How to Find Deals on Electronics Amid Tariffs

Hand of male buyer testing smartphone in electronics store

(Image credit: Getty Images)

By Anne Kates Smith, Ella Vincent, Liisa Rajala, David Milstead, Emma Patch, Jason Steele, Nellie S. Huang

published 31 July 2025

in Features

It’s always a good time to get a good deal. But as tariffs take effect on some imported goods — and as the Trump administration continues to negotiate tariffs with other countries — you may be especially interested right now in how you can save money while you shop.

Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine has taken the time to assess how you can find deals this year on investments, groceries, electronics, clothing, cars and travel, as well as how to take advantage of credit card perks — with a special emphasis on finding deals for products and services most prone to rising prices as the trade war evolves. In this article, we look at deals on electronics. (See below to find links to our other articles about deals.)

You’ll likely find the best deals on smartphones, TVs, laptops, tablets and other gadgets by shopping during retail holidays.

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Discounts of up to 50% on electronics are possible around Labor Day, says Louis Ramirez, deals editor-in-chief for tech-review website Tom’s Guide.

Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and New Year’s sales are good times to shop for electronics, too.

You might also consider trading in your used device when you make a purchase. In addition to tariff-related price increases on new electronics, consumers will likely see a rise in the trade-in values for used devices, says Ramirez.

The trade-in value depends on the age, model and condition of your current device and varies widely; you can get as much as $800 to $1,000 or as little as $12 to $40 for your old device.

Devices from some brands retain their value longer than others. Laptops and tablets that are more than five years old often have minimal trade-in value.

But Apple devices tend to retain some value for five to seven years, says Ramirez.

Check out these devices

Shopping for previous-generation devices can be a great way to lock in low prices on quality electronics.

If you’re in the market for a new laptop or tablet, consider buying the 2024 MacBook Air (recently available for $800 at Best Buy) or the 2024 iPad Air (recently available for $499 at Walmart), rather than the 2025 models, which sell for $999 and $599, respectively.

Alternatively, opt for an AI-driven laptop. These laptops use software powered by artificial intelligence to enhance performance, user experience and functionality.

They’ve had a lukewarm reception from consumers, many of whom remain comfortable with PCs that don’t have these built-in AI features. So you can find significant markdowns on some AI laptops.

Acer, Dell, HP and Samsung are all lowering prices on their AI-driven models, says Ramirez.

For example, the Dell XPS 9350 Laptop with Copilot+ was recently available at Best Buy for $999, or $400 off its original price.

If you’re in the market for a TV, big-box stores such as Best Buy may be your best bet, especially around Labor Day.

Typically, you can get as much as $2,000 off select big-screen TVs from LG, Samsung and other brands during Best Buy’s Labor Day sale.

Amazon has also been known to sell smart TVs, such as the Insignia 24-inch F20 Series HD Fire TV, for as little as $65 on Labor Day.

Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine, a monthly, trustworthy source of advice and guidance. Subscribe to help you make more money and keep more of the money you make here.

Nellie joined Kiplinger in August 2011 after a seven-year stint in Hong Kong. There, she worked for the Wall Street Journal Asia, where as lifestyle editor, she launched and edited Scene Asia, an online guide to food, wine, entertainment and the arts in Asia. Prior to that, she was an editor at Weekend Journal, the Friday lifestyle section of the Wall Street Journal Asia. Kiplinger isn't Nellie's first foray into personal finance: She has also worked at SmartMoney (rising from fact-checker to senior writer), and she was a senior editor at Money.