Best Early Black Friday Deals on Tech

Much like trackers made by Samsung and Tile, AirTags work best if you’re looking for one within Bluetooth range (roughly 30 feet) of your own phone. But, that said, there are millions of iPhones and other Apple devices roaming around out there that can pick up a signal and discreetly convey it to you when you find yourself searching, say, a park or a school campus for the keys you dropped. Is the tracking pinpoint accurate? No. But it’s close enough to give you a little peace of mind.

This 55-inch mid-tier 4K OLED set hit the sweet spot in LG’s 2023 TV lineup, offering admirable overall picture quality and satisfying HDR, just below that of the flagship G3-series sets. This is a solid discount—and one being offered at a number of retailers. It’s $100 less than usual right now, but it was $100 less during the last big sale.

These are the previous-gen Studio Buds, not the newer, more expensive Studio Buds+, but they perform almost identically, delivering quality sound and effective noise canceling. They are now $20 more than they were earlier this month, but it’s still a great price. And, unlike Apple’s entry-level AirPods, which have a hard plastic earpiece, these have silicone ear tips, which many users prefer. The Studio Buds also boast a transparency mode that pipes in sound from outside to keep you connected to the world. In fact, the Studio Buds have many of the features of Apple’s AirPods Pro for less.

This is a modest discount, but Soundcore Anker Life Q20 headphones represent a great value, outperforming models that cost hundreds more in both sound quality and their ability to drown out background noise. Anker also claims a generous 40-hour battery life.

Thin, light, and powerful, the 2022 MacBook Air is at the lowest price we’ve seen, thanks to the coupon. It remains a great machine, providing a compelling combination of performance and battery life. It is powered by Apple’s own M2 processor, which performs with admirable speed and efficiency. The newer MacBook Air, listed below, has the more powerful M3 chip under the hood, but if you’re doing everyday tasks (streaming movies, browsing social media, doing regular online things), you’re unlikely to perceive a difference.

This 13-inch model has Apple’s latest M3 processor, which delivers strong performance while sipping at the battery. Combine that with the barely-there 2.7-pound weight and it’s easy to see why the Air continues to be so popular. The model we tested is slightly more powerful, with 16GB of memory and a 512GB solid state drive, but this base model (8GB of RAM and a 256GB drive) has plenty of muscle for the average user. To save a bit more, consider the 2022 version of the Macbook Air, with the older M2 chip.

This Dell Inspiron desktop computer was recently selling for $630, so the price may dip back down again for Black Friday. It offers mid-tier specs for less than what you’d pay for a comparable laptop. It delivers solid performance, ergonomics, and versatility, too. It’s not a high-end gaming PC, but if you’re looking for a reliable desktop at a good price, it’s hard to go wrong here.

If you prefer Google Assistant to Alexa, the Google Nest Audio may be a good choice. Alexa smart speakers have a wider variety of skills and can be great for shopping on Amazon, but some users like Google’s powerful search function and find Google’s interface to be more natural and easier to use.

This is the price for the all-black model. The white model is on sale for $72.99.

Google brags about the Nest Audio’s sonic performance, but our testers find that the gains are more modest. The speaker generates enough volume for a midsized room, but the midrange is a little hazy and there’s some sizzle on the high frequencies. While it’s better than the old Google Home, the Nest Audio still can’t compete with the best-sounding smart speakers. It also doesn’t sound quite as good as the similarly priced fourth-generation Amazon Echo.

The Sonos Move is great for a Sonos fan looking to expand an existing multiroom system to a porch or patio. This rather large portable smart speaker is modestly weather resistant, and like Sonos’s other smart speakers can work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Sonos’s own digital assistant. It can also add Bluetooth functionality to your existing Sonos system.

Situated right below the Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ model, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K has most of the same features—including improved WiFi, support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR, and the ability to work with Amazon Alexa, Apple AirPlay, and Google Assistant voice assistant—but not the new rechargeable Voice Remote Pro remote control. Instead, you get a standard Roku voice remote, which lacks the hands-free operation, a headphone jack for private listening, and a lost-remote finder feature found on the Voice Remote Pro.

The Roku Express 4K+ is a small set-top box that offers 4K picture quality, plus support for both HDR10 and HDR10+ high dynamic range formats, though not Dolby Vision, which is found in some pricier models. The included WiFi voice remote control has TV controls that let you turn on the TV, adjust the set’s volume, and use Roku Voice to launch channels, search for content, and control streaming services.

This stick-style player has a slightly faster processor and more storage (16GB instead of 8GB) than its predecessor. It also has a newer WiFi technology—WiFi 6e—though you’ll also need a WiFi 6e router to take advantage of it. It also has a new feature, called the Fire TV Ambient Experience that lets you see information, such as calendars and reminders, control smart devices, or view artwork and photos, on the screen when you’re not watching TV.

