Black Friday falls on 27 November 2026. In most of Europe the deals start with Black Week on 20 November and run until Cyber Monday on 30 November. Laptops are among the biggest-ticket items people buy, but this year is unusual: because of the memory-chip shortage, many laptops cost more in 2026 than they did a year ago.
This is a buying guide, not a live deals page yet. It covers which laptops are worth watching, what they cost now (October 2026), what their predecessors sold for on Black Friday 2025, and the spec traps that hide in “doorbuster” models. From 20 November we will update this page with the real deals.
Our picks at a glance
- Best MacBookApple MacBook Air 13″ (M5)
- Best budget MacApple MacBook Neo
- Best ultrabookAsus Zenbook S14 (UX5406AA)
- Best battery lifeSamsung Galaxy Book4 Edge 15
- Best under €500Chuwi UniBook
- Cheapest RTX 5060Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 (15IRX11)
- Most GPU for the moneyAcer Nitro V 17 (RTX 5070)
Prices are approximate and change often. Ad
The Black Friday 2026 dates
- Black Week: 20–27 November 2026 – when most European retailers start cutting prices.
- Black Friday: Friday 27 November 2026.
- Cyber Monday: 30 November 2026 – often the last chance at the same prices.
Why laptops are more expensive in 2026
AI data centres are buying up huge amounts of DRAM and flash memory, and memory prices have risen sharply since late 2025. German tech sites including PC Games Hardware and Notebookcheck have reported forecasts of laptop price rises of up to 20–40% in 2026, and that cheaper models are going back to 8 GB of RAM to hit their price points. In practice this means two things for Black Friday:
- Last year’s prices are not a reliable target – a 2026 laptop may never drop as low as its 2025 predecessor did.
- Older stock bought before the price rises can be the real bargain, as long as the specs are still good enough.
Price benchmarks: what’s a good price?
| Model | Price now (Oct 2026) | Lowest seen in 2026 | Black Friday 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple MacBook Air 13″ (M5) | €1,199 at launch in Germany; Apple raised list prices in June 2026 (France: now €1,399) | €997 at Amazon.de for 16 GB/512 GB (Macwelt, May 2026, before the price rise) | Not yet released (M4 Air: €785 at Amazon.de) |
| Apple MacBook Neo | €799 list (256 GB) | Under €700 at Amazon.de and others (Notebookcheck, mydealz) | Not yet released |
| Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge 15 | €699.99 at Amazon | ~€582 (Feb 2026) | – |
| Chuwi UniBook | €449 from Chuwi | – | – |
| Lenovo LOQ Essential (RTX 5060) | ~€1,115 | – | – |
| Acer Nitro V 17 (RTX 5070) | ~€1,299 | – | – |
Black Friday 2025 MacBook Air M4 price from mobiflip and PC Games Hardware; 2026 prices from Macwelt, Notebookcheck, mydealz and our existing product research. “–” means we found no reliable figure. Prices change daily, so treat these as yardsticks.
The laptops worth watching
Apple MacBook Air 13″ (M5) — best all-round laptop
The M5 Air is quiet (no fan), fast and lasts all day on a charge. It has already been discounted to under €1,000 in Germany in 2026, so that’s the line to watch for on Black Friday. If you see the older M4 Air as clearance stock, it’s still an excellent laptop: last Black Friday it dropped to €785 at Amazon.de.
Apple MacBook Air 13″ (M5)
TechRadar's best laptop overall: the all-round MacBook most people should buy.
- Chip
- Apple M5
- Display
- 13-inch
- OS
- macOS
Pros
- TechRadar's top-rated laptop overall
- Recommended by Macwelt as the sensible all-rounder
- More capable than the MacBook Neo for heavier work
Cons
- Roughly €500 more than the MacBook Neo
Apple MacBook Neo — the budget Mac
Apple’s cheapest laptop uses the A18 Pro iPhone chip and costs €799 with 256 GB. It has 8 GB of RAM, which is fine for browsing, office work and school but limits it for heavier work. German retailers have already sold it for well under €700, so don’t pay list price.
Apple MacBook Neo
Apple's cheapest MacBook — an iPhone-class chip in a laptop, rated 4.5/5 by TechRadar.
- Chip
- Apple A18 Pro
- Memory
- 8 GB
- Storage
- 256 GB or 512 GB
- Login
- Touch ID
Pros
- Lowest price of any current MacBook
- TechRadar 4.5/5
- Touch ID included
Cons
- Only 8 GB of memory
- Slow USB ports
- No backlit keyboard
Asus Zenbook S14 — premium Windows ultrabook
A 1.2 kg laptop with a 120 Hz OLED screen and long battery life. At around €1,800 it’s expensive, so it only makes sense with a meaningful discount.
Asus Zenbook S14 (UX5406AA)
A slim 1.2 kg Windows ultrabook with a bright HDR OLED screen and a strong keyboard and speakers.
