, so we suggest not pinning all your hopes on Black Friday itself. Instead, take advantage of the early Black Friday deals that are currently going live.
Don’t always go for the latest generation device. Black Friday can provide some brilliant deals on tech as retailers look to shift older models. Many of these products won’t be more than a year old. For example, with the Google Pixel 6 just being announced, the Google Pixel 5 and Google Pixel 4a 5G will likely see some good discounts.
Price drops shouldn’t always be taken at face value: retailers like to exaggerate their deals by listing RRPs that might no longer reflect actual prices. A great online tool is CamelCamelCamel, which will tell you the price history of an Amazon product, so you get a better sense of the deal’s quality.
Shop around. Always shop around! When you see an amazing deal, add it to your shopping basket. Then, use that window of time to take a look through prices from competing retailers in Google’s Shopping comparator. Keep in mind that stores like Currys and John Lewis promise to match prices that are cheaper elsewhere – hold them to it.
We’d also suggest considering the price and speed of delivery, and the returns policy. For example, AO offers free 100 day returns, which is a great option if you’re buying for someone else or just know you might not be able to return the item straight away.
And remember, it is only a decent deal if you intend to buy the product in the first place. It’s easy to get carried away with the sheer quantity of deals around at the moment. If it’s a product you’ve wanted for a while or something you (or someone else) will get a lot of use out of, and it’s now discounted – go ahead – otherwise, maybe just take a moment to double-check you’re getting a decent saving.
We love a good deal at RadioTimes.com – so much so that we share ones we like in a regular newsletter. Interested? Take a look below.

Why is Black Friday called Black Friday?

Black Friday is a shopping tradition that’s been going strong in the US for decades – it always takes place on the day after Thanksgiving. Many believe that the term Black Friday comes from the notion that businesses operate at a financial loss or are “in the red” until the day after Thanksgiving. Huge discounts and sales were said to bring them back “in the black” (in profit).

Actually, however, it’s now believed that police officers in Philadelphia were the first to coin the phrase, describing the day after Thanksgiving when shoppers and visitors flooded the city, causing traffic jams and requiring the officers to work long shifts.

Last year, the US alone saw a 34% increase in Black Friday searches, making it the biggest year yet for the event. It took a surprisingly long time to gain popularity in the UK, only becoming a fixture in the sales calendar a few years ago. Now, though, it is well and truly here to stay, and you’ll find very few British stores that don’t get in on the deals action at the end of November.