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Black Friday laptop deals for 2023: Save on notebooks from Apple, Microsoft, Dell and more

Black Friday always brings a deluge of laptop deals, but figuring out which notebooks are actually worth your money can be messy. To help you avoid wasting hundreds on a hunk of junk, we’ve scoured the web and sorted out the best Black Friday laptop deals we could find below. Our findings include noteworthy deals on top MacBooks, gaming laptops, Chromebooks, Windows ultrabooks, budget models and more, so if you’re looking to make a laptop refresh, there should be something to suit your needs.

Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M2)

The 13.6-inch Apple MacBook Air is down to $929 at B&H for an entry-level configuration with 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and Apple’s M2 chip. That’s $30 more than the lowest price we’ve seen but still $170 less than buying from Apple directly. If you need more RAM and storage space, a model with 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD is $200 off at $1,299. The M2 MacBook Air is the top pick in our guide to the best laptops, and this 13-inch model earned a score of 96 in our review last year. It’s worth noting that a refresh with Apple’s new M3 chip is reportedly planned for the first half of 2024, and the SSD in the entry-level config is technically slower than the storage in higher-capacity models. But if you need a new notebook right away, the M2 Air still ticks all the requisite design and performance boxes for everyday use.

Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M2)

The 15.3-inch MacBook Air is $250 off in various configurations at Amazon, B&H, Best Buy and others. A model with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD is available for $1,249, for instance, while another config with twice the memory is $1,449. We gave the 15-inch Air a review score of 96 this past June. It carries a similarly crisp display, comfortable keyboard, long-lasting battery and speedy M2 chip as the smaller Air, but it adds a more powerful speaker system alongside its roomier display. Its base config also comes with a 10-core GPU by default, whereas the 13-inch Air starts with an 8-core GPU. This is another one we expect to see updated with an M3 chip in 2024, though. These discounts have been around for much of the past month, but we haven’t seen the notebook go for less very often.

Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M3 Pro)

Apple only released its latest MacBook Pros last month, but the new notebooks are already discounted for Black Friday. The 14.2-inch MacBook Pro, for one, is down to $1,799 at Amazon and B&H for a model with an M3 Pro chip, 18GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. That’s $200 off Apple’s list price. A 1TB model is $150 off at $2,249, while a variant with the more powerful M3 Max chip is $200 off at $2,999.

As the name suggests, the MacBook Pro is really meant for coders, multimedia editors and other professional types who’re willing to trade some portability for additional horsepower and a brighter and faster Liquid Retina XDR display. If you fall into that bracket, though, the new Pros are suitably fast, efficient and elegantly designed. We gave the 14-inch Pro a score of 90 in our review earlier this month.

The new entry-level MacBook Pro with a 14-inch display and a base M3 chip is also on sale for $1,449. That’s a $150 discount, but we advise most people to steer clear of this model. It sits in something of a no man’s land between the MacBook Air and the higher-end MacBook Pros: It has the excellent display of the latter, but few people need that, and it’s limited to 8GB of memory, which is hardly enough for “pro”-level tasks. Most are better off saving some cash and grabbing an Air with 16GB of RAM.

Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch)

The 16.2-inch MacBook Pro is discounted as well. A model with an M3 Pro chip, 18GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD is down to $2,229 at Amazon, B&H and Best Buy. That’s $200 off. A variant with 36GB of RAM is $2,649 (or $250 off), while another with an M3 Max chip and a 1TB SSD is $3,299 (or $200 off). The 16-inch Pro is virtually identical to the 14-inch model; it’s just a bit larger and heavier, and its battery lasts a touch longer.

Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M1)

The older 13-inch MacBook Air that was released in 2020 and uses Apple’s M1 chip is also on sale, with an entry-level config available for $750. We’ve seen this deal a handful of times over the last few months, but it matches the lowest price we’ve seen. It’s really worth stepping up to the M2 Air if you can: It’ll get you a more modern design, a faster chip, a sharper webcam and improved speakers. The 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD in this config is only suitable for casual use, and this model will almost certainly be discontinued when we get the inevitable M3 refresh. But if you’re on a stricter budget and really want a MacBook, the M1 Air is still well-built, long-lasting and fast enough for the essentials. We currently highlight it in our guide to the best budget laptops.

Dell XPS 13 (9315)

Dell’s XPS 13 is down to $799 for a configuration with a Core i7-1250U processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a 13.4-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 resolution display. That’s $300 off Dell’s list price and only a little bit higher than the lowest price we’ve seen. The XPS 13 is the top pick in our guide to the best Windows laptops thanks to its svelte design, dependable keyboard and trackpad, lengthy battery life and solid display. You’re not getting the latest processor here, but this model is still performant enough for everyday work. The main issue here is port selection: There’s only two Thunderbolt 4 ports and no dedicated headphone jack. Still, if you can tolerate using a dongle every now and then, this is a good price for a high-quality ultrabook.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is down to $379 at Best Buy, which is $120 off its list price. This is the latest iteration of the top pick in our Chromebook buying guide. Its 14-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 IPS touchscreen is good for the money, and it's plenty fast for the web browsing and light work you'd do with Chrome OS. Both its keyboard and trackpad are comfortable, plus it comes with a decent 1080p webcam. This model comes with an Intel Core i3-1315U processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of eMMC storage, one USB-A port, two USB-C 3.2 ports and a microSD card slot. The chassis isn't especially light at 3.6 pounds, and we found the battery to last roughly seven hours in testing, which is just OK. But for less than $400, this is a strong value.