Pros
- Very slim and light
- Strong keyboard and speakers
- Bright HDR OLED display
Cons
- Battery life barely improves on the previous generation
- Integrated GPU is slow for gaming
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge 15 — long battery life on a budget
The Snapdragon X Plus chip gives this 15.6-inch laptop excellent battery life (17.8 h in Notebookcheck’s Wi-Fi test) with 16 GB of RAM. It’s been around €582 earlier this year – a good target. Check that the apps you need run on Windows on Arm.
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge 15
A slim aluminium 15.6-inch laptop with Notebookcheck's longest battery result in this class and plenty of ports.
Pros
- Outstanding battery life
- Slim metal build
- Good ports incl. microSD and Wi-Fi 7
Cons
- Limited colour coverage (~46% P3)
- Windows on ARM compatibility quirks
Chuwi UniBook — cheapest sensible option
At €449 it’s a basic laptop with a modern Intel processor and a decent matte screen. But it only has 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage – fine for light use, tight for anything more. See best budget laptops.
Chuwi UniBook
A very cheap 14-inch laptop with a backlit keyboard, matte screen and long battery life for light tasks.
Pros
- Very low price
- Quiet, long battery life
- Backlit keyboard, plenty of ports
Cons
- Only 8 GB RAM
- For light tasks only
Lenovo LOQ Essential and Acer Nitro V 17 — gaming laptops
The LOQ Essential (RTX 5060) and Nitro V 17 (RTX 5070) are the value end of gaming laptops. Gaming laptops are often heavily discounted in Black Week, so these are worth tracking. More in best gaming laptops.
Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 (15IRX11)
A no-frills RTX 5060 laptop that keeps the price down by skipping extras like RGB, G-Sync and OLED.
Pros
- Low price for RTX 5060 performance
- Good performance and design
Cons
- No G-Sync or Advanced Optimus
- Only 512 GB SSD
- CPU varies by configuration
Acer Nitro V 17 (RTX 5070)
An RTX 5070 laptop for around €1,300 that games quietly and efficiently — just don't expect a good screen.
Pros
- RTX 5070 at a low price
- Quiet, efficient while gaming
- 1 TB SSD
Cons
- Weak, washed-out display (~61% sRGB)
- Basic design
Spec traps in Black Friday laptops
8 GB of RAM
Because of the memory shortage, more cheap Windows laptops ship with 8 GB again. For Windows 11 with a browser and a few apps, 16 GB is the comfortable minimum, and RAM is usually soldered and can’t be upgraded later. 8 GB is acceptable on a Mac or a very cheap laptop for light use only.
eMMC storage
The cheapest laptops sometimes use eMMC storage instead of an SSD. It is much slower and often only 64–128 GB, which barely fits Windows and its updates. Look for “SSD” or “NVMe” in the specs.
Old processors in “special edition” models
Some laptops appear only around Black Friday, with model numbers you won’t find in reviews. They often use processors several generations old or dim, low-resolution screens. If you can’t find an independent review of the exact model number, be careful.
Dim screens
Budget laptops often have screens around 250 nits, which are hard to use near a window. Look for 300 nits or more, and check reviews from Notebookcheck.
How to spot a fake laptop deal
Use the “lowest price in the last 30 days”
Under the EU’s Omnibus rules, a shop that advertises a price reduction must show the lowest price it charged in the previous 30 days. Compare the deal with that figure, not with the list price.
Check the price history
Price-comparison sites such as idealo, geizhals and billiger.de show price charts going back months. If a laptop was cheaper in the summer, the Black Friday “deal” isn’t special.
Compare the exact configuration
The same laptop name can cover very different configurations. Check processor, RAM, storage and screen before comparing prices.
EU buyer’s rights
Online purchases in the EU come with a 14-day right of withdrawal and a two-year legal guarantee from the seller. Many retailers extend returns for Christmas gifts bought in November.
How we choose
We don’t run our own laptop lab. Our picks are based on Notebookcheck reviews and other independent coverage, and the price benchmarks come from German deal and tech sites (Macwelt, PC Games Hardware, mobiflip, mydealz, Notebookcheck) and retailer listings. See how we research and our best laptops guide.
FAQ
Will laptops be cheaper on Black Friday 2026?
Many will be discounted, but memory-chip costs have pushed prices up in 2026, so deals may not reach last year’s lows. Compare against the 2026 lows in the table.
Is 8 GB of RAM enough?
On a MacBook for light use, yes. On a Windows laptop, choose 16 GB if you can afford it, because RAM usually can’t be upgraded later.
Should I buy now or wait?
If a laptop is at or below the 2026 low in our table, there’s little reason to wait. Otherwise set a price alert and decide in Black Week.
Is the MacBook Air M5 worth it on Black Friday?
At under €1,000 for the 13-inch base model, yes – that’s matched its best 2026 price.