The TP-Link Tapo MagCam C425 is a compact, battery-powered security camera that performs well in our tests. It offers local storage with up to a 512-gigabyte microSD card (sold separately) and features person detection, pet detection, vehicle detection, monitoring zones, and more. Best of all, you don’t need a subscription to use any of these features. TP-Link also sells a $40 solar panel that can be connected to the camera to keep its battery charged.

The TP-Link Tapo C420S2 performs well across the board in our tests for video quality, response time, data security, and smart features. This two-camera kit’s features include color night vision, person detection, pet detection, vehicle detection, a built-in siren, and free local video storage on up to a 256GB microSD card. Cloud video storage is also available with a subscription.

One of the best (and least expensive!) doorbell cameras you can buy, the TP-Link Tapo D130 offers a bunch of features—even without a subscription. They include local video storage on a microSD card (up to 512 gigabytes, sold separately), AI object recognition (for people, vehicles, packages, and pets), activity zones, and color night vision. The model needs low-voltage doorbell wiring for power. Cloud video storage available via subscription. Also on sale: the battery-powered Tapo D230S1 ($89.99) and wired Kasa KD110 ($37.99)

This is a nice discount on Samsung’s premium foldable phone. Think of the dual-screen device as part smartphone, part tablet, which might be handy if you want to use your phone for texting and editing spreadsheets for work. It’s a bit heavier than most phones at 8.6 ounces but hinges open to reveal an impressive 7.6-inch display.

This pint-sized, foldable phone is only $50 more than it was during Amazon’s last big sale. It easily stows in your pocket but flips open to reveal a high-quality 6.7-inch display. The cover screen, which remains visible even when the device is closed, shows notifications, dynamic widgets, and your personalized wallpaper. The camera quality and battery life are both respectable. All in all, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 is a solid performer for fans of foldable phones. 

The Galaxy S24+, now $100 more than it was earlier in the year, is the mid-tier model in Samsung’s popular S-series. It’s got everything you want in a high-end smartphone: a large quality display, impressive rear camera system, and long-lasting battery life. And, like the other S24 models, it comes with a suite of Galaxy AI features, like the ability to translate texts and calls into more than a dozen languages and edit passersby from photos after the fact. 

The Apple Watch SE, currently $20 above its best price, is the company’s budget model and it does everything most people want from a smartwatch—and does it well. You can read and respond to texts, tap to pay at checkout, and get motivated to move by closing your daily activity rings.

The sleek Samsung Galaxy Watch6 LTE is now a generation old, but it holds its own against newer competition with a wide range of sensors for workout, sleep, and heart rate tracking, as well as a bright, colorful display. You can also make calls, right from your wrist. It’s a great fit if you own a Galaxy phone. 

This rugged-looking (and high-performing) Samsung smartwatch is aimed at outdoors enthusiasts—and anyone who wants the latest premium health- and fitness-tracking features. Just note that Galaxy Watches only work with Android devices. 

This slim 3.1-2-channel Dolby Amos soundbar delivers satisfying sound; the main enclosure includes upfiring drivers to create a sense of height when used with Dolby Atmos soundtracks or music. The system, which includes a separate wireless subwoofer, can be expanded to a full surround-sound system by adding optional battery-powered wireless rear speakers. It has both WiFi and Bluetooth, plus built in Alexa for controlling the soundbar with your voice. Just note that it was on sale for $100 less in October.

The Samsung HW-Q60C was on sale for $50 less in October. It’s a mid-level 3.1-channel Dolby Atmos sound bar from 2023 with sound quality good enough for both music and movie soundtracks. It includes a center-channel speaker for reproducing dialog, as well as a separate wireless subwoofer. It doesn’t have rear satellite speakers, but you can add them to create a full surround-sound setup. It has Samsung’s Q-Symphony feature, which lets you use both the TV and soundbar speakers together.

The sleek Honeywell Home T9 RCHT9510WF comes with a wireless remote temperature sensor for more precise heating and cooling throughout your home and offers a number of other features, including geofencing, a built-in occupancy sensor, a touchscreen, and vacation scheduling. The thermostat does a great job of automating your heating and cooling (and has great manual control, too). Additional temperature sensors cost $40 each or $75 for a two-pack and are available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Honeywell Home.

To make your holiday light display really pop this year, consider the Twinkly Strings. We tried out these lights a few years ago and found them to be a fun way to put on an elaborate light show. The lights connect to WiFi, so you can customize them from your smartphone, but they also work with Amazon Alexa, Apple Home/Siri, and Google Home/Assistant.

Interested in a smart lock but don’t like hubs and dongles? The August WiFi Smart Lock connects directly to WiFi, no hub needed. It’s also a retrofit model, meaning it replaces only the interior side of your deadbolt so you can keep your existing keys. It performs quite well in our tests, including those for ease of remote access and convenience. Features include auto-locking and unlocking, access logs, electronic keys, and a door sensor. Just note that the model was on sale for $40 less in October.