Microsoft’s Black Friday deals are in full swing, meaning you can save a ton on Surface devices, Xbox accessories and more right now. Surface fans will want to check out the bundles on sale for the holiday shopping season. Microsoft is one of your best bets if you want to get most things you’ll need to make a Surface device your own all in one shot, while retailers like Amazon tend to have good deals on devices only.
One of our favorite bundles is on the Surface Laptop Go 2, which made our list of best cheap Windows laptops. Depending on the configuration you choose, you can save more than $200 on a bundle that includes the notebook, a Surface Mobile Mouse and a three-year protection plan. The most affordable config will run you just over $655, and that gets you the Go 2 with a Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. But we recommend springing for the next model up — that one has 8GB of RAM, along with the rest of the same specs, and the bundle will cost you just over $735. You’ll appreciate those extra 4GB of RAM when you’re doing any kind of multitasking, including having a plethora of Edge tabs open while running a couple of other apps at the same time.
While most discounts are on slightly older Surface device bundles, there are a couple available for the new Surface Pro 9 and the Surface Laptop 5. For the Pro 9, you can save at minimum $80 on a bundle that includes the two-in-one, a Surface Pro Signature Keyboard, a Microsoft 365 subscription and a two-year protection plan. Arguably most importantly, you can choose from either the Intel- or ARM-powered Pro 9s for this Essential Bundle, and we recommend going with the former to get the best performance possible. As for the Essential Bundle for the Laptop 5, you’re getting the same things as in the Pro 9 bundles, albeit without the keyboard attachment.
If you already have your computer of choice, Microsoft also has a number of good Xbox deals to consider. Not only can you get $50 off the Xbox Series S and get a headset along with it, but the company is also matching a lot of the Xbox controller deals we first spotted at Amazon. That's all on top Microsoft knocking up to 67 percent off certain Xbox titles, too.
It's a good time to buy a TV that doubles as an art installation. Amazon is selling Samsung's 2022 Frame TVs at their best prices to date for Black Friday. All models are on sale, but the highlights are a 55-inch model for $998 (normally $1,498) and a 65-inch variant for $1,533 (regularly $1,998). Samsung is matching these prices if you'd prefer to buy directly. You'll need to pay extra if you want a fancier bezel, but the savings could make that easier to justify.
The 2022 version of the Frame is, in some ways, the set you were expecting when Samsung introduced the lineup. Thanks to a matte screen finish, the always-on art mode is more convincing than with previous models — it almost looks like a canvas painting that just happens to be a TV. This is also a fully up-to-date device with 4K, HDR and creature comforts like voice assistant support (both Alexa and Google Assistant) and a game mode. You won't sacrifice much just to have a conversation piece in your living room.
There are a few considerations. You won't get Samsung's absolute best image quality, so you may want to look to high-end conventional TVs like the mini LED-based QN85B if you don't need the artwork. Also, you'll typically need to pay for either an Art Store subscription or individual works if you want masterpieces from the likes of Da Vinci, Van Gogh and Vermeer. The Frame is a strong value at these prices, though, and makes plenty of sense if you were already planning to wall-mount your screen.
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.
Sony's having a big sale at Amazon, with significant discounts on games, wired and wireless Inzone headsets and all-time low prices on its DualSense controllers. The latter are marked down by up to 33 percent to just $50, and we're also seeing discounts of up to 64 percent on games like Returnal, Horizon Forbidden West, and Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection. Sony is also hosting its own Black Friday sale at the PlayStation Store, with numerous other titles on sale.
For anyone looking to get a second DualSense controller, particularly a colorful model, it's never been a better time. All the models are on sale for $50, including the red, blue, pink, purple and camouflage versions, which normally sell for $75, so they're a third off. All models offer advanced haptic feedback that give you strong feel of what's happening on screen, with subtle differences between walking on grass or sand, for instance. And the analog triggers also recreate the feel of in-game tools, like the resistance of a bow when shoot an arrow.
For smartphone shoppers on a budget, Google's Pixel 6a is on sale for just $299 (33 percent off the regular $449 price), matching the best sale we've seen so far. It has top-notch performance, while giving you the purest Android experience possible. At the same time, you get excellent camera quality, thanks to the two 12-megapixel rear cameras and 8-MP front sensor delivering bright, colorful pictures and video. It also comes with a distinctive design, sharp 6.1-inch OLED screen covered with Gorilla Glass 3, long-lasting battery, IP67 water/dust protection and more.
