With each passing year, the phrase "Black Friday" becomes more of a misnomer. What was once a day of post-Thanksgiving special offers has become a month of sales promotions from retailers across the web. It's happening again in 2023: Target and Best Buy are already advertising their early Black Friday deals; Amazon is price matching many of those discounts and has its own "Holiday Deals" landing page; and Walmart says it'll kick off its first wave of Black Friday deals on November 8. Many other shops and manufacturers have (or will soon have) early deals as well.
This barrage of sales promos can be aggravating, but it also presents a good opportunity to get your holiday shopping done at something closer to your own pace. To help, we've rounded up the best early Black Friday deals we can find below. There's always a chance we get bigger discounts on November 24, but we're already seeing all-time lows on Apple's AirPods Pro, Google's Pixel 7a, Amazon's Echo Show 5, LG's A2 OLED TV and other gadgets we like. We'll be updating our list regularly in the lead-up to Black Friday, so check back if there's anything else you've had your eye on.
The latest version of Apple's AirPods Pro is back on sale for $190 at Amazon and Target. That's only a dollar more than the lowest price we've tracked and $59 less than buying from Apple directly. The AirPods Pro are the "best for iOS" pick in our wireless earbuds buying guide thanks to their easy pairing and deep integration with Apple devices. Effective active noise cancellation (ANC), a superb transparency mode and a pleasingly warm sound profile help as well, as does a new "adaptive audio" mode that can adjust the earphones' noise control settings based on your surroundings. That said, their battery life is just average at six-ish hours per charge, and you really have to use an iPhone to get anything out of them. We gave the Lightning-based version of the second-generation AirPods Pro a review score of 88 last year; this new iteration is almost identical, only it comes with a USB-C charging case and has a higher IP54 dust-resistance rating.
A handful of wireless headphones from Apple subsidiary Beats are also discounted this week. The Beats Fit Pro, for one, is back down to $160. That's $15 more than its all-time low but about $20 less than its average street price. The Fit Pro is the top pick for workouts in our wireless earbuds guide, as it offers a fun sound and many of the Apple-friendly perks of the AirPods Pro in a more stable and sporty design. Its ANC isn't as strong, however, and it lacks support for wireless charging and multi-device pairing. We gave the Fit Pro a review score of 87 in 2021.
Elsewhere, the more basic Beats Studio Buds + are back at a low of $130, while the over-ear Beats Studio Pro is on sale for $200. Neither of those are top picks in our guides, but they may be worthwhile if you're an Apple fan and dig the Beats aesthetic. We gave the Studio Buds + a review score of 84 in May and the Studio Pro a review score of 81 in July.
Amazon's latest Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max have received their first discounts since they arrived in September. The former is $20 off at $30, while the latter is $15 off at $45. 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 the 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.
The downsides are the familiar ones with Fire TV devices: The UI is saddled with ads and not shy about nudging you toward Amazon services like Prime Video and Freevee. But if you often use those apps (or Alexa) and just want a competent 4K streamer for cheap, that may not be an issue.
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. You can also pair the Fire TV Stick 4K Max with Blink's 1080p Video Doorbell for $65 total, though that offer is only available for Prime members and is only scheduled to run through November 3.
In other streaming deals, the Google Chromecast is on sale for $39 at Amazon. This is a deal we've seen several times before, and it's about $10 higher than the 4K streamer's all-time low, but it's still $11 off Google's list price. Walmart, Target and others have the device on sale for a dollar more. 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 streams fast enough and works with 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 offers genuinely convenient voice search. If you're shopping for an older TV, the 1080p version of the Chromecast is also on sale for $20.
The top pick in our media streamer guide is the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, which pairs solid performance and wide app support with a more straightforward interface centered on apps. That dongle isn't discounted as of this writing, but we should see a sale at some point in the coming weeks.
Amazon's Echo Show 5 is back down to $40, which ties the lowest price we've tracked. That's $50 off the 5.5-inch smart display's list price, though the device has been on sale for much of the past month. We highlight the Echo Show 5 in our smart display buying guide: The 8-inch Echo Show 8 has a better screen, richer speakers and a much sharper camera for video calls, but the Echo Show 5 offers much of the same functionality in a more compact design. If you prefer Alexa to the Google Assistant and want a smarter kind of alarm clock for your nightstand, it should work well. The Echo Show 8 isn't discounted, though that may change by Black Friday.
If you're partial to the Google Assistant, Google's Nest Hub is also on sale for $60 at Target, B&H, Best Buy, Google's online store and others. That's $20 higher than its all-time low but still $40 off Google's list price. The Nest Hub is the top overall pick in our smart display buying guide, and we gave it a review score of 89 back in 2021. It has a 7-inch screen, so it's a bit bigger than the Echo Show 5 but should still be compact enough to fit neatly in a bedroom or small office. While it lacks a built-in camera, that may be a selling point for those who especially sensitive to their privacy (though no smart display is truly privacy-conscious).
