The holidays are still months away, but if you want the best deals on a new laptop or smartphone, you should probably start shopping now. According to a new CNET survey, nearly half of shoppers aren't waiting until Black Friday and Cyber Monday to shop. Instead, they're shopping for tech for the holidays months early to beat potential rising prices and shortages.

But is shopping early the best strategy? I spoke with CNET's resident tech and shopping experts to find out.

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Here's what they say you need to know about navigating early sales, finding the best deals and avoiding common pitfalls, like product shortages and hidden price hikes.

Key takeaways

Many US adults (59

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