If you're looking to pick up a new tablet for the holidays, a number of slates we recommend are on sale for Cyber Monday. Most of the best discounts are holdovers from Black Friday, but that still means a range of iPads, Amazon Fire tablets and Microsoft Surface PCs are down to their lowest prices to date. To help you get a bargain, we've checked price histories, consulted our testing and rounded up the most worthwhile tablet deals of Cyber Monday below.
Apple 10.2-inch iPad
Apple's 10.2-inch iPad is still on sale for $270 this Cyber Monday, which comes within a dollar of the best price we've tracked and sits about $25 below the device's typical street price. The 9th-gen iPad is the top budget pick in our guide to the best tablets: It has a more dated design and less processing power than Apple's pricier models, but it remains an altogether pleasant experience for casual media consumption. We gave it a review score of 86 last year.
The latest 11-inch iPad Pro is currently available for a new low of $739, which is $60 off Apple's MSRP. This isn't a massive discount, but it's notable given that the device only launched last month. We gave the 2022 iPad Pros a review score of 87: The iPad Air is a better value for most, but if you can afford to take a step up or need more than 64GB of storage, the 11-inch Pro gets you a faster M2 chip, better speakers and a brighter display with a faster 120 Hz refresh rate. Just don't feel the need to upgrade if you own a recent iPad Pro already.
The Blue version of Apple's 10th-generation iPad is on sale for $419, which is within $6 of the lowest price we've tracked and a $30 discount for another tablet that arrived just last month. This model is a bit tougher to recommend than most iPads — it's got a newer design and chip than the 9th-gen iPad, but it costs a fair bit more, and it's saddled with a worse screen and lesser accessory support than the iPad Air. Nevertheless, if you want a larger display than the 10.2-inch iPad, can't afford the Air and don't plan on using an Apple Pencil, this is still a fine tablet. We gave it a review score of 85 in October.
The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro, meanwhile, is currently on sale from $999. That's $100 off Apple's standard going rate and, again, the lowest price we've seen. All the perks of the new 11-inch Pro still apply here, but the larger model adds a noticeably more vibrant display thanks to its mini-LED backlighting. While it's still tough to call the 12.9-inch Pro a comfortable laptop replacement for most people, this M2 model is still a fantastic tablet if you've got money to burn and just want the largest and most powerful iPad possible.
Amazon's Fire HD tablets remain worth considering if all you want is a competent slate for streaming video, browsing the web and reading ebooks for as little money as possible. The Fire HD 10 is likely the best option for most people within the lineup — and it's still on sale for $75, which matches its all-time low and rates about $50 below its average street price.
The Fire HD 10's 10.1-inch 1080p display is bigger and sharper than what you get from Amazon's other slates, while the eight-core processor and 3GB of RAM give the tablet a bit more performance. To be clear, all Fire tablets are a marked step down from Apple's iPads in both design and speed. There's still no Google Play Store, too, and Fire OS still heavily pushes you toward Amazon's own apps. But if you're a Prime user and don't push your tablet all of the time, the Fire HD 10 is a good value at this deal price.
We'll also note that the Fire HD 10 Plus, a variant that adds an extra gigabyte of RAM (4GB total) and wireless charging support, is on sale for $105, which matches its lowest price to date. Those upgrades might be nice if you want to buy a charging dock and use the tablet like an Echo Show-style smart display, but for most, they're probably not worth the extra cost.
Just about all of Amazon's other Fire tablets are on sale beyond that. We don't recommend the cheapo Fire 7, but if you want a smaller or more affordable alternative to the Fire HD 10, the 8-inch Fire HD 8 is worth a shout at $55. It's more prone to sluggishness and its display isn't as sharp, but it still lets you read Kindle books and stream Prime Video without too much frustration, and its battery lasts more than 10 hours per charge. This deal matches the latest model's lowest-ever price. Again, if you want an extra gig of RAM (3GB total) and wireless charging, the "Plus" model is also on sale for $10 more.
If you're shopping for a child, meanwhile, all of Amazon's Fire Kids slates are also discounted to their respective all-time lows. These devices use the same hardware as their non-Kids counterparts, but they come with protective bumper cases, no lock screen ads, two-year warranties, a year of Amazon's Kids+ content service and a more kid-friendly UI turned on by default. (You can create a kids profile with deep parental controls on a standard Fire tablet, too, but you don't get the other perks.) The "Kids Pro" models use a slim hard plastic case built for older kids, while the base "Kids" tablets use a large rubbery case that's designed to take a beating from littler ones.
We named the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro the top option for kids in our best tablets guide. Again, the performance and app support of all Amazon tablets is lacking compared to an iPad, but if you only need something for casual entertainment — or if you just don't want to spend more than $250 on a device your kid will break in a week — these are solid alternatives.
Microsoft is taking $100 to $200 off the Intel-powered versions of its new Surface Pro 9, with prices starting at $900 for a model with a 12th-gen Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. (As usual, a keyboard costs extra.) That's still not cheap, but this is another device that only launched last month.
At this point, you probably know where you stand on the Surface Pro series — its kickstand design isn't especially comfortable to use on your lap, but it remains the standard-bearer among tablets designed to replace a laptop. While this new model isn't a major departure from the Surface Pro 8, its CPU performance is a little bit better, and it represents a nice upgrade if you're coming from a three- to five-year-old model. There's no 3.5mm jack, though.
Note that we're recommending the Intel models specifically. Microsoft sells a variant of the Surface Pro 9 that uses an ARM-based processor, but our review found that model to have too many performance and app compatibility issues for us to comfortably recommend.
For those partial to Android, a 128GB version of Samsung's Galaxy Tab S8 is on sale for $539. We've seen this model go for only $10 or so more for much of the past two months, but this deal technically matches its all-time low. The 256GB model, meanwhile, is down to $579, which is another all-time low but a more notable $30 or so off the usual street price. If you want a bigger display, the 12.4-inch Galaxy Tab S8+ is down to $679 for 128GB of storage. That is not the lowest price we've seen, but it's still about $70 off its typical going rate. Finally, the giant 14.6-inch Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is back at a joint-low of $900.
The Galaxy Tab S8 line is the top Android pick in our guide to the best tablets, and we gave the Galaxy Tab S8+ a review score of 85 this past March. Android is still a step behind Windows and iPadOS when it comes to productivity and general optimizing for bigger displays, but features like Samsung's Dex mode help make multitasking here more convenient than usual. All three models come with impressively thin hardware and nice displays — plus an S Pen stylus in the box — but note that the Tab S8+ and Tab S8 Ultra have OLED panels that are more vibrant than the standard Tab S8's LCD screen.
Black Friday is usually a good time to pick up some new gaming gear at lower-than-usual price, and generally speaking, that's the case again this year. This year we're seeing strong discounts on a number of the year's highest-profile games, special offers for the Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series S and a wide range of discounts on gaming accessories we like. To help you figure out what's worth your time, we've picked through the avalanche of offers at Amazon, Walmart, GameStop and other retailers and rounded up a few of the highlights below. Here are the best Black Friday gaming deals we could find.
Nintendo Switch + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe + Switch Online
Engadget
Nintendo's chief Black Friday deal bundles the standard Switch console with a digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and a three-month subscription to the company's Switch Online service at no extra cost. Nintendo has offered this exact same promotion for the past few years, and given that the newer Switch OLED is a pretty firm upgrade over the base model, it's hard to call this a great deal. Still, if you're gifting someone their first Switch and you don't think they'll need the Switch OLED's bigger and more vibrant display, there's some value here. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still a great time and normally retails around $50, while three months of Switch Online typically cost another $8.
