The Noc Design / The Verge

Alright, we’ve arrived. It’s here. The monolithic and mythical Black Friday shopping holiday is upon us, and the deals are aplenty. Though we’d be lying if we didn’t say the deals have already been numerous for pretty much the whole week now. But even as Black Friday continues to be stretched out over the course of days, or even weeks, the day-of still shows a lot of promise for having the best of the best at the lowest of the low prices on offer.

Just as we are curating our roundups for the best Black Friday deals on many tech-fiend favorites like headphones, TVs, smart home tech, gaming laptops, phones, and even more, we’ve also got collections of some of the best deals happening at specific retailers (Best Buy, Target, and Walmart). We’ve even got price-conscious write-ups with the best deals you’ll find under $50 and under $25, as well as one filled with helpful gift ideas if you’re doing your holiday gift shopping now.

But this right here? These are the best of the best. The Good Stuff. The best Black Friday has to offer from the unique perspective and tastes of The Verge. Some are pricey, some are inexpensive, some may be quirky, but all are quality — because we only cover deals on gadgets we’ve tested and devices we know are worth your money. And we’ll do our best to give you a little context and info along the way on why a deal is worthwhile. So let’s spend a little money recklessly, but save some money astutely, shall we?

The best Black Friday deals

The best Black Friday deals on headphones and earbuds

You can buy Apple’s new second-gen AirPods Pro for $199.99 at Amazon and Best Buy instead of $249, which is about their all-time low. Apple’s newest premium earbuds boast better noise cancellation capabilities than their predecessor, as well as swipeable controls and four swappable earbuds. Read our review.
You can buy Sony’s WF-1000XM4, our favorite noise-canceling earbuds, for around $178 ($101.99 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. The wireless earbuds sound fantastic and boast some of the best noise cancellation you can get in a pair of earbuds, not to mention more recent perks like multipoint functionality. Read our review.
Apple’s first-generation AirPods Pro with a MagSafe charging case are on sale for $159 ($90 off). Even though the second-gen offers better noise cancellation, these buds still tune out noise very well, offer customizable, swappable buds too (albeit only three) and sound terrific. Read our review.

Sony’s WH-1000XM5 are on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target for around $348 ($51.99 off). These comfortable headphones offer some of the best noise cancellation you can get in a pair of headphones, along with a sleeker build and improved sound over their predecessor. Read our review.
Samsung’s latest premium noise-canceling earbuds, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, are on sale for $179.99 ($50 off) at Amazon in black or purple. If you use Samsung phones, these are one of your best options since they’re very lightweight and comfortable, with excellent sound quality that supports higher 24-bit audio (though only with Samsung phones). Read our review.

Google’s Pixel Buds Pro are on sale for $149.99 ($50 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. Google’s new wireless earbuds offer decent active noise cancellation capabilities, not to mention multipoint Bluetooth support. Read our review.
If you prefer a cheaper pair of earbuds, you can currently pick up the Beats Studio Buds at a fresh all-time low of $89.99 ($60 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. That’s an additional $10 off from deal prices we were already seeing. While they don’t offer particularly great noise cancellation, they still feature good sound quality and USB-C support. Read our review.

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) from Amazon, Target, and Best Buy, which matches its all-time low price. Read our review.
You can also currently purchase Google’s new, entry-level Chromecast with Google TV (HD) for $18 from Walmart instead of $29.99 and for $19.99 at Best Buy. While it lacks 4K streaming capabilities and is limited to 1080p resolution, it can play HDR videos and comes with a Google Assistant-compatible remote. Read our review.
You can buy the Roku Streaming Stick 4K for just $24.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart, 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 $34.99 instead of $54.99 at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. Read our review.

The best Black Friday deals on 4K TVs

You can buy LG’s C2 OLED discounted in various configurations. The 55-inch configuration, for example, is available for around $1,297 (about $300 off) at Amazon, 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.