Google's latest phones are also on sale. The Google Pixel 7 128GB (5G, unlocked) is available for just $499 instead of $599, while the top-end Pixel 7 Pro (5G, unlocked) is priced at $749, or $150 off the regular $899 price. Both models have the new Tensor G2 chip, excellent cameras and new software and features like Direct My Call and Photo Unblur — helping them both achieve high scores in our Engadget review. The main differences between the two are in the display, with the Pixel 7 Pro being better for mobile gaming thanks to the 120Hz display, compared to 90Hz on the Pixel 7.
Engadget
If you've had your eye on Google's sleek Pixel Watch, now is the time to act, as it's on sale for $300, or $50 (14 percent) off the regular price. It's easily one of the prettiest Wear OS watches out there, offers excellenbt health and fitness tracking and useful new faces. Meanwhile, Google's Pixel Buds Pro are discounted by 25 percent, bringing the regular $200 price down to $150. We called them "Google's best earbuds yet," thanks to the solid ANC performance, punchy bass and reliable touch controls.
Finally, multiple Google Nest products are available at some of the lowest prices we've seen. You can grab the Google Nest Thermostat for $90, a savings of $40 (31 percent) off the regular price. The Google Nest Security Cam (wired) has been reduced by 30 percent to $70, and if it's a Google Nest Doorbell you're after, that item is on sale for $120, for a savings of $60 (33 percent). The sale runs nearly two weeks until November 28th, but it's still best to act soon in case any of the items run out.
Even if you live for the holiday season, the shopping portion of it can be daunting for us all. Maybe you made a resolution last year to be better prepared this time around, but it’s easy to get sidetracked by all the other demands of everyday life. Holiday sales may have already begun, but if you’re just getting your list together now, you’re not alone.
This is where our holiday gift guide comes in. Every year, we gather our favorite gadgets and other miscellany into one big (and, we hope, helpful) guide. You’ll find gift ideas for the audiophile in your life, video gamers, board gamers, frequent travelers, people who work from home, and others. We also have all of our bread-and-butter gadget categories represented, with lists of our favorite laptops, tablets, smart home devices, home theater gear and gaming accessories.
We also know that gadgets can get expensive fast, so in addition to having a bunch of types of gifts covered in our guide, we have every budget represented, too. Whether you’re ready to splurge this year or need to find inexpensive gifts, we have options for you. And if you’re willing to wait, Black Friday and Cyber Monday should bring a number of great deals on some of our favorite gadgets. If you haven’t crossed everything off your list by that point, be sure to follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter so you don’t miss any of the worthwhile tech deals this season.
We hope that our product recommendations can lessen your holiday stress because you’ll spend less time worrying about which gift to get for whom. And don’t forget to pick up something for yourself along the way – you deserve it.
Check out all of our holiday gift guide stories right here.
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.
If you’re looking to buy additional storage for your PC or PlayStation 5, you don’t have to wait until Black Friday to score a deal on some of the best solid-state drives on the market. Ahead of Thanksgiving, Amazon is holding a sale on Samsung storage gear, including the company’s excellent NVMe models. PS5 owners will want to turn their attention to the Samsung 980 Pro. After a 53 percent discount, the 2TB model with heatsink is $190, down from $400. It’s the perfect plug-and-play upgrade for Sony’s latest console, meeting all the compatibility and cooling requirements set out by the company.
Amazon has also discounted the non-heatsink versions of the 980 Pro and 970 Evo. The latter is the highlight here. At the moment, you can grab the 2TB model for $160, rather than $500. The 500GB is also discounted by 54 percent, making it $60 at the moment. Both the 980 Pro and 970 Evo are great options if you want to add a fast Gen4 NVMe to your PC – just make sure you have a compatible motherboard and processor. If you want to give life to an older PC, Samsung’s excellent SATA SSDs are included in the sale.
Those looking for portable storage are also in luck. The 1TB and 2TB versions of the T7 Shield are currently 44 and 48 percent off, respectively. That means you can get the more expensive model for $150, and the 1TB variant for a record low of $90. Best of all, all three colorways – blue, black and biege – are included in the sale. The T7 Shield is an Engadget favorite. The combination of USB 3.2 Gen 2 support and IP65-certified protection make it a great option for anyone who wants a fast and reliable backup solution.
One last product worth highlighting is the Samsung EVO Select microSD. Amazon has discounted all four models, with the 512GB variant receiving the largest price cut. After a 47 percent discount, you can get that version for $45. It typically retails for $85. The EVO Select microSD is a great option for those looking to beef up their Nintendo Switch with fast storage. Make sure to check out the rest of the sale to see if there's something else that might fit your needs.
