The iPad Mini is just one of many Apple devices currently on sale in the run-up to Black Friday. | Image: Dieter Bohn / The Verge
Want to get a head start on your holiday shopping before the Black Friday madness begins? Despite the fact it’s still a few weeks away, many major retailers are already launching early Black Friday sales, making the days leading up to the shopping event an ideal time to avoid the rush.
While it’s possible prices will go even lower once the big day finally rolls around, the discounts we’re currently seeing are nothing to sneeze at. Target, Best Buy, and Amazon are offering some seriously steep discounts on a number of popular tech and gadgets, ranging from Apple devices to TVs, tablets, smart displays, and more.
To make your life a little easier, we’ve curated a list of some of the best deals available so far. These are the cream of the crop, but they’re far from being the only discounts available. For even more deals, be sure to also check out our retailer-specific early Black Friday deal roundups for Best Buy and Target, which — like this post — we’ll constantly be updating throughout the month.
The best early Black Friday deals
The best deals available on streaming devices
Google’s Chromecast with Google TV (4K) is our favorite streaming device, partially because it curates recommendations from your favorite streaming services. It also features support for 4K content and Dolby Vision HDR and is bundled with a remote compatible with Google Assistant. You can currently buy it for around $39.99 ($10 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy, which matches its all-time low price. Read our review.
You can buy the Roku Streaming Stick 4K for just $24.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, which is a 50 percent discount. This is a good option if you’re looking for a streaming device that’s simple to use but that also supports Dolby Vision and works with Siri, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant. Read our review.
Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max is best suited for those embedded in Amazon’s ecosystem. In addition to offering support for Wi-Fi 6, it also works quite nicely with Alexa, so you can easily use the remote for voice commands. You can buy it for $39.99 instead of $54.99 at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. Read our review.
The best early Black Friday deals on 4K TVs
You can buy LG’s latest C2 OLED TV in the 55-inch configuration for around $1,296.99 (about $300 off) from Amazon and $1,299.99 from Best Buy and Target. The 4K TV boasts a 120Hz refresh rate like its predecessor but comes with a brighter “Evo” panel and the ability to log into different user profiles.
Amazon, Best Buy, and Target are selling the latest 55-inch Samsung Frame TV for around $999.99 instead of $1,499.99. When you’re not using it, the QLED TV displays art that resembles an actual canvas painting, thanks to a new anti-glare screen with a low-reflection matte coating. It also boasts a 120Hz refresh rate and compatibility with Amazon Alexa as well as Google Assistant.
You can buy LG’s 48-inch A2 OLED TV for $569.99 ($730 off) at Best Buy. The 4K TV works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa; however, it only offers a 60Hz refresh rate, so it may not be the best choice for gamers.
The best early Black Friday deals on smart displays and speakers
Amazon’s second-generation Echo Show 8 is on sale for $69.99 ($60 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. With the Alexa-enabled smart display, you can make Zoom video calls, control other smart home gadgets, stream shows, play music, and more. Read our review.
Amazon’s smaller second-gen Echo Show 5 is also on sale for $34.99 instead of $84.99 at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. While you can’t use it to make Zoom calls, the smart display can be used to carry out other Alexa-enabled tasks and works well as a smart alarm clock. Read our review.
If you prefer a Google smart display, you can buy the second-generation Nest Hub for $49.99 ($50 off) at Best Buy and Target. While we found it to be slow, the display works as a terrific digital photo frame and offers nice features like reliable sleep tracking. Read our review.
Google’s Nest Audio smart speaker offers better sound than the second-gen Nest Hub and also comes with Google Assistant support. It is on sale for $49.99 ($50 off) at Best Buy. Read our review.
Google’s lozenge-shaped Next Mini is a small speaker that also supports Google Assistant and is on sale for $19.99 at Target ($30 off). The Next Mini also supports Google Assistant. Read our review.