Samsung’s new Frame TV is on sale in the 55-inch configuration for around $998 ($500 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. The 4K TV displays artwork when not in use and features a new anti-glare, low-reflection coating. When turned on, however, the excellent QLED offers a fast 120Hz refresh rate and support for a number of streaming apps.

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 Black Friday deals available on tablets and e-readers

You can buy Amazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite with ads and 8GB of storage for $94.99 instead of $139.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. You can also buy the ad-free model at Amazon for $114.99 ($45 off). The waterproof e-reader comes with USB-C support and monthslong battery life along with a bigger display than the previous model. Read our review.
If you want an e-reader with physical page-turning buttons, you can buy the older Kindle Oasis from Amazon with ads and 8GB of storage for $164.99 at Amazon ($85 off). The ad-free model is also on sale at Amazon for $184.99 ($85 off). Read our review.

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 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.
Amazon is also currently discounting its lineup of Fire HD tablets. Right now, for instance, you can buy the ad-free, 32GB Fire HD 10 — which offers a nice, 1080p display and good performance — for $74.99 ($75 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. You can also purchase it without ads at Amazon for $89.99 ($75 off). If you’re looking for support for wireless charging and more RAM, the ad-supported, 32GB Fire HD 10 Plus is also on sale for $104.99 ($75 off) at Amazon, as is the ad-free version for $119.99 ($75 off). Read our review.
The cheaper, ad-supported Fire HD 8 with 32GB of storage is also on sale for $44.99 ($45 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy, or you can buy without ads at Amazon for $59.99 ($45 off). Alternatively, you can pick up the ad-supported Fire HD 8 Plus with wireless charging for $54.99 ($55 off) at Amazon. The ad-free model is also available at Amazon for $69.99 ($55 off). Read our Fire HD 8 Plus review.
At Best Buy, you can buy a Microsoft Surface Pro 8 with 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and an 11th-Gen Intel Core i5 processor — as well as a Type Cover — for just $899.99 ($450 off). While the Pro 8 can’t exactly compete with the newer Surface Pro 9, it’s still a good-looking laptop with a fast 120Hz refresh rate screen and quick performance. Read our review.

The best Black Friday deals on smart speakers and portable speakers

Amazon’s fifth-gen Echo Dot is on sale for $24.99 at Amazon instead of $49.99, while the model with a clock is discounted to $39.99 ($20 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. The new smart speaker offers a temperature sensor and doubles as an Eero Wi-Fi system extender. You can also get the clock-free model with a free A19, 1,100-lumen Philips Hue smart bulb for $24.99 from Amazon. Read our review.
Amazon is also discounting older Echo speakers in the run-up to Black Friday. Right now, for example, the fourth-gen Echo is on sale with a color-changing Philips Hue bulb for $49.99. Read our review.
The third-gen Echo Dot is also on sale at Amazon with a month of Amazon Music Unlimited for $9.98 ($39 off). While it doesn’t sound as good as newer models, it still sounds good for the price and offers plenty of Alexa functionality. You can also buy it with a 1,100-lumen Philips Hue smart bulb for $17.98 ($38 off). Read our review.

Google’s lozenge-shaped Nest Mini is a pint-sized speaker that supports Google Assistant and is on sale for around $18 ($31 off) at Walmart and Target. It’s a good way to add smarts to any room despite its age, however, keep in mind that it sounds best when it’s mounted to your wall. Read our review.
You can buy Ultimate Ears’ waterproof Boom 3 for $99.99 instead of $149.99 at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. The Boom 3 is one of our favorite Bluetooth speakers, with good sound quality and terrific battery life that should provide up to 15 hours of playback.
Walmart is selling JBL’s Flip 4 Bluetooth speaker for $59 instead of $99. The portable speaker is IPX7 waterproof so you can use it by the pool or beach.

