The best Black Friday deals on AirPods, AirTags, and other Apple gear
If you’re planning to gift an Apple device this holiday season — or treat yourself — now’s the time to start shopping. Black Friday has officially arrived, bringing with it the best Apple deals we’ve seen all year.
Despite having recently launched, for instance, the new AirPods Pro, Apple Watch Series 11, and new M5-powered MacBook Pro are all down to record low prices for the holiday. Last-gen models are also cheaper than ever right now, with the second-gen AirPods Pro now priced close to the AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation — a welcome surprise, given that the last-gen Pro offer superior ANC performance by comparison.
There’s a whole lot more on sale, and to sift through discounts more easily, we’ve rounded them up by category. We’ve even sprinkled in some historical price info, so you can spot the best deals at a glance.
Earbud and headphone deals
AirPods Pro (third-gen)

Where to Buy:
AirPods 4

Where to Buy:
- If you’re looking for the step-up AirPods 4 with ANC, you can buy them for around $99.99 ($30 off) at Amazon and Target. Their noise cancellation performance doesn’t quite match the current- or even last-gen AirPods Pro, but it’s still impressive for the price. In addition to ANC, you also get other features not found on the base-model AirPods 4, including wireless charging, a handy transparency mode, and Find My support for the included charging case. Read our review.
- The updated AirPods Max with USB-C are down to $399.99 ($140 off) at Amazon and Best Buy, which is their best price to date. The over-ear headphones offer a luxurious stainless steel and aluminum design that’s exceptionally comfortable, while delivering rich sound quality with lossless audio support and a surprisingly natural-sounding transparency mode. Read our original review.
Apple AirPods Pro (second-gen) with USB-C

Where to Buy:
- The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are on sale for around $199.95 ($50 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart, which is $20 shy of their best price to date. The wireless earbuds are our favorite pair for sports and working out, with an ear hook design that helps keep them securely in place even during intense workouts. You also get solid noise cancellation, a transparency mode, and heart rate monitoring. Plus, they work with both Apple and Android devices, letting you take advantage of Find My integration, automatic device switching, and more. Read our review.
Beats Studio Pro

Where to Buy:
Apple EarPods (USB-C)

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Apple Watch deals
Apple Watch Series 11 (42mm, GPS)

Where to Buy:
Apple Watch SE 3

Where to Buy:
- The 42mm Apple Watch Series 10 with GPS is on sale at Walmart starting at $249 ($150 off), which is its best price to date. While the Series 11 offers slightly longer battery life, a more efficient 5G modem, and a more scratch-resistant display, the Series 10 remains an excellent smartwatch. It features a large, wide-angle OLED display and the same S10 SiP chip found in the Series 11. It also supports FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection and offers the same hypertension notifications, courtesy of the recent watchOS 26 update. Read our review.
- You can currently pick up the 40mm Apple Watch SE (second-gen) with GPS at Walmart starting at $129 ($120 off), which is a new low price (the 44mm variant is also on sale starting at $159). If you’re on a tight budget, the last-gen Apple Watch SE is still worth considering. It lacks some of Apple’s newer sensors and doesn’t offer an always-on display, but it remains relatively fast, given that it uses the same chipset as the Apple Watch Series 8. It also provides all the essentials, including daily activity and sleep tracking, heart-rate monitoring, fall and crash detection, and access to the newer Vitals app in watchOS 26.
Apple Watch Ultra 2

Where to Buy:
- You can also buy the newfangled Apple Watch Ultra 3 at Amazon with either an Ocean Band, a Trail Loop, or an Alpine Loop for $779.99 ($20 off), which is a far cry from its all-time low of $699.99 but still one of the first discounts we’ve seen. Apple’s latest wearable is its most rugged and capable to date, with a larger wide-angle OLED display, satellite and 5G connectivity, and a battery that can last up to 42 hours on a single charge (up from 36 hours on the Ultra 2). Read our review.
iPad deals
iPad (2025)

Where to Buy:
- The 11-inch M5 iPad Pro is down to its best price to date at Amazon, where you can buy it starting at $899 with Wi-Fi and 256GB of storage. Other configurations, specifically the 512GB and 1TB models, are on sale for $1,099 ($100 off) and $1,486 ($113 off), respectively. In addition to offering faster performance than their predecessor, the new Pros support Wi-Fi 7, faster charging, and start with 12GB of RAM. They also come with an N1 chip for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread, and if you get the cellular version, Apple’s new C1X cellular modem. Read our review.
- The latest 13-inch iPad Pro is also on sale at Amazon in its 256GB base configuration for $1,199 ($100 off), which remains the tablet’s lowest price to date. If you need more storage, the 1TB model is down to $1,768 ($131 off) at Amazon, while the 2TB version is going for $2,150 ($149 off). The heavier 13-inch model is nearly identical to the 11-incher, but it offers more screen real estate and higher resolution.
11-inch iPad Air M3

Where to Buy:
- If you want a larger display, the 13-inch M3-powered iPad Air with Wi-Fi / 128GB of storage is also on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, where you can buy it starting at an all-time low of $649.99 ($150 off). Other configurations are also on sale, with the 256GB model going for $749.99 ($150 off), the 512GB version $949 ($150 off), and the 1TB variant $1,149.
- You can buy the 13-inch M4-powered iPad Pro with Wi-Fi and 256GB of storage at Amazon starting at $1,099 ($200 off). The last-gen Pro offers a stunning OLED display and a thinner build than prior models, along with a front-facing camera that’s (finally) located in the middle of the long side of the iPad. Read our review.
13-inch iPad Pro M4

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MacBook deals
13-inch MacBook Air (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

Where to Buy:
MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025)