HP Pavilion Aero 13

The HP Pavilion Aero 13 is down to $550 for a model with an AMD Ryzen 5 7535U processor, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. This notebook goes on sale fairly often, but this is the lowest price we’ve seen for this config. The Pavilion Aero 13 is the top Windows pick in our budget laptop buying guide. It’s impressively light (2.2 pounds) and slim (0.67 inches) for the money, while its 13.3-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 IPS display is sufficiently bright and colorful. It comes with a solid backlit keyboard and the essential ports as well. It’s still a budget laptop, so it doesn’t have the sturdiest chassis, and it’s saddled with a 720p webcam. You’ll also have to navigate some bloatware. But if you want a cheaper notebook that doesn’t totally sacrifice aesthetics, it’s a decent option.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is available for $1,200 at Best Buy for a configuration with a Ryzen 9 7940HS processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. That matches the lowest price we’ve seen and takes $400 off ASUS’ list price. This model also has a 14-inch 1440p display with a 165Hz refresh rate. The ROG Zephyrus G14 is the top overall recommendation in our guide to the best gaming laptops. It’s a compact notebook that’s plenty capable for triple-A gaming but doesn’t totally sacrifice the “laptop” part of the phrase “gaming laptop.” It’s relatively light and portable at 3.6 pounds, and its keyboard and trackpad both work well. Its 720p webcam could stand to be sharper, though.

MSI Stealth 14 Studio

The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is another gaming laptop we like, and right now Best Buy has it for $1,100. This model includes a Core i7-13620H chip, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, an RTX 4060 GPU and a 14-inch 1,920 x 1,200 display with a 165Hz refresh rate. We gave the Stealth 14 Studio a score of 87 in our review this past June; like the ROG Zephyrus G14, it’s light for a gaming laptop (3.75 pounds) and offers capable performance for everyday gaming. This config is a lower-end model than the one we reviewed — it has a slightly slower CPU and its display isn’t as sharp or fast — but the gist is the same. Its biggest flaws are its middling 720p webcam and the fact that it can run hot under load. It’s still a gaming laptop, so battery life isn’t amazing either.

Whether you should get this config over the ROG Zephyrus G14 deal above comes down to if you can sacrifice a higher-res display for more storage space. The G14 has more ports as well, though the Stealth 14 Studio includes a Thunderbolt 4 port, which may be important if you ever plan on connecting an external GPU.

Dell G15 5530 Gaming Laptop

A version of Dell’s G15 5530 Gaming Laptop with a Ryzen 7 7840HS processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, an RTX 4060 GPU and a 15.6-inch, 1080p, 165Hz display is down to $900 at Amazon. That’s a 22 percent discount and the lowest price we’ve tracked. Another model with a more powerful Core i7-13650HX chip and 1TB of RAM is available for $1,160, which is about $190 below its average street price. This is the most recent version of the “best budget” pick in our gaming laptops buying guide. It’s big, heavy (6.2 pounds) and not especially premium feeling, but it’s strong enough to play many games at high-ish settings, and its memory and storage are user-upgradeable.

Alienware m18

The 18-inch Alienware m18 is down to $2,390 at Amazon for a model with a Ryzen 9 7845HX processor, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and a 480Hz display with a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution. Nobody would call this affordable, but it’s still 20 percent off Dell’s list price and the lowest price we’ve seen outside of special offers. The m18 is another pick from our gaming laptops guide: It’s too huge to be truly portable and weighs nearly nine pounds, but the giant screen is nice for taking in games, it’s sturdily built and it can consistently run demanding titles at high frame rates. It’s also upgradeable, plus it has a wide array of ports. You’ll want to keep it near a charger, though, and it’s far from the quietest notebook we’ve used.

Razer Blade 15

The Razer Blade 15 is down to $2,100 at B&H and Newegg for a config with a Core i7-13800H, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, an RTX 4060 GPU and a 15.6-inch IPS display with a 1440p resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate. That’s $400 off and the lowest price we’ve seen for this 2023 model. The Blade 15 is the high-end pick in our gaming laptop buying guide. This model is powerful enough to play most modern games at high settings in 1080p or 1440p, but the main reason to buy any Blade is its design, which is slimmer and generally more premium than most gaming notebooks. Just don’t expect it to last super long on a charge or stay especially cool under load. We gave the 2022 version of the Blade 15 a review score of 86 last year.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is down to $2,093 at Amazon and B&H for a configuration with a Core i7-13700H, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU. That’s $300 below the notebook’s average going rate and the lowest price we’ve seen since the device arrived a few weeks ago. Other models with different RAM, storage and GPU options are also discounted.