The best Black Friday deals on smart displays

Amazon’s second-gen Echo Show 8, our favorite smart display, is on sale for $69.99 ($60 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. Unlike the second-gen Echo Show 5, the Alexa-enabled smart display offers the ability to video call loved ones via Zoom. Read our review.
The smaller, 5.5-inch Echo Show 5 from last year is also on sale for $34.99 ($50 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. The tiny display makes for a great bedside companion, especially since you can snooze it with just a tap. Read our review.
Amazon is discounting some of its more unique smart displays as well. That includes the wall-mounted Echo Show 15, which features a 15.6-inch touch display that can easily double as a shared bulletin board or even a kitchen TV. Right now, it’s on sale for $169.99 instead of $249.99. Read our review.
You can also buy the Echo Show 10, which sits on a rotating base so it can, say, follow you around during video calls, for $169.99 ($80 off) with Best Buy and Target matching that price. Read our review.

The best Black Friday deals on smartwatches and fitness trackers

Best Buy is selling the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro in the 45mm, Bluetooth-enabled configuration for $399.99 ($50 off), as is Amazon. The Watch 5 Pro, like the Watch 5, is one of the best Android smartwatches you can buy, with a large screen and good battery life. Read our review.

If you prefer the physical bezel controls on Samsung smartwatches, you can get the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic for just $149 ($200 off) at Walmart. This may not be as new as the Galaxy Watch 5, but it’s still current in the lineup and not all that different from its other Wear OS 3 counterparts — except for that awesome bezel, of course. Read our review.

You can buy the new Apple Watch Series 8 in the 41mm, GPS-enabled configuration for $349.99 ($50 off) at Target and Amazon. Apple’s newest wearable sports new features like a temperature sensor and crash detection, though, it’s not a huge step up from the like-minded Series 7. Read our review.
The brand-new Fitbit Sense 2 is on sale for $199.95 instead of $299.99 at Amazon 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.
If you don’t mind buying an older fitness tracker, the Fitbit Versa 2 is on sale for $99.95 instead of $149.99 at Target, Walmart, and Best Buy. The wearable tracks all the metrics you’d expect, including your distance and sleeping habits, while offering support for Fitbit Pay and Amazon Alexa.

The best Black Friday gaming deals

You can currently buy Microsoft’s Xbox Wireless Controller for $39.99 ($20 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. The controller comes with Bluetooth support so you can use it with PCs and mobile devices in addition to your Xbox console.

Sony’s DualSense Wireless Controller is on sale for $49 ($20.99 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. The Dualsense offers support for haptic feedback and USB-C while boasting a maximum of 12 hours of battery life.
You can buy Logitech’s G Pro Wireless gaming mouse for $87.99 instead of $129.99 at Amazon. The mouse comes with removable left and right-side buttons and a high 25K DPI sensor.
The newer version of that mouse, the Logitech G Pro X Superlight is on sale for $109.99 ($50 off) at Amazon in white, black, or magenta. It no longer has the buttons on the right, but it like the prior model, but it weighs even less (63 grams compared to 80). It’s only big downside is that for a newer mouse it sadly has Micro USB instead of USB-C.
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 instead of $49.99. The G502 offers more buttons than Logitech’s G Pro Wireless gaming mouse, as well as 11 programmable inputs.
The Backbone One PlayStation Edition is $63.69 (regularly $99.99) at Amazon. This mobile controller for iPhones is one of the best options you can buy for mobile game streaming, whether it’s from the cloud or in-home remote play from your own console.

For a very affordable dip into the world of mobile game streaming, the PowerA MOGA Mobile Gaming Clip 2 for Xbox Controllers is just $2.99 ($12 off) from Microsoft. It clips onto a current Xbox wireless controller and mounts your phone above it. It’s a little clumsier than dedicated mobile controllers, but it’s cheap and effective if you already own an Xbox controller.
You can buy a 27-inch HP Omen gaming monitor for $249.99 instead of $399.99 at Best Buy right now. The monitor boasts a 1440p IPS display with a speedy 165Hz refresh rate as well as support for both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync technologies.
The new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X is $55 ($15 off) at Walmart.

The best 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.