The Xbox Series S is down to $250 with a $50 store gift card at Target, which is effectively a $100 discount. At Woot, the diminutive console is available for $220 outright, while Amazon has it for $240 and several other retailers have it for $250. Normally, the Series S retails for $300. Either way, this is a good value for PlayStation or Switch users who want a cheaper way into the Xbox ecosystem. We gave the Series S a review score of 85 at launch: It isn't powerful enough for 4K gaming, lacks a disc drive and only has 512GB of built-in storage, but it can still play all the same games as the pricier Xbox Series X.
If you need a spare gamepad for your Xbox or PC, Microsoft's wireless Xbox Series X/S controller is currently available from $39 at several retailers. While that's not the absolute lowest price we've seen, it's still about $10 below the controller's usual going rate. The sale applies to multiple finishes, though some colors are priced $5 higher. Just note that these pads still rely on AA batteries by default; if you want one rechargeable battery, that'll cost you another $25.
Sony's DualSense controllers for the PlayStation 5, meanwhile, are down to $49 in several finishes. That matches the lowest price we've seen, and depending on what color you choose, comes in either $20 or $25 below the pad's usual price. In general, the DualSense is harder to hook up with a PC than its Xbox counterpart, but its D-pad isn't as clicky, it doesn't rely on AA batteries and its haptic feedback system is much more nuanced.
One of the most acclaimed and popular games of 2022, Elden Ringis a mammoth, haunting and challenging open-world game from the developers behind the Souls series of action-RPGs. It's currently on sale for $35, which is the lowest price we've tracked and $15 below its usual going rate. Like its spiritual predecessors, Elden Ring can sometimes feel punishing, overwhelming and overly cryptic, but its dark-fantasy world is refreshingly honest, letting you discover — or completely miss — its many secrets at your own pace.
If you're need something new to play on your Switch, a handful of well-regarded first-party Nintendo games are discounted deeper than usual. The colorful multiplayer shooter Splatoon 3, for one, is down to a new low of $45, and the tense adventure game Metroid Dreadis available for a new low of $40. The cutesy strategy game Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is still priced at $60, meanwhile, but it includes a $10 store gift card at various retailers.
Most of these deals are only available at third-party retailers like Amazon — and some aren't visible until checkout — but if you're not interested, Nintendo has several other titles discounted at its online eShop.
If you're looking to build out your PS5 library, meanwhile, several exclusives for Sony's console are also down to new lows. There are no discounts on God of War: Ragnarok, sadly, but one of our other favorite sequels of the year, the robot-fighting open-world game Horizon Forbidden West, is down to a new low of $35 (or $29 for PS4).
If you need to top up your PlayStation Plus subscription, Sony has dropped the price of 12-month memberships to that service by 25 percent. The deal applies to all three PS Plus tiers, so the basic "Essential" tier is down to $45, the "Extra" tier is down to $75, and the "Premium" tier is down to $90.
As a refresher, the Essential tier should be enough for most: It gets you broad access to online multiplayer, an allotment of cloud storage for backing up game saves and a handful of free game downloads each month. The Extra tier adds an on-demand library with a few hundred games, while the Premium tier provides cloud game streaming and an additional selection of "classic" PlayStation games on top of that.
The Backbone One is a clever and well-built mobile game controller that we've recommend in previous buying guides. The PlayStation-branded, iPhone version of the device is currently down to a new low of $64, which is $36 off its normal going rate. If you don't like the look of that model, the standard version is also down to $75, though the two are functionally identical.
Either way, the One should make playing gamepad-compatible iOS games — or cloud-streamed console and PC games — feel much more natural a touchscreen. The main complaints are that its face buttons are on the clicky side and that you'll need an adapter to get it to work with certain iPhones.
Meta's Quest 2 headset is a couple years old at this point, but its standalone design, competent performance and relative comfort have kept it the best option for most people looking to give virtual reality a try. For Black Friday, Meta is selling a bundle that pairs the 128GB Quest 2 with two of its better games, the classic horror game Resident Evil 4and the energetic rhythm game Beat Saber, for $350. That's a roughly $50 discount. If you need more storage, a bundle with the 256GB variant is on sale for $429.
Now, we're using the term "discount" with some caveats here, since the Quest 2 used to start at $299 until Meta jacked the price up by another $100 earlier this year. Still, this is the best deal we've seen since that price hike — and if nothing else, it's a much better value than the Meta Quest Pro. We gave the device formerly known as the Oculus Quest 2 a review score of 89 when it launched back in 2020.
The HyperX Cloud Alpha is down to $55 at Amazon, which is about $15 below its usual going rate and one of the best prices we've tracked. This is a sturdy, no-frills gaming headset that's comfortable to wear for hours at a time. A good set of non-gaming headphones will sound better for the price, but what's here is still relatively well-balanced, and the included mic is perfectly fine for everyday party chats.
Logitech G Pro X Superlight, plus more gaming accessories
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
Logitech's G Pro X Superlight is a high-performing gaming mouse we like for both work and play, and right now it's back down to its all-time low of $110, or about $25 off its usual street price. That's still not cheap, but G Pro X Superlight stands out for being exceptionally light (at about 63 grams), quick to glide, and consistently responsive in faster-paced games. Just note that you only get a couple of customizable shortcut buttons, and that the whole thing only connects over a USB dongle, not Bluetooth.
This is just one of a plethora of low or near-low prices on gaming accessories we like, though. If you want a high-performing gaming mouse for less and don't mind going wired, Razer's Viper 8KHz is a good value at its current deal price of $40, which is an all-time low. We've previously recommendedRazer's Huntsman Mini for those who want a fast gaming keyboard in an ultracompact form factor; it's currently within $5 of its all-time low at $70. Corsair's Scimitar RGB Elite is a great buy for MMO gaming at $50, while Logitech's G29 remains a fine value for those looking to get their first racing wheel at $200. 8BitDo's excellent Pro 2 gamepad for Switch and PC, meanwhile, is currently down to a joint-low of $40, but only in a limited-time Lightning sale.
A configuration of Razer's Blade 14 with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX chip, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and an RTX 3080 GPU is currently down to $2,000 at Amazon. That's about $300 off its typical street price and tied for the best price we've tracked. We gave the Blade 14 a review score of 84 last year, and we've recommended the similar Blade 15 in recent buying guides and gift guides. It can run a bit hot, and you can still get similarly powerful gaming laptops for less, but it still puts enough power to play demanding games at higher settings in a slim and slick-feeling design that weighs less than four pounds.
It's Black Friday, and that means lots of laptops have gone on sale with little indication as to which are actually worth your time. As always, we recommend shopping directly at retailers like Microsoft, Samsung, Dell and others if you want to spec out your next machine. But if you're willing to get a pre-configured device, there are plenty of great laptop deals to be had for Black Friday. To help you sort through the noise, we've highlighted a few deals on laptops we like at prices that are genuinely lower than normal. Here are the best Black Friday laptop deals we've been able to find thus far.
Apple MacBook Air M2
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
Apple's latest and greatest MacBook Air is back down to $1,049 at multiple retailers, which matches the lowest price we've tracked. This is $150 off Apple's MSRP and about $55 off the notebook's typical going rate online in recent months.
The M2 MacBook Air is the top pick in our guide to the best laptops, and we gave it a review score of 96 earlier this year due to its revamped design, powerful M2 chip, vibrant 13.6-inch display and long battery life, among other perks. Note that the entry-level configuration here does have slower storage performance than the higher-priced SKUs, but if you aren't looking to do more involved work like editing high-resolution media, that shouldn't be a significant hindrance in day-to-day use.
If you want a more affordable way into macOS, the 2020 MacBook Air with Apple's M1 SoC is on sale for $799 at Amazon and Best Buy. We've seen this deal a handful of times in recent months, but it still ties the best price we've seen and comes in about $90 below this entry-level config's usual going rate.
