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Black Friday 2015 fell on Friday, November 27, but major offers began earlier. The headline prices were not always the amount shoppers paid: some tablet promotions added retailer gift cards, while many smartphone deals depended on carrier activation, payments, or trade-ins. This is a historical preview; the prices and offers below were advertised in November 2015 and are no longer current buying opportunities.
At a glance: which 2015 deals suited which buyers?
| Buyer priority | 2015 deal direction | Main qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Unlocked Android phone | Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 32GB, advertised at $460, down from $600 | A direct unlocked price, but still a much higher upfront cost than carrier promotions. 9to5Google |
| Low upfront phone cost | Walmart’s $0-up-front offers on Samsung phones and iPhone 5s-or-newer models through AT&T and Verizon | Not a free phone: carrier payments and eligibility applied. Time |
| Premium tablet | iPad Air 2 or Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 | Apple’s Target offer included store credit rather than an equivalent checkout discount; the Tab S2 had direct markdowns. WIRED Time |
| Low-cost tablet | Amazon Fire or a lower-tier Galaxy Tab | Lower prices came with weaker specifications than premium tablets. WIRED |
| Web, email, and schoolwork | Entry-level Chromebook deals, including an Asus 2GB/16GB configuration | Limited traditional software and local storage; the lowest Asus price required Visa Checkout and a code. 9to5Google |
How to tell a real discount from a headline price
For each offer, separate what leaves your wallet at checkout from what you receive later or must commit to. Retailers used several different kinds of promotion, and they are not interchangeable.
- Direct price cut: The checkout price is reduced. For example, the Galaxy S6 Edge 32GB was advertised unlocked at $460, against a stated $600 price. Verify the precise model and storage before comparing.
- Gift card: You pay the listed device price and receive retailer credit. Target advertised an iPad Air 2 starting at $499 with a $150 Target gift card; that is not a $349 iPad. The credit is useful only if you value spending it at Target.
- Carrier or activation offer: A low upfront amount can be paired with ongoing device payments, an eligible service plan, or activation conditions. It does not establish the phone’s total cost.
- Trade-in offer: The value depends on the required device, condition, and activation route. Best Buy’s iPhone promotion offered up to a $200 gift card with an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus, but required activation and an iPhone 5-or-newer trade-in.
- Payment-method code: The Asus Chromebook’s lower advertised price required both Visa Checkout and promotional code
VCOBF15; it was not the universal price. - Limited or store-specific offer: A doorbuster, online deal, or local-store promotion may have limited stock or availability. Check whether the exact configuration and sales channel match the advertisement.
Also check whether the listing is new, open-box, refurbished, or pre-owned. The headline alone does not establish warranty coverage, return terms, battery condition, or included accessories.
Smartphone deals: compare the whole carrier commitment
iPhone promotions
Best Buy advertised up to a $200 gift card with an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus, subject to activation and an eligible iPhone 5-or-newer trade-in. “Up to” matters: the actual value depended on the qualifying transaction. A buyer without an eligible trade-in, or one unwilling to activate on the required terms, should not count the full gift card as a saving.
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Walmart advertised $0-up-front pricing on iPhone 5s-or-newer models through AT&T and Verizon. The offer was a way to reduce the initial payment, not eliminate the phone’s cost: ongoing carrier payments and plan eligibility remained relevant. Activation fees, any service commitment, and the total of device installments can outweigh an attractive starting figure.
Samsung and unlocked Android options
Walmart also promoted $0-up-front Samsung smartphones through AT&T and Verizon, again with carrier obligations. For shoppers who wanted to avoid that structure, 9to5Google reported an unlocked 32GB Galaxy S6 Edge at $460, down from an advertised $600. This is a more transparent comparison point than a carrier-dependent $0-up-front offer, though the upfront spend was substantially higher.
The Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, and Note 5 were among the premium Samsung models in the 2015 deal landscape. The deal examples available here do not establish a comparable unlocked Black Friday price for every model or configuration, so do not assume that one phone’s discount applied to another.
Choose by buyer situation
- Existing customer upgrading: Check whether the carrier offer applies to your account and calculate device payments, plan cost, and fees across the full commitment.
- Switching carriers: Confirm the phone works on the destination carrier and that the promotion is available to new customers; a low upfront price may rely on activation.
- Prepaid customer: Treat contract- or postpaid-linked offers as inapplicable unless the retailer and carrier explicitly confirm eligibility.
- Seeking an unlocked phone: Compare the unlocked checkout price with the total carrier cost, not just its first payment. The advertised Galaxy S6 Edge offer is the clearest unlocked example in this roundup.
- Unwilling to sign a contract or take installments: Prefer a clearly unlocked price and verify the device’s network compatibility before purchase.
An older flagship at a steep markdown can be good value, but compare it with a newer, less expensive midrange device on battery condition, remaining software support, and the features you actually need. The cited offers do not establish software-support end dates for every model.
Tablet deals: distinguish gift-card value from checkout savings
Apple iPads
Target advertised the iPad Air 2 starting at $499 with a $150 Target gift card, the iPad mini 4 starting at $399 with a $100 gift card, and the iPad mini 2 starting at $269 with an $80 gift card. The device prices remained the amount paid at checkout; the gift cards were separate store credit. Best Buy advertised up to $125 off select iPad Air 2 models, a direct-discount structure, but the offer applied only to selected configurations.
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Apple tablets often received less dramatic direct price cuts than budget Android tablets. For someone already invested in iOS apps or accessories, an iPad could make more sense than a cheaper tablet; buyers comparing only hardware price should account for the specific apps, accessories, and model configuration they need rather than assume all tablets are equivalent.