The best early Black Friday deals on tablets
You can buy the latest version of Apple’s Wi-Fi-enabled iPad Mini with 64GB of storage for $399.99 ($100 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. The redesigned Apple iPad Mini offers USB-C support, and though it isn’t powered by Apple’s M2 or M1 chips, it offers an A15 Bionic processor that’s still powerful. Read our review.
You can get a 50 percent discount on Amazon’s Fire HD 10 tablet when you buy the ad-supported version with 32GB of storage for $74.99 from Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. This is a terrific budget-friendly device with a 1080p screen that we found impressive for the price. Read our review.
Amazon and Best Buy are also discounting Amazon’s Fire HD 8 Plus tablet with 32GB of storage. Normally $109.99, you can buy the tablet for $54.99. The tablet offers a good battery life, though the screen isn’t as sharp as the Fire HD 10’s. Read our review.
The best early Black Friday deals on headphones and earbuds
If you’re looking for an exceptionally comfortable pair of noise-canceling headphones, Bose’s QuietComfort 45 are our top pick. You can currently pick them up for around $249 ($80 off) from Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. Read our review.
You can buy a pair of Apple’s second-gen AirPods from Target for just $89.99 instead of $129.99, which matches their all-time low price. While these wireless earbuds don’t offer active noise cancellation, they still sound good and offer reliable battery life. Read our review.
Google’s new Pixel Buds Pro are amongst the best wireless earbuds released in 2022, boasting excellent mics and sound. You can buy them for $149.99 ($50 off) from Best Buy, Amazon, the Google Store, and Target. Read our review.
The best early Black Friday deals on smartwatches and fitness trackers
If the new Apple Watch Series 8 is out of your budget and you don’t need crash detection, the Apple Watch Series 7 is an excellent, cheaper alternative. That’s especially true today now that you can buy the 45mm, GPS-ready configuration for just $309.99 instead of $429.99 at Target. Read our review.
The brand-new Fitbit Sense 2 is on sale for $199.95 instead of $299.99 at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. While not as good as the Google Pixel Watch, the wearable is capable of tracking levels and also comes with built-in GPS. Read our review.
The best early Black Friday gaming deals
You can buy Logitech’s G Pro Wireless gaming mouse for $89.99 instead of $129.99 at Amazon and Target. The mouse comes with removable left and right-side buttons and a high 25K DPI sensor.
If that’s out of your price range and you don’t mind a wired mouse, Logitech’s G502 Hero is on sale for $34.99 at Amazon and Target instead of $49.99. The G502 offers more buttons than Logitech’s G Pro Wireless gaming mouse, as well as 11 programmable inputs.
Target is selling The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for Nintendo Switch for $29.99 instead of $59.99.
The best early Black Friday deals available on robot vacuums
You can buy the iRobot Roomba j7 Plus alongside a docking bin that automatically empties itself for $599 ($200 off) at Amazon and Target. The robot vacuum is capable of learning the layout of your home and works with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Read our review.
You can buy a bundle containing the iRobot Roomba i3 Plus with the Braava Jet m6 robot mop to mop floors for just $649.99 instead of $999.99 at Target. The i3 Plus is also capable of automatically emptying its bin and can carry 60 days worth of trash.
Other great deals happening now
Best Buy is selling last year’s 14-inch MacBook Pro for $1,599 ($400 off) when you buy the M1 Pro-powered with 512GB of storage, 16GB of RAM, and a ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate screen. This laptop boasts impressive performance as well as a wide range of ports. Read our review.
You can buy an unlocked version of Google’s Pixel 6A phone with 128GB of storage for $299 instead of $449 at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. Although it only offers a 60Hz refresh rate as opposed to the Pixel 6’s 90Hz, both phones share the same Google Tensor CPU. Read our review.
You can buy two indoor Blink Mini cameras for $29.99 instead of $64.99 from Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. The cameras come with Amazon Alexa integration, though be aware that to store footage, you’ll have to pay extra for a Blink subscription or Sync Module 2.