The main advantage Black Friday has over a sale like Prime Big Deal Days is how many retailers actually participate. This level of competition results in some incredible deals outside of the main retailers that can net you a really good price on tech products like gaming consoles and laptops. This generally makes Black Friday a better time to buy those items than during the Prime Big Deal Days sale. Though the increase in competing October Prime Day sales in recent years has started to close that gap.
The flip side of that is that Prime Day is more centralized to Amazon and the other major retailers, making it a great time to buy the brands that these companies own. Amazon Fire TV sticks are already on sale well ahead of the event, for example. So if you don’t mind buying Amazon owned brands and already have a Prime membership, you can usually save a ton of money without having to wait for Black Friday.
Product Release Cycles
Another major thing to consider between Black Friday and October Prime Day is that they happen at during different months. That means some product release cycles end up better matching up with Black Friday than Cyber Monday. One of the reasons Black Friday is one of the best times to buy a 4K TV for example is because many of the newer TV models get released in January and retailers are clearing out stock to make room for new products.
Phone release cycles, however, line up very well with both sales events. Apple has just recently launched it's new iPhone 17 series and many of the early deals on those phones are still available in October.
Total Number of Sales Days
Another big difference between Prime Big Deal Days and Black Friday is the total number of days you have to shop the sale. Although Black Friday used to be a single day of deals, it has become more akin to a whole month of deals in recent years. With the addition of Cyber Monday sales, Black Friday season has a much larger window of savings than any of the October sales. Prime Day 2025 expanded to become the longest one the company has ever done , but you Amazon's October Prime Day sale is still only a 48-hour window.
Prices Are Increasing
Price increases have been continuing in the U.S. in recent months, with much of the blame being put on tariffs and rising business costs. Most recently Microsoft raised the price of Xbox Game Pass by 50% and it seems inevitable that more consumer costs will continue to rise in the coming months. That means that some discounts that are available in October might not still be around in November, December, or deep into 2026.
What Should You Buy on October Prime Day?
With release cycles in mind, some of the best things to buy on October Prime Day are last year’s models that may go out of stock by Black Friday. That includes things like older phone models and TV deals on brands that are already a couple release cycles ahead. These items are going to have some of the lowest prices available because Amazon and other retailers are going to be working on clearing them out of their warehouses. You can also expect low prices on LEGO sets across pretty much every category as many are set to retire this year. There's also usually some really good deals on 4K and Blu-ray movies during these events and Amazon will usually have some sort of "Buy 2, Get 1 Free" sale that sweetens the discount.
The most obvious purchases to make during October Prime Day are Amazon’s own devices. Fire TV sticks, Kindles, and Echo devices, and Ring Doorbells will likely all be at their lowest possible price points. These items will likely also drop down to similar prices during Black Friday, but there’s no reason to wait until then to make a purchase. Considering Amazon is also one of the best places to buy books, you should also look to purchase box sets and hardcovers during this time.
If you’re shopping outside of Amazon on Prime Big Deal Days, it’s also worth looking at gaming PC deals and discounts on gaming monitors. While Black Friday may have better discounts overall, there are still a few really good deals from certain brands. October Prime Day is arguably one of the best times to buy a gaming monitor and an overall good time to buy a gaming PC in 2025.
What Should You Buy on Black Friday?
Black Friday is generally the best time to find deals on everything, but it’s also your best bet to find discounts on newer tech products and gaming consoles. Some of the best OLED TV deals are going to be on Black Friday, and it’s also one of the only times of the year you’ll find Nintendo Switch sales. You can also usually find direct discounts on Xbox Series X consoles as well as PS5 bundles that you won’t find any other time of year. Though with recent price hikes on consoles, it's unclear if that will be true in 2025 again.
Outside of gaming consoles, Black Friday is also an excellent time to buy a laptop. Whether you're looking for a good Chromebook or a high-end gaming laptop, November is usually when the major PC manufacturers fight the hardest for your business.
Additionally, some of the very best deals on Black Friday are actually outside of major tech products. This includes clothing, furniture, and outdoor gear that is out of season. You’ll find some of these discounts on October Prime Day as well, but they aren’t nearly as prevalent as they are on Black Friday.