Samsung and Amazon tablets
| Model and configuration | Advertised November 2015 price | Comparison price or offer | What to note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxy Tab S2, 9.7-inch | $400 at Target | Stated regular price $500 | Premium Android option; the cited offer was a direct price reduction. Time |
| Galaxy Tab S2, 8-inch | $350 at Target | Stated regular price $400 | Smaller-screen option at a lower price. Time |
| Galaxy Tab A, 9.7-inch, 16GB | $230 | Stated regular price $300 | Do not equate its lower-tier specifications with the Tab S2. 9to5Google |
| Galaxy Tab 4, 7-inch, 8GB | $120 | Stated regular price $180 | Very limited storage by modern standards; verify intended use and exact model. 9to5Google |
| Amazon Fire tablet | $34.99 | Stated regular price $50 | Amazon advertised this price in its promotion; the source does not specify every configuration detail. 9to5Google |
Amazon also advertised more than 20% off Samsung Galaxy tablets. WIRED’s contemporary coverage described cheaper Samsung tablets as compromises in performance and specifications compared with premium models. The Galaxy Tab S2 was the stronger direction for shoppers prioritizing a higher-end Android tablet and display; lower-cost Tab A, Tab E, Tab 4, or Fire models were better treated as basic media or casual-use purchases, not substitutes for an iPad Air 2 or Tab S2.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Chromebooks: useful for web work, not a universal laptop replacement
Asus Chromebook and Acer offers
A 2015 Asus Chromebook configuration with a 1.8GHz processor, 2GB RAM, and 16GB storage was advertised at $210 from a stated $250 regular price, or $190 with Visa Checkout and code VCOBF15. The lower figure depended on the payment method and code. Amazon separately advertised discounts of up to 40% on Acer tablets and Chromebooks; that ceiling did not mean every Acer configuration received the same reduction.
Those specifications describe an entry-level machine. Chrome OS suited browsing, email, schoolwork, and lightweight productivity, especially for users comfortable with web-based services. It was a poor fit for buyers needing traditional Windows applications, demanding games, professional creative software, or substantial local storage.
Keep the Chromebox separate
The Asus Chromebox advertised at $199, or $175 with Visa Checkout, from a stated $230 price was a desktop Chrome OS computer, not a laptop. Its 1.7GHz processor, 4GB RAM, and 16GB storage made it a different kind of purchase: buyers needed a monitor and peripherals, and should compare it with other small desktop systems rather than Chromebook laptops.
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Chromebook or low-cost Windows laptop?
Time’s November 2015 comparison noted that similarly priced Windows laptops could offer 500GB storage and 4GB RAM, while warning that their Celeron processors were slow compared with Core-series chips. That makes the choice a trade-off, not a simple specification win: Chrome OS could feel more suitable for online work, while Windows provided access to traditional desktop software. Neither a low-cost Windows laptop nor a 2GB Chromebook should be mistaken for a powerful general-purpose computer.
- Check the processor family and model, not only clock speed.
- Confirm RAM, internal storage, screen resolution, keyboard layout, and whether the display is touch-enabled if that matters.
- Evaluate battery claims against the specific model and use; do not generalize one configuration’s battery life to an entire brand.
- Check the model’s automatic-update eligibility and the seller’s condition designation, especially for older, refurbished, or open-box stock.
When the offers appeared and how stores handled them
Amazon
Amazon’s promotion began November 20, a week before Black Friday. Its 2015 plan included app-only deals released between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m. Pacific Time beginning Thanksgiving, plus a “Watch A Deal” notification feature. The schedule and rolling deal releases meant a preview price or stock status could change before November 27. 9to5Google’s announcement covered the timing.
Best Buy
Best Buy’s U.S. stores were scheduled to open at 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, November 26, close at 1 a.m., then reopen at 8 a.m. Friday, November 27. Some doorbusters required tickets, and the advertised offers included online availability for selected products. Store hours and stock could vary in practice; a ticket-limited doorbuster was not a dependable purchase unless the shopper could obtain one. MacRumors
Walmart and Target
Walmart’s phone offers centered on AT&T and Verizon activation and ongoing carrier payments. Target’s Apple promotions used gift cards, while its Galaxy Tab S2 prices were direct markdowns. In either case, the deal type and eligible model mattered more than the retailer’s headline savings figure. Time
Recommendations by what you need
- I want an unlocked phone: The advertised unlocked Galaxy S6 Edge 32GB at $460 was the clearest example here; verify network compatibility and compare its full price with any newer alternative.
- I want the lowest upfront phone payment: A carrier promotion could reduce the initial outlay, but only consider it after totaling installments, service requirements, activation fees, and trade-in value.
- I want a premium tablet: Compare the iPad Air 2’s checkout price plus the value you personally place on Target credit with the Tab S2’s direct markdown. Do not treat store credit as cash off.
- I need a tablet under $300: The Tab A at $230 or Fire at $34.99 represented very different product tiers. Match screen, storage, performance, and intended apps to the use rather than selecting on price alone.
- I want a small tablet: The iPad mini 4, mini 2, and 8-inch Tab S2 addressed portability at different prices and generations; check storage and connectivity for the exact listing.
- I need a simple school laptop: A Chromebook could suit web-based assignments and browsing, but verify that required school software runs in Chrome OS.
- I need Windows software: Choose a Windows machine if compatibility is essential, while recognizing that budget 2015 configurations could have slow processors.
Historical context
Every price and retailer schedule in this preview refers to November 2015. These offers, inventory, carrier terms, and policies have expired; none should be read as a current deal or an indication of present-day product availability.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