We gave the M1 Air a review score of 94 back in 2020. To be clear, paying up for the M2 model will get you thinner bezels, fuller speakers, a better webcam, faster charging and slightly faster raw performance. But the M1 chip is still far from slow for everyday tasks, and the older design still gets you a comfortable keyboard and trackpad, an accurate display and more than enough battery to last a full work day. At this price, it remains an excellent value.
Lenovo's IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook is on sale for $270 at Amazon, which is a new all-time low and roughly $120 below this 13.3-inch notebook's typical street price in recent months. We recently named the Flex 5i the top pick in our guide to the best Chromebooks. The Core i3-1115G4 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD included in this config offers more than enough performance for Chrome OS, and in general the device's backlit keyboard, bright 1080p touchscreen, mix of USB-C and USB-A ports and eight-hour battery life impress for the price.
Microsoft's Surface Laptop Go 2 is back down to $600 for a configuration with a Core i5-1135G7 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. That's $100 off Microsoft's MSRP, about $50 off the usual street price and tied for the best price we've tracked. We gave this 12.4-inch notebook a review score of 86 earlier this year, and we've since included it in our guide to the best cheap Windows laptops. You can get a sharper display and more performance from other laptops in this price range, and the lack of keyboard backlighting is a bummer, but the lightweight build has a more premium feel than most notebooks in this price range, and the notebook itself is still fast and long-lasting for casual work on the go.
A configuration of Razer's Blade 14 with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX chip, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and an RTX 3080 GPU is currently down to $2,000 at Amazon. That's about $300 off its typical street price and tied for the best price we've tracked. We gave the Blade 14 a review score of 84 last year, and we've recommended the similar Blade 15 in recent buying guides and gift guides. It can run a bit hot, and you can still get similarly powerful gaming laptops for less, but it still puts enough power to play demanding games at higher settings in a slim and slick-feeling design that weighs less than four pounds.
The 8GB RAM/512GB SSD version of Microsoft's 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 5 is now on sale for $1,000, which is $300 off Microsoft's MSRP and tied for the best price we've seen. We gave this one a review score of 83 earlier this year, praising its elegant chassis, bright 3:2 display, Thunderbolt 4 port and competent performance. The 720p webcam is passable at best, and there are definitely more performant laptops for the money, but if you're partial to the Surface design language, it's still a step up from the Surface Laptop Go 2 above. A configuration with 256GB of storage was briefly available for $700 earlier this week, but that's now priced at $900.
A variant of HP's 13.5-inch Spectre x360 with a Core i5-1235U processor, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD is currently available for $862 at HP's online store, which is about $300 off its usual going rate and one of the better prices we've tracked. Just note that you'll have to manually configure the RAM and SSD and use the coupon code STOCKING5 before checkout. This isn't a formal pick of ours in any guides, but it's a fine 2-in-1 option with a thin and light design, comfortable keyboard and trackpad and strong battery life. It does come with a good chunk of bloatware, though, and the 1920x1280 IPS display in this config could stand to be sharper and brighter.
A configuration of Samsung's 13.3-inch Galaxy Book 2 Pro with a Core i5-1240P CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD is down to $750, which is another all-time low and $200 off the device's typical street price. While not a top pick of ours, this is a decent alternative if you're looking for a vibrant OLED panel and a particularly thin and light design. Its keyboard isn't the best, though, and the display's 16:9 aspect ratio isn't as convenient for work and web browsing as a 3:2 panel. If you want a similar model in a 2-in-1 design, Samsung's Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 is available for the same price with twice the RAM and storage — though that model has a lower-quality 720p webcam.
Black Friday is typically a great time of year to pick up a new set of headphones, and this year is no exception. Many pairs we like, including several of the top picks in our guides to the best wireless headphones and best true wireless earbuds, are down to their lowest prices to date. Below we've rounded up the best Black Friday headphone deals we could find thus far, covering models from Apple, Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, Anker and more. We have a few discounts on speakers we like, too. We'll be sure to add more deals of note if they arise over the course of the day.
Apple AirPods Pro
Billy Steele/Engadget
The latest AirPods Pro are down to $200 at multiple retailers, which is an all-time low. This is $50 off Apple's MSRP and roughly $40 off the noise-cancelling earphones' street price since launching in September. We gave the AirPods Pro a review score of 88 and currently list them as the "best for iOS" pick in our guide to the best wireless earbuds. Their battery life is just average, but their sound quality and active noise cancellation (ANC) are among the better options on the market, their transparency mode is superb and, per usual, they're particularly convenient to use with other Apple devices.
The second-generation version of Apple's standard AirPods are available for $79, while the third-gen model is down to $140. Both of those match the lowest prices we've seen and sit roughly $25 below the earbuds' respective street prices over the last few months. We gave the third-gen AirPods a review score of 88 last year and the second-gen pair a score of 84 back in 2019.
You'd consider one of these two if you're an iPhone owner who wants the easy pairing and tight iOS integration of any Apple headphone, but prefer an unsealed design that doesn't completely block out external noise. The third-gen AirPods in particular are one of the better-sounding unsealed wireless earbuds you can buy. Their designs still won't fit everyone, though, and there's little reason to consider either pair if you use Android.
Sony's top-of-the-line WH-1000XM5 headphones are down to $348 this Black Friday, which is $50 off their normal going rate. While that's not a massive discount, it does match the lowest price we've tracked. The XM5s are the top pick in our guide to the best wireless headphones. We gave them a review score of 95 earlier this year, praising their light and comfortable fit, powerful ANC that's particularly effective with high- and mid-range frequencies (think human voices), 30+ hours of battery life, bass-forward (but customizable) sound, improved call quality and plethora of useful bonus features.
Sony's predecessor to the XM5s, the WH-1000XM4, are also on sale at $228, which matches their all-time low and comes in about $100 off their typical street price. We still prefer the XM5 for those who can afford it, as the XM4 feels a bit bulkier on the head, has worse mic performance and doesn't sound as good out of the box (though it's similarly customizable via Sony's app). Unlike the XM5, though, the XM4's design can fold up for easier storage. Its battery life and feature set are essentially the same, too, and though its ANC isn't as adept at negating higher-frequency noises, it's still plenty effective on the whole. The XM5 also rely on an automatic ANC adjustment system, which some may prefer to avoid. We gave the XM4 a score of 94 in 2020; if you want to save some cash, it's still a good value when it's discounted to this extent.
Bose's QuietComfort 45 headphones are available for $249, which is $20 more than their all-time low but still roughly $60 off their average street price. This is an alternative pick in our guide to the best wireless headphones: Sony's models are more customizable, last longer and perform better on the whole, but the QC 45s have a more neutral sound out of the box, still-capable ANC and a design that's about as comfortable as the WH-1000XM5 without sacrificing the ability to fold up. They also use physical buttons instead of touch controls. We gave the QuietComfort 45 a review score of 86 last year.
The strengths here are similar to those of Sony's over-ear models above: upper-tier ANC, solid sound quality that can be customized, good battery life (about 8-10 hours per charge), and useful extras like wireless charging and "Speak to Chat," which can automatically pause your music while you're speaking to somebody else. Their active noise cancellation is a step behind Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds II, but their in-ear fit and foam ear tips isolate a ton of noise naturally. The main caveat is that the earpieces are rather large, so some may find them cumbersome to wear.
Speaking of Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds II, that set of noise-cancelling earbuds is currently on sale for $249, which is a $50 discount and a new all-time low. This is the "best noise cancellation" pick in our wireless earbuds guide, and indeed, no true wireless pair we've tested is as adept at muting the outside world. They're a bit bulky, and their lack of multipoint connectivity and wireless charging is still disappointing at this price, but if it's top-tier ANC you're after, this is the best you can do in this form factor.