Where to Buy:
- The last-gen 16-inch MacBook Pro is still a powerhouse even if it runs on the older M4 Pro chip, and right now you can buy it with 24GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for $2,189 (about $310 off) at Amazon, which is just a few dollars shy of its all-time low. It sports speedy Thunderbolt 5 ports and a sharp 12-megapixel Center Stage webcam, and because the new M5-powered MacBook Pros don’t yet come in a 16-inch size, it’s your best bet if you want a larger display. Read our review of the 14-inch MacBook Pro.
- If you’re in the market for a desktop and don’t mind supplying your own keyboard and mouse, you can buy the M4 Mac Mini with an M4 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $479 ($120 off) at Amazon and Best Buy, which is one of its best prices to date. The desktop can handle everyday tasks with ease, along with some light gaming and 4K video editing. It can also run up to three displays simultaneously and offers a great port selection that includes three Thunderbolt 4 (USB4) ports, a gigabit ethernet jack, HDMI, two 10Gbps USB-C (USB 3) ports, and a front-facing 3.5mm audio jack. Read our review.
AirTags and other miscellaneous deals
Apple TV (six-month subscription)

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Apple AirTag

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- You can buy the Apple Pencil Pro for $94.99 ($35 off) at Amazon and Walmart, which is $10 more than its best price to date. If you own the latest iPad Pro, iPad Mini, or an M2- or M3-based iPad Air, this is a fantastic stylus that offers several features not found on the entry-level Apple Pencil with USB-C (which is also discounted to $49 at Walmart). In addition to wireless charging, you get Find My support, pressure sensitivity, and a “Barrel Roll” gyroscope that allows you to easily adjust the angle of your pen with a twist.
Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station (3-in-1, Dock Stand)

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Anker MagGo Qi2 Certified 15W Wireless Charger

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The 148 best Black Friday deals we’ve found so far — a ton of tech is over half off
Now that the Thanksgiving dishes are put away and the last slice of pie is hidden in the back of the fridge, it’s time to turn your attention to the next major holiday: Black Friday. The biggest shopping day of the year has started, and as expected, there are tens of thousands of deals staring you in the face. The Verge found the ones that are actually worth considering.
Our team has spent an enormous amount of time looking through spreadsheets and e-mails to find gadgets that don’t go on sale very often, are down to their all-time low price, or both. In many cases, our reviews team has tested these gadgets — either for work or in their spare time — and can authoritatively vouch for their quality. Below you can find deals on everything from the AirPods Pro 3 and current-generation Kindle Paperwhite to some of our favorite non-tech essentials.
There are also great discounts on streaming service subscriptions, including HBO Max, Paramount Plus, and a bundle comprising Hulu and Disney Plus. We update our roundup as we find even more deals, so we encourage you to check back later for more recommendations.
Apple deals
AirPods Pro (third-gen)

Where to Buy:
Apple AirTags

Where to Buy:
AirPods Pro (second-gen with USB-C)

Where to Buy:
- Amazon, Walmart, and Target have marked the AirPods 4 down to around $69 ($60 off), which is their best price to date. Apple’s latest non-Pro AirPods sound great despite their open-style build, support voice isolation for clearer-sounding calls, and have a streamlined setup process and multipoint pairing with Apple devices. You can also get the version with active noise cancellation on sale for a new all-time low of $99.99 ($80 off) at Amazon and Target. Read our review.
13-inch MacBook Air (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

Where to Buy:
- The 15-inch MacBook Air with M4 is $949 ($250 off) at Best Buy and Amazon — the same discount as the 13-inch. It’s much the same excellent computer as the 13-inch version, just with a bigger screen, more battery life, and better speakers. Read our review.
- If you need to sizable step up in power for a Mac laptop, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro processor is $1,749 ($250 off) at Best Buy and Amazon. It has a 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU, 512GB SSD like the base M5 model, but 24GB of RAM and faster Thunderbolt 5 ports. You can also step up to a bigger and beefier 16-inch version with a 14-core / 20-core M4 Pro chip, 48GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD for around $2,535 ($360 off) at Best Buy and Amazon.
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2025, M5)

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Apple Watch Series 11 (42mm, GPS)

Where to Buy:
Apple Watch SE 3

Where to Buy:
- The second-gen HomePod is Apple’s latest smart speaker, and you can pick one up for $269.99 ($30 off) at Best Buy right now. The great-sounding speaker can play Dolby Atmos tracks with proper separation, though you can also pair two together for even better separation. The speaker doesn’t support Bluetooth, which means your device has to be on the same network to stream music to it. You can also ask Siri to play tunes, control various smart home accessories, set timers, or answer questions, but all of those functions still require a stable internet connection. Read our review.
- The latest 11-inch iPad Pro has only been out for about a month, but that hasn’t stopped Amazon from cutting the price of the 256GB / Wi-Fi model to $899 ($100 off). Apple’s newest, most powerful iPad has the same design as last year’s model, but features a faster M5 processor, which you’ll notice most when performing resource-intensive tasks like playing games. Lower storage configurations of the iPad Pro also have 12GB of RAM (up from 8GB), while all models have faster memory bandwidth. Read our review.
11-inch iPad Air M3

Where to Buy:
iPad (2025)

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Headphone and earbud deals
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

Where to Buy:
Bose QuietComfort Headphones

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Sony WH-1000XM6

Where to Buy:
- Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds are the brand’s boldest, most unique earbuds — and you can pick them up at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy for $199 ($100 off), their lowest price to date. Instead of sitting in your ear canal, the earbuds cling to your outer ear like a piece of jewelry. That design means you’ll always hear external noise, which isn’t ideal if you want to block out noisy coworkers; however, it’s great if you need to remain aware of your surroundings, such as when walking or riding a bike. Read our review.
- EarFun is offering up to 65 percent off its already affordable headphones, earbuds, and speakers. The EarFun Free Pro 3, a great pair of cheap wireless earbuds, are currently down to just $27.99 ($52 off) at Earfun’s online storefront with coupon code PDFP3. The wireless earbuds feature ANC, wireless charging, and over seven hours of continuous playback on a single charge. The EarFun Tune Pro, meanwhile, are on sale for $48.99 ($21 off) with code TUNEPRO56. The over-ear headphones feature noise-canceling tech and support for multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, so you can connect to two devices simultaneously.
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2

Where to Buy:
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2

Where to Buy:
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (second-gen)

Where to Buy:
- Now through December 1st, you can snag the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds for $228 ($101 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Sony’s online store, which matches the price drop we saw during Amazon’s most recent Prime Day event. Sony’s flagship earbuds improve upon the prior model with richer sound, slightly more powerful noise cancellation, and vastly superior comfort thanks to their reduced size and weight. They also come with four foam-style ear tips, offer around eight hours of battery life with ANC enabled, and carry an IPX4 rating with support for multipoint connectivity. Read our review.
Nothing Ear (a)