We gave the Surface Laptop Studio 2 a score of 85 in our review. The big hook is its hinged touch display, which lets the bottom of the screen pivot and tilt over the keyboard like an easel for digital artists. We found the 14.4-inch, 2,400 x 1,600 resolution panel to look great more generally, while its battery life, build quality and overall performance all impressed as well. It’s slightly bulkier than competing models, and it’s still expensive even at this price, but this deal makes it a little more approachable for those who like the hinged design and want a laptop for media editing.

Microsoft Surface Pro 9

A configuration of Microsoft's Surface Pro 9 with a Core i5-1235U processor, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and Microsoft's Surface Pro Keyboard is down to $1,000 at Best Buy. That's $540 off Microsoft's list price. If you don't need the keyboard, a variant with a stronger Intel Core i7-1255U chip is down to a low of $1,100 at Amazon, Microsoft, B&H and other retailers. That's an all-time low and roughly $200 off the config's usual street price. Another Core i7 model with 512GB of storage is on sale for $300 more.

The Surface Pro 9 tops our guide to the best 2-in-1 tablets. While its 12th-gen chip is about to be two generations old, this is still the device to get if you want the functionality of a laptop in the slim design of a tablet. We're past the point of the year when Microsoft would normally announce a refresh, but the current model should still be useful if you're coming from an older Surface in desperate need of an upgrade.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/black-friday-laptop-deals-for-2023-save-on-notebooks-from-apple-microsoft-dell-and-more-140021323.html?src=rss

Apple Black Friday deal: Get a $15 Amazon credit when you buy a $100 Apple gift card

If you're planning to pick up some new Apple gear in the near future, a new Amazon Black Friday deal may be of interest. If you purchase an Apple gift card totaling $100 or more from the retailer, you can get $15 in Amazon store credit for no extra cost. Just use the code APPLET5USA at checkout to see the offer. The deal applies to the digital version of the card; as of this writing, you can apply the credit to physical Apple gift cards as well, but you'll have to avoid clipping the coupon listed on those cards' product page, as that will limit you to a $10 credit instead.

Amazon's fine print says you can only apply the credit once per account, and that you'll receive the credit alongside an email confirmation within 24 hours of your purchase. From there, you'll be able to use the credit until January 17, albeit only on products that are listed as shipped and sold by Amazon.com.

As a refresher, you can use an Apple gift card for App Store credit, subscription services like Apple Music or iCloud, and/or purchases made at a physical Apple store. If you often shop at Amazon anyway, this deal effectively gives you a bit of free money, which is always hard to beat around the holidays.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-black-friday-deal-get-a-15-amazon-credit-when-you-buy-a-100-apple-gift-card-134526067.html?src=rss

The best Black Friday SSD deals: Save on microSD cards, SSDs and PC storage

Whether you're shopping for someone you love or yourself, Black Friday is arguably the best time of the year to stock up on digital storage. If you need a microSD card for your Nintendo Switch or camera, a speedy SSD for your PS5 or a high-capacity portable drive, you can find Black Friday deals on a number of the best models available today. Some of our favorites from Samsung, SanDisk, Crucial and others have hit record-low prices for Black Friday, which may make it tempting to pick up a couple of options to either give as gifts to the techies in your life, or save for yourself to use when the need arises. After combing through the slew of storage deals you'll find this year, here are the best Black Friday deals on microSD cards, SSDs and more that you can get for 2023.

Samsung Pro Plus microSD

Samsung Evo Select microSD

SanDisk Nintendo Switch microSD

Lexar Professional 1066x microSD

Samsung T9

Samsung T7 Shield

Corsair MP600 Pro LPX SSD

Crucial MX500

Crucial X8

Samsung 980 Pro

WD Black SN850X

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-black-friday-ssd-deals-save-on-microsd-cards-ssds-and-pc-storage-133058225.html?src=rss

The Black Friday TV deals worth your money from Samsung, LG, Sony and others

Black Friday is usually one of the best times of the year to buy a new TV, but trying to sort through the barrage of so-called discounts around the web can be exhausting. To help you separate the good sets from the junk, we’ve rounded up the best Black Friday TV deals we could find from Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy and others. Though we don’t formally review TVs at Engadget, we’ve researched user reviews and testing from other sites we trust to ensure our list only includes TVs you’ll be happy to own years down the road. If you’re all set on the TV front, we’ve also included a few Black Friday deals on media streamers and soundbars we like.

Samsung S90C OLED TV (55-inch)

A 55-inch model of Samsung’s S90C OLED TV is available for $1,298 at Amazon, Walmart and B&H. Samsung itself has it for $2 more. This has been the S90C’s price for the last several weeks but, outside of a brief drop to $1,098 at B&H earlier this month, it matches the lowest rate we’ve tracked. The S90C has received near-universal praise for its QD-OLED panel, which uses a layer of quantum dots to boost its peak brightness and color saturation while retaining the high contrast and deep black tones of a typical OLED display. Put another way, it looks great, and it should hold up better than most OLED TVs in a bright room. It’s also an ideal gaming TV, as it has four HDMI 2.1 ports that support up to a 144Hz refresh rate in 4K (on PCs). The main downside is that, like all Samsung TVs, it doesn’t support the popular Dolby Vision HDR format.

