Apps to make Black Friday shopping a little easier

Walmart, the world's biggest retailer, offers in-store, Black Friday deals... — Walmart, the world's biggest retailer, offers in-store, Black Friday deals on its app beginning on Thanksgiving Day. Credit: Newsday/Walmart

By Peter KingSpecial to NewsdayNovember 18, 2018

Black Friday has expanded from a single day of bargains to a weeklong shopathon — whether you're standing on line in stores or going online via your computer or mobile device. These apps can help you get to a store on Long Island for great deals or bring the deals home to you.

Walmart

(iOS, Android; free)

The Walmart stores on Long Island and nationally begin their Black Friday deals two days earlier this year. The world’s biggest retailer will unveil a few bargains on its app and website about 10 p.m. Wednesday. Walmart will have in-store deals beginning 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Day — check the app for details. If you order online, Walmart offers free two-day shipping for orders $35 and higher. You can also opt for same-day in-store pickup with no shipping charges.

Target

(iOS, Android; free)

Target has become an aggressive Black Friday participant over the past few years, and this year it ups the ante as it looks to claw business from Walmart and Amazon. Target stores on Long Island will be open Thanksgiving starting at 5 p.m. offering deals until 1 a.m., but the big day is Friday beginning at 7 a.m. You can be directed to in-store special deals via the app, or if you choose to buy online you'll get free two-day shipping with no minimum purchase amount required.

Best Buy

(iOS, Android; free)

The giant electronics retailer will be open from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Thanksgiving Day and reopen at 8 a.m. for Black Friday. The app will be especially useful this year as it offers a dedicated Black Friday deals section. If you order through the app or online, Best Buy offers free two-day shipping and there's no minimum order amount.

Amazon

(iOS, Android; free)

Amazon is featuring early Black Friday deals throughout this week, with hourly specials you can access via the app. In an apparent response to Target and Best Buy, Amazon has waived its $25 minimum order amount for free shipping for all members. What can you get at Amazon? The e-commerce giant says it has “hundreds of millions of items” ready to be shipped.

Crash course

High tech is creating higher car repair bills. New research from AAA finds that vehicles with advanced driver assistance systems such as blind-spot monitoring and automatic emergency braking cost twice as much to repair after an accident than older cars. The reason: These systems are loaded with expensive cameras and sensors throughout the car. AAA says even a minor front or rear collision can cost $5,300 to repair.

— PETER KING

On call

If you feel trapped by an always-on lifestyle, it might be due to an always-on phone. A study by British communications regulator Ofcom found that 55 percent of all adults never turned their smartphones off. Among people ages 25-34, the number who never turned their phones off was 71 percent. The study also found that adults checked or used their phones every 12 minutes during waking hours.

— PETER KING

Amazon to sell new iPhones

Just in time for the holiday season, Amazon will for the first time begin selling the most recent iPhone on its website. Previously, Amazon sold only older model iPhones. Amazon will also sell the newest iPads, Mac computers, Apple Watch and Apple TV models. But Amazon won’t be selling Apple’s HomePod, a competitor to Amazon’s popular Echo brand of home wireless speakers.