The end-of-financial-year sales in Australia are just around the corner and, as always, there'll be a massive list of bargains to look forward to, and plenty of tech that sells for cheap.
During this time, retailers are often trying to get rid of aging stock they’ve accumulated over the year, or trying to reach sales targets. This is good news for the consumer, with substantial discounts available on a range of products – from cars to home appliances and pretty much everything else in between.
It’s also the best time to get your own finances in order. At this time of year, you’ll find plenty of discounted products that are also tax deductible. So not only will you be able to snag a great bargain during Australia’s annual EOFY sales, but also get back in the form of tax returns.
- Planning on shopping on Amazon Australia during EOFY? Then save on shipping by signing up for a Prime membership.
While it might be fun to visit brick-and-mortar stores to browse everything on sale, shopping online is more efficient – it can take the weight off your feet, literally, and give you more time and energy to trawl through the numerous storefronts to find the best bargains.
Alternatively, you can let us do the hard work by just keeping this page bookmarked and checking back periodically in the lead up to June 30. The Australian TechRadar team will be constantly updating this page with all the best tax-time deals.
If the previous year is anything to go by, some of the offers we share here will actually end before June 30, so check in frequently if you want to score the best EOFY bargains – and try not to leave it until the last minute!
- Last year, our sister site Getprice also listed a plethora of EOFY deals in a variety of categories, not just tech. It will happen again in 2019, and we'll let you know where to find them.
Early EOFY 2019 deals and bargains
It's early days yet but you can always snag a decent bargain early in case you can't wait. While most retailers are still holding back, Dell and Lenovo have jumped the gun with some excellent laptop deals already live on their respective sites.
If Dell is your preferred laptop brand, you can score a whopping 40% off on selected models and configurations until May 30. Not to be left behind, Lenovo's EOFY sale of up to 45% off on selected laptops and 2-in-1s also ends May 30.
To make it easy for you, we've picked a few of the laptop deals from both manufacturers and listed them on our dedicated EOFY laptop deals page. And, to keep your new machine safe from cyber crimes, we can help you save a bundle on great antivirus deals.
For everything else, a few bargains are beginning to trickling in, although the selection is very limited at present.
EOFY sale: What to expect in 2019
The end-of-financial-year sales are one of Australia's most popular big sales. While the discounts may not be comparable to Black Friday bargains, there's always plenty of savings to be had, especially if you ensure you the items you pick up are tax deductible.
So, what kind of tech can you find during EOFY sales Down Under? Plenty. From computers to gaming gear, the best flagship smartphones to personal audio. To get an idea of what to expect in 2019, let's take a look at what was on offer last year.
Gaming: Last year saw some great discounts on console bundles. With some blockbuster games just waiting to be played, you can expect to see them bundled along with either the PlayStation consoles or the Xbox One.
If, however, you're more interested in the Nintendo Switch, you won't be disappointed. Last year, the Switch dropped down to $378 during the EOFY sale – that's not quite the cheapest price we've seen, but with rumours of a new Switch being announced soon, we're anticipating the current model will be substantially discounted again this year. But stay sharp, as this popular console gets gobbled up real quick.
Laptops and PCs: There will be plenty of computing gear on sale during the EOFY sales. Manufacturers like Microsoft, Lenovo, Dell and HP will host their own sales on their sites, but you’ll also be able to grab laptops and desktop PCs from major retailers as well. You can expect to see average discounts of about 15% to 20%. You’ll even be able to snag bargains on accessories as well, with printers, keyboards, SSDs and external hard drives all going on sale during this time.
- Keep your devices safe from cyber attacks and save money at the same time with our round-up of the best antivirus deals and discounts in Australia.
Smartphones and tablets: The latest flagship handsets from the major phone makers all generally carry a hefty price tag. So if you’ve held off on buying a new phone, the EOFY sales might be a great time to score an upgrade without having to pay full retail price. Samsung's latest Galaxy handsets and Apple’s iPhone XS and XR flagships could well be available for less, as could older models. Great budget handsets will likely get a trim to their prices as well.
It will also be a great time to save on tablets, especially the premium Samsung models of you prefer Android devices. And while Apple hasn't previously offered any direct EOFY discounts, third-party stockists will potentially offer 10% off on select iPad models.
Home entertainment and personal audio: There were plenty of TVs, soundbars and speakers on sale during the last couple of EOFY sales, and we don't expect that trend to change any time soon. And with some excellent 4K UHD smart TVs already seeing price drops outside of big sales, we're looking forward to seeing how much more affordable they'll be during the 2019 tax-time sale.
It's not just home entertainment setups that you'll be able to save on but portable Bluetooth speakers and the best wireless headphones as well. The premium audio products retail for about $500 a pop, but there's a good chance you'll see them drop well below the $400 mark. Whether the prices will match the 2018 Black Friday offers (where Sony and Bose noise cancelling headphones dropped to about $320) remains to be seen.
Cameras: The EOFY sales are also a great time for photographers – beginners, pros or hobbyists – to grab the latest gear. Last year saw plenty of cameras go on sale: from compacts to DSLRs and action cams, and this year will be no different. There are now plenty of full-frame mirrorless cameras that are trying to outdo each other in terms of features and performance, so don't be surprised if you see the Canon EOS R snappers or Nikon's Z series cameras drop in price. Keep an eye out of lens kits as well, as you'll be able to save a tad more.
While the tech itself will be discounted, you'll also find SD cards, camera bags, tripods and other accessories going for less.
Smart home devices: These nifty voice-activated products have been flooding the market – from internet-connected lights to smart security systems, and the speakers to control them all. Amazon discounted its Echo range of smart speakers last year and we're quite sure that will happen again, along with the other smart devices the e-commerce giant stocks, like Philips Hue smart lights. You'll also find plenty of retailers offering discounts on Google's range of smart speakers as well.
Home appliances: If you’re looking to renovate your home, the EOFY sales will help you save plenty on the new appliances you’ll need. You can expect to see bargains on not just Dyson vacuum cleaners, but also fridges, dishwashers, washing machines and plenty more.