5 Gadgets to Buy Now

Consumers holding out for great deals on some of the latest gadgets don't have to wait any longer. With Apple’s (AAPL) Macworld Conference & Expo kicking off Monday and the International Consumer Electronics Show officially opening later this week, there's no better time to grab discounts on some of the most popular gadgets.

With more cellphone manufacturers and auto makers including GPS capabilities as a basic feature, there’s less incentive for companies to develop standalone models, says Vipin Jain, CEO of electronics price-tracking site Retrevo. He expects clearance-level sales on many models. TomTom, for example, is having a “givegive” sale, offering $50 to $100 off all models at participating retailers through Jan. 24. At Walmart (WMT), that sale cuts the price on the TomTom One 125 to $100 from its original price of $180.

Manufacturers like Apple and Activision Blizzard (ATVI) (which produces videogames such as "Guitar Hero") strictly control the price of their products, making them relatively insulated from the impact of announcements by competitors, says James Fisher, a professor of marketing at St. Louis University. If you're eyeing a particular product from one of these manufacturers, check sales on comparison shopping sites like NexTag.com, which tracks price histories. Jump if you see a good sale on the something that rarely gets discounted. Right now, Best Buy (BBY) is offering the 16GB iPod Touch for $220, a $60 discount off the regular $280 price tag. Buy it online, and you’ll also get a free $15 iTunes gift card.

Most of the announcements regarding digital cameras expected during CES will concern features, as opposed to picture quality, says Jain. If you’re looking for a simple point-and-shoot rather than a professional-quality camera, now’s a good time to buy. Circuit City and Best Buy both have sales of up to 30% off select digital cameras.

Very few game announcements come out of CES. Instead, most occur during June’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Typically, games announced during the summer show don't see store shelves until late in the year, offering little reason for consumers who have their eye on a particular gaming system or title to wait, says Gartenberg. Dell (DELL) Home currently offers a promotion on the Sony PlayStation 3, selling it for $340 instead of its regular price of $400.

This popular gift item doesn’t tend to sell well outside the holiday season, says Dan de Grandpre, founder of Dealnews.com, an online consumer guide. While new versions debuting at CES will probably offer a few more bells and whistles -- including more storage space and Wi-Fi -- there’s no major technological advancement worth waiting for. Meanwhile, many models already on shelves are priced lower than $40. Amazon.com (AMZN) has the Axion AXN-9702 7-inch LCD frame at $50, half its regular price.