This is shaping up to be a great month for consumer electronics gadgetry. Black Friday is just around the corner, and while shoppers will be scrambling to find great deals on Ultra HD flat screens, wearable cameras, and hoverboards let's not forget about the more realistic bargains that folks will be able to score on cheaper gizmos.
Amazon.com (AMZN 1.43%) is no stranger to steep markdowns in November. In fact, it launched its "Countdown to Black Friday" sales event when the month began, offering flash sale discounts on select items.
However, there's nothing quite like Black Friday itself -- and Amazon's going to be ready. It's teasing some of the deals that will be available as we head into the meaty holiday shopping season, and if you happen to be in the market for a tablet, e-reader, or set-top device you may be interested in what the world's largest online retailer is peddling at the low end of the market.
- Amazon will be selling Kindle -- starting on Nov. 22 -- at just $49.99. That's 38% off its retail price of $79.99, even though it's actually on sale today at $59.99 for those that can't wait until next week to shave another $10 off the price.
- Fire TV Stick, the smaller of Amazon's smart TV solutions will be on sale for $24.99 starting Nov. 26. The device -- currently fetching $39.99 -- plugs into your TV's HDMI port and offers access to a wide range of streaming services and apps.
- Another proprietary Amazon product that will go on sale starting on Thanksgiving (like the Fire TV Stick) is the entry-level Fire tablet. It's been the best-selling product on Amazon since it rolled out at just $49.99, and the Thanksgiving Thursday sale will bring it all the way down to $34.99.
Yes, Amazon is serious about owning the low end of the consumer electronics market. It doesn't have a problem yielding the high end to Apple (AAPL 0.33%). If you're set on paying $269 for an iPad mini 2 -- an older generation tablet, but the cheapest one that Apple is still selling -- seeing a rival Fire go from $49.99 to $34.99 may not sway you. If shelling out $149 for the new Apple TV doesn't faze you it's not as if Fire TV Stick getting a temporary $15 haircut to $34.99 is going to move you. However, these low prices will make waves for folks snapping up cheap Android tablets as well as Roku or Chromecast video streaming boxes.
Apple has its market. Amazon has everything else, and at the prices it plans on rolling out in a few days it will be doing a lot of business before the official start of the holiday shopping season on Black Friday.