Little more than two after hitting store shelves, Apple’s 10th-generation iPad is on sale with a discount that makes it much easier to recommend the tablet. B&H has discounted the base 64GB model with WiFi to $399. The catch is that the deal only applies to the blue colorway. If you don’t mind the choice of color, you’ll want to act fast as the promotion ends tomorrow evening – or, more likely, when supplies quickly run out.
The 10th-generation iPad features several upgrades over its predecessor, but a more expensive price tag and odd design decisions make it less of a straightforward purchase. Engadget Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham gave the tablet a score of 85, praising Apple’s decision to include a landscape-oriented front-facing camera and USB-C charging. The iPad’s fast A14 Bionic processor was also a highlight, as was the more than 10 hours of battery life he found he could get out of the device. However, the fact the new model is $120 more expensive and only compatible with the first-generation Apple Pencil means it lands in an awkward place among Apple’s other tablets. At $399, those flaws are easier to overlook.
You might think retailers would be holding their collective breath before the sales frenzy of Black Friday kicks in, but we found some pretty impressive deals on late-model tech this week. Apple's AirPods Pro dropped to a new low, while the Apple Watch SE with cellular cut $40 off the sticker price. Gamers looking for an entry point into the latest gear can get the base model Razer Blade 15 for a great discount, and there's a Friday-only deal on an Xbox Series X. We also found discounts on fitness trackers from Fitbit and Garmin smartwatches. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen)
Billy Steele/Engadget
As Apple's newest flagship buds, we were surprised to see a discount on the second-gen AirPod Pros this week. They're down to $234, which is the lowest we've seen them to date. We gave them a score of 88 in our review back in September, impressed by the full, immersive sound and what our reviewer called the "best transparency mode you’ll find on earbuds." Our tests gave a bit over six hours using a mix of active noise cancellation (ANC), transparency mode and calls. The AirPods Pro are among the best buds out there, and it's great to see them finally offering a discount.
When we reviewed the latest release of the Apple Watch SE, we said Apple's most affordable smartwatch was "the best smartwatch for the money." Right now Amazon is offering $39 off the list price for the cellular-enabled model. That brings it down to $289 and matches the lowest price we've seen so far.
We thought the newest Apple Watch SE deftly combined affordability with a comprehensive suite of features. We liked the easy-to-read screen, even in bright daylight and the comfortable, lightweight design. Since it uses the same S8 SiP advanced dual-core processor as the Apple Watch 8 and Ultra, its quick and snappy in its responsiveness. While it doesn't have the new temperature sensor that was added to the Series 8, it still does a great job of tracking your hear rate and other activities. We were also impressed with the way it looks pretty indistinguishable from the Series 8.
The cellular model adds even more connectivity, adding the ability to take on calling and texting duties even when you leave your iPhone at home.
Razer's Blade 15 made the cut as our favorite premium option in our gaming laptop guide and right now the base model Blade 15 is $250 off the list price, bringing it down to $1,550. The premium configuration got a review score of 86 and while that model is geared towards the gaming elite (and hasn't budged from it's lofty $3,700 price), this base model offers the quality build Razer Blade laptops are known for. This one's got plenty of features more casual gamers will appreciate, like dual graphics cards, a 15.6-inch full HD with a 144Hz refresh rate and 16GB of dual-channel RAM and 512GB of SSD storage.
It's been out less than a month and already the 11-inch iPad Pro has received its first discount. Both Amazon and B&H have knocked $50 off the list price of the 128GB model. That makes it $749, which still isn't cheap, but if you want to see for yourself the responsiveness of the new M2 chip and the improved battery life, may as well do so while keeping $50 in your pocket. There's also the addition of the app-organizing Stage Manager, which helps you take full advantage of what the iPad Pro can handle. This discount only applies to the Space Gray colorway, but if you're planning on using a case, color's not an issue.
The GoPro Hero 11 is usually a steep $500, but this week, GoPro is offering their newest action camera for $350 when you sign up for a one-year GoPro subscription. The subscription gets you things like auto uploads and unlimited backups on the cloud, plus discounts on products at the GoPro website and camera replacement. We found a lot to love about the Hero11 in our review, including admiration for the new taller sensor. It not only allows for a better horizon lock, but lets you record in "full frame," a mode that captures all possible action then allows you to crop it for different venues after the fact. For example, cropping to 16:9 for YouTube and 9:16 for TikTok. If you're subscription-averse, Amazon has the camera for $50 off the list price.