Ultimately, whether it's worth getting a Nest Hub or Echo Show depends on what services you use: If you own a bunch of Nest devices and depend on apps like Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Photos, Google's display will make sense. If you want a larger model with a webcam and stronger speakers, the 10-inch Nest Hub Max is also on sale for $129. That's a $100 discount. Google says these offers will last through November 5.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 is down to $328 at Amazon and B&H. Though this isn't an all-time low, it's about $70 off Sony's list price and $20 lower than the headphones' usual recurring sale price. The XM5 is the top recommendation in our guide to the best wireless headphones, as it offers a comfortable design, powerful ANC, crisp call quality and 30 or so hours of battery life. It also comes with a number useful bonus features such as "Speak to Chat," which automatically pauses your music when you start talking to somebody else. By default, its bass-heavy sound plays well with hip-hop and EDM, though you can easily customize the EQ curve through Sony's app. We gave the XM5 a score of 95 in our review last year. B&H's product listing says that this particular deal will end on November 5.
Sony's WF-1000XM5, meanwhile, is the top overall pick in our guide to the best wireless earbuds, and it's now down to a new low of $248 at Amazon and B&H. Several other retailers have it for $2 more. Normally, these noise-canceling earphones go for $300. Like the over-ear XM5, this in-ear model delivers excellent ANC (with strong passive isolation), loads of helpful features and a warm sound that's fun out of the box but can be customized if needed. Battery life is decent at seven or eight hours per charge and, notably, the design is lighter, smaller and altogether more comfortable than past Sony earbuds. The WF-1000XM5 earned a score of 87 in our review this past July. This deal also runs through November 5.
The Roomba 694 is down to $159 at Amazon, iRobot's online store and other retailers, which is another all-time low and roughly $60 below the robot vacuum's average street price. This is the top pick in our guide to the best budget robovacs. It's a relatively basic model, so it navigates around rooms semi-randomly instead of intelligently mapping set paths. That means it'll bonk into your furniture every now and then. But it's sturdily put together and an effective cleaner across carpet and hard floors. iRobot's companion app makes it easy to remotely turn the vacuum on and off, set cleaning schedules and check battery status as well. Battery life is rated at up to 90 minutes, though that'll vary depending on what surfaces you need to clean. Other Roombas we like are also on sale, including the vac-and-mop Roomba Combo j7+ for a low of $699.
Google's Pixel 7a is down to $374 at Amazon, Target, Best Buy and Google's online store. That's a new all-time low and $125 off Google's list price. The Pixel 7a is the top midrange pick for Android fans in our smartphone buying guide, and we gave it a score of 90 in our review this past May. While it's a clear step behind the best flagship phones, its steady performance, detailed photo quality, robust battery life and wireless charging support help it punch above its price range. A lovely 6.1-inch 1080p OLED display, IP67-rated water resistance and the promise of OS updates into 2026 (with security updates into 2028) only further the value. The design is mostly plastic, and the display maxes at a 90Hz refresh rate instead of 120Hz, but those are hardly complaints for less than $400. Again, Google says this deal will run through November 5.
Apple's 9th-gen iPad is down to $249 at Amazon, Walmart and Target, which is a deal we've seen for much of the past month but still matches the tablet's lowest-ever price. This is the budget pick in our iPad buying guide, and it earned a review score of 86 in 2021. It's the last iPad to use Apple's old design language, so it has thick bezels, a Lightning port, a Home button and a non-laminated display. This variant also comes with a paltry 64GB of storage. At this price, though, it's still hard to do better if all you want is a large screen for streaming video, playing games and browsing the web. Its 10.2-inch display remains a step up from cheaper slates, its A13 Bionic chip is plenty fast for casual media consumption and its battery still lasts around 10 hours per charge. Most importantly, it's the cheapest route into Apple's huge app library, customer support and years of software updates.
If you want a more modern design, the iPad Air is the top pick in our guide, and it's now on sale for $500. Be warned, though: A recent Bloomberg report says that Apple plans to launch new tablets in the spring. If you don't need an iPad right away, it's probably worth waiting.
The Google Pixel Tablet is on sale for all-time low of $399 at Amazon, Target, Best Buy and Google's own online store. That's $100 off the 11-inch slate's list price and $10 less than the deal we saw during Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale last month. We gave the Pixel Tablet a review score of 85 earlier this year: Its crisp LCD display, clean software and solid Tensor G2 chip make it a solid Android tablet in its own right, but its biggest selling point is the charging speaker dock that comes with it. Plop the Pixel Tablet onto that and it becomes a Nest Hub Max-style smart display and smart home hub. This deal applies to the base model with 128GB of storage, but the 256GB version is also $100 off at $499. As with the other Google deals above, Google says this offer will run through November 5.