LG C3 OLED TV (42-inch)

The LG C3 OLED TV is down to $897 for a 42-inch model at Amazon and B&H, which matches its all-time low. The C3 lacks the quantum-dot tech of the Samsung S90C, so it can’t get quite as bright or colorful. But it still offers most of the expected perks of a good OLED panel, including high contrast, wide viewing angles and smooth motion. It supports Dolby Vision HDR as well, plus it’s available in smaller sizes than the S90C — hence why we’re highlighting the 42-inch model here. Larger versions are also discounted, but they’re priced close enough to the S90C that most people should opt for the Samsung TV instead. If you want a premium TV for a smaller space — and can keep the set away from glare — this model should fit the bill.

LG A2 OLED TV (48-inch)

The 48-inch LG A2 OLED TV, meanwhile, is on sale for $550 at Best Buy. We’ve seen numerous deals for this set over the course of the year, but this one matches the lowest price we’ve tracked. The A2 is an entry-level model from 2022, so it's limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, lacks HDMI 2.1 ports and doesn't support other gaming-friendly features like VRR. It has noticeably lower peak brightness than higher-end OLEDs like the C3, too, so it won’t pop as much with HDR content. That said, it's still an OLED TV, so it still delivers deep contrast, bold colors, wide viewing angles and low input lag for the money. At this price, it should be a nice step-up option for smaller or secondary rooms.

Samsung The Frame LED TV (LS03B)

The 55-inch version of Samsung’s The Frame TV is down to $978 at Amazon and B&H, which is nearly $400 off its average street price in recent months. It’s available for a couple bucks more at Samsung and Best Buy. If you want something smaller, the 50-inch model is a good buy at $898, too. This LED TV lacks contrast-boosting features like local dimming and mini-LED backlights, so its picture quality, while good, can’t match the best sets in its price range. Instead, you’d buy a Frame TV for its style. The whole thing is designed to look like a mountable piece of wall art, and when you aren’t watching something, you can use it to display artwork and photos. The TV comes with a few pieces by default, while others are available with an optional subscription.

Hisense U8K LED TV

The 55-inch Hisense U8K is available for $698, which is an all-time low and $50 less than its typical street price in recent months. Best Buy has it for $2 more. The 65-inch model is also at an all-time low of $898. Several reviews have praised the U8K as one of the year’s best values among midrange TVs, one that gets impressively bright and delivers strong contrast for an LED display. It comes with two HDMI 2.1 ports that play 4K video up to 144Hz, it supports all the major HDR formats and its Google TV platform is easier to use than most smart TV UIs. Its motion and color performance will still trail a good OLED TV, though, and reviews say it’ll wash out much more heavily when viewed from an angle. But if you want to stay under $1,000, it should be a good value.

TCL QM8 LED TV (65-inch)

The TCL QM8 is generally regarded as a close rival to the Hisense U8K in the same price bracket. Its 65-inch model is now down to $898 at Amazon and Walmart, which is the lowest price we’ve tracked. Like Hisense’s set, the QM8 uses quantum dots, mini-LED backlights and an expansive local dimming feature to deliver strong contrast for a non-OLED TV and enough brightness to overcome glare in any room. It, too, runs Google TV, and it has two HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K/144Hz video.

The QM8 isn’t available in a size lower than 65 inches, so those who don’t have the space for a larger TV should get the U8K. But TCL’s TV does have one advantage for gamers: Its eARC port is separate from its HDMI 2.1 ports. That means those with a PS5, Xbox Series X and eARC-enabled soundbar can have all three hooked up at once and enjoy 4K/120Hz gaming on the two consoles without having to change inputs. One of the U8K’s HDMI 2.1 ports, on the other hand, doubles as the eARC port, so it might cause a little extra hassle. Otherwise, the two sets appear to offer similar performance.

Hisense U6K LED TV

The Hisense U6K is down to $350 for a 55-inch model and $498 for a 65-inch model, both of which represent all-time lows. The U6K is a well-reviewed option for those on a tighter budget, as it’s one of the few affordable sets to use quantum dots, mini-LED backlights and full-array local dimming. All of that helps it deliver better contrast and color volume than most TVs in this price range. It can’t get as bright as the U8K or TCL QM8, so it won’t exactly sparkle with HDR content, and its picture will degrade when viewed at an angle. Its 60Hz refresh rate and lack of HDMI 2.1 ports mean it’s not ideal for gaming, either. But trade-offs are to be expected for less than $500; if you don’t want to pay up for a higher-end model, this looks to be a solid compromise.