If you don't already own a smart TV, the Chromecast 4K with Google TV is one of the most affordable ways to turn virtually anything with an HDMI port into a powerful streaming device. Right now, Amazon has the dongle-and-remote combo on sale for just $40, which matches its all-time low price. We gave it a score of 86 when it debuted, particularly impressed by the intuitive remote and the Google Assistant integration, meaning it basically turns your TV into a smart home hub, with control over Assistant-enabled smart home devices.
We also liked the HD version of Chromecast with Google TV when we tried it out. If you've got an HD 1080p TV or monitor, the 4K version is probably overkill. You can pick up the HD version for $10 off list price, making it just $18 — possibly the lowest price you'll find on anything "smart."
There's a good chance "more exercise" is on your 2023 to-do list, which makes this deal on a Fitbit Charge 5 a right on time. The discount brings the price down to just $100 from its usual price of $150. That's not the lowest we've ever seen, but its still a great price. The Charge 5 is our current favorite fitness tracker thanks to its reliable delivery of sleep and activity stats. It's got GPS to record your runs and hikes, and Fitbit play for in-store payments so you can leave your wallet at home when you run. And since it's not a smartwatch, the battery lasted over five full days in our review, in which we awarded the wearable a score of 82.
Garmin's fenix 7 Series smartwatches have long battery lives, a slew of sensors and comprehensive GPS tracking capabilities — but they aren't cheap. MSRPs range between $700 for the smaller fenix 7S and $900 for the largest and solar-powered fenix 7X Solar. The current sale at Wellbots takes $100 off every model. And if you enter the code ENGWATCH15 at checkout, you'll get an additional $15 off. The battery on the fenix 7S can last up to 11 days in smartwatch mode, while the fenix 7X Solar can get a full month with regular exposure to the sun.
Garmin also makes a slightly more affordable GPS smartwatch in the Instinct 2 and Instinct 2 Solar Edition. Those are currently $50 off as well, bringing the price down to $300 and $400, respectively. Use the same code and you'll score $15 extra off of those models too.
If you have newer versions of a Mac Studio, Mac Pro, Mac Mini or even a MacBook, you might want to keep the display in the family and go with the Apple Studio Display. Only trouble is, Apple's latest screen costs $2,000 for the model with height and tilt adjustments, and $1,600 for tilt adjustment only. To lessen the blow, B&H has the tilt-only model for $100 off and the height-and-tilt-adjustable model for $200 off, bringing them down to a . In our review of the Studio Display, we thought the speakers were impressive and the image quality of the 5K panel really popped.
We thought the deal on SanDisk's 1TB Extreme Portable SSD was great when it was $109. Now that Amazon has it for $99, it's the lowest we've ever seen and 66 percent off its $250 list price. This is a good opportunity to up the time to up your storage capacity with a solid state drive (SSD) you can take anywhere. The tough exterior can handle falls from over six feet and shrugs off a heavy rainfall (or splash from your spilled soda). Once you plug it into your computer or phone using the included USB-C cable, you'll get data transfer speeds of 1GB per second. It comes with optional 256‐bit AES password protection and a built-in carabiner cut out to strap it to your pack.
We named the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i the best overall pick in our guide to the best Chromebooks. Right now Amazon is taking 30 percent off the prices for both the 128GB model and the 256 model, bringing them down to $300 and $330, respectively. When we tested out he Flex 5i, our reviewer Nathan Ingraham said it was the best Chromebook option for most people thanks to its bright 1080p touchscreen, 11th generation Intel Core i3 processor and 8GB of RAM. It's got an eight-hour battery life and the screen folds open to create either a tent or all the way back to create a tablet experience.
Right now Amazon has the Wonderboom 3 portable speaker from Ultimate Ears for up to 20 percent off, depending on the colorway, with a light gray hue seeing the biggest deal. That's the lowest this small-but-mighty speaker has gone yet and a great buy if you want something tough you can take outdoors.
The speaker is compact, clocking in just shy of 15 ounces, but it delivers full, 360-degree sound. If you do take it outside, outdoor mode will boost the treble and bass so you can hear it farther afield. A strong IP67 rating means it can handle submersion in water for up to 30 minutes and shrugs off most of the dirt and dust you'll find in the wild. It made our list of recommended audio gifts and is a good deal even at its usual $99 price tag. Keep in mind, the Amazon listing includes the Wonderboom 2 speaker on the same page and the discount only applies to the newer Wonderboom 3, with savings of up to $20.