Sennheiser's Momentum True Wireless 3 are on sale for $200, which isn't cheap, but still $40 off the pair's usual going rate and tied for the best price we've seen. These are the wireless earphones we recommend if detailed sound quality is your chief concern — they don't have the same bundle of useful bonus features the WF-1000XM4 can provide, but their adaptive ANC is still effective, their eight-ish hours of battery life is still solid and their default sound profile should greatly satisfy if you enjoy a boosted low-end.
Sony's LinkBuds S earphones are on sale for $128, which is about $50 below their average street price and matches their all-time low. This pair is an honorable mention in our guide to the best wireless earbuds. The WF-1000XM4 offer a more detailed sound, better noise isolation, a couple hours of extra battery life and wireless charging, but the LinkBuds S still perform well for this deal price, and its lighter, more compact design is comfier to wear over time. It recently gained the ability to connect to multiple devices at once, too, something the XM4s are also expected to receive in the near future.
Jabra's Elite 3 is on sale for $50, coming within a couple dollars of the lowest price we've tracked and undercutting the earphones' typical street price by roughly $15. We gave this pair a review score of 88 last year, and it's currently the top budget pick in our best wireless earbuds guide. The Elite 3's mildly bass-bumped sound is pleasant for the money — and now customizable after a recent update — but its lightweight, water-resistant design is impressively comfortable for any price. Battery life is solid, too, at about seven hours per charge. There's no ANC, wireless charging, auto-pausing or multipoint connectivity, but at this deal price, the Elite 3 are good enough at the fundamentals to be worth recommending for those on a budget.
This deal comes as part of a wider sale on Jabra earbuds for Black Friday. We don't recommend most of those pairs over the other picks in this roundup, but the Elite 4 Active are worth a shout at $80 — they're effectively the same as the Elite 3, but with a (just okay) ANC feature and a higher water-resistance rating (IP57 instead of IP55). We gave that pair a review score of 84 this past January.
Anker's Soundcore Life Q30 is back down to $60 for Amazon Prime members, which is $10 more than the all-time low but still $20 or so off the pair's usual going rate. At this price, but the Q30's cushy fit, 40+ hours of battery life and competent ANC performance make it an excellent value. This is still a budget set of headphones, so call quality isn't great, the build is flimsier than more expensive options and the default sound profile goes very hard on the bass by default. Nevertheless, good noise-cancellers priced under $100 are rare, and this is one of them.
Likewise, Anker's Soundcore Space A40 represents great value at its current deal price of $80, which is a $20 discount and a new all-time low. This is a compact and comfortable pair of true wireless earphones that delivers solid ANC, multi-device pairing and a strong 10 or so hours of battery life per charge. The default sound profile could use a bit more treble presence — though an EQ tool in Anker's app can help — and the noise isolation isn't quite as effective as our more premium picks above. The included touch controls are somewhat limited, too. But if you can't spend more than $100, the A40s are a great buy.
Another honorable mention in our guide to the best wireless headphones, Sennheiser's Momentum 4 is down to $293, which is their all-time low and about $50 off their recent street price. We gave this pair a review score of 82 this past August: Though its ANC and feature set can't match up to Sony's WH-1000XM5, it can get a stellar 60 or so hours of battery life per charge, and its sound quality is better out of the box.
Audio-Technica's ATH-M20xBT are available for $59 this Black Friday, which is a $20 discount and the lowest price we've tracked. This is the budget pick in our best wireless headphones guide. Clunky name aside, they offer a relatively detailed and accurate sound with impressive bass depth for the money. Multipoint connectivity and a rated 60 hours of battery life help, too. The build quality is somewhat flimsy, and the Soundcore Life Q30 are a better buy if you need ANC, but if you're on a budget and care more about sound quality in your wireless headphones, the M20xBT is worth a look.
The Beats Fit Pro are down to $160, which beats (heh) the pair's usual going rate by $30 and is only $7 more than the lowest price we've seen. We gave the Fit Pro a review score of 87 last year, and it's now the "best for workouts" pick in our wireless earbuds guide. It carries many of the same benefits as any set of AirPods — "Find My" tracking, easy pairing and fast switching with Apple devices, hands-free Siri, etc. — in a smaller, sportier, and more secure-fitting design. Their slightly bass-boosted sound profile is great, and unlike AirPods, their feature set isn't totally limited if you use an Android phone. That said, the ANC is merely serviceable by comparison, there's no wireless charging and their case is a little chunkier. There are no built-in volume controls, either.
The Beats Powerbeats Pro, meanwhile, are down to $150, which matches their all-time low. Typically, these earbuds retail between $180 and $200. The Powerbeats Pro launched all the way back in 2019, but if you want AirPods-style pairing and Siri control in an around-the-ear hook design, they still have value. There's no ANC, their half-sealed fit isn't ideal for audio performance and their case is comically huge, but they stay secure on the move, and their 9-11 hours of battery life is fantastic. Just note that there's no formal IP rating, so they may not be ideal for consistently intense activity.
Beats' Studio Buds are on sale for $90, which matches the lowest price we've tracked and is about $35-40 below their average street price. We gave these earphones a review score of 84 last year, praising their fast-pairing with Apple devices, compact and easy-to-wear design and fairly neutral sound profile. Their five-ish hours of battery life (with ANC on) is middling, though, and the included ANC and transparency modes, while fine, aren't as effective as most of the other picks above. The Soundcore Space A40s are better, but if you specifically want a more Apple-friendly pair of true wireless in-ears for less than $100, the Studio Buds aren't a bad alternative.
Google's Pixel Buds Pro are still down to $150, which comes in about $35 below their usual street price and ties the lowest they've been. This is the "best for Android" pick in our guide to the best wireless earbuds, as the Pixel Buds Pro offer AirPods-esque integration with their manufacturer's OS, particularly if you use one of Google's own Pixel phones. Their punchy sound and ANC are pleasing, too, though not superlative in the context of the wider true wireless market. The included transparency mode isn't great, either. Still, we gave the earphones a review score of 87 in July, and they're an easier sell at $150.
Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, meanwhile, is an alternative pair we like that plays nicer with Samsung phones. If you have one of those, note that the Buds 2 Pro are down to $180, which isn't an all-time low but still $45 less than usual.
Normally retailing around $20, JLab's Go Air Pop wireless earphones are currently down to just $10 at Walmart. We highlighted these budget buds in our recent audio gift guide. There's no ANC, they're made of cheap plastic and their audio quality can't compete with what's available in pricier buds, but you still get on-device controls, IPX4 water resistance, eight-hour battery life and perfectly passable sound, all in a colorful design. Also, they're $10! If you need a backup set of wireless earbuds, they're hard to fault.
JBL's Flip 6 speaker is on sale for $90 for Black Friday, which is the lowest price we've seen on it. The device earned a spot in our best Bluetooth speakers list for its overall solid sound quality, durability and volume for its size. Its cylindrical design lets you sit it lengthwise on a table, or prop it up on its end if you're pressed for space. We also like its carrying strap, which makes it easier to take this thing with you, and its raised buttons, too.
The Charge 5 is a worth upgrade from JBL's Flip 6, and it's down to $120 for Black Friday. We've seen it drop this low before, but that doesn't change the fact that it remains an all-time low. It has bigger sound and longer battery life, plus a USB-C port with which you can charge other devices like your smartphone or tablet.
Echo Studio is a bigger and louder version of the standard Echo smart speaker, built to deliver hi-res audio. It's usually $200, and rarely goes on sale, but for Black Friday, it's $45 off the list price. We gave the Studio an 88 in our review, saying Amazon had finally nailed the audio element of its smart speaker lineup. With the larger build and speaker array, it's clear Amazon is trying to compete with other smart speaker manufacturers like Sonos and Bose with this one, and it does a great job of it.