Where to Buy:
Sony WH-1000XM5

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Shokz OpenRun Pro 2

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Smartwatch and fitness tracker deals
Google Pixel Watch 4

Where to Buy:
Oura Ring 4

Where to Buy:
Fitbit Charge 6

Where to Buy:
- The Fitbit Ace LTE is down to around $99.95 ($80 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy, which marks a new low price. The fitness tracker is designed specifically for kids, with movement-based games that encourage physical activity. It also supports GPS location tracking, along with the ability to send messages and place calls to a limited number of contacts. However, keep in mind that a Fitbit Ace Pass subscription ($9.99 per month / $119.99 per year) is required for location tracking, messaging, and access to the Fitbit Arcade. Read our hands-on impressions.
- The Fitbit Versa 4 is on sale at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy for $119.95 ($80 off), which is the lowest price we’ve seen this year. The smartwatch features heart rate, activity, sleep, blood oxygen, menstrual health, and stress tracking, as well as more than 40 exercise modes that automatically detect and track specific workouts. Although it doesn’t support ECG, it can record heart rate variability and monitor it 24/7. It also supports services like Fitbit Pay and Google Maps, extending its usefulness beyond its core fitness tracking capabilities.
Fitbit Sense 2

Where to Buy:
- The entry-level Fitbit Inspire 3 has returned to its all-time low of $69.95 ($30 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. The basic fitness band nails the basics, providing heart rate, sleep, exercise, blood oxygen, and menstrual health tracking. It can also provide you with a sleep score every morning, along with tips for improving your sleep. You can also remove the Inspire 3 from its band and wear it as a necklace, which is less obtrusive but disables heart rate tracking. Read our hands-on impressions.
Google Pixel Watch 3 (45mm, Wi-Fi)

Where to Buy:
Garmin Fenix 8

Where to Buy:
- The Venu X1, one of Garmin’s more premium smartwatches, is available from Amazon for a new low of $599.99 ($200 off). The X1 features a 2-inch OLED display and Garmin’s thinnest case yet. It can also track your activity, heart rate, blood oxygen level, and sleep (including naps). It’ll provide you with a morning report based on recorded health metrics, and it offers stress tracking and guided meditations. It can even track over 100 activities and create a running or strength training regimen via Garmin Coach.
- Garmin’s midrange Vivoactive 6 is on sale for $249.99 ($50 off) — its best price to date — at Amazon, Best Buy, and REI. The watch features a circular 1.2-inch OLED screen, a battery that can last up to 11 hours per charge, and Bluetooth support. It can also track your activity, blood oxygen level, sleep, and heart rate, as well as generate fitness plans using the built-in Garmin Coach.
Garmin Forerunner 265 (42mm)

Where to Buy:
- The 46mm OnePlus Watch 3 is available from Amazon, Best Buy, and OnePlus for $249.99 ($100 off) — its best prices to date. The newer wearable retains everything we loved about its predecessor, including dual-frequency GPS and long battery life, but improves the experience with a rotating crown that scrolls and up to 120 hours of battery life. It can also provide a quick snapshot of your heart rate, blood oxygen levels, sleep quality, and more. Read our hands-on impressions.
Garmin Venu 3S

Where to Buy:
- The Amazfit Active 2 remains our favorite fitness tracker because it offers a surprising feature set given its modest price tag, especially now that you can get it for an all-time low of $79.99 ($20 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. The budget-friendly smartwatch can track your sleep, heart rate, and a slew of activities, while providing a daily readiness score based on what its sensors record. It also features a vibrant OLED display, an estimated 10 days of battery life, and enough built-in sports modes to accurately track every part of your workout routine. Read our review.
- Samsung’s Galaxy Ring is an excellent complement to a Samsung smartphone, and it’s hit an all-time low of $279.99 ($120 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Samsung’s online store. The newer smart ring has a slim, lightweight design, long battery life, and, unlike competitors like the Oura Ring, doesn’t lock features behind a paywall (yet). That said, its battery lasts longer when paired with a Samsung phone, and certain features — including the ability to view your daily Energy Score or use the camera shutter by pinching your fingers — aren’t available when paired with another Android phone. Read our review.
Tablet and e-reader deals
Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023)

Where to Buy:
- The latest Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids tablet is matching its all-time low of $104.99 ($85 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. The tablet features a 10.1-inch 1080p display, a kid-proof case, and up to 13 hours of battery life. It also comes with 32GB of storage for loading up apps and other content, along with robust parental controls and a two-year warranty. It also comes with a year of Amazon Kids Plus, which features access to ad-free, age-appropriate content, including books, movies, apps, and more.
- If you’re looking for something more compact, the latest Amazon Fire 7 Kids is currently available at Target, Best Buy, and Amazon, for $44.99 ($55 off), its lowest price to date. The basic tablet offers many of the same features and services found in the larger 10.1-inch model — including an extended two-year warranty, extensive parental controls, and a year of Amazon Kids Plus — but the base Fire 7 Kids comes with 16GB of storage and features a smaller 7-inch display. The device also offers up to 10 hours of battery life, providing plenty of fun while on the road.
Kindle Paperwhite (12th-gen)

Where to Buy:
- The 16GB Kindle Colorsoft, Amazon’s newest color e-reader, is down to a new low of $169.99 ($80 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. It features a 7-inch screen with 300ppi when viewing text and black-and-white imagery, or 150ppi when viewing color. It has 16GB of storage, a battery that lasts up to eight weeks, and a waterproof design. If you want to carry around more books, the Signature Edition has 32GB of storage, plus wireless charging and an auto-adjusting front light sensor. You can pick the latter up for $229.99 ($70 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.
- Amazon, Best Buy, and Target have all marked the 2024 Kindle Scribe with 16GB of storage down to an all-time low of $279.99 ($120 off). The Scribe has a 10.2-inch display and a battery that can last up to 12 weeks, and it comes with Amazon’s Premium Pen, which you can use to annotate books or jot down ideas. The e-reader’s built-in AI features, meanwhile, allow you to clean up your handwriting, summarize your notes, or adjust the length and tone of what you’ve written. However, keep in mind that Amazon recently announced a new model, though we still don’t have a firm launch date. Read our review.
Kindle (11th-gen)

