Best Time to Buy a Laptop in Australia (2026)

The best time to buy a laptop in Australia is when the exact model you want hits a price you set in advance. The sale calendar helps you know when to look, but in 2026 the calendar is not enough, because laptop prices have been pushed up by a global memory squeeze.

"Every time I needed a new laptop I did the same thing. I'd open six tabs, find one that looked right, then wait for a sale because a mate said Black Friday was the time. Then I'd forget which model I wanted and which shop had it cheapest. Now I pick the one laptop, write down the number I'll pay, and let something else watch it. The decision takes ten minutes. The watching is no longer my job."

- Joey Krosch, Founder of FindFetcher

What has changed for laptop prices in 2026?

Laptops are more expensive this year, and the cause is memory. AI data centres are buying up the world's memory chips, and every laptop has memory inside it.

JB Hi-Fi's CEO told the company's October 2026 AGM that computer prices have risen by circa 50% over the last six months, and gaming by 10 to 20%.[132] That is a spoken estimate from one retailer, not an official price index, so it does not mean the average laptop now costs 50% more. Shoppers also trade down to cheaper models when prices rise, which pulls the average back.

The official data points the same way. The ABS said prices for games, toys and hobbies rose 15.5% in the year to September 2026, driven by higher memory and storage costs being passed on to shoppers.[133] That figure is for the whole group, so it is a sign of the trend, not a laptop price.

What it means for you: a "30% off" tag in 2026 may only take a laptop back to where it sat in the middle of the year. For the bigger picture, read why tech prices are rising in Australia.

When are the best sale windows for laptops in Australia?

Australian laptop deals cluster around five windows. Here is what each one is good for.

Window	When	Best for	Watch out for
Back to uni and school	January to February	Student and everyday laptops, education offers	Offers change each year, so check the terms
EOFY	June	Business laptops and clearing older stock	Sales pitched at businesses, not always at home users
Black Friday	Friday 27 November 2026	Popular mid-range models, accessories	Fake "was" prices, limited stock
Boxing Day	Saturday 26 December 2026	Older models that stores want to clear	Popular configurations selling out
New model launches	Varies by brand	Outgoing models getting cheaper	Launch timing is not fixed

None of these is a guarantee. A good price in a quiet week beats a poor "sale" price on the big day. For the full list of dates, see the Australian retail sales calendar for 2026.

Should you wait for Black Friday 2026?

Only if you can wait. Black Friday is on Friday 27 November 2026. Laptops are one of the categories most affected by memory costs, so there is a real chance the discounts are shallower than in past years. There is also a chance popular models sell out.

Here is a simple way to decide:

Pick the exact model, including memory and storage.
Write down the most you would happily pay.
If a store hits that number before Black Friday, buy it. You do not owe the sale anything.
If nothing hits your number by Black Friday, check again on the day, then again around Boxing Day.

If your current laptop is on its last legs, do not wait for a sale that may not come. A laptop that stops working the week before an assignment or a work deadline costs more than any discount saves. For the other end of the year, our Boxing Day sales guide shows which categories usually drop and which do not.

How do you know a laptop discount is real?

Compare the sale price with what the same model cost over the last few weeks, not the crossed-out price on the page. Three quick checks help:

Match the exact model number. Retailers often sell slightly different versions of the same laptop with different memory or storage. A cheaper price on a lower spec is not a deal.
Check the recent range. If the "sale" price is what it cost last month, there is no sale.
Add up the extras. A bundle with a bag and a mouse you will not use can hide a worse laptop price.

A price history tool makes this fast. We cover how in our guide to price history trackers in Australia. If you are building a PC rather than buying a laptop, the same logic applies to parts, as in our PC parts price tracker guide.

How much laptop do you actually need?

Memory is the part driving prices up, so it is also the easiest place to overspend. A few rules of thumb:

Everyday use and study: 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage is a comfortable level for most people.
Video editing, design and heavy multitasking: consider more memory, and spend the extra on the laptop, not the bag.
Light use only: you may not need to pay for premium specs at all.

Check whether the memory can be upgraded later. On many thin laptops it is soldered in, so what you buy is what you keep. If you want more ideas on buying tech for less, see how to save money on electronics in Australia and the cheapest way to buy tech.

How to buy a laptop without checking prices every day

The slow way is to open a dozen shops every morning and hope you catch a drop. The faster way is to decide once, then let an alert do the watching.

Choose the model. Narrow it to one or two laptops you would be happy with.
Set your number. Write the price you will pay, based on the recent range, not the sticker.
Set an alert. In FindFetcher, you describe the laptop in plain English and set your price. FindFetcher checks Australian stores each day and emails you when it finds a match.
Buy when it fires. One email, one decision, and you are done.

This works for Black Friday week too. You do not need to refresh a dozen tabs or refresh the same store page at midnight. For more on how alerts work, read how to get price drop alerts on Australian shops.

Hero image: Photo by Jep Gambardella on Pexels.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best month to buy a laptop in Australia?

There is no single best month. The usual windows are January and February (back to uni and school), June (EOFY), late November (Black Friday) and Boxing Day. In 2026, memory costs have pushed laptop prices up, so a sale may only bring the price back to where it was earlier in the year. Pick the model you want, set the price you are happy to pay, and buy when it hits that number.

Is Black Friday 2026 a good time to buy a laptop?

It can be, but it is not a sure thing this year. Black Friday is on Friday 27 November 2026. Laptops have had some of the biggest price rises of any tech category, so check the price history of the exact model before you trust a big percentage off. If the sale price is at or below your target, buy. If not, wait.

Should I wait for Boxing Day to buy a laptop?

Boxing Day falls on Saturday 26 December 2026. It is worth watching for older models that stores want to clear before new ones arrive. The risk is stock. Popular configurations can sell out, and with supply tight this year, waiting can mean the model you wanted is gone.

Do laptop prices drop when a new model comes out?

Often the outgoing model gets cheaper, because stores want to clear it. That can be a smart buy if the older laptop does everything you need. Compare the processor, memory and storage side by side, and check that the discount is real against the recent price.

How do I know a laptop discount is real?

Look at what the exact model has cost over the last few weeks, not the crossed-out 'was' price on the page. A price history tool or a price alert shows you the real range. If the 'sale' price matches what it cost last month, it is not much of a sale.

How much RAM and storage do I need in a laptop?

For everyday work, browsing and study, 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage is a comfortable level for most people. Memory is the part pushing prices up in 2026, so paying for more than you need is the easiest way to overspend. Check whether the memory can be upgraded later, because on many thin laptops it cannot.