Sunday, December 22, 2024

The 44 Black Friday tech deals worth shopping from Amazon, Walmart, Apple, Anker and others

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November is in full swing, which means Black Friday is right around the corner. But the days in which you had to wait for Black Friday proper to get good deals have long been behind us. The holiday shopping season is effectively the entire month of November now, with early Black Friday deals already popping up across the web (and in some stores). We’re seeing deep discounts on a bunch of your favorite tech we’ve tested this year, which means you can start crossing things off your to-buy list right now.

While we typically recommend holding out until the week of Black Friday to get the best of the best deals, the sales we’re already seeing right now are some of the best of the year. These are the best early Black Friday deals we could find; we’ll be updating this post regularly throughout November, so check back for the latest discounts.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $160 ($90 off): The best AirPods you can get right now, these offer a secure, comfortable fit, good sound quality and ANC, plus excellent transparency mode. Thanks to a recent software update, the Pro 2 earbuds can be used as hearing aids if the user takes Apple’s new hearing test and it discovers mild to moderate hearing loss.

Apple 10th-gen iPad for $279 ($70 off): The best iPad for those on a budget, this model has a modern design, good performance, a landscape-oriented front-facing camera and a solid battery life. It has also done away with the Lightning port in favor of a more modern USB-C port.

Apple Watch Series 10 for $330 ($70 off): The latest Apple Watch is our top pick for the best smartwatch you can get thanks to its slightly thinner and lighter design, wide-angle OLED panel for better viewing angles, watchOS 11 features and slightly improved battery life. We gave it a score of 90 in our Apple Watch Series 10 review.

Apple MacBook Air (M3, 13-inch) fore $849 ($250 off): The latest MacBook Air is our top pick for the best laptop for most people, and this model has 16GB of RAM built in — double the previous base amount. If you’re ok with getting an M2 processor, that 13-inch MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM is also on sale for $749.

DJI Osmo Mobile 6 gimbal for $89 ($40 off): The latest version of DJI’s smartphone gimbal includes improved tracking and a new Quick Launch feature for iPhones that automatically launches the companion app in camera view so you can get to filming.

Kindle for $85 ($25 off): The 2024 base Kindle is lighter than ever before, and it has a 6-inch, glare-free screen with an adjustable front light, 16GB of storage, speedier performance and six weeks of battery life.

reMarkable 2 bundles starting at $529 ($70 off): Our top pick for the best E Ink tablet for most people has now been discounted when you pick up one of its folio cases and a marker to go along with it. The reMarkable 2 provides an excellent, distraction-free reading and writing experience, plus it has handy integrations with Google Drive and Dropbox.

Blink Mini 2 (two-pack) for $35 ($35 off): The newest Blink Mini wired security camera came out earlier this year and it supports 1080p video recordings, a wider field of view than the previous model and improved low-light performance. It may be wired, but you can use it outside if you wish provided you have the separate $10 weather-resistant adapter.

Samsung SmartTag 2 Bluetooth trackers (four-pack) for $62 (38 percent off): These trackers have a handy, built-in keyring hole, an IP67-rated design, a vast finding network and good battery life.

Apple Watch SE for $169 ($80 off): The most budget-friendly Apple Watch has all of the core features that the flagship one has, but lacks things like ECG monitoring. We consider it to be the best Apple Watch for first-timers, and anyone who’s on a tight budget.

Apple AirTags (four-pack) for $73 ($27 off): These are the Bluetooth trackers to get if you have an iPhone, and they allow you to keep track of your keys, wallet and other belongings from within the Find My app. Just make sure to pick up an AirTag holder or case if you plan on using them with your keys.

Apple Mac mini (M4) for $500 ($75 off with coupon): Apple’s newest tiny desktop is on sale for $574, but a $25 coupon will bring it down to a record low of $549. It earned a score of 90 in our Mac mini review for its incredibly fast performance, standard 16GB of RAM, smaller design and front-facing USB-C and headphone jack.

Apple 2024 M4 iMac desktop computer for $1,150 ($148 off with coupon): Apple just released the refreshed iMac last month, and now the silver model is already on sale. It has the latest Apple silicon, the M4 system on a chip that gives it a speed boost and enables the new Apple Intelligence features in macOS Sequoia.

Apple Mac mini M4

Photo by Devindra Hardawar / Engadget

Anker 10K MagGo power bank for $60 ($30 off): This is one of our top picks for the best power banks you can buy today thanks to its versatile capacity, speedy Qi2 charging capabilities, clear screen that shows remaining battery power and its built-in kickstand.

