We hope you had a great Thanksgiving and are making informed decisions on any Black Friday sales. This morning (and throughout the week), you could save substantially on a new smartphone, wireless headphones, streaming devices and Alexa-powered Amazon devices -- if you didn't have one already. We've got some of the latest deals below, as well as our verdict on the Echo Flex, Amazon's newest, smallest smart speaker.
Amazon's Echo Dot was small, easy to use and incredibly affordable at only $50. Sure, there are speakers offering better audio, but if all you wanted was a cheap way to get Alexa into the home, the Echo Dot was the way to go. That is until earlier this year, when Amazon announced an entirely new product: the Echo Flex, a small Alexa-powered speaker that plugs directly into any wall outlet. At $25, it's one of the cheapest Alexa devices on the market -- but is it worth your time?
When AMD launched its third-generation Zen 2 Ryzen processors earlier this year, Intel had to be sweating. Its rival had developed an all-new architecture with improvements to clock speed, core count and instructions per clock and promised performance that matched -- and even beat -- Intel's CPUs.
Intel still has a lead in gaming, but only just, and given AMD's progress and recent Zen 3 announcements, is any market safe? Steve Dent explains all.
Black Friday deals equal giant TVs on sale and Instant Pots. Yep, the upgraded pressure cooker is back again, trying to convince you to free up the counter space for one -- and you'll need a fair bit. The best offer is $85 off the Instant Pot Ultra 8-quart model. Regularly priced at $180, it's on sale for $95. If you do get one and don't know where to start, we'd suggest reading our guide on getting the most out of your Instant Pot.
The 2019 Roku Ultra is down from $100 to $48 on Amazon until the end of Cyber Monday. Roku only started shipping its latest Ultra in October, so it's a killer deal on a brand new product. While it's a set-top box that takes up a little more space than a streaming stick, the 4K-ready Ultra has an Ethernet port, which might help ensure sturdier streaming than a WiFi connection.
If you missed out on the Pixel 3a's price drop last week, don't worry -- you'll have a second shot now Black Friday is here. Google's starter 64GB smartphone is selling for $300 until December 2nd at 3AM Eastern. That's a full $100 below the official price.
Yes, it's a mid-range phone in terms of processing power, and it lacks water resistance, but you'll still get that exceptional Pixel camera quality, healthy battery life and a quality screen. Oh, and did we mention that there's a headphone jack you won't find on the Pixel 4? (That model is also on sale...)
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Samsung’s Galaxy S10 and Note 10 devices have consistently topped their rivals by bringing a complete package to the table. For this Black Friday, the entire range of 2019 Samsung flagships has been marked down by $200 across several stores. On top of that, Samsung and some other retailers are throwing in a free pair of Galaxy Buds (worth $129) with all Galaxy S10 and Note 10 models, except for the Galaxy S10e.
You can find this Galaxy Buds bundle only on a handful of sites, including Samsung’s online store, Amazon, B&H, and Walmart. While Best Buy isn’t offering this freebie, it’ll strike off another $100 (total $300) if you choose to activate a line with AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon alongside your purchase of an unlocked unit.
Samsung Galaxy S10e (without Galaxy Buds)
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Galaxy S10+
Samsung Galaxy Note 10
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
The discount is already applied to these phones’ list price, and you simply need to follow the usual checkout process. You can also head to our Black Friday deals roundup to find more tempting deals.
It's Black Friday at Walmart. The big day is here, the sales have already begun and the prices are incredible. With the official Black Friday sale beginning at last night we've seen huge savings on game consoles, Apple products, TVs and earbuds. Some of the major offers include the JBL Flip 3 Stealth wireless speaker for $50, this year's 10.2-inch 32GB iPad for $249 and the Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 for $49. Many of the Black Friday sale items have already been listed as out of stock, so it's important to get in on the discounts while availability lasts.
We're still seeing further price drops on some items, particularly in tech, so check back often for the latest updates.
Everyone's favorite pressure cooker gets a huge 50% price cut. This is about as low as we've ever seen the 6-quart model.
Sarah Tew/CNET
If you have any non-Pro iPad before the 2018 model, this 10.2-inch 2019 model is a pretty sweet step-up, especially at this $250 price.
See Black Friday iPad buying guide.
Microsoft
For die-hard Star Wars fans, this is the deal to beat. Jedi Fallen Order is a hotly anticipated game, and there probably isn't a better console to play it on than the Xbox One X in UHD 4K. The Deluxe Edition of the game features some premium in-game skins and 90 minutes of behind-the-scenes video content. The bundle also includes three months of Xbox Live Gold.
Read our Xbox One X review.
Microsoft
The Xbox One S may not have all the horsepower of an Xbox One X, but given the price difference between the consoles, it might be a worth compromise. We love this deal because it lands you Jedi Fallen Order and a new Xbox for almost half the cost of the Xbox One X bundle.
iRobot
If you're looking to let a robot vacuum for you but you're put off by the price on iRobot's latest models, the 670 is here for you. This model includes Wi-Fi to do your bidding via a mobile app, Alexa or Google Assistant.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
We've seen this discount come and go. Now it's back. At $100, we're big fans of the Ninja Coffee Bar, which provides an unequaled list of features and capabilities.
Read our Ninja Coffee Bar review.
Samsung
We haven't reviewed this model, the UN65NU6900, but the specs are tight, and it's got kudos from users. And it's almost $100 less than the 70-inch Roku TV below, which is a pretty compelling bargain.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Acer's Chromebook 715 has some premium features that are rare in the Chromebook class. You get a 15.6-inch Full HD display, eighth-gen Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB hard drive. And it's tough: Acer says its all-aluminum chassis can survive drops from up to 4 feