January always brings a flood of tech deals, and half of them are basically the same price they were in December… but wearing a big red “LIMITED TIME ONLY” sticker for dramatic effect.
However, buried under the noise, there are genuine bargains to be had. Premium gear from last year gets reduced properly, mid-range tech hits its sweet spot, and accessories that were overpriced at launch finally drop to sensible numbers.
So in this list, I’m highlighting a few strategies for spotting the real January discounts, plus a few recommendations for tech that’s actually worth your money this year.
Let’s get to it!
Best Smartphone Deals
Smartphones are usually the headline act of the January sales. Here’s how to navigate the noise and find the phones that are actually worth buying.
Flagship Phones Worth Grabbing in the January Sales
High-end models drop the most around January, especially once the next generation is only a month or two away. These are the types of phones that were overpriced at launch, great six months later, and fantastic when they hit their first major post-holiday discount.
Think along the lines of:
- Samsung’s Galaxy S-series from the previous generation
- Last year’s iPhone Pro models (if retailers want to shift remaining stock)
- Google’s Pixel Pro lineup, which often sees meaningful cuts long before summer
The Mid-Range Sweet Spot
This is where the real value lives. Mid-range Android phones almost always see strong January discounts because retailers want to reset inventory before spring releases.
Look out for:
- Pixel models that already offer flagship-level cameras.
- Samsung A-series devices with big displays and all-day battery.
- OnePlus and Nothing phones that offer smooth performance without flagship fees.
Budget Deals That Don’t Feel Budget
Every year, we get “bargains” that are cheap for a reason with poor specs, slow processors, and terrible battery life. But there are always a few budget models that are genuinely impressive once the January discount hits.
The stuff worth watching for usually includes:
- Entry-level phones with big batteries and 1080p screens
- Older mid-range models from major brands that get pushed below £200
- Devices with at least 6GB RAM and 128GB storage (the minimum I’d recommend)
If you’re buying for kids, parents, or as a backup device, January is hands-down the best time to do it.
What to Avoid in the Phone Aisle
A few traps show up every year:
- Phones with 720p screens pretending to be “HD.”
- “Sale” prices that are identical to November’s Black Friday offers.
- Budget phones with 4GB RAM or processors that struggle with basic apps.
- Anything from a brand you’ve never heard of that seems suspiciously cheap.
Best Laptop & Tablet Deals
Laptops and tablets are where January sales get interesting. Retailers desperately want to clear out older stock before spring refreshes land, which means the discounts can be massive (but the landmines are everywhere). Outdated processors, slow storage, painful displays, and RAM so low it should be illegal.
So here’s how to navigate the laptop-and-tablet aisle without accidentally buying a laptop you’ll regret.
Premium Laptops Worth Grabbing
High-end laptops don’t really drop much all year, but January is one of the few exceptions. Last year’s premium machines start to dip, and suddenly the laptops that were £1,500+ become genuinely tempting.
Think along the lines of:
- MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models from the previous generation
- ASUS ZenBook or Creator series
- Lenovo ThinkPad models that refuse to die
The Sweet Spot: Mid-Range Laptops That Age Well
Not everyone needs a premium machine. If your laptop routine involves web browsing, office apps, Netflix, and a bit of photo editing, mid-range laptops in January can still be incredible value.
Look for:
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- Recent-gen Intel Core, AMD Ryzen, or Apple Silicon chips
- A decent 1080p or 1440p display
Avoid models that stick 8GB RAM and a budget CPU into a shiny chassis and call it “new.” Once these machines drop in price, they offer far better long-term value than most budget laptops.
Tablets: The Best Time of Year to Buy One
Tablets rarely get deep discounts outside of Black Friday, but January often brings surprisingly good deals on the previous year’s models.
You’ll usually see drops on:
- iPad (standard, mini, Air, and sometimes Pro if stock is clearing)
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S-series
- Lenovo’s popular budget and mid-range Android tablets
If you’ve been holding off on a tablet for travel, sketching, media, or light work, January is often the time to strike.
What to Avoid in Laptop and Tablet Deals
This is where retailers get sneaky. Watch out for:
- 4GB RAM laptops. They can barely open Chrome, let alone last year’s.
- eMMC storage. It’s painfully slow; skip it entirely.
- Old CPUs like Intel 7th/8th/9th gen or anything with “Pentium” or “Celeron” printed on the box.
- Low-resolution screens pretending to be “HD.”
- Windows laptops under £300 that aren’t discounted from at least £500+ (they’re almost always awful).
Best TV & Home Entertainment Deals
TV deals are where the January sales love to flex. You’ll see giant panels with slashed prices, dramatic “was £2,499, now £899” stickers, and enough buzzwords to make you feel like you’ve accidentally stumbled into a marketing workshop.
But here’s the secret: January is genuinely one of the best times of the year to buy a TV if you know what to look for (and what to avoid like the plague).