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TV and streaming deals
Disney Plus, Hulu Bundle (with ads)

Where to Buy:
HBO Max

Where to Buy:
- LG’s 55-inch C5 OLED is down to $1,049.99 ($950 off) at Amazon. The midrange TV is a good entry point into the world of OLED technology, offering a solid balance in terms of design, brightness, and high-end gaming features, including four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K at 144Hz with variable refresh rate tech. The C5 Series also handles glare and ambient light better than the step-down B5 Series; however, OLED panels are still not ideal for really bright rooms.
- Hisense’s 65-inch S7N Canvas TV is the company’s answer to Samsung’s popular Frame TV, one you can currently grab for $849.99 ($450 off) at Amazon. The 4K set has a matte screen that makes the artwork it displays more akin to a real painting, and Hisense includes a wall mount, allowing you to hang it. The S7N features a QLED panel with a 144Hz refresh rate and four HDMI ports (two HDMI 2.1 and two HDMI 2.0), making it suitable for a mix of current and last-gen gaming consoles.
Apple TV (six-month subscription)

Where to Buy:
Sony Bravia 8 II

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Hisense U7 Series ULED TV (2025)

Where to Buy:
- If you’re looking for a solid OLED TV, but don’t need the best of the best, the Samsung S90F is one of the best 65-inch TVs you can get for its sale price of $1,397.99 (down from about $1,600 last month) at Amazon and two dollars more Best Buy. It might not be the brightest OLED of 2025 (for that, see the LG G5), but at a little over 1,400 nits, there’s plenty of light to combat a well-lit living space. The S90F is also very accurate and has excellent color gamut coverage, which translates to vibrant, lifelike colors. And for gamers, all four HDMI ports are version 2.1, the TV supports high refresh rates with FreeSync up to 144Hz for PC gaming, and its input lag is under 10ms.
Roku Pro Series 4K TV

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TCL QM8K Series QD-Mini LED TV

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- LG’s 77-inch G5 OLED is an expensive set, but you can currently snag it for around $3,346.99 ($1,153 off) — one of its best prices to date — at Amazon. The high-end 4K TV delivers better brightness than the aforementioned C5, allowing you to use it in rooms that are exposed to a lot of ambient light. It also features four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K at 165Hz with VRR, as well as support for the popular Dolby Vision HDR format.
Google TV Streamer (4K)

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Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2023)

Where to Buy:
- Amazon’s recently rebranded Fire TV Stick 4K Plus is the company’s midrange option, and it’s down to an all-time low of $24.99 ($25 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. The inexpensive streaming device comes with an Alexa Voice Remote that features a built-in microphone, which lets you use Amazon’s virtual assistant to find TV shows and movies, or control compatible smart home accessories using your voice. You can also use it to access Amazon Luna or Xbox Game Pass, allowing you to play games from their respective cloud gaming libraries.
Paramount Plus (two months)

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Roku Ultra

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Smart home deals
Philips Hue Festavia string lights

Where to Buy:
Blink Video Doorbell (second-gen)

Where to Buy:
- The Ring Battery Doorbell and Indoor Cam Bundle is available at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy for $69.99 ($70 off), matching its best price to date. The bundle includes a Ring Battery Doorbell and an Indoor Cam, making it a great starter kit for renters and new home owners. The Ring Battery Doorbell offers head-to-toe video outside your front door, while the Indoor Cam let’s you keep an eye on an interior space. They’re easy to install, easy to set up, and easy to use.
- The Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch is on sale for $199.99 ($100 off) at Best Buy. The stylish smart lock works with every major smart-home platform and supports both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It also lets you unlock your door in multiple ways, including via fingerprint, touchscreen, the app, and even has an auto-unlocking feature. Read our review.
Ring Battery Doorbell Plus

Where to Buy:
Google Nest Doorbell (second-gen, battery)

Where to Buy:
- The Google Nest Cam — which can be used both indoors and outside — is now available for its lowest price in months at Amazon, Best Buy, and the Google Store, where you can pick it up for $119 ($60 off). The battery-powered security cam features 24/7 recording, smart alerts for people, pets, and vehicles, and up to 60 days of video history (with a Nest Aware subscription). You can also snag a two-pack for around $228.99 ($101 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and the Google Store, or a three-pack for $349.99 ($100 off) at Best Buy and the Google Store.
- Reolink’s Video Doorbell is one of our top recommendations if you don’t want to pay a subscription fee to view footage, and it’s returned to its all-time low of $76.99 ($43 off) at Amazon, Newegg, and Reolink’s website. The wired doorbell can record clear 2K HDR footage and store video clips locally on a microSD card, the Reolink Hub, or an FTP server. It’s also compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Home, but not Apple Home.
Meross Smart Wi-Fi Garage Door Opener

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Aqara Smart Lock U300

Where to Buy:
- The Eufy X10 Pro Omni, our favorite midrange robot vacuum / mop, has returned to its Prime Day low of $449.99 ($450 off) at Amazon and from Anker’s online storefront (with code WS24T2351). The X10 Pro Omni is particularly great for cleaning up carpets and tiles, thanks to its 8,000Pa of suction power. It also features reliable AI-powered obstacle detection, dual oscillating brushes for mopping up floors, and a dock that handles auto-emptying, washing, and refilling.
Tapo RV30 Max Plus

Where to Buy:
- The Eufy Omni S1 Pro is also matching its all-time low of $699.99 ($800 off) at Amazon and from Anker’s online storefront (with promo code WS24T2080111). The robovac features an 11.4-inch roller mop and dual spinning side brushes, which work in tandem to leave your hardwood floors spotless. Plus, with 8,000Pa of suction power, it’s decent at picking up dirt and debris from carpets; it also features solid AI-powered obstacle avoidance, so you don’t need to worry about it getting stuck in clutter.
Ecovacs Deebot T50 Max Pro

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Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni

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Soundbar and speaker deals
Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6