Roborock’s S7 is our top pick for a robot vacuum that can also mop, and it’s 37 percent off, down to $409.99 at Amazon. That’s a very good price for this reliable robot. It doesn’t have obstacle avoidance, but it does an excellent job of mopping and vacuuming your floors. Read our review.
The S7’s AI-powered sibling, the S7 MaxV, is selling for $639.99 at Amazon and is worth considering if you really don’t like having to pick up clutter before you run your robot, as it’s smart enough to avoid socks, cables, and shoes. Both models can also be bought with an auto-empty dock on sale, too.

Also, the absolute unit that is the Ecovacs Deebot X1 OMNI and its massive cleaning station is $550 off at Amazon. It’s still expensive at $999.99, but much more acceptable if you want a bot that can handle most things on its own.

The best Black Friday deals available on smartphones

Google’s new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones are also available at record-low prices. You can buy the Pixel 7 Pro for $749 ($150 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy in the unlocked, 128GB configuration. We consider it to be one of the best phones on the market thanks to its triple-camera setup and Google’s speedy Tensor G2 chip, not to mention its 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED display. Read our review.

Alternatively, you can buy the 6.3-inch Pixel 7 for $499 ($100 off) at Best Buy, Target, Amazon, and Google. Although it does feature the same Google-designed Tensor G2 chip, it only offers a 90Hz refresh rate and two cameras as opposed to three. Read our review.
On the cheaper Pixel front, it’s very hard to beat the Google Pixel 6A for just $299, marked down from an already reasonable $449. This deal is all over, including Target, Amazon, and Best Buy. Just promise you’ll get the sage color option. Read our review.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 is $598.49 (usually $799) in phantom black and the Galaxy S22 Plus is $609.63 (normally $999) in phantom black on Amazon. They’ll presumably be replaced soon by the S23 series later this winter, but they’re fantastic devices that should keep on going for the next several years. Read our review.

The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is down to $1,469.99 from $1,799 directly from Samsung — no trade-in required. It’s an impressive melding of a tablet and phone experience into a single device. Read our full review.

If you can forgo 5G connectivity (and many of us probably can since 5G is still pretty lackluster), the LTE-only Motorola G Stylus (2022) is a heck of a deal at $179.99, down from $299, available from Target and Amazon. Read our review.

Other great deals happening now

The Nerf Halo MA40 Motorized Dart Blaster is just $31.99 (regularly $55.99) on Amazon. This comes with an in-game code for the matching weapon skin in Halo Infinite multiplayer.
Another fun Nerf toy that makes a great gift for any Halo fan is the Nerf LMTD Needler for $69.49 (regularly $99.99) at Amazon. This is a big of a collector’s piece, since it comes with a display stand and lights up.
A self-heating Ember Mug 2 smart coffee mug makes a great gift for any coffee or tea lover in your life. You can get the 10-ounce version for $99.95 ($30 off) at Best Buy, Target, or Amazon in black or white, or you can step up to the 14-ounce version for $119.95 (also $30 off) at Best Buy, Target, or Amazon in those same monochromatic colors. Though the best deal may be for those of you with Costco memberships, where you can get the 14-ounce Ember in gray for $99.99.

You can buy four of Apple’s AirTags for $79.98 (regularly $99) from Amazon or alternatively pick up just one for $24.98 (regularly $29) from Amazon. The ultra wideband-capable Bluetooth trackers offer IP67 water and dust resistance as well as user-replaceable batteries. Read our review.

The giant 49-inch Samsung Odyssey G9 ultrawide PC monitor is $899.99 ($600 off) at Amazon and Samsung. It may not have HDMI 2.1 and VRR like the top-of-the-line Neo G9 version, but if you want some excellent bang for your buck in a massive monitor to surround your face with beautiful pixels, it’s hard to look away from this deal. Read our review.

Best Buy and Target are selling the GoPro Hero 8 for $229.99 ($70 off). While an older model and not as rugged as some, the 2019 action cam still offers some nice features, including good image stabilization, a number of handy time-lapse modes, and the ability to capture 4K content at up to 60 frames per second. Read our review.