Premium TVs That Are Actually Worth Buying
The biggest wins are usually last year’s premium models. Once manufacturers start prepping their spring announcements, retailers suddenly decide they’d like their shelves back.
These are the TVs that deliver proper image quality:
- OLED panels from major brands
- Mini-LED sets that were at the top of the range a few months ago
- QD-OLED models if they get a significant drop
Why it’s a good time: these TVs age gracefully. A top-tier model from last year will often outperform a brand-new mid-range TV at the same price.
Mid-Range TVs That Suddenly Become Great Value
Mid-range models are where most people get the best balance of price and performance. January pricing often pushes these into the “absolutely worth it” zone.
The stand-outs typically include:
- Reliable 4K sets with solid HDR brightness
- Good motion handling for sports and gaming
- Smart TV systems that aren’t laggy or cluttered with ads
If you’ve been holding off replacing a living room TV because you didn’t want to spend a fortune, January is the moment the mid-range becomes extremely appealing.
Soundbars & Streaming Devices Worth Picking Up
TVs have become so thin that sound quality is usually an afterthought. That’s why January sales on soundbars are brilliant; you can often upgrade your audio dramatically for less than you’d spend on a weekend away.
Look out for:
- Soundbars with dedicated subwoofers
- Dolby Atmos models that don’t need a second mortgage
- Streaming sticks and boxes (Apple TV, Fire TV, Google TV) that often dip to all-time lows
These are the small upgrades that transform your setup without draining your budget.
What to Avoid in the TV Aisle
Retailers love to shift slow-moving stock in January, so you’ll see plenty of “bargains” that are anything but. The biggest traps include:
- Edge-lit LCDs pretending to be premium through marketing jargon.
- TVs with awful peak brightness that ruin HDR.
- Anything heavily discounted but originally sold on brand name alone.
- Smart TV systems that feel sluggish out of the box, because they’ll only get worse
And the golden rule: if a TV seems suspiciously cheap for its size, there’s almost always a reason.
Best Headphone & Earbud Deals
Headphones and earbuds are where January sales get dangerously tempting. The discounts are often real, the upgrades can be massive, and it’s very easy to justify buying “just one more pair” because the price looks too good to ignore. But this is also a category where retailers love to dump questionable models into the bargain bin and wait for regret to set in.
Here’s how to find the genuinely good stuff.
Premium Headphones Worth Grabbing
January is usually when you’ll find meaningful cuts on last year’s flagship noise-cancellers.
Think along the lines of:
- Sony’s WH-1000XM series
- Bose QuietComfort models
- Premium sets from brands like Bowers & Wilkins or Sennheiser
These headphones remain excellent years after release. You get the big, immersive sound, proper noise cancellation, and comfort that lets you wear them for hours without feeling like your head is in a clamp. If you’ve been waiting to upgrade for travel or working from home, this is one of the best times to do it.
Earbuds That Offer Genuine Value in January
Earbuds see some of the steepest discounts in the entire tech world. Retailers love to clear shelves of older models, and this is where you can find serious gems.
Keep an eye out for:
- Well-reviewed flagship earbuds from last year
- Mid-range wireless earbuds with proper ANC
- Models that finally dip into a realistic price bracket after months at full RRP
These are perfect if you commute, hit the gym regularly, or just want something light and comfortable that still sounds great.
What to Avoid in the Headphone Section
January shelves are also filled with “bargain” headphones that were overpriced at launch and still aren’t worth it now.
Here’s what I would avoid:
- Unknown brands with inflated specs.
- Earbuds with awful battery life hiding behind a flashy box.
- Cheap ANC models that don’t actually cancel anything.
- Headphones with weak build quality that crack after a few months.
And if the reviews look suspiciously glowing across dozens of identical five-star entries, assume someone got creative with incentives.
How to Shop January Tech Deals Without Getting Burned
January is one of the few times of the year when genuinely brilliant tech deals appear, but it’s also when retailers pull their most creative tricks. The best way to win is simple: buy with a plan, not because the discount label looks exciting.
Here are a few quick checks before you hit “Buy Now”:
- Look at the real price history, not the RRP: If it wasn’t cheaper at any point in the last couple of months, the “deal” probably isn’t one.
- Prioritise quality over the size of the discount: A solid TV with £200 off is still a better buy than a bad TV with £600 off.
- Don’t compromise on the basics: For laptops, that means SSD storage and sensible RAM. For earbuds: good battery life and proven reliability. For TVs: panel quality over size.
- Stick to tech you’ll use every day: The best deals are the ones that actually improve your life, not the random gadgets that looked cheap at the time.
- And if something feels too good to be true… assume it is: There’s always a reason a no-name company is selling a “4K HDR TV” for the price of a takeaway.
January sales are fantastic when you approach them with a bit of scepticism and a clear head. Use the noise to your advantage, grab the genuinely worthwhile deals, and skip the stuff that’ll spend more time in a drawer than actually improving your life.