Where to Buy:
Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8

Where to Buy:
- JBL’s Charge 6 is marked down to an all-time low of $129.95 ($70 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. The powerful Bluetooth speaker carries an IP68 rating, offers up to 28 hours of playback per charge, and uses JBL’s AI Sound Boost tool to prevent distortion at higher volumes. You can also plug your phone into its USB-C port and use it as a battery pack, but JBL says it can’t be used to top off a laptop.
- The JBL Flip 7 has returned to its all-time low of around $109.95 ($40 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and REI. The portable Bluetooth speaker features several notable upgrades over its predecessor, including a more rugged design, an enhanced tweeter, and an additional two hours of playtime. It also features JBL’s AI Sound Boost technology, which can boost the speaker’s volume without introducing distortion, as well as a PushLock system that lets you attach interchangeable accessories, such as the included wrist strap.
Echo Pop

Where to Buy:
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4

Where to Buy:
- The Bose SoundLink Plus is on sale for $189.99 ($80 off) at Amazon and Best Buy, which is its best price to date. Despite being about the size of a 20-ounce water bottle, it delivers loud, impressive sound with a rugged IP67 build and USB-C charging. It supports multipoint Bluetooth connectivity and, unlike the Micro, doubles as a 15W power bank, with longer battery life that lasts up to 20 hours. Read our review.
- The latest Bose SoundLink Micro is on sale for a new all-time low of $109 ($20 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. The rugged Micro is the brand’s smallest Bluetooth speaker, but it still offers big sound and up to 12 hours of battery life. The second-gen model also features a USB-C charging port, an IP67 rating for full water and dust resistance, and a handy utility strap, so you can clip the speaker to your bag using a carabiner.
Bose TV Speaker

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Sonos Beam (second-gen)

Where to Buy:
- The Sonos Era 100 is the company’s entry-level smart speaker, one you can grab for $169 ($50 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo. The speaker has a single woofer and two tweeters, which allows it to play music in stereo — though you’ll get a far wider soundstage by pairing two Era 100s together. You can stream music to it over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, or connect it to a turntable if you pick up an optional 3.5mm to USB-C adapter. Read our review.
- You can pick up Sonos’ Era 300 at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo for $379 ($100 off), which is $20 shy of the smart speaker’s lowest price to date. It offers the same connectivity options as the aforementioned Era 100, plus the ability to play Dolby Atmos audio with surprising depth. You can also use a pair of them as rear speakers in a surround sound system when connected to a Beam 2 or Arc Ultra soundbar. Read our review.
Tribit StormBox Micro 2

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Sonos Roam 2

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Sonos Move 2

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Laptop deals
Microsoft Surface Laptop, 13-inch

Where to Buy:
- In addition to the base-model 13-inch Surface Laptop hitting a new low of $549.99 ($350 off) at Best Buy and Amazon, and the same model with 512GB storage is $749.99 ($250 off) at Amazon.
- If you want a Surface with a slightly bigger, nicer display and a higher-end Snapdragon X Elite processor, the Surface Laptop 7th Edition (13.8-inch) from 2024 is on sale for $899.99 ($500 off) at Best Buy and Amazon. It’s still a great machine if you prioritize battery life on Windows and want a nice screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 2304 x 1536 resolution. Read our review.
Microsoft Surface Pro 12-inch

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- Microsoft’s flagship 13-inch Surface Pro is also on a big discount, selling for as low as $749.99 ($450 off) at Microsoft with a 10-core Snapdragon X Plus chip, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD. It’s quite a deal, though the keyboard and stylus are sold separately. The convertible tablet has great battery life and solid performance.
- The Asus Zenbook A14 is selling for an all-time low of $549.99 ($450 off) at Best Buy. If you want a super-light laptop with an Arm-based Snapdragon chip for long battery life, the Zenbook is an impressive offering — especially since it has an OLED display to boot. I first handled this thing at CES, and the combination of its lightweight 2.4-pound chassis, unique finish with earthy colors, port selection, and OLED screen was really impressive. Now, at this price? It’s quite compelling.
- I’m currently testing the 14-inch HP OmniBook 5 and liking it, especially for the value it offers. It’s very affordable for a laptop with an OLED display and marathon battery life, and it’s just $529.99 ($170 off MSRP) at Amazon and direct from HP. Its base Snapdragon X1 Plus chip isn’t very speedy, but it’s manageable if you’re not going too wild on multitasking. But the star of the show is this nice 1920 x 1200 OLED panel for such a low, low price.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025)

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- The base Asus ROG Strix G16 gaming laptop with a last-gen Intel Raptor Lake 14650HX CPU, RTX 5060 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD is $1,199.99 ($300 off) at Amazon. For a higher-end model that doesn’t skyrocket in price, the Strix G16 with AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and RTX 5070 Ti is $1,599.99 ($400 off) at Best Buy. Strix models are much chunkier than their ROG Zephyrus cousins, but they’re a better deal if you prioritize performance over portability.
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (16-inch, Intel)

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- The Lenovo Legion 7i above is one of my preferred gaming laptops if you like a beefy boy with high-end RTX 5080 graphics, but a solid alternative for less is the similarly-specced HP Omen Max 16. The Omen Max 16 with RTX 5080 graphics, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD is just $1,999.99 ($1,300 off) direct from HP. It’s also at Best Buy with a 2TB SSD for $2,599.99 ($560 off), but the one at HP is the screaming deal that you should nab before it’s gone (you can always do your own SSD upgrade later).
HP Victus 15 (2025, RTX 4050)

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Razer Blade 16 (2025, RTX 5090)

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- The closest competitor to the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, which is on sale for a new low of $599.99 ($50 off) direct from Lenovo. It’s the base model with a non-touch OLED display, 12GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and the power-sipping MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 processor. The higher-end $749 model with a touchscreen that I tested in my review is slightly better, but these kinds of Chromebooks rarely go on sale.
Gaming deals
Meta Quest 3S