We called Apple's newest MacBook Air a "near-perfect Mac" when it came out in July, and right now it's $150 off at both Amazon and B&H. That matches the lowest price we've seen so far. This is the base model of the ultraportable, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD memory. And it only applies to the space gray and silver colorways at Amazon. If you want a little bit more storage, Amazon is also knocking $150 off of the 8GB RAM/512GB SSD configuration in all four colorways.
We gave the M2 MacBook Air a score of 96 earlier this year, giving enthusiastic props for the gorgeous, razor-thin design, the bright, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina screen, and a battery that lasted 16 hours and 30 minutes in our tests. One of our few caveats, other than the lack of Pro Motion, was the price. Now that you can pocket $150, it's a little easier to take.
Google's Nest Learning Thermostat is one of the better smart thermostats you can buy, and right now Wellbots has a discount code that knocks $70 off the price. When you enter THERMOENG at checkout, it brings the price down to $179, which isn't the lowest it's ever been, but beats many of the discounts we've seen recently. As a smart device, the Nest Learning Thermostat links up to your phone via the app, allowing you to control the thermostat from anywhere. In time, the Nest gradually learns your temperature preferences, allowing it to then automate your home's heading and cooling schedule with minimal input on your end. There are eco settings indicated by a green leaf, that let you know when you're optimizing your energy usage. It can even detect when no one's home and set the temps accordingly, so you're not overly heating or cooling an empty house.
If $179 still feels a bit steep, Google also makes a lower-end model called the Nest Thermostat. The lack of "learning" in the product name tells you the main difference between the two devices. The base model doesn't learn your preferences, but it retails for just $130.
Keeping an eye on your package deliveries just got easier with 40 percent off the Ring Video Doorbell. The discount brings the Ring down to $60, which is lower than we saw on Prime Day in July when the price dropped by just 25 percent. This is the most recent model of the standard video doorbell from Ring, released in 2020. It sends 1080p video to your connected device, and offers the ability to both speak to and hear whoever's at your door with its built in mic and speaker. You can set it up to send pings to you whenever motion is detected if you so desire and it runs on either a rechargeable battery or your existing doorbell wiring.
Right now Amazon is also pairing up the Ring in a bundle with an Echo Show 5, so you can keep tabs on your front door with the smart display. Together they're $70, which means you save $40 on the video doorbell and pay just $10 more for the display.
No one loves a dead phone, and Apple's MagSafe battery makes sure that never happens. At less than a year old, the brand's only battery pack is usually $100, and we don't see it getting a ton of discounts. This is the best deal we've seen so far at just $71 or 28 percent off. Small enough to carry in a pack or purse, the diminutive block snaps onto the back of your iPhone for on-the-move refills, and you can use your phone as it charges. While your mileage may vary, published specs say you'll get a 70 percent fill for smaller phones like the iPhone 12 or 13 mini, and 40 percent on bigger models like the iPhone 14 Pro Max. If you need to charge both the battery pack and your iPhone at the same time, you can, provided you use a 20W or higher power adapter. While we don't know whether the price will drop further for Black Friday, this deal beats all of last year's discounts.
Right now, and today only, Target is offering Apple's HomePod mini for just $80. That's a 20 percent discount and the lowest price we've tracked so far, which probably explains the limited-time, Friday-only deal. The smart speaker is geared towards a home that's already steeped in the Apple ecosystem, and if you like the way Siri handles your commands, this is a good time to bring home Apple's only home hub. It'll take voice commands from up to six different people in your home, seamlessly works with other Apple devices and works as an intercom when there's more than one.
When we reviewed the tiny smart speaker upon its debut in 2020, we liked the dead-simple setup and the responsive way Siri controls the music. That said, we did note that the sound quality was much better when there were two speakers paired up. Now that you can score a 20 percent discount, getting two might just be an option.
As a reward for those of you who read to the bottom of lists, here's Adorama's one-day-only sale on the Xbox Series S console. The $50 discount brings the $300 console down to just $250, which is at least $25 less than we've tracked so far. In our review, senior editor and video game expert Jessica Conditt called it a next-gen starter pack, praising the cute aesthetics and incredibly smooth gameplay.
The big differences between the Series X and the Series S is storage capacity and 4K gameplay. The Series X offers a solid 1TB of SSD space and 4K gaming. The Series S tops out at 512GB of storage and has a native resolution of 1440p. Also note that the Series S is digital only, as in you can't insert any physical game discs. That said, the Xbox Series X goes for over $500, granted you can find it. For those who want the smooth and fast play of a the latest generation Xbox, this might be the lowest price you see.