Amazon has so many Echo options, it's hard to keep track. This is the original Echo, the very first smart speaker that brought Alexa into our homes to handle everything from setting timers and telling jokes to controlling our smart home universe. It's usually $100, but Black Friday deals have knocked 50 percent off of it, bringing it down to only $50.
Google's competition for Amazon's Echo is the Nest Audio, and it remains one of our favorite smart speakers you can get right now. For Black Friday, you can pick one up for half off or only $50. We gave it a score of 87 when it first came out for its good audio quality, attractive design, good integration with the Google Assistant and the ability to pair two together for stereo sound.
Like its name and appearance suggests, the Echo Dot is the smallest member of the Echo family, a speaker meant to unobtrusively bring Alexa's capabilities to more places in your home. Right now it's down to $25, which is 50 percent off its usual $50 price and a first-ever discount for the latest generation. Released last month, this model includes an upgraded speaker along with a temperature sensor that can pair up with your smart thermostat.
Demand for the current generation of Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox consoles has been through the roof for the better part of two years now, and that should only amplify during Black Friday. We can't guarantee you'll be able to get the Switch, PS5, or Xbox Series X/S you've been eyeing this holiday season, but to help make your search a little bit more convenient, we've compiled all the product listings we can find for each console in one place.
Again, demand for these machines is high, so not every console may be in stock by the time you read this. And though Black Friday is near, we don't expect to see many outright discounts on most consoles, either — at the time of publication, the only deals available are for the lower-power Xbox Series S and the base Nintendo Switch. We'll update this article over the course of the week if new offers pop up. For now, though, let us save you a bit of Googling.
Nintendo Switch
Engadget
Nintendo's primary deal this Black Friday bundles the base-model Nintendo Switch with a copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and a three-month subscription to its Nintendo Switch Online service. If that sounds familiar, it's because Nintendo has run this exact same promotion during Black Friday for the last few years.
It's hard to call this a great deal at this point — the Switch OLED is a pretty firm upgrade, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a five-year-old rerelease of an eight-year-old Wii U game. But if you don't need the OLED model's upgraded display and just want to save a few bucks, there's at least some value here. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still receiving updates and normally retails around $50, while a 3-month Switch Online membership normally goes for $8.
The $350 Switch OLED is the newest Switch model, so it should be unsurprising to hear that Nintendo isn't advertising any deals for the device this Black Friday. Really, discounts of any kind for the console have been exceedingly rare since it launched in October 2021. Stock for the Switch OLED is generally spottier as well, but we've rounded up where it's available below.
As a reminder, the Switch OLED isn't any better at running games than the standard model, but its 7-inch OLED display is larger and more vibrant, it doubles the internal storage (64GB), its built-in kickstand is much sturdier and its updated dock has an Ethernet port. We gave it a review score of 89 last year.
We have seen a few deals for the $200 Switch Lite since it arrived in 2019, but the compact console isn't discounted for Black Friday as of this writing. This is the entry-level, handheld-only variant of the Switch; again, there's no difference in power, but it has a smaller 5.5-inch LED display, it doesn't work with Nintendo's dock and it's not equipped with detachable controllers. It also has a genuine D-pad. We gave it a review score of 90 a few years back.
There've been next to no discounts on Sony's PlayStation 5 since it arrived two years ago, and we don't expect that to change this Black Friday. The console is easier to actually purchase these days — and brick-and-mortar stores are more likely to have it now than in years past — but stock still tends to dry up fast whenever it does become available. Retailers like Amazon and Sony itself continue to hold their inventory behind an invite system to fend off scalpers, while others like GameStop keep it behind store membership programs.
As has been the case for the past few months, it'll likely be easiest to get the console as part of a bundle. Sony's main one of those this holiday season pairs the console with a digital copy of God of War: Ragnarok, which we broadly recommended earlier this month. It costs $559 (or $460 with a disc-drive-less PS5 Digital Edition), which is only $10 off what the console and game would cost otherwise. Since it's more expensive than buying the $500 PS5 alone, though, there should be a little less competition when trying to buy one.
Walmart had these bundles up for sale as of Monday, but it gave priority access to members of its Walmart+ service for the first several hours of the day. We wouldn't be surprised to see more stock for individual PS5s become available as the week rolls on, but you'll likely need to be vigilant or use a lengthier invite process to more reliably grab one. Note that the $400 Digital Edition is traditionally much harder to find in stock than the standard model, too.
The PS5 itself could still do with a few more exclusives, but its library is growing all the time, and its hardware will still represent a significant upgrade for those hanging onto a PS4.
Microsoft's Xbox Series X has been more readily available to purchase over the past year than the PlayStation 5, but discounts for it have been virtually nonexistent, and it's still not uncommon to see it out of stock at third-party retailers. There aren't any Black Friday deals of note going on for it as of this writing. Like the PS5, Amazon still holds the device behind an invite system, and Walmart had it available to Walmart+ subscribers earlier Monday.
Your best bet right now looks to be buying from Microsoft itself, though again we could see more stock elsewhere on Black Friday proper. Again, the latest Xboxes are somewhat lacking in exclusives, but Xbox Game Pass remains a strong value for those who play lots of games, and the Series X is still a powerful piece of hardware for 4K gaming.
The one console that is genuinely discounted is the Xbox Series S. Microsoft announced last week that the diminutive console would be available for $250, which is $50 off its standard going rate, though this week we've seen it as low as $235 at Dell and $240 at Amazon. The former deal is still available.
Target may have the best deal of the bunch, though, as it's throwing in a $50 store gift card alongside the discount. Its stock currently appears be dropping in and out, though. Microsoft, meanwhile, is bundling its Xbox Stereo Headset with the console. Normally, that (basic) gaming headset retails around $50.
We've seen the Series S fall to $250 in the past, but this is still a good price for those who want a secondary console or a more affordable route into the Xbox game library. We gave the Series S a review score of 85 at launch: It lacks a disc drive, only has 512GB of built-in storage and isn't designed to push 4K resolutions like the Series X, but it can play all the same games, its SSD still allows for fast load times and its compact design is easier to tuck away.
Tile has discounted a handful of its popular Bluetooth item trackers ahead of Black Friday. The deals include the latest Tile Mate tracker down to $18, which is about $7 off its usual going rate and tied for the lowest price we've seen. The diminutive Tile Sticker is on sale for $20, which is $1 more than its all-time low but still $10 off its typical street price. The credit-card-shaped Tile Slim, meanwhile, is discounted to $25, which is $2 above the all-time low but also roughly $10 below its average street price.
The offers are available at third-party retailers like Amazon and Tile's own online store; the latter includes a few extra discounted bundles, and some of the deals there include a year of the company's Premium subscription, which includes perks like free battery replacements. Tile is advertising the discounts as its "Holiday Sale," so we expect them to carry over into Black Friday proper.
Tile trackers remain a worthy alternative to Apple's AirTags — which are also on sale this week — for Android users. They aren't as precise at locating an attached item as AirTags, and they can't leverage a device network as mammoth as Apple's, but their crowd-finding network is the next largest available, and the three trackers on sale here can use Bluetooth to directly locate lost items about 200-250 feet away. They're also available in a more versatile range of designs: The Mate, for instance, has a built-in keyring hole, while the Sticker can attach directly to smaller items through an adhesive back.
Tile was acquired last year by family tracking company Life360, which recently said it would integrate Tile with its own locator service. The parent company promised to scale down its selling of user data earlier this year after past reports, but tracking devices like these still aren't likely to appeal to privacy hawks. None of the devices on sale here include a replaceable battery, either — that's now limited to the $35 Tile Pro, which isn't discounted. (Tile estimates the sealed batteries in the Mate, Sticker and Slim will last up to three years.) Still, if you tend to misplace your keys or wallet and want some extra peace of mind, these can provide that, and now they're a little more affordable.