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PlayStation Portal

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- Nintendo’s big wave of Black Friday discounts has arrived, knocking $30 off several fantastic Switch titles that every owner should consider playing. Games like Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 3, and others are $30 instead of $60. Some of these price drops aren’t unprecedented, but the timing is good if you’re getting a Switch 2, as some titles have free Switch 2 upgrades that boost visual fidelity. Also, many of the Zelda-themed amiibo that launched alongside Nintendo’s new console are just $10, down from $30.
- Walmart has discounted the G7 HE Wired Xbox Controller to $37 ($13 off) when you sign in with your Walmart account, which is a new low. The wireless controller features drift-resistant Hall effect joysticks, Hall effect magnetic triggers, and Hall effect analog triggers. You can use GameSir’s Nexus app (available on PC and the Xbox store) to remap buttons and make other adjustments to optimize it for your favorite games.
Asus ROG Falcata

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- The 32-inch Asus ROG Swift 4K (model PG32UCDM) is one of the most feature-packed OLED gaming monitors on the market, with a 240Hz refresh rate, 90W USB-C charging, a glossy screen coating, and a built-in KVM switch that lets you control different computers with a single mouse and keyboard. Right now, it’s down to $899 at Amazon, which is a big drop from its usual price of $1,299 (nobody tell Nathan Edwards).
- The Backbone Pro can turn any smartphone or smaller tablet with a USB-C port into a more effective handheld, and it’s fallen to a new low of $134.99 ($35 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Backbone’s online store. The controller has an Xbox-like button layout, plus a pair of remappable rear buttons. It’s also compatible with games available on the App Store and Google Play Store, as well as cloud-based titles that are streamable via Xbox Game Pass. The Pro is Backbone’s first controller to support Bluetooth, too, which allows you to use it with everything from a Stream Deck to the latest smart TVs.
- If you have (or soon plan to buy) a Nintendo Switch 2, you may need a microSD Express card if you foresee quickly expanding beyond the console’s internal 256GB of storage, as it’s the only kind of storage you can run Switch 2 games off of. Fortunately, Samsung’s 512GB P9 is down to its lowest price yet, selling for $74.99 (was $99.99) at Amazon.
8BitDo Ultimate 2 Bluetooth Controller

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- If you’re looking for a new DualSense Wireless Controller, whether for your PlayStation 5, PC, or Steam Deck, every color scheme is $20 off for Black Friday. The adorable “Joyful” model, inspired by Astro Bot, is down to around $64 at Walmart and Best Buy, or, for a simpler look, you can peruse the many color options available at Amazon and Best Buy starting at $54.99 (previously $74.99).
PlayStation 5 Digital Edition (slim)

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The best Lego deals
Lego Boarding the Tantive IV

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- If you want to spruce up your desk without having to worry about keeping real plants alive, Amazon has your back by discounting Lego’s Botanicals Mini Bonsai Trees Building Set to its all-time low of $44.99 ($20 off). The 709-piece set comprises three bonsai trees and a pair of ornamental stands, so you can arrange them at different heights. You can also swap around their leaves to leave the trees looking fresh.
- Lego’s Super Mario Captain Toad’s Camp Building set is a 159-piece kit that’s perfect for any fan of the Mushroom Kingdom, and it’s $11.99 ($3 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. It comprises Captain Toad himself along with a tent cooking equipment, and a structure to explore. Just be sure to avoid the Goomba!
Lego Animal Crossing Fly with Dodo Airlines Airport

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- Lego’s City Robot World Roller Coaster set puts an interactive theme park ride on your desk, and it’s $69.99 ($30 off) at Amazon . The 986-piece set includes a three-car coaster along with a mech suit, mini figures of park patrons, arcade cabinets, and several accessories — including slushy cups and toy cell phones.
Lego NASA Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle – LRV

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- Lego’s Icon Pac-Man Arcade building set is a throwback to one of the most iconic arcade cabinets of all time, and it’s down to $188.99 ($81 off), a new all-time low at Amazon. The 2,651-piece set allows you to build a pretty solid replica of the arcade cabinet, complete with a light-up coin slot, movable joystick, and pushable buttons.
- If you’re a fan the dark knight, Lego’s Batman Mech Armor set makes for a great little showpiece, and it’s $11.99 ($3 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. The 140-piece kit includes a brick version of Batman himself, and a set of mech armor that can launch studs from one of its arms. The mech’s limbs are jointed, so you can change its pose, and equip it with its own batarang to match Batman’s.
Miscellaneous deals
ChomChom Roller Pet Hair Remover

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LifeStraw personal water filter

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- If you’re having trouble falling asleep, a sunrise alarm clock can help bring calm to your bedtime routine. Thankfully, you can snag the Hatch Restore 3 from Hatch’s online storefront for an all-time low of $139.99 ($30 off) through December 1st (discount applies at checkout). The Restore 3 features more than 50 sleep sounds and 18 adjustable light colors, with access to hundreds more through the optional Hatch Plus subscription, which runs $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
- The Nomad Tracking Card Air is currently down to $22 ($7 off) at Nomad’s website. The tracker is about the size of two standard credit cards smashed together (it’s officially 1.7mm thick), so it should have no problem slipping into the slimmest of wallets. It features a sturdy polycarbonate body that can withstand daily wear, as well as integration with Apple’s robust Find My network. That means that if you lose it, you can view its last known or current location in the Find My app.
- Criterion Collection 4K Blu-rays, 1080p Blu-rays, and DVDs are up to 50 percent off at Barnes & Noble and Amazon right now. The sale at Barnes & Noble runs through December 7th, giving you a great opportunity to stock up on physical media. Some of the titles on sale include Michael Mann’s Thief, starring the late, great James Caan, and Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire.
Ninja Swirl

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Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty air purifier

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Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station (3-in-1, Dock Stand)

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- Headspace is offering 50 percent off an annual subscription, bringing the price down to $34.99 ($35 off) through December 4th. The discount only applies to your first year; after that, the subscription will renew at full price. Headspace offers access to guided meditations, online therapy, mental health coaching, and more. At a time when the world feels more dire than ever, Headspace can help bring some calm to your daily life.
- Anker’s 10,000mAh Power Bank, a solid 30W battery pack, is currently on sale for $29.99 ($15 off) at Amazon and Anker’s online storefront. The power bank has nearly enough juice to top off an iPhone 15 Pro twice, and it can charge two devices simultaneously using its built-in cable and USB-C port. It’s also a power adapter that can plug directly into an outlet.
Garmin inReach Mini 2

