Retailers lure their customers with new offers every week. With the concentrated flood of bargains on the Internet and in stores, it is almost impossible for consumers to keep track. TECHBOOK examines the current advertising leaflets and selects the best deals.
Every week, many consumers leaf through the brochures of retailers such as MediaMarkt and Saturn, as well as discounters such as Aldi and Lidl, hoping to find particularly good deals. But whether it is really a real deal is not guaranteed. That’s why TECHBOOK checks the brochures from the largest and most popular dealers and explains which technology offers are particularly worthwhile.
That makes a good bargain for TECHBOOK
Large percentages do not always indicate a good offer. The starting price is often based on the manufacturer’s recommended retail price (RRP), which is usually very high, so that the discount looks particularly large. In reality, however, other dealers often offer the device at the same or even cheaper prices. TECHBOOK therefore only includes bargains in the comparison that really offer the lowest price from all retailers.
Another criterion is the quality of the product. Real bargains have to be worth something. That’s why TECHBOOK only presents articles that have convinced a large number of other users in terms of features and usability, or articles that the editors have already tested themselves and found to be good.
This technology is currently particularly cheap (as of July 14)
HP Victus 15 15-fb0354ng for 899 euros 799 euros
With the Victus series, manufacturers also offer laptops that are designed for gaming. This model features the AMD processor Ryzen 5 5600H with 6 cores and a maximum clock frequency of 4.2 gigahertz. An AMD Radeon RX 6500M, which has its own 4 GB large and super-fast GDDR6 memory, is responsible for the graphics calculation. The display measures 15.6 inches and has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (Full HD). A 512 GB NVMe SSD is installed as mass storage, which ensures fast boot and loading times. The laptop has to be able to cope with 8 GB of DDR4 RAM – which is still okay given the dedicated graphics memory. The keyboard is illuminated and thus enables comfortable typing even in dark environments. The device offers a variety of connectivity options, including USB-C, two USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, headphone jack and a memory card reader.
Advantages:
- fast, 512 GB NVMe SSD
- good connectivity
- anti-glare display
- sufficient performance for gaming in 1080p
Disadvantages:
- Display brightness of 250 nits is hardly suitable for outdoor use
- a little bit of memory
With the Victus 15, HP offers a power pack for little money. The RAM should be larger and the display brighter – but the technology is well coordinated. In the MediaMarkt technology brochure, the laptop is currently a whole 100 euros cheaper than before at 799 euros – so it’s already a good offer. But it’s even cheaper than in advertising Ebay shop from sister company Saturn. There is with the voucher TECHNICAL SALE additional 50 Euro discount – best price
Also interesting: The unknown bargain category on Amazon
Bea-Fon Silver Line SL645 for 49.49 euros 39.99 euros
The Bea-Fon Silver Line SL645 is a classic senior phone with a large display, large buttons and a simple user interface. The handset features an SOS emergency call button that automatically notifies designated emergency contacts when triggered. There’s also a 3-megapixel camera and storage expandable via MicroSD. In addition to the removable battery, a charging station is also included in the scope of delivery.
Advantages:
- Large display and large buttons make operation easier
- SOS emergency button
- expandable storage
Disadvantages:
- very low resolution camera
- no security features like fingerprint sensor
Bea-Fon Silver Line SL645 is limited in functionality – but sometimes that’s just right for seniors. If you only want to make calls, this cheap device is more than enough for you. Only a higher-resolution camera would be desirable if grandpa or grandma want to take a picture of the grandchildren. In the current brochure from Aldi Nord, the seniors’ phone is on offer for a low price of EUR 39.99 including a EUR 10 starting credit for Aldi Talk. The discounter undercuts other shops by more than 20 euros. Only on Ebay does a dealer currently offer the same device for 49.49 euros, but it is still almost 10 euros more expensive than at Aldi.
JBL Tour Pro 2 for 246.51 euros 229 euros
The JBL Tour Pro 2 are wireless in-ear headphones that stand out from the competition with a full-fledged display in the housing. The display can be used to control playback, read battery levels and other information. The earbuds are equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 and offer active noise cancellation (ANC). The JBL Tour Pro 2 have an ambient mode that allows the ambient volume to pass through the headphones in order to be able to hear traffic noise or announcements better. Thanks to the ergonomic design and the included earplugs in different sizes, the wearing comfort can be individually adjusted. In addition, the headphones are sweat and water-repellent according to IPX5 and are therefore suitable for sports. They are compatible with both Android and iOS supported Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Apple Siri. With ANC, the earbuds last a solid 8 hours according to the manufacturer, and the case has a further 24 hours.
Advantages:
- Integrated display
- Active noise cancellation and ambient mode
Disadvantages:
- The advantages of the display are not sufficiently used
Overall, the earbuds can convince with their unique display and good sound quality with ANC. It is also practical that all functions are available via the JBL app, regardless of the operating system used. In the Euronics technology brochure, the JBL Tour Pro 2 is currently on sale for 229 euros. This is almost the best price and significantly cheaper than the competition, which currently charges at least 246.51 euros.
