The end of financial year sales form one of the biggest shopping events in Australia, and early tax-time deals are already available. So far, it’s been all about the screens, and we’ve seen a number of retailers offer early EOFY sales on laptops, monitors and TVs.
Microsoft is currently offering 15% off select Surface laptop devices, and we’ve also found the brilliant MacBook Air available for less. For TVs, we’re seeing discounted sets from the likes of LG, Samsung, Sony and Hisense.
While some of the early discounts we’re seeing are on last year’s stock, we’ve also found savings available on brand-new TVs, including the exceptional LG C1 OLED. So don’t be fooled into thinking it’s only older tech that gets discounted during EOFY.
We know it can be a lot to trawl through, but excellent deals can be found if you know where to look. That’s where the Australian TechRadar team comes in – we’ll be on hand during EOFY sales to help you hunt down the best bargains on electronics over the month of June, and we’ll list all our finds right here.
EOFY 2021: quick retailer links
EOFY 2021: early tech deals
Surface Laptop Go for Business | from AU$1,189.15 at Microsoft (15% off)
The Surface Laptop Go is an affordable laptop that doesn’t cut corners, and it doesn’t make the same compromises as similarly-priced devices. It looks and feels premium, with a lovely display and very comfortable keyboard. As the Business version, it comes with Windows 10 Pro and Microsoft’s ‘Advanced Exchange’ program, so you’ll be immediately eligible for a replacement device if you run into trouble. All models are discounted by 15%, which you can configure with a 10th-gen Intel Core i5 chip and solid-state storage up to 256GB.View Deal
Surface Book 3 for Business | from AU$2,379.15 at Microsoft (15% off)
The Surface Book 3 is one part laptop, one part tablet. It has one of the best displays and keyboards we’ve tested to date, and the overall design is gorgeous. As the Business model, it’s equipped with Windows 10 Pro, which includes enhanced security and single sign-on. The range is outfitted with 10th-gen Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, and all configs are now 15% off. There are even Nvidia GPUs available for creatives looking to do design work.View Deal
Dell 27-inch 4K monitor (S2721Q) | AU$499 AU$269 at Dell eBay (save AU$230)
This monitor has a 27-inch IPS panel, so you’ll get excellent colour over a wide viewing angle. 4K resolution will bring out the fine detail, and AMD FreeSync support will help keep visuals smooth and tear-free. It’s already discounted at Dell’s official eBay store, but if you enter the code PNVDG20, you’ll get a further 20% off the already reduced price.View Deal
LG 55-inch BX OLED TV | AU$2,795 from AU$1,795.50 at The Good Guys eBay (save up to AU$999.50)
The BX is one of the most affordable options in LG’s OLED range. It emits bright whites, deep blacks and vibrant colours, and overall the picture quality is impressive. It lacks HDR10+, and we did experience motion blur in our review, but if these aren’t important to you, it’s a great option. A number of Australian retailers have the set discounted, but we found it cheapest at The Good Guys’ eBay store. Plus members will get the biggest discount with the code PLUSES10, while anyone can save AU$900 with PPSS1.View Deal
Samsung 55-inch Q60A QLED TV | AU$1,495 AU$1,195 at Bing Lee (save AU$300)
The Q60A comes from Samsung’s 2021 range, and it’s the cheapest set with the QLED name. It’s got 4K resolution and HDR support, alongside HDR10+ so you can get a better balance between light and dark. At this price it’s lacking Dolby Atmos audio, but that’s certainly not a deal breaker. This early EOFY discount is available from Bing Lee.View Deal
LG 55-inch C1 OLED TV | AU$3,295 from AU$2,695.50 at The Good Guys eBay (save up to AU$599.50)
The LG C1 is our new pick for the best OLED TV you can buy. It uses LG’s a9 Gen 4 chipset, which brings better upscaling and uses AI processing to distinguish between objects and their backgrounds. There are four HDMI 2.1 ports as well, great news if you want to use the screen for gaming. All told, you can expect stunning 4K picture quality. eBay Plus members will save the most with the code PLUSES10, but anyone can save AU$400 using PPSS1.View Deal
Sony Bravia 75-inch X9000H 4K LED TV | AU$3,295 AU$2,695 at The Good Guys (save AU$600)
Looking for a monster TV to up your living room? Sony’s 75-inch X9000H offers crisp 4K visuals on an LED panel with full array local dimming and support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. The set has an asking price of AU$3,295, but you can pick it up for AU$2,695 if you claim the cash back offer from The Good Guys.View Deal
Hisense 75-inch S8 4K LED TV | AU$1,495 from AU$1,345.50 at The Good Guys eBay (save up to AU$149.50)
Pining for a massive TV but don’t want to pay out the nose? eBay Plus members can score Hisense’s 75-inch Series 8 telly for just AU$1,345 at The Good Guys’ eBay store when using the discount code PLUSES10. Non-members can still save AU$100 by entering PPSS1. Not a huge amount, but a pretty great price for a 75-incher nonetheless.View Deal
EOFY 2021 sale: what and when is it?