We’ll also note the Hisense U7K, which is down to lows of $480 for a 55-inch set and $700 for a 65-inch one. As its name suggests, this TV sits between the U8K and U6K in Hisense’s lineup: It doesn’t look as rich or bright as the former, but it’s a step up over the latter if you can afford to stretch your budget a little more.

TCL Q6 LED TV

The 65-inch TCL Q6 is available for $500 at Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy, which is $20 more than its all-time low but still $50 below its usual street price. The 75-inch set is down to a new low of $650, however. The Q6 is another budget-level TV released in 2023. Most reviews we trust say it lags well behind the Hisense U6K when it comes to contrast and HDR performance, but it’s worth highlighting because it supports a faster 120Hz refresh rate — so long as you play at a 1080p or 1440p resolution instead of 4K. If you’re a competitive-minded gamer who doesn’t want to spend a ton on a new TV, that extra smoothness might be worthwhile. Note that this set runs Amazon’s Fire TV platform, which’ll work best if you often use Amazon services like Prime Video.

Sony A95L OLED TV

If money is absolutely no object, the 55-inch Sony A95L is $300 off and down to a new “low” of $2,498 at Amazon and B&H. That’s far from cheap, but this ultra-premium QD-OLED TV has received wide praise for delivering perfect black levels, superb image processing, particularly punchy colors, and high brightness levels relative to other OLED sets. It’s another Google TV and, unlike the Samsung S90C, it supports Dolby Vision HDR. It can even play games at 4K/120Hz with Dolby Vision, and several reviews praise the quality of its built-in speakers. The main negative, apart from its eye-watering price, is that it only has two HDMI 2.1 ports. The S90C should be a better value for most, particularly gamers, but this deal makes the A95L at least a little cheaper than usual.

Roku Streaming Stick 4K

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is down to $30 at Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Roku’s online store and others. That’s $5 more than its all-time low but still $14 off the average street price we’ve seen in recent months. The Streaming Stick 4K is the top pick in our guide to the best streaming devices: It runs quickly, it works with all the major streaming services and HDR formats, and it has useful features like AirPlay support and a private listening mode. The Roku UI isn’t the sexiest piece of software design, but it’s a breeze to navigate and its search tool does well to find shows across disparate apps.

Roku Express 4K+

A couple other Roku streamers of note are also on sale. The Roku Express 4K+, for one, is within a dollar of its all-time low at $25. That dongle can’t plug directly into an HDMI port, lacks Dolby Vision support and has slightly slower Wi-Fi than the Streaming Stick 4K, but it offers the same general experience otherwise.

Roku Ultra

The Roku Ultra, meanwhile, is about $30 off at $69. This is the “best set-top box” pick in our media streamer guide. It’s pricier than the Streaming Stick 4K, but it adds an Ethernet jack and a microSD slot for expanded storage. It also comes with Roku’s Voice Remote Pro, which has a rechargeable battery, two programmable shortcut buttons, a remote finder function and a built-in headphone jack for private listening. You can buy the Voice Remote Pro separately and use it with most other Roku streamers, though.

Google Chromecast with Google TV

The Google Chromecast is on sale for $38 at Amazon, Walmart and Target. This is a deal we've seen several times before and doesn’t represent an all-time low, but it's still $12 off Google's list price. The Chromecast is the runner up in our guide to the best streaming devices: It was released way back in 2020 and doesn't support Wi-Fi 6, but it still performs competently and supports the major streaming apps. Its biggest selling point is its Google TV interface, which does well to proactively suggest shows you might like based on your viewing history and has a genuinely convenient voice search function. If the idea of a streamer that adjusts to your viewing habits sounds appealing to you, it might be worth grabbing over one of the Roku players above. If you're shopping for an older TV, the 1080p version of the Chromecast offers just about all of the same benefits and is on sale for $20.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max

Amazon's latest Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max have received their largest discounts since arriving in September. The former is 50 percent off at $25, while the latter is 33 percent off at $40. Between the two, the Max has a slightly faster processor clocked at 2.0GHz (instead of 1.7GHz), 16GB of internal storage (instead of 8GB) and support for Wi-Fi 6E (instead of just Wi-Fi 6). It also includes Amazon's "Ambient Experience" mode, which displays artwork and widgets when the streamer is idle. That said, both dongles should be quick to load content. Both support the requisite streaming apps, Dolby Atmos and all the major HDR formats as well.

On the higher end of the Fire TV lineup, the Fire TV Cube is also on sale for $110. That ties the all-time low for the streaming box/Alexa speaker hybrid. The main downside with Fire TV devices is the same as it’s been for years: The UI is saddled with ads and not at all shy about nudging you toward Amazon services like Prime Video and Freevee. For most, a Roku or Chromecast should be a bit less obnoxious. But if you often use Amazon apps (or Alexa) and just want a competent 4K streamer for cheap, this may be less of an issue.