Acer Aspire 5 A514-54-30QP for 589 euros 499 euros
If you are looking for an affordable all-round laptop, you should take a closer look at this 14-inch laptop with Full HD resolution from Acer. The laptop comes with the Intel processor Intel Core i3-1115G4, which only has 2 cores, but at least 4 threads. With a clock frequency of 4.1 GHz, the chip ensures a rapid work pace. With 512 GB of SSD storage and 8 GB of RAM, the rest of the technology is well matched to the processor. Support for Wi-Fi 6 guarantees fast and stable Internet access. Rare for devices in this price range: the keyboard has a backlight.
Advantages:
- The laptop is 18 millimeters slim and light, which makes it easy to carry
- backlit keyboard
Disadvantages:
- The laptop has an Intel UHD graphics unit that is hardly suitable for gaming
- only 2 processor cores
With this laptop, buyers get a good all-round device that is suitable for office and browsing. Gaming is not really in it, but that is not to be expected at this price. Technology expert Medimax has the Acer Aspire 5 A514-54-30QP on offer in the current brochure for a low price of 499 euros. At other retailers, the laptop is at least 90 euros more expensive.
Philips 55OLED707/12 for 966 euros 899 euros
The Philips 55OLED707/12 is a 55-inch TV with 4K UHD resolution and support for HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG HDR. The TV features Philips’ Ambilight technology, which creates an immersive viewing experience by expanding the colors on the screen into the TV’s surroundings. A 2.1 sound system with a total of 50 watts of power is installed in the housing. The smart TV functions of the Philips 55OLED707/12 allow access to a wide range of streaming services and apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube. Android TV version 11 is preinstalled as the operating system. The TV is also compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa, so you can control it with your voice.
Advantages:
- 120Hz refresh rate
- Ambilight technology
- Gaming features like NVIDIA G-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium and Dolby Vision Game supported
Disadvantages:
- no support for casting features like AirPlay or Chromecast
The Philips 55OLED707/12 offers a lot of features and excellent picture quality. The TV is even suitable for gaming. Only the support for AirPlay or Chromefast is missing. The 4K television is currently available from Medimax for 899 euros. This makes it 67 euros cheaper than at other dealers.
JBL Charge Essential for 105.94 euros 89.99 euros
Even after the release of the successor Charge 4, the JBL Charge 3 is still a very good choice for starting a small party at home or with friends. But you can also take the handy pill to the beach, because the housing is waterproof according to IPX7 and can even withstand a dive. The stereo orientation of the built-in speakers fills every room and despite the strong bass from the large radiators, the highs and mids are still very clear. Thanks to the integrated 6,000 milliampere hours (mAh) battery and a USB output, the smartphone can also be charged while playing music. According to the manufacturer, if the battery is only used for music, it lasts for up to 20 hours.
JBL Charge Essential is a cheaper and slightly slimmed down variant of the Charge 5. The Bluetooth speaker has a battery life of up to 20 hours and has a water-resistant design according to the IPX7 standard. Thanks to the integrated USB-A port, the box can also be used as a power bank for mobile devices. With a weight of only 770 grams, the Charge Essential is still handy and suitable for use outdoors or when travelling. Inside are two 5-watt speakers with a frequency range of 65 Hz to 20 kHz. The box can be connected via Bluetooth or with a 3.5mm cable and is compatible with most mobile devices and computers. A built-in microphone enables hands-free calling to take calls easily and conveniently.
Advantages:
- Long battery life of up to 20 hours
- Water-resistant design
- Can be used as a power bank for mobile devices
Disadvantages:
- No dedicated app to operate the speaker
- Micro USB for charging
The JBL Charge Essential can also be found in the brochure from the technology dealer Medimax. For 89.99 euros, buyers get a powerful box whose only drawback is the lack of USB-C. Other shops are currently charging at least 16 euros more for the speaker.
Here’s what you need to know about bargains
Tech bargains come and go very quickly, with many items only available in very limited numbers. Even if the offers are advertised in brochures for a week, for example, it may be that they are already sold out before then. When shopping, also pay attention to possible shipping costs, which are added to the purchase price. Not all retailers always offer free shipping.
The offers are often also available from other retailers, because Amazon in particular is constantly scanning the market and adjusting the prices of its products to those of the competition. This also works the other way around. If you find a cheap price online, confront your local retailer and ask for the same discount. This strategy is particularly promising for large electronics stores. In this way, you may also save on shipping costs. It is also worthwhile to use a comparison portal such as Idealo.de* or Geizhals.de before making a purchase and see whether the product is not cheaper elsewhere.
* Idealo, like TECHBOOK, belongs to Axel Springer