Anker 3-in-1 10K portable charger for $30 ($15 off): A top pick in our best power banks guide, this 10K brick has a built-in USB-C cable so you don’t need to remember to bring one with you, plus it has an extra USB-C port for charging other devices.

Anker Soundcore Space A40 for $45 ($35): The Space A40 is the longtime top pick in our guide to the best budget earbuds, as it delivers the kind of robust feature set we expect from pairs that cost three times as much. Call quality isn’t the best, and it won’t auto-pause when you take out an earbud, but its warm sound, powerful ANC, eight-ish hours of battery life and comfy design all impress for the money. This deal ties the lowest price we’ve seen — it’s only available to Prime subscribers at Amazon, but you can also grab it at Anker’s online store with an on-page coupon.

Bose QuietComfort headphones for $199 ($150 off): The latest version of Bose’s iconic QC headphones, these cans have excellent ANC, a comfortable (if a bit dated) design, 24 hours of battery life and a quick-charge feature that will get you two hours of battery after just 15 minutes of them being plugged in.

Xbox Series X (1TB) with extra controller for $490 ($110 off): This bundle includes a total of two Xbox wireless controllers with the Series X console, and the built-in 1TB SSD is a good starting point for most gamers.

Seagate Storage Expansion Card 2TB for $200 ($160 off): Seagate’s expansion card is one of the best options for expanding your Xbox Series X/S storage. A 2TB version has dropped to $200, its lowest price to date. It’s one of our picks for the best Xbox Series X/S accessories. Also available at Seagate.

Lego Star Wars: A New Hope Boarding The Tantive IV Fantasy Toy 75387 for $44 (20 percent off): This set recreates the scene in which Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers battled the Rebels, and it includes seven Star Wars minifigures.

Lego Super Mario King Boo’s Haunted Mansion 71436 for $60 (20 percent off): This set opens out for more convenient play when it’s all built, and it includes King Boo, Yellow Baby Yoshi, Dry Bones and Boo figures.

Lego Star Wars: A New Hope Boarding The Tantive IV Fantasy ToyLego Star Wars: A New Hope Boarding The Tantive IV Fantasy Toy

Lego

Google Pixel Watch 3 for $280 ($70 off with coupon): Google’s latest smartwatch is down to an all time low price. This is the model we recommend for anyone with an Android phone in our guide to the best smartwatches and it earned an 84 in our review. It detects workouts quickly, has an extra long battery life and is one of the more attractive smartwatches on the market. The deal applies to the 41mm size with GPS only but the larger and cellular-enabled models are on sale too. Also at Best Buy and Target.

Google Nest Indoor security camera (wired) for $70 ($30 off): Google’s security camera can tell the difference between people, animals and vehicles while it’s monitoring your home, and it supports 1080p video, night vision and two-way audio.

Theragun Mini 2.0 for $149 ($50 off): This compact massager makes a great gift for a beloved parent or anyone else you think could use a little more TLC. It supports a couple of different head attachments that help relieve different muscles of the body and it’s arguably the easiest of Thergun’s devices to throw into a carry on or gym bag.

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer for $270 ($80 off): One of our favorite air fryers, this machine does a lot more than just air fry thanks to its 11 cooking modes, and while it’s larger than a typical air fryer, that means it can cook larger things like a full turkey or chicken.

Echo Dot for $23 ($27 off): This is one of the best smart speakers you can get right now thanks to its compact design, physical button controls that compliment voice commands and its solid sound quality for its size.

Amazon Echo Spot for $45 ($35 off): This recently revived smart display is billed as a smart alarm clock, and it features a customizable screen, big sound for its size and all the perks for Alexa voice commands. You can also grab it bundled with a free TP-Link smart light bulb.

Echo Buds for $25 ($25 off): These are one of our top picks for the best budget wireless earbuds you can get right now thanks to their comfortable design, pocket-friendly case, automatic wear detection, multi-device connectivity and, of course, built-in Alexa voice controls.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $33 ($27 off): Amazon’s most powerful dongle supports 4K streaming with Dolby Vision, Wi-Fi 6E and live picture-in-picture mode so you can see security camera feeds directly on your TV as you’re watching a show or movie. In addition to being a solid streamer, it also makes a good retro gaming device.

Ring pan and tilt security camera for $50 ($30 off): This security camera joined the Ring lineup only a few months ago, and this is the best price we’ve seen on it. It’s part of a larger Ring sale that discounts home security gear by up to 50 percent.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K MaxAmazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max

Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Hisense U8N 4K TV (55-inch) for $698 ($402 off): The U8N is the next step up from the U7N in Hisense’s TV lineup, so it should provide better colors, contrast and brightness across the board. If you don’t mind buying a smaller panel for around the same price, this is another new low. Also at Best Buy.