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- The 15-inch Skylight Calendar is an excellent tool for organizing multiple schedules without sending people reminders, and it’s currently on sale for $239.99 ($60 off) directly from Skylight. Once an event is added to the calendar, it’s automatically synced with other people’s devices, whether they use Apple’s Calendar app, Google Calendar, Outlook, or other popular services. Color coding makes it easy to see whose event it is at a glance, too, whether you’re looking at your device or the Skylight itself.
- Warmups and post-workout cooldowns are easy to skip, but the Theragun Mini Plus may help you look forward to them. Fortunately, Amazon, Best Buy, and Target have all marked the triangle-shaped massage gun down to around $237.99 ($62 off) for Black Friday. The Theragun Mini Plus can operate at three temperatures and vibration levels to help provide relief. Presets available within Theragun’s app can also help you optimize pressure and speed based on the part of your body that you’re working on.
Slice Auto-Retractable Box Cutter

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Xreal One smart glasses

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- If you want a convenient, compact way to connect older accessories to your new Mac Mini, Best Buy has discounted Satechi’s Mac Mini M4 Hub down to a new low of $69.99 ($30 off). The USB-C hub sits below your Mac Mini without restricting airflow, and has three USB-A ports, an SD card reader, and an M.2 NVMe SSD slot. It’s an easy, tool-free way to make extra storage accessible to your Mac Mini without plugging in a portable SSD.
- Nomad’s ChargeKey V2 is a six-inch USB-C cable with a loop that allows you to attach it to your keyring, and it’s available for around $21.75 ($7.25 off) from Amazon (with Prime) and Nomad. The cable can carry up to 240W of power — enough to charge most laptops at their fastest speed — and data at up to 10Gbps. The accessory is a convenient way to make sure you never leave home without a charging cable.
Glocusent Neck Reading Light

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Anker Laptop Power Bank

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The DualSense Edge has fallen to one of the lowest we’ve seen for Black Friday
We’ve seen Sony’s DualSense Edge discounted on a few occasions this year, and now it’s back on sale ahead of Black Friday as part of Sony’s ongoing holiday promo. Right now, you can snag the pro-style gamepad in either black or white at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy for around $169 ($30 off), which is just $10 shy of its previous low. The black version of the DualSense Edge is seldom discounted by this much, so now’s a good time to pick one up if you prefer the stealthier look.
Sony DualSense Edge

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If you spend a lot of time gaming on the PlayStation 5, the DualSense Edge elevates the experience by offering more customization than Sony’s standard DualSense controller. For starters, its deep software integration with the PS5 lets you create up to four profiles, each with customization options for button mapping, stick sensitivity, and assigning commands to the rear buttons. You can create separate profiles for Ghost of Yōtei and Arc Raiders, for instance, and swap between them on the fly without having to leave your game.
In addition to custom profiles, the DualSense Edge lets you adjust the feel of the triggers (L2 and R2), so you can tailor them to specific play styles and games. You can set the triggers to be more sensitive for online shooters like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, or less sensitive for racing games to achieve smoother acceleration and braking. Moreover, the Edge makes it easy to swap out stick modules in case one stops working.
As much as we enjoy how much you can customize the DualSense Edge, though, it’s not without its faults. In his review, The Verge’s Cameron Faulkner found that the controller averaged only about eight hours of battery life on a full charge, which is worse than the standard DualSense controller. It does, however, come with a long charging cable that can lock into the controller, preventing it from accidentally being yanked out.
Read our full DualSense Edge review.
The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are at their best-ever price for Black Friday
Meta may have just released the Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) at the end of October, but they’re not significantly different from the last-gen model introduced in 2021. The overall experience is very similar, which is why the original Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses remain a great buy, especially now that they’re on sale for an all-time low of around $238.99 ($60 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target for Black Friday.
Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 1) smart glasses

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Like their successor, the first-gen Ray-Ban Meta let you listen to music, snap photos, record 1080p video, and make hands-free calls thanks to a five-microphone array. You can upload the resulting photos and videos — and even livestream— to Facebook or Instagram via the companion app. The glasses also support a host of AI-powered features, letting you use your voice to take photos, pull up the history of a landmark, ask questions, or get recipes based on what’s in your fridge. They can even translate multiple languages in real time, helping you with Spanish, Italian, French, and other languages you may be less familiar with.
Additionally, many of the same software upgrades currently slated to roll out to the Gen 2 model — including the new slo-mo and hyperlapse video modes, as well as the new “conversation focus” feature that boosts the audio of whoever you’re talking to — will also roll out to the original pair. The forthcoming software update, which is scheduled for the fall, will also improve the live translation feature by expanding it to support additional languages, including German and Portuguese.
The biggest upgrade with the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 is that they have twice as much battery life: they offer up to eight hours of continuous use and a charging case that adds an additional two days of runtime, compared to 32 additional hours with the first-gen model. You’ll also get slightly sharper 3K video at 30fps, but since both models use the same 12-megapixel sensor, the difference isn’t all that significant.
Read our full Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses review.
Dreame’s X40 Ultra is arguably the best robovac deal you can grab for Black Friday
Robot vacuums show up in our gift guides almost every year, and it’s easy to understand why: they clean, they save time, and they’re cheaper than hiring a professional. But not all robovacs are created equal, and some save more time than others. The Dreame X40 Ultra is one of those, offering a more genuinely hands-free cleaning experience than what you typically get. And now through December 1st, it’s down to a new low of $499.99 ($700 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and directly from Dreame.
Dreame X40 Ultra
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If you’re looking for a great robot vacuum that also does a fantastic job of mopping, the last-gen X40 Ultra is one of the best we’ve tested. With 12,000Pa of suction power, it does a great job of sucking up dirt and debris. It even comes with AI-powered smart dirt detection, which uses onboard cameras to spot particularly dirty areas, then slows down and passes over them multiple times until they’re thoroughly cleaned.
Its dual oscillating mop pads also do a fantastic job on hardwood floors, even extending into edges and under cabinets. It can also automatically detach and reattach its mop pads when switching to vacuuming, so your carpets stay dry. In fact, it repeats this process multiple times throughout a cleaning cycle to ensure carpets are vacuumed and hard floors are mopped properly.
What’s more, the robovac doesn’t require much babysitting; it maps rooms effectively, and its AI-assisted obstacle avoidance navigates around larger items like shoes with ease. Plus, the X40 Ultra can empty its own dustbin, refill its water tank, and clean its washboard — and its mop pads can even wash and dry themselves.
Philips Hue’s Festavia string lights are up to $158 off just in time for Christmas
If you want your house to be the one everyone slows down to look at this holiday season, Philips Hue’s Festavia lights can make that happen. They aren’t cheap, but thanks to an early Black Friday sale at Amazon, you can pick up a 65-foot string for $145.19 (about $97 off) or a 130-foot strand for around $237.60 (about $158 off), which is the lowest price we’ve seen on either strand since they were first introduced.
Philips Hue Festavia string lights

