October Prime Day at Amazon has a way of setting rival retailers on fire, and Best Buy is right there with the rapid-fire promotions. If you’re on the prowl for laptops, phones, or headphones, this is one of the best short windows to save on name-brand tech without waiting for the holiday crush.
Best Buy: Best Buy mirrors many of Amazon’s headline cuts, but throws in some of its own twists – bonus gift cards on phones activated with carriers, members-only price drops, and occasional open-box deals that slide under new-in-box pricing.
Our retail analytics teams at Adobe have observed that early-season electronics deals can discount by double digits in these two-day events, with deeper peaks near the holidays — so the trick is snagging models that rarely see lower.
Best Buy laptop deals to watch during October Prime Day
Apple’s MacBook Air (M3) is the bellwether platform. We’ve seen Best Buy drive this model down $200 to $300 below list during fast-moving promos, particularly on the most popular 16GB/512GB configurations. The entry models sometimes dip the full $300 if you can stomach having just 8GB of RAM for everyday use. For macOS buyers, that’s usually about as good as it gets before the end of the year (although Student Deals or My Best Buy Plus may stack additional perks like extended returns).
On the Windows front, thin-and-light machines with Intel’s latest Core Ultra or AMD’s Ryzen 7000-series chips are hitting similar $200–$300 off ranges. Microsoft Surface Laptop and Samsung Galaxy Book lines have been sliding into that zone, bringing premium designs, long battery life, and these days even on-device AI features to the midrange price territory. If you edit photos or juggle myriad Chrome tabs, aim for 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD; these are the configurations that get snapped up first when prices drop.
Savvy deal seekers can keep an eye out for the Acer Aspire Go and Asus Vivobook families getting down to $299–$379. Look for 8GB/256GB specs — solid for schoolwork and streaming. Also, if you can stretch your budget by $50 to $100 more, aim for SKUs with Wi‑Fi 6, a 1080p webcam, and a 300‑nit display — tiny upgrades that make life a little better day to day.
Phone promos at Best Buy worth a closer look today
Best Buy’s most aggressive phone “discounts” often come in the form of carrier bill credits. The average promo on a flagship Samsung or Apple device is between $200–$300 with activation, stretched out over 24 to 36 months. Note the fine print: cancel early, and you lose any remaining credits. If you’re already wedded to a carrier, then this can be free money; if you want flexibility, stick to unlocked deals instead.
Notable unlocked Android phones tend to be Google’s A-series and Samsung’s Galaxy A models, from which we’ve seen discounts between $100 to $200 on a regular basis during these sales events. Apple’s unlocked iPhone discounts tend to be more muted, but trade-in values at Best Buy frequently outpace those offered by carrier stores for newer devices in good condition. CIRP’s research has detailed stable trade-in values for iPhone owners in recent years, and by doing so here you can reduce your effective price down to that $200–$300 savings bucket.
Headphones and earbuds at Best Buy with up to $300 off
The best noise-canceling headphones, typically costing $300 and up, are perennial Best Buy deals. The WH-1000XM series headphones from Sony and Bose’s top QuietComfort models will frequently dip down $100–$150 (or so) below MSRP. Apple’s AirPods Pro (2nd gen) have frequently dropped to around $50 off, and we’ve seen Beats Studio Pro drop as much as $150–$180 when Best Buy pits them directly against Amazon. You’ll want to look for multipoint Bluetooth, USB‑C wired listening, and powerful ANC — independent test labs such as Rtings (as well as other audio reviewers) find these features are the most meaningful quality-of-life upgrades.
If you’re debating between two brands, consider fit and call quality first. Most shoppers chase the largest discount, only to realize that the clamping force or ear tip shape isn’t a good fit. Best Buy’s return policy (extended for My Best Buy Plus/Total members) can de-risk the trial period — leverage it if you’re on the fence.
How to verify a Best Buy deal is genuinely the lowest
Look at the recent price history rather than trusting “Was” labels.
There’s no doubt you can find that discount today, but some third-party trackers and the community price forums could identify if today’s sale is just matching a routine weekend promo or actually represents a new 60-day low. Salesforce and Adobe noted last season that price volatility increased throughout the quarter; therefore, an actual low could exist for only a few hours.
Scan for stackable value. Best Buy often combines promos with deals on gift cards when you activate a phone, student discounts (paired with a $100 off promo code on MacBooks this year), or open-box “Excellent” condition items that add another 5%–15% off. If you’re a member, take extended returns and possible repair discounts into account; those added perks can trump a minuscule price advantage at another store.
Mind the spec traps. That means avoiding things like old SATA SSDs, 4GB of RAM, and 1366×768 displays for lower prices on laptops. For earbuds, look for IP ratings and support for the codecs your phone can actually use. And on phones, make sure to confirm the storage tier at checkout — base models will sell out first and upsells could easily erase your $300 discount.
Bottom line for October Best Buy shoppers and buyers
If you need a laptop, phone, or set of cans right now, the Best Buy blitz around October Prime Day is one of only a handful of times per year where you can count on saving $300 at minimum without settling for the wrong model.
Electronics discounts could get steeper later, but continuing supply chain and shipping delays can result. So the solution is to shop early, confirm the actual low, and pounce when the ideal configuration hits your desired price.