Sonos has rolled out its Black Friday sale for the year, taking 20 percent off a range of its wireless soundbars, speakers, and subwoofers. It's still Sonos, so some of the discounted devices are still on the expensive side. But deals of any kind on Sonos speakers are uncommon, making this a good opportunity to save if you've been looking to expand an existing Sonos system or try out the company's connected audio gear for the first time.
All of these devices deliver a relatively clean and balanced sound profile, but the main appeal of any Sonos speaker remains the ability to easily link it to other Sonos devices in one connected audio system. We gave the Arc a review score of 85 back in 2020: It's the company's largest soundbar and its most expansive, particularly with Dolby Atmos content. The Beam also supports Atmos, but since it's smaller and lacks the Arc's upward-firing drivers, it can't deliver quite as much detail or bass power. Like the Arc, it's also limited to one HDMI eARC port. It's easier to fit alongside a smaller TV, though. We gave it a score of 88 last year. Not included in the sale is the entry-level Ray soundbar; that one is more compact and a step down sonically, but it's priced at $279.
The Sub, meanwhile, is a powerful wireless subwoofer that greatly improves any Sonos soundbar's bass performance, though it comes at a high cost, even at this deal price. Again, Sonos sells a more compact and affordable option in the $429 Sonos Sub Mini, but that model isn't included in the sale.
We gave the Sonos One a score of 90 when it launched back in 2017; it remains a solid audio-focused alternative to smart speakers from Amazon and Google, albeit a bit less adept at voice control. Both the One and the One SL can be used as surrounds when paired with a Sonos soundbar, too. The Roam/Roam SL and Move, meanwhile, are the only truly wireless speakers Sonos makes, as well as the only Sonos devices to support Bluetooth audio. The Move sounds better, but the Roam is significantly more compact. We gave the Move a review score of 80 in 2019 and the Roam a score of 87 last year.
There are plenty other soundbars, portable speakers, and smart speakers that cost less or perform just as well without locking you into one ecosystem, and it's worth remembering that Sonos hiked the prices of some of these devices last year. Still, this sale makes the company's lineup a little more approachable.
Though Black Friday is technically a week away, we're already seeing a barrage of sales that we expect to carry over into the shopping holiday. Several of Apple's iPads, Apple Watches and MacBooks are available at their lowest prices to date, for instance, as are a plethora of devices from Amazon and Google. PlayStation and Xbox have kicked off their respective Black Friday sales, too, and there are numerous discounts on wireless headphones we like. We expect to see many more deals go live in the coming days, but for now, here are the best early Black Friday deals from this week that you can still get today.
Apple iPad 10.2-inch and iPad Pro
Chris Velazco/Engadget
It's a good time to be in the market for a new iPad, as several of Apple's tablets are back down to the lowest prices we've tracked. The entry-level iPad, for instance, is on sale for $270. That's about $25 below the 10.2-inch tablet's average street price over the last few months. We gave the device a review score of 86 last year; while it lacks the more modern design of Apple's newer slates, we still consider it the best budget tablet you can buy.
If you want a step up, the latest iteration of the 11-inch iPad Pro is $70 off less than a month after launch. We gave that one a score of 87, praising its top-of-the-line M2 chip and 120Hz display, though the iPad Air (currently down to $520) is still a better value for most. If money is no object, the 512GB version of last year's 12.9-inch iPad Pro isn't that far off from the newer model; it's down to $1,000, which is roughly $275 lower than its typical street price as of late.
Apple Watch Series 8
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
The Apple Watch Series 8 is down to $349 ahead of Black Friday, which matches its lowest price to date and sits about $40 below the typical price we've seen in recent months. That deal is for the 41mm model; if you'd like a larger case, the 45mm version is down to a new low of $379, which is also $40 off its usual street price. The Series 8 is the top pick in our best smartwatches guide: It's probably not worth the upgrade if you're coming from a Series 5 or newer, but it continues to offer the most robust blend of app support, fitness tracking, smartphone connectivity and style you can get in a wearable.
Apple's M2-equipped MacBook Air is still on sale for $1,050, which is the best price we've tracked and about $75 off its typical price online in recent months. We gave it a review score of 96 earlier this year, and it's currently the top pick in our guide to the best laptops. This entry-level model suffers from slower storage speeds than pricier configurations, so it's not ideal for pro-level work, but its premium-feeling hardware, vibrant display and powerful SoC should still make it a pleasure for more common tasks.
If you want a cheaper route into macOS, the 2020 MacBook Air with Apple's M1 SoC is back down to $800, which is about $100 off its usual going rate. That model is saddled with thicker bezels, tinnier speakers, a worse webcam, slower charging and slightly worse performance than the new Air, but its long battery life, still-speedy chip and comfortable keyboard and trackpad still make it a fine value for casual web browsing and basic work at this deal price.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen)
This one is more of a PSA than an ongoing deal: As spotted at Slickdeals, the latest AirPods Pro are set to drop to $199 at Target starting November 20, which is the lowest price we've tracked. If you can't wait a couple days, the earphones are on sale for $230 now, which is $19 off Apple's MSRP and about $10 off the average street price we've seen since the pair launched this past September.
Either way, while there's no shortage of good wireless noise-cancelling earphones these days, the AirPods Pro continue to offer powerful ANC, rich bass and particular ease of use with other Apple devices. Battery life and call quality are just average, though. Our review gave the pair a score of 88.
If you prefer a more open design, we'll note that the second-gen standard AirPods are still available for $90, which is roughly $15 below its typical street price. Again, though, it might be best to wait, as Walmart's product listing says that it'll have that pair available for $79 starting next week.
Sony noise-cancelling headphones sale
Sony has discounted a number of its premier noise-cancelling headphones ahead of Black Friday, which include the flagship WH-1000XM5 marked back down to $348. That's a $50 discount for the feature-rich cans, matching the all-time low for what we consider the best wireless headphones you can buy. If you want to save some cash, the last-gen WH-1000XM4s are back to a low of $228 themselves. That pair isn't as comfortable as the newer model, but it delivers a similar feature set and bass-forward sound for less money. It also avoids the auto-adjusting ANC of the XM5, which some may prefer.
Among in-ear pairs, the WF-1000XM4 and LinkBuds S are also on sale for $178 and $128, respectively. Again, both of those deals match the lowest prices we've seen. Between the two, the WF-1000XM4 offers more detailed sound, stronger noise isolation and a bit more battery life, though the LinkBuds S have a lighter and more comfortable fit. We gave the former a score of 86 last year.
Xbox controllers and games
Aaron Souppouris/Engadget
If you need an extra gamepad for your Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, or PC, Microsoft is selling its comfy Xbox Wireless Controller from $39 at various retailers. That isn't the lowest price we've seen, but it's still about $10 less than the typical prices we see online. The sale applies to multiple colorways, though getting the controller in anything other than black or white will cost an extra $5-10. If you don't want to deal with Bluetooth pairing on PC, you can also grab a bundle that pairs the gamepad a wireless adapter for $50. Just remember that the Xbox pad charges via AA batteries by default; a rechargeable unit costs $25.
We don't expect most game consoles to be discounted for Black Friday, but the Xbox Series S is an exception. Right now, Target is selling the diminutive device for $250and throwing in a $50 gift card with the purchase. Provided you use that gift card, that's effectively a $100 savings. If you aren't a frequent Target shopper, Amazon has console down to $240 on its own.
The Series S itself isn't as powerful as the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5: It's not built for 4K gaming or especially high frame rates, it doesn't have a disc drive and it only includes 512GB of built-in storage. But it can play all the same games as the Series X, its SSD still allows for fast loading times and its compact design is easy to tuck away. It's a fitting choice for a secondary TV or those who want a more casual route into the Xbox library. We gave the console a review score of 85 when it first released in late 2020.