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The Festavia lights are impressive holiday string lights, boasting rich colors, individually addressable LEDs, and a variety of magical preset scenes that combine to create an effect that outshines most rivals. What’s great is you can use them indoors and outdoors thanks to their IP54 rating, so if you don’t want to decorate your porch or walkway, you can use them to dress up your Christmas tree or stair rails.
The lights will work over Bluetooth, but with a Hue Bridge or newer Bridge Pro, you can take things even further with automations and the ability to sync the lights with your music. They also play nicely with other Philips Hue gear — like color-changing light strips, spotlights, and bulbs — so you can create a festive light show that’ll dazzle the neighbors. As a bonus, you can set schedules in the easy-to-use mobile app, so the lights can turn on and off even when you’re not home. And because they support Matter, they work with all major smart home platforms, including Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Home.
Govee Christmas String Lights 2

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If you’re looking for something more affordable or additional size options, Govee’s Christmas Lights 2 are also on sale right now. You can grab a 66-foot strand from Amazon and Govee for $63.99 ($36 off), or a 99-foot strand for $11 more (Amazon / Govee). The longer 164-foot set is also available for $129.99 ($70 off) from Amazon and Govee, while the 328-foot string can be had for $249.99 ($150 off) at Amazon and Govee’s online storefront. As for how these prices stack up to prior sales, these are the best we’ve seen, regardless of strand length.
Like the Festavia, the Lights 2 support Matter and can be safely used indoors or outside thanks to their IP65 rating. However, the included power adapter is only IP44-rated, and the LEDs use drop-style heads rather than bullet heads, which is fine for the roof but not nearly as striking on a Christmas tree. Govee’s companion app isn’t as intuitive as Philips Hue’s, either, and the Festavia lights still offer a better selection of preset scenes.
How Microsoft’s developers are using AI
Microsoft is pitching a future where AI controls everything on your PC and agents go and do work for you in the background. But before the company gets there, it has to build the tools to make these systems work and convince its own developers that AI is actually capable of achieving these big promises.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed earlier this year that up to 30 percent of the code of "some of our projects" is written by AI, and I've been eager to learn exactly how Microsoft's developers are using the technology ever since. I've been speaking to sources and company execs to get a better idea of how AI is being used by Microsoft dev …
Watch how Apple made its new puppet-packed holiday ad
While companies like Coca-Cola turned to generative AI to create “visually jarring” holiday ads this year, Apple continues to embrace practical effects with its new festive short film called A Critter Carol featuring a forest full of tech-savvy woodland creatures.
In the ad a hiker drops their iPhone 17 Pro, which is found by a curious raccoon who uses it to shoot an impromptu performance of the song “Friends” by Flight of the Conchords, along with other animals including a bear, wolf, owl, deer, squirrel, and rabbit. The phone is eventually retrieved by the hiker, who uses their Apple Watch to locate it.
Similar to how the new Apple TV intro was created by filming a glass model of the logo illuminated with colored lights, Apple released a behind-the-scenes look at the practical effects used to make A Critter Carol. There were lots of blue screens and blue bodysuits used that allowed the forest set to be digitally extended and human performers to be removed in post-production, but the critters were all hand-crafted puppets brought to life by a small army of puppeteers controlling various body parts. And yes, the entire production was shot on an iPhone 17 Pro.
A humanoid robot-shaped bubble is forming, China warns
A humanoid robot bubble could be brewing, warned China’s leading economic planning agency on Thursday. The alert comes amid growing fears that a bubble in a related industry — AI — is about to burst.
Speaking at a press briefing, National Development and Reform Commission spokesperson Li Chao said China’s humanoid robotics industry needs to balance “the speed of growth against the risk of bubbles.” Investment has been pouring into the sector despite there being few proven use cases for the bots, Li said, risking a flood of “highly similar” models as funding for research and development shrinks.
More than 150 humanoid robotics companies are operating in China, Li said. More than half are startups or entrants from other industries.
The warning marks a rare note of caution from Beijing for an industry it has declared vital for future economic growth. Earlier this year, China designated embodied intelligence — the technology behind humanoid robotics — a national priority.
Kuxiu’s solid-state power bank now has more capacity and faster wireless charging
Seven months after launching its first semi-solid state battery that used a safer and longer-lasting solid-liquid mixed electrolyte, Kuxiu is introducing a new version with some welcome upgrades. The S3 has twice the capacity of the S2 at 10,000mAh – 5,000mAh at 7.7V (38.5Wh) – that the company says is enough to nearly double an iPhone’s battery life, but that will vary depending on the model.
The Kuxiu S3 is also Qi2.2-compatible so it can wirelessly charge compatible devices at up to 25W. Its larger battery means it’s over 100g heavier than the 145g S2, but Kuxiu has increased the number of N52 magnets it uses from 16 to 18 to help reduce the risk of the power bank being accidentally knocked off your phone. There’s an integrated kickstand now on the back, a small display showing its remaining capacity and charging status, and a built-in cable for charging other devices through a USB-C port with power delivery rated at up to 35W.
As with the previous model, the S3 is more expensive than traditional wireless power banks offering similar capacity, charging rates, and features, but the cost of the technology should drop over time as manufacturing improves and increases. It’s available now for $149.98, but temporarily discounted to $68.99. If that seems hard to stomach, remember that while the capacity of most power banks will start to degrade after 300 to 500 cycles, the S3 should only see a drop to about 80 percent capacity after 1,000 charging cycles. It will have a much longer lifespan, and is less at risk from issues like fire and thermal runaway should you accidentally drop it.