Apple TV 4K

Deals for the Apple TV 4K have been extremely uncommon over the past year and, sadly, we aren’t seeing any new cash discounts on Black Friday. However, if you’re willing to pay the full $129 list price at Apple’s online store (or $149 for a 128GB model), you can get a $25 Apple Gift Card for no extra cost. That’s not much of a deal, but if you’ve had your eye on the set-top box and already planned on paying for Apple Music, iCloud or any other Apple service, it’s better than nothing.

We call the Apple TV 4K the “best premium” pick in our media streamer guide. It’s much pricier than a Roku or Chromecast, but it’s consistently fast, its Siri-based remote works well and it supports Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision. It also integrates tightly with other Apple devices and services; you can quick-pair a set of AirPods, for instance, and beam content directly to the box via AirPlay. Apple’s tvOS interface is slick and easy to read too, though it tends to advertise Apple TV+ shows over those from other services.

Sonos soundbar sale

Sonos is running a Black Friday sale that includes a range of discounts on soundbars and home theater gear. The deals include the flagship Sonos Arc soundbar for $719, which is a $180 discount. The mid-range Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and the more basic Sonos Ray are also on sale for $399 and $223, respectively; that's a $100 drop for the former and a $56 drop for the latter. All three devices are recommendations in our guide to the best soundbars. Elsewhere, the Sonos Sub (Gen 3) subwoofer is $160 off at $639, while the more compact Sonos Sub Mini is $86 off at $343.

We gave the Arc, Beam and Ray review scores of 85, 88 and 82, respectively. The Arc and Beam both technically support Dolby Atmos, but the former’s larger frame and upward-firing drivers help it sound more spacious. The Ray is a smaller and more basic model that doesn’t sound as dynamic, but it still performs well for its size and price. Each device gets you the core perks of a Sonos speaker: easy pairing with other Sonos devices, a simple setup process, a straightforward app with access to a variety of streaming services, AirPlay support, a stylish design and so on. Discounts on Sonos devices are fairly rare, though it’s worth noting that a recent Bloomberg report said the company is working on an updated Arc and other home theater equipment.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/black-friday-tv-deals-worth-your-money-from-samsung-lg-sony-and-others-130031633.html?src=rss

Amazon Black Friday deals include 43 percent off the 2023 Fire HD 10 tablet

Amazon and Black Friday go together like peanut butter and heavily discounted jelly. The web retail giant unveiled a spate of deals for the day, including an extremely attractive offer on its Fire HD 10 tablet. You can snag one for 43 percent off, dropping the price down to $80. This is a record-low for Amazon’s mid-level device.

You aren’t even getting an older tablet here, as the deal’s for the company’s latest and greatest 2023 model. To that end, you get a 10.1-inch full HD screen, an octa-core 2 GHz processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. Not bad for $80, right? This isn’t the fanciest tablet on the block, but it gets the job done for browsing the web, checking social media and, of course, watching streaming apps. It even comes with a dashboard for controlling smart home devices with taps instead of voice commands.

This deal is for the Fire HD 10 with “lockscreen ads”, so you’ll be shown personalized ads on the screensaver in sleep mode. I’ve found this ad delivery method to be relatively unobtrusive, all things considered. There is one serious caveat, however, that impacts most Amazon tablets. You won’t have access to the Google Play Store, so the app selection is limited. However, all the big ones are still available.

There are other Amazon-branded tablets available with steep discounts as part of this larger Black Friday event. You can get the company’s top-of-the-line Fire 11 Max tablet for $150 instead of $230. This tablet boasts 64GB of storage with an SD slot for more, 4GB of RAM, an octa-core processor and a durable aluminum design. The diminutive Fire HD 8 is also on sale for $60 instead of $100.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-black-friday-deals-include-43-percent-off-the-2023-fire-hd-10-tablet-120052541.html?src=rss

The best robot vacuum Black Friday deals for every budget

Black Friday is a great time to pick up big-ticket items while they're deeply discounted, and robot vacuums fit that bill this year. It's not hard to drop hundreds on an autonomous dirt-sucker at any other time of the year, but Black Friday deals have discounted a bunch of our favorite models. Before snagging a deal, think about the type of home you have and how you'll use the machine: do you have carpet or mostly hard flooring? Do you have pets who shed constantly? Do you want a combo vacuum-and-mop machine? Once you have those details settled, check out the best deals on robot vacuums for Black Friday 2023 below.

iRobot Roomba 694

The Roomba 694 is on sale for $159 in this Black Friday deal. It's our current favorite budget robot vacuum thanks to its strong suction power, easy to use mobile app and handy spot-clean function. It doesn't come with a clean base, but it has Wi-Fi connectivity and voice control with Alexa.