Amazon's Fire Max 11 tablet is back down to $150, which matches the lowest price we've seen and comes in $80 below its typical going rate. This is the largest and fastest slate Amazon makes, and its aluminum frame gives it a more substantial feel than the cheaper plastic models in the Fire lineup. The 11-inch display has a relatively sharp 2,000 x 1,200 resolution as well. The usual limitations of all Fire tablets are still here — a weak app store with no Google apps and an ad-heavy interface that heavily pushes you toward Amazon services chief among them. But at this price, the Fire Max 11 could make sense if you regularly use apps like Prime Video or Kindle and don't want to pay for an entry-level iPad.
We expect to see many more TV deals as we get closer to Black Friday, but for now one standout is LG's 48-inch A2 OLED TV on sale for a new low of $550 at Best Buy. This 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. That said, it's still an OLED TV, so it delivers deep contrast, bold colors, wide viewing angles and low input lag. At this price, it should be a nice step-up option for smaller or secondary rooms. Just note that it can't get as bright as higher-end OLED sets, so it's best situated away from direct sunlight.
A configuration of Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air with an M2 chip, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage is down to $1,499 at Best Buy. That's $200 less than Apple's MSRP. If you can live with less memory, a version with 8GB of RAM is on sale for $1,250 at Amazon with an on-page coupon. Either way, the MacBook Air is the top pick in our laptop buying guide, as it has just about everything we want from a mainstream notebook: A premium design, a comfortable keyboard and trackpad, a lovely display, long battery life, great speakers and solid performance. Compared to the 13-inch Air, this model has more powerful speakers alongside its larger screen. We gave it a score of 96 in our review this past June.
The MacBook Air's main downsides are that it only has two Thunderbolt ports and, as always, it's virtually impossible to upgrade after the fact. Plus, with the recent introduction of the new M3 chip, the countdown is on for a refresh. A recent Bloomberg report says that Apple plans to launch an M3-powered MacBook Air at some point in 2024, though that shouldn't make this current model obsolete if you need a new laptop right away.
A range of Blink security cameras and video doorbells are on sale ahead of Black Friday. The notables include a two-pack of the latest Blink Outdoor cameras for half off at $100, a three-pack of Blink Mini indoor cameras for $60 off at $40 and a bundle that pairs the Blink Video Doorbell with an Outdoor 4 camera for $90. All of those match the lowest prices we've seen. Blink cameras generally sit on the budget end of the security camera market — each of the devices noted above max out at 1080p — but they're relatively simple to set up, and the outdoor models here can last up to two years on a pair of AA batteries. The Outdoor 4 in particular is the top wireless security camera pick in our guide to the best smart home gadgets.
Be aware that Blink is an Amazon subsidiary, though, so these devices only work with Alexa. If you want a camera that works with the Google Assistant, a number of Google Nest devices are also on sale. Those include the wired Nest Cam for $70, the wired Nest Doorbell for $150, and the battery-powered versions of those devices for $120 apiece.
Black Friday 2023 lands on November 24 this year, with Cyber Monday 2023 following up a few days later on November 27. However, the early deals have already begun. The entire month of November might as well be renamed Holiday Shopping Month as that’s when companies really start to get serious with their discounts.
Walmart Black Friday deals will begin early this year on November 8. Walmart+ members will get a few hours of early access to Black Friday deals if they shop online on November 8, with access for everyone else starting later that day. Walmart will match its online Black Friday deals in stores starting November 10.
Amazon will likely have a Black Friday sale in 2023. While the online retailer hasn’t made its deals known yet like Walmart has, Amazon will almost certainly have deals across all of the types of products it sells, including electronics. We anticipate seeing record-low prices on Amazon devices in particular, like Echo speakers, Fire TVs, Kindles and more. In years past, Amazon Black Friday deals have brought some of the best prices of the year on our favorite gadgets and gear, including headphones, tablets, smartwatches, robot vacuums and more.
Most retailers have Black Friday sales, so you can expect to see Target, Best Buy, and others join Walmart and Amazon in discounting inventory to capitalize on holiday shopping interest. In the consumer electronics space, we expect most companies to have some sort of Black Friday promotion, so that means you will likely be able to get big-ticket items from brands like Apple, Samsung, Google, Sony, LG, Sonos and others for much cheaper prices.
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-the-best-early-deals-from-amazon-target-best-buy-and-more-163054419.html?src=rss