Australia’s end of financial year is June 30. That means, from July 1 to the end of October 2021, individuals and businesses will need to file their tax returns with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
Prior to that, retailers will be racing to shift old stock to make way for fresh items, and they’ll be slashing prices on plenty of products – which could be tax deductible if you use them for work-related purposes.
Australia’s EOFY sales traditionally begin June 1 and end on June 30, although many retailers tend to jump the gun, offering a few tempting discounts to lure shoppers in towards the end of May. The best EOFY offers will arrive in June though, and not all retailers will have month-long sales.
We’ve found that offers often change through the month, so you’ll need to keep checking back in to see if what you’re after has seen a price drop.
EOFY 2021 sale: deal predictions
If you’re looking to save some money on electronics during Australia’s EOFY sale, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve been following tax-time deals for a few years now and can safely predict what you can get for a cheaper price.
So, what kind of tech can you find during EOFY sales in Australia? Plenty. From computers to gaming gear, the best flagship smartphones to noise-cancelling headphones. Here are our predictions for EOFY 2021:
Laptops, PCs & peripherals
Computing gear are some of the most popular items that’s purchased during EOFY. Manufacturers such as Microsoft, Lenovo, Dell and HP will host sales on their sites, but you’ll also be able to grab laptops and desktop PCs from major retailers as well, with average discounts of about 15% to 20%. You’ll be able to snag bargains on accessories as well, with printers, keyboards, mice and SSDs – maybe even those elusive RTX 3000-series GPUs – all going on sale during this time.
Gaming
From Nintendo to Sony and Microsoft – there were plenty of deep discounts on gaming gear last year, but we’re not so certain about 2021. The current-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X are in short supply and often out of stock, so it’s highly unlikely we’ll see them for less. On the other hand, the Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite could see some cracking deals (and keep an eye out for bundles too). There’ll also be some blockbuster gaming titles available for cheap if you’d like to expand your gaming library.
Smartphones & tablets
Good smartphone discounts are few and far between throughout the year, but there can be decent deals to consider during EOFY if you’re looking to upgrade your handset. Last year saw some great discounts on Samsung’s then-flagships, so if you’re an Android user, you may be able to score a new phone without having to pay full retail price. It’s also a great time to pick up a discounted tablet as well – particularly iPads – and they’re often tax deductible if you use them for work.
Home entertainment & personal audio
There were plenty of TVs, sound bars 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 smart TVs already seeing price drops outside of big sales, we’re looking forward to seeing how much more affordable they’ll be during 2021 tax-time.
Portable Bluetooth speakers and headphones will be discounted as well. We’re expecting to see deals on the top-notch Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones and the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. We may also get surprised by a rarer discount on the Apple AirPods. While discounted prices may not match Black Friday offers, tax-time deals still see a decent chunk of change saved on premium products.
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, particularly from Nikon. We also saw action cameras from GoPro and DJI drop in price last year, so keep your eyes peeled for excellent bargains. Sales on DSLRs, mirrorless snappers, compacts and more are highly likely to see a discount, or if you’re happy with the camera body you already own, we’re expecting lenses, tripods, bags and SD cards to see some decent price drops as well.
Smart home devices
Smart gadgets can now be found for every room in the home – from smart lights to smart security systems, and the speakers and displays 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 found on Amazon, such as Philips Hue smart lights. You’ll also find plenty of retailers offering discounts on Google’s range of smart speakers and displays.
Home appliances
If the appliances in your home are looking a little out of date, the EOFY sales will help you save plenty on the brand-new appliances you want. You can expect to see bargains on Dyson vacuum cleaners, robovacs, fridges, dishwashers, washing machines and plenty more. Retailers such as Myer, David Jones and Peter’s of Kensington will certainly have sales, where you could find great deals on smaller kitchen appliances too.
EOFY 2021 sale: best offers from last year
To get an idea of what to expect in 2021, let’s take a look at what was on offer last year:
Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model | i7 / 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD / RTX 2070 | AU$3,599 (save AU$1,000)
There was a huge packet to save on this dream gaming machine. The series is rated by our colleagues at PC Gamer as one of the best gaming laptops you can buy, making this steeply discounted Razer an absolute steal at the time.
Dell XPS 13 (9300) | i7 / 8GB RAM / 512GB SSD | AU$2,399 (save AU$600)
In addition to gaming laptops, we saw plenty of discounts on premium machines, such as this Dell XPS 13. This powerful configuration was a fairly new model at the time, but it was still available with a 20% price drop from Dell. Take that as evidence that it’s not just older tech discounted during EOFY sales.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus (128GB) | AU$999 (save AU$300)
Last financial year, this Samsung S10 Plus was knocked down just shy of the AU$1,000 mark by Amazon. Samsung has now released its S21 family of flagships, so there’s a decent chance we’ll see the S20 series on sale this June.
Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 | AU$469 (save AU$130)
These excellent noise-cancelling headphones were 20% off during last year’s EOFY sales. We’ve since seen the Bose 700 drop as low as AU$359 during Black Friday in 2020, which could be a promising sign of what’s to come this June.
Sonos Playbar | AU$759 (save AU$240)
This is one of our favourite soundbars, and it usually doesn’t come cheap. But last financial year, Amazon slashed AU$240 off the excellent soundbar, making it a little more tempting to update your home entertainment setup.