Anker Eufy RoboVac 11S Max

As part of Anker's Black Friday deals, the Eufy RoboVac 11S Max is down to $140, but a clippable $10 coupon will bring it down to $130. That's close to a record low and a steal on one of the best affordable robot vacuums we've tested. This model has a super slim design, helping it clean underneath tables, couches and other furniture better than competing machines, and it has a solid battery life as well. It's not Wi-Fi connected, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It comes with a handy remote with which you can control the machine, making it a decent option for anyone who's never owned a robot vacuum before.

iRobot Roomba s9+

The Roomba s9+ is the most powerful model that iRobot makes, and it's down to $600 for Black Friday. It's usual high price tag may be prohibitive for most, but it's a much better buy when you can get it on sale like this. We like it's elegant design, extra-strong suction power, home mapping and object detection features, and the clean base that comes with it.

iRobot Roomba j7+

The Roomba j7+ robot vacuum has dropped to $469 for Black Friday. This model comes with a self-emptying base and it has advanced obstacle detection so it can avoid things like pet poop, should your furry friend have an accident. It also supports cleaning schedules via the iRobot mobile app and voice commands from Alexa, Siri and the Google Assistant.

Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 vacuum and mop

Shark's AI Ultra robot vacuum and mop has been discounted to $400 for Black Friday. IT has all of the same features in the vacuum-only model, but it also includes a water reservoir and a mop pad with which it can automatically mop floors for you. You have to switch out the dustbin for the reservoir whenever you want to mop, but otherwise the machine is pretty automated and convenient. The self-emptying base that comes with this model is also bagless.

TP-Link Tapo RV10 Plus

TP-Link's Tapo RV10 Plus has dropped to $250 for Black Friday. It's normally a decently priced robot vacuum and mop, but this discount makes it an even better buy. In our testing, it did a good job vacuuming and mopping, and it has a pretty good battery life as well. It comes with a self-emptying base, and its companion mobile app is simply to use and provides detailed information about the machine, including suggested maintenance tips.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-robot-vacuum-black-friday-deals-for-every-budget-121558141.html?src=rss

Black Friday 2023 deals are live: These are the best tech deals, hand-picked by our experts

It's finally here — Black Friday 2023 has kicked off in earnest today and there are tons of great deals and record-low prices to be had on some of the best tech of the year. Even though we've been seeing early Black Friday deals pop up since late October, today is the day many people have been waiting for. If you've held out so far with the hopes of getting the best deals possible on tech like headphones, smartwatches, TVs and more, now's the time to shop. We're seeing record lows on tech across all categories, including some of our favorite gear of the year, too. Follow along with our Black Friday live blog where the Engadget team will be surfacing the best tech deals you can get for Black Friday 2023.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/black-friday-2023-deals-are-live-the-best-tech-deals-hand-picked-by-our-experts-120020255.html?src=rss

Apple Black Friday deals: The 9th-gen iPad is $99 off and down to a record-low price

Some folks genuinely need a high-powered iPad to boost their productivity and help with tasks such as video editing and image processing. But many others are content to have an Apple tablet just so they can browse the web, catch up with friends and stream movies and TV shows.

If you're in the latter camp, or you're looking for an entry-level iPad for another reason, it's worth considering a slightly older model that's on sale for Black Friday. The ninth-generation iPad currently starts at $230 for a model with 64GB of storage at Target and Amazon. That's $99 off the regular price of $329. This is the best price we've seen for the tablet all year.

This is our pick for the best budget iPad and we gave it a score of 86 in our 2021 review. Sure, the design is pretty dated, but the 9th-gen iPad is still more than capable of handling casual tasks thanks to its A13 Bionic chip. That's the same chipset Apple used in the iPhone 11.

The 9th-gen iPad has a 10.2-inch display, but it's unfortunately somewhat susceptible to glare. Unlike newer iPads, which have switched to a USB-C charging port, you'll still need a Lightning cable to top up this one's battery. It's one of the last iPads to feature a Home button and while the 12MP front-facing camera is capable enough, it's positioned along a portrait edge of the screen, which makes video calls a little more awkward. One major plus point of this model: it's the only iPad still on sale that features a headphone jack.

If you're looking for something with extra power and a more refined design (but aren't ready to pony up for an iPad Air or Pro), consider snagging the 10th-gen iPad. That's $100 off for Black Friday as it's down to $349 for a configuration with 64GB of storage. This tablet has Apple's A14 Bionic chip. Other pros include USB-C charging and the front-facing camera moving to the landscape edge of the screen. We gave this model a score of 85 in our review.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-black-friday-deals-the-9th-gen-ipad-is-99-off-and-down-to-a-record-low-price-100000164.html?src=rss

The Echo Show 5 drops to $40 in Amazon's Black Friday sale

The Echo Show 5 smart display has dropped to $40 as part of Amazon’s Black Friday sale. That’s 56 percent off the MSRP, representing a savings of $50. This matches a record-low price for the device. It’s worth noting that this deal is for the latest and greatest 3rd-generation of the display that was originally released earlier this year.

The Echo Show 5 made our list of the best smart displays you can buy, and for good reason. This device is only 5.5 inches wide, thus the name, which could be too small for some people, but actually serves a useful purpose. The Echo Show 5 makes for a fantastic bedside device, as it fits snugly on a nightstand or even a small desk.