PlayStation controllers, subscriptions and games
Aaron Souppouris/Engadget
If you're prefer the PlayStation 5, Sony has dropped that machine's DualSense controllers down to $49, which is a new low and $20 off their usual going rate. Again, this sale applies to multiple finishes, though most are not priced higher than the standard white model. There are other accessory deals, too: Sony's DualSense Charging Station is back to its all-time low of $20, as is the PS5 Media Remote for those who often use the console as a media streamer.
If you need to re-up your PlayStation Plus subscription, Sony has also cut the price of memberships to all three of that service's tiers by 25 percent. This brings the basic "Essential" tier down to $45, the "Extra" tier to $75, and the "Premium" tier to $90. As a refresher, the Essential tier gets you access to online multiplayer, an allotment of cloud storage and a handful of free game downloads each month. The Extra tier adds an on-demand library with a few hundred games, while the Premium tier adds cloud game streaming and a selection of "classic" PlayStation games selection on top of that.
Roku's Streambar is down to $80 at multiple retailers, which is about $30 below its average street price in recent months and matches the lowest price we've tracked. This is a highly compact, 2.0-channel soundbar that doubles as a 4K HDR Roku streamer. You can get more expansive sound from other soundbars, but the Streambar will still outperform most built-in TV speakers, and having a streaming player built in is still useful for smartening up an older TV. We gave it a review score of 86 back in 2020. If you don't need a soundbar, Roku's excellent Streaming Stick 4K is still on sale for $25 as well.
Google's has set its annual Black Friday sale live, bringing solid discounts on a number of its Pixel and Nest devices. The notable offers here include the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are down to $500 and $750, respectively — both represent the lowest price we've tracked for what our review called "the best bargains in flagship phones." Normally, the handsets have retailed closer to $595 and $880.
The Pixel 6a, meanwhile, is back at its all-time low of $299, down from a typical street price around $385. We gave that device a review score of 89 this past July — it gets you the same clean software as the flagship models and excellent camera performance for the price, though it does sacrifice wireless charging and a higher refresh rate, among other perks, by comparison.
With its built-in GPS and accurate activity tracking, Fitbit Charge 5 is the top pick in our guide to the best fitness trackers. Right now it's on sale for $100, which is about $25 off its usual street price and marks an all-time low.
All of Amazon's Fire TV Stick streamers are on sale, with the Fire TV Stick 4K Max down to $35, the Fire TV Stick 4K down to $25, the Fire TV Stick down to $20, and the Fire TV Stick Lite down to $15. We've seen these deals numerous times in the past, but they match the best prices we've seen for the two 4K sticks and bring the 1080p models within $3 of their respective lows.
We did a quick breakdown of the differences between these streamers earlier this week. All of them saddle you with an ad-heavy UI that steers you toward Amazon's own content, but they continue to work well for casual streaming, and they should prove convenient if you frequently use Alexa, Prime Video or other Amazon services already (or if you'd like to sideload unsupported apps).
Amazon Fire tablet sale
Amazon
Not to be outdone, just about all of Amazon's Fire tablets are at or near their best-ever prices as well. The pick of the bunch is the Fire HD 10 for $75, which matches its all-time low and comes in about $40 than its usual going rate. Like all Fire tablets, it's not the most premium-feeling thing and its interface heavily steers you toward Amazon content. Still, it's faster than Amazon's other slates, and its 10.1-inch 1080p display is more pleasing for web browsing and streaming video. At this price, it's great value for casual tablet users or those who often enjoy Amazon services like Audible, Prime Video or Prime Music.
The recently-refreshedFire HD 8 isn't a bad alternative if you want something smaller or cheaper, though. It's down to $55, which marks a new low. The various Kids editions of these tablets are also on sale — as a reminder, those tack on a protective case, a longer two-year warranty, and a year-long subscription to the company's Kids+ content service. The entry-level Fire 7 is also on sale for a low of $40, though we generally advise against buying that model given its non-HD display and sluggish performance.
The Paperwhite Signature Edition, meanwhile, quadruples the built-in storage to 32GB, adds Qi wireless charging and an auto-adjusting backlight. It's down a new low at $130, and we gave it a glowing review score of 97 last year. The sale brings the top-end Kindle Oasis to a best-ever price of $205 as well; that one is overkill for most people, but it still has the largest display of any Kindle.
Amazon Echo sale
Amazon
Beyond that, a wide range of Amazon Echo speakers and Echo Show smart displays are available for low or near-low prices, too. Among the highlights, the recently updated Echo Dot is down to $25, which is the first major discount we've tracked and half off its street price up to now. The variant with a built-in clock is down to a new low of $40, meanwhile, as is the fuller-sounding base Echo. If you want a smart display, the Echo Show 8 is a worthy choice at $70; we gave that one a review score of 87 last year and generally consider it the most appropriate mix of size, speed and audio quality among Alexa displays.
Popular meditation app Headspace has kicked off its Black Friday promotion for the year, taking half off its annual and monthly memberships for new and returning subscribers. That brings the annual plan down to $35 and the monthly plan to $6.49 per month. If you take the plunge, just note that the discount only applies for the first year, after which the subscription will auto-renew at its normal going rate. Apps like this aren't magical cure-alls for stress, but we've recommended Headspace in the past for its impressive breadth of guided meditations and accessibility for those new to the practice.
Masterclass has rolled out a Cyber Monday deal that gives two annual memberships to the online education platform for the price of one. Depending on what plan you pick, that's either a $180, $240 or $276 discount. You can technically keep both years for yourself, but the offer is designed for you to gift the second year-long subscription to a loved one, as it'll expire 365 days from your date of purchase if it's not redeemed beforehand. Just note that both subscriptions will be set to auto-renew by default, and while the deal applies to any of the platform's plans, the cheapest subscription doesn't include offline downloads. In any event, Masterclass continues to offer a plethora of insightful courses taught by celebrities and field experts alike, covering everything from cooking with Gordon Ramsey to business strategy with Bob Iger.
At $100 and $150, respectively, both the 1TB and 2TB versions of SanDisk's Extreme Portable SSD are down to their lowest prices to date. For reference, the former usually sits closer to $120, while the latter usually runs closer to $190. This is one of the better portable SSDs on the market, offering a rugged, pocketable design and fast-enough transfer speeds for moving large files on top of the usual reliability of any SSD. It also comes with a five-year warranty.
Staying on the storage front, we're also seeing discounts on a variety of Samsung SSDs and microSD cards. The 2TB model of the 980 Pro SSD is down to a new low of $180, for one, which is a roughly $50 discount. While Samsung recently launched a follow-up, this is still a well-performing PCIe 4.0 drive for those who want to upgrade their PS5's storage. Similarly, the company's Evo Select microSD card isn't the absolute fastest you can buy, but it should more than enough for most needs — its 512GB variant is on sale for $45, which is $15 off its usual price and a new all-time low.
The Roomba 694 is back down to $179, which is about $45 off its usual street price and only $5 more than the lowest price we've tracked. This is a simpler "bump and run" robot vacuum, but it's the budget pick in our guide to the best robovacs thanks to its easy-to-use app, sturdy design and decent cleaning power. If you're willing to pay a bit more for something with smarter navigation and a dock for cleaning and charging, iRobot's Roomba i3+ Evo is a nice step up that's currently available for an all-time low of $350.
Here's a good deal on a rare set of commendable noise-cancelling headphones priced below $100. At $60, this is $10 more than the lowest price we've ever seen for Anker's Soundcore Life Q30, but still $20 off the pair's usual street price. The Q30 offers a comfortable fit, a superb 40+ hours of battery life per charge and noise cancellation that, while a step behind the best premium models, belies its low price. Its mic isn't great, and its sound goes very heavy on the bass by default, but it still offers a lot of headphone for the money.