Samsung 55-inch The Frame smart TV (2024) for $898 (40 percent off): The latest Frame TVs can show art on the screen when you’re not using it, and it has a matte finish to make it look more like a picture frame on your wall. Also available at Samsung.

Samsung Music Frame for $248 ($150 off): This unique smart speaker can show art or your own photos while it plays music, and it can sync with your Samsung TV speakers. Also available at Samsung.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ for $150 ($70 off): Our top pick for the best budget Android tablet sports an 11-inch 90Hz display, a microSD card slot for extra storage and a hefty battery.

Segway Ninebot Max G2 electric scooter for $799 ($200 off): The latest electric scooter from Segway can reach a maximum speed of up to 25mph, and it can run for up to 43 miles in Eco mode.

Solo Stove Bonfire Backyard Bundle for $400 ($180 off): Solo Stove Black Friday deals include up to 30 percent off fit pit bundles that give you all of the necessary accessories to make the most out of your new fire pit. Alternatively, you can pick up the Bonfire fire pit with its stand over at Amazon for only $196.

Ooni Black Friday deals: Get 20 percent off pizza ovens: Most pizza ovens at Ooni have been discounted, including a few of our favorites. The Karu 16 multi-fuel oven is down to $519, a whopping $280 off its normal price.

Audible Premium Plus for $0.99/month for three months + $20 Audible credit ($64 off): Those who don’t currently subscribe to Audible can get three months of the audiobook service’s Premium Plus plan for $1. Normally, the service costs $15 per month after a 30-day free trial. As a refresher, Premium Plus is Audible’s upper tier: In addition to giving access the full Audible Plus library, it lets you keep one title from a curated selection of audiobooks each month. We wouldn’t call it essential, but if you’ve been on the fence, this is a good way to see if it’d work for you. Just note that the plan will auto-renew until you cancel. Plus, you’ll now also get an additional $20 Audible credit to use at your discretion.

Amazon Kindle Unlimited for $0 for one month ($12 off): Amazon’s ebook subscription service gives you access to a catalog of thousands titles for unlimited reading, select Audible audiobooks to listen to and included magazines to read. Prime members can get a different deal: two months for only $5.

Headspace annual plan for $35 ($35 off): Our top pick for the best meditation app has tons of courses that address specific anxieties and worries, a good in-app search engine that makes it easy to find the right meditation you need and additional yoga routines, podcasts and music sessions to try out.

MasterClass Premium for $10/month ($10 off): Premium subscriptions, which include access for up to six devices and offline mode, are half off for the holidays. MasterClass’ other subscription tiers are also discounted. Those who love learning and want to pick up a new hobby (or refine an existing one) can take courses with some of the best in their respective fields.

Adobe Creative Cloud for $30/month ($30 off): First-time subscribers can get half off Creative Cloud for their first year of membership, bringing the cost down to just $30 per month. This gives you access to Photoshop, Illustrator and the rest of Adobe’s suite of apps.

ProtonVPN Plus two-year plan for $72 ($168 off): Our top pick for the best VPN is based on open-source framework and has a no-logs policy. Its easy-to-use apps are available on most platforms including iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and more, and some of them even include a kill-switch feature.

ExpressVPN two-year plan plus six extra months for $150 (82 percent off): Our top pick for best VPN for travelers provides access to tons of servers and had some of the fastest connections of any VPN service we tested. In addition to a VPN, this subscription tier gives you access to an ad blocker and password manager.

Black Friday 2024 lands on November 29 this year.

We expect some Black Friday tech deals to start as early as November 1. Over the past few years, retailers have been kicking off the holiday shopping season earlier and earlier. This trend will continue in 2024, and you’ll likely find early Black Friday deals available online and in stores in the weeks before the actual shopping event.

Some Black Friday tech deals will end immediately on Saturday, November 30. But those will likely be few and far between. Along with starting deals earlier and earlier, retailers have also extended Black Friday deals past the day for a while now, too. In the tech space, we’ve seen many Black Friday deals in the past run through Cyber Monday.

There is no one place to buy all of the best Black Friday deals, but you can expect the big retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target to have many of the same Black Friday deals available — both in the lead up and on the day itself. We also recommend checking direct-to-consumer sites like Apple, Samsung, Sonos and others to make sure you’re getting the best deal before you cross things off your list.

You typically will not find cash discounts on Apple’s website for Black Friday, though it has offered various gift card bundles during Black Friday in recent years. You may be able to find local Apple store discounts on accessories, but Apple isn’t a retailer known for slashing prices on its products. However, you can find more traditional Apple Black Friday tech deals at other retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

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