This also allows it to double as a stellar smart alarm clock, a feature Amazon has encouraged with regular software updates. The screen’s brightness adjusts automatically, thanks to an integrated ambient light sensor, and there’s a nice tap-to-snooze function. There’s even a sunrise alarm that slowly brightens the screen so you can wake up gently instead of being yelled at by a loud beeping noise. It does boast a camera, which might make you feel weird being as how it’ll likely be in the bedroom. Luckily, it also ships with a camera cover.

Amazon’s sale goes beyond the Echo Show 5, if you’re looking for a larger smart display. The latest Echo Show 8 is discounted to $105 from $150 and the large-and-in-charge Echo Show 10 is on sale for $160 instead of $250.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-echo-show-5-drops-to-40-in-amazons-black-friday-sale-130026088.html?src=rss

The best Black Friday camera and drone deals for 2023

Black Friday means savings on cameras for content creation, travel photography and more. This year is no exception as all the major manufacturers, including Sony, Canon, DJI, Nikon, GoPro, Fujifilm and Nikon have some stellar deals. Sony is offering its latest compact vlogging camera, the ZV-1F, at just $398 ($100 off), while Canon's new EOS R100 mirrorless APS-C camera is available with a kit lens for just $449. Panasonic has its full frame Lumix S5 on sale for $1,298 (38 percent off), DJI's Avata Pro-View combo is $999 (30 percent off) and GoPro's Hero 11 is down to $300, for a savings of 14 percent. 

Sony's ZV-1F is its third and most affordable vlogging camera, designed for creators as a "step up" from smartphones. It does that job well thanks to a lightweight body, built-in high-quality microphone, flip-out display, best-in-class autofocus and excellent image quality. The 20mm fixed lens makes it better for vlogging than the ZV1 with a 24-70mm, but the lack of a zoom is its biggest drawback. 

Canon's 24.2-megapixel R100 gives buyers the benefit of a mirrorless camera, namely the ability to change lenses. It also offers features like 4K 24p video, decently fast 6.5 fps shooting speeds with autofocus, excellent image quality and more. The main issue is the lack of a flip-out display, so it's not an ideal vlogging camera. It normally costs $600 with a 16-50mm lens, but you can now pick one up for $450, making it the cheapest APS-C mirrorless camera by a good margin. 

we gave the Hero 11 Black a largely positive review when it launched in September. The camera is an iterative upgrade over the excellent Hero 10 Black, meaning it still allows for crisp video at up to 5.3K/60 Hz, 4K/120 Hz, or 2.7K/240 Hz (for extra slow-motion shots), excellent stabilization that keeps moving footage looking smooth, and a rugged, waterproof design that's small enough to fit on a helmet, bike handle, surfboard, or most other tight spots.

With the arrival of the Lumix S5 II, Panasonic is offering some stellar deals on its predecessor, the S5. It’s smaller and costs less than the Lumix S1, but it actually delivers better video features. That includes a flip-out display, five-axis in-body stabilization and 10-bit 4K recording at up to 60 fps. The autofocus is faster and more accurate than the S1, but not as good as Sony and Canon’s systems for video. Still, at this price, it's one of the best cameras currently available for content creators.

The Avata is a solid little drone that produces decent-quality 4K 60p log footage. Its biggest advantage over other drones is the speed and maneuverability, along with the propeller guards that let you operate the drone around people. It does have some weird flaws and limitations — the Googles 2 aren’t ideal if you wear glasses, plus the motion controller isn’t ideal for precise FPV flying. Still, there aren’t many other ready-to-fly drones that can do what it does.

Nikon's Z6 II improves the original with faster speeds, improved eye-detect autofocus and more. You can shoot 4K at up to 60 fps, and grab photos at up to 14 fps. It also offers features like a flip screen, 3.69-million dot EVF and more. It's normally $1,997, but you can save $400 with Amazon's current deal. 

Other notable camera and accessory Black Friday deals

Those products are just a smattering of what's available, but there are others as well. Panasonic also has its brand new S5 II mirrorless camera — its first with phase-detect autofocus — on sale for $1,698 for a savings of $300 (15 percent). 

Sony also has its new A7 IV camera on sale for $2,298, saving you $200 off the list price, while the A7 III is marked down to $1,498 ($502 off) — the best price we've ever seen on this model. It's also got deals on a large number of lenses — to see more, check out its Amazon camera store. Meanwhile, if you're looking for the latest Panasonic cameras in a bundle, the company has a few solid deals, and Nikon has multiple bundles as well.

There are some notable deals on accessories, too. Lexar's V60 II memory cards (250MB/s read and 120MB/s write) are up to 35 percent off, with a pair of the the 128GB models priced at just $65 and the 256GB model in a two-pack at $105. If you need faster V90 cards, PNY's 128GB EliteX-Pro90 Class is marked down $20 to $75, while the 64GB cards are just $48 (20 percent off). MicroSD cards for drones or action cameras are also on sale, including SanDisk's Extreme 512GB model for $32 (or 71 percent off). More camera deals could arrive later, so stay tuned.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-black-friday-camera-and-drone-deals-for-2023-103025745.html?src=rss