The Beats Powerbeats Pro are back down to their all-time low of $150, which is about $40 less than the typical street price we see. These earbuds are a pick in our guide to the best wireless workout headphones, where we praised their stable behind-the-ear hook design, AirPods-esque ease of use with iPhones, nine-ish hours of continuous battery life and physical controls. Their case is enormous, though, and their partially-sealed fit may not be for everyone.
Black Friday is typically the best time of year to pick up a new TV, and sure enough, we're starting to see new low prices on well-regarded sets. The 65-inch version of Samsung's S95B OLED TV, for instance, has dropped to a new low of $1,798, which is about $200 below than the typical price we've seen over the past month. This set's "QD-OLED" panel has earnedrave reviews around the web for offering the excellent contrast of most OLED TVs without sacrificing as much in the way of brightness and color saturation.
LG's C2 OLED TV is more prone to those issues, but it still provides inky blacks, wide viewing angles and gaming-friendly features like the ability to play in 4K/120Hz. It looks particularly nice in darker room. It's also available in smaller sizes than the S95B, and its 42-inch model is currently down to a new low of $897, which is about $130 off its usual going rate. If you need something bigger, BuyDig has the 65-inch C2 for the same $1,697 price we've seen for the past month, but includes a $150 gift card with the purchase.
If you're willing to sacrifice some picture quality for a striking design, we've previously sung the praises of Samsung's Frame TV, which is built to look like a giant picture frame and can display art when you aren't watching something. The 55-inch model of that LED TV is back to a low of $998, which is about $300 off its street price. If you're on a tighter budget, Hisense's U6H is a well-reviewed set that's on sale for a more approachable $370, another all-time low.
NVIDIA GeForce Now
NVIDIA is running a promotion that doles out six months of the "Priority" tier of its GeForce Now cloud gaming service for $30, down from its usual $50. The company says this deal is only available to new members, free-tier members, Priority members currently on a 1-month subscription plan and "users on an active promotion or gift card," so it's looking to upsell customers who aren't on one of the service's higher-end plans already. Still, if you've been interested in giving the service a try, this is a more affordable way to avoid the limitations of its free tier. The promo is set to run through November 20.
As a refresher, GeForce Now lets you stream games you already own on platforms like Steam or the Epic Games Store over the cloud, so it'll work best if you have a well-sized library of PC games already. "Priority" is the service's middle tier. You can stream in resolutions up to 1080p and frame rates up to 60 fps, which is a step behind the 4K and 120 fps support of the top "RTX 3080" tier but should be fine for most. You're also allotted up to six hours per session, instead of the one-hour session length of the service's free tier.
Eero mesh router sale
Amazon
If you're looking to upgrade your home WiFi to a mesh networking kit, Amazon's Eero 6 routers aren't necessarily the fastest or most customizable, but they're generally reliable and particularly easy to operate. Right now, a number of Eero systems are on sale. The best middle-ground option is likely the Eero 6 Plus, a three-pack of which is back to its all-time low of $194. That's well down from its usual $299, but if you have a smaller place, two-packs and solo routers are also available for lows of $155 and $90, respectively.
We've seen all of these deals at various points in the past, but each match the lowest prices we've tracked to date, including the discounts we saw during the company's Prime Early Access Sale in October. There's a chance things drop lower on Black Friday proper, but since Amazon is advertising these offers as "early Black Friday deals," we'd expect them to carry over.
Within the lineup, the Echo Show 8 offers the best balance of price and performance. Its 8-inch, 1,280 x 800 resolution is sizable enough for most streaming and video calling needs, its processor can keep up with most Alexa-related tasks and its speakers are powerful enough to fill a room. The Echo Show 5 and its 5.5-inch display are a step down across the board, but it can still be useful as a smart alarm clock. We gave the two review scores of 87 and 85, respectively, last year. The Kids version of the Echo Show 5, meanwhile, is essentially the same as the original model, but includes a year of the company's Kids+ content service, a simplified interface, and a two-year warranty (the standard model comes with one).
The Echo Show 10 and Echo Show 15 are more niche — the former has a rotating base that lets its 10.1-inch display follow you around during video calls, while the latter's 15.6-inch panel is designed to be mounted on a wall. We gave them review scores of 83 and 78, respectively. Both are still difficult to recommend to most when the Echo Show 8 can do most of the same Alexa things for less, but if you want a bigger display, they're at least a bit more affordable here.
If you're into the idea of a smart display but prefer the Google Assistant to Alexa, Google's 7-inch Nest Hub and 10-inch Nest Hub Max are also currently on sale for $50 and $164, respectively. The broad strokes of those devices are similar to their Amazon counterparts, though the Nest Hub lacks a built-in camera for those who don't want another one of those in their home. We gave the Nest Hub a review score of 89 last year, while the larger Nest Hub Max earned a score of 86 back in 2019.
Amazon has rolled out another round of discounts on its Fire TV media streamers ahead of Black Friday, which includes the entry-level Fire TV Stick Lite discounted to $15. While that isn't the best price we've ever tracked — the streaming stick dropped to $12 during Amazon's Prime Day sale this past July — it does match the lowest price we've seen otherwise. Amazon runs discounts on its streamer lineup fairly regularly, but the Fire TV Stick Lite typically drops to $20 during those sales, so this is a bit more savings than usual.
Elsewhere, the Fire TV Stick 4K and higher-power 4K Max are available for $25 and $35, respectively. Again, those are deals we've seen a few times in the past, but both prices still match the lowest we've tracked. The 1080p Fire TV Stick, meanwhile, is available for $20, which is $2 higher than its all-time low. We'll also note that the previous-generation Fire TV Cube is on sale for $60, which matches that streamer-meets-smart-speaker's all-time low, though Amazon recently launched an updated version of this device with a faster processor, a new HDMI input and WiFi 6E support. There's always a chance we see lower prices on Black Friday proper, though Amazon is currently promoting these offers as "early Black Friday deals."
If you can afford the step up, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the best of Amazon's myriad streaming sticks, offering a slightly more powerful CPU and GPU than the Fire TV Stick 4K, as well as an extra 0.5GB of memory. All of that should keep it performing better in the long-term. It also has a WiFi 6 radio, if you have or ever plan to upgrade to a router that supports that. The Fire TV Stick 4K is still a solid alternative if you want to save a few bucks: It's physically identical to the 4K Max, has the same voice remote and still supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HDR10, plus Dolby Atmos for audio. Like all Fire TV Sticks, it still works with just about all of the major streaming apps. It's just a bit less performant.
If you're shopping for an older TV or don't need 4K streaming, the Fire TV Stick Lite and base Fire TV Stick max out at a 1080p resolution but offer most of the essentials at a lower cost. They both run the same interface as the 4K models and work with HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG, though there's no Dolby Vision support, and they're both more prone to sluggishness when swapping between apps and Amazon's home screen. The main difference between the two is in the remote: The Fire TV Stick's has buttons for volume, mute, power, and app shortcuts, while the Fire TV Stick Lite's doesn't. The Fire TV Stick can also output Dolby Atmos audio to a compatible sound system. If you can live without those, though, the Lite is more or less the same streamer for a few bucks less.
With every Fire TV streamer, you still have to deal with an ad-heavy interface that heavily pushes you toward Amazon's own apps and services. Roku and Google still sell compelling alternatives around the same prices; the former offers a more straightforward UI, the latter has more comprehensive search and is better about proactively recommending shows you might like, and both give similar performance. If you prefer one of those platforms, we're still seeing deals on those devices as well: Roku's Streaming Stick 4K is currently on sale for $25, while Google's 1080p and 4K Chromecasts are down to $18 and $40, respectively. But Amazon's options still work well for casual streaming, and if you frequently use Alexa, Prime Video, and other Amazon services already — or want to sideload additional apps — they should provide good value at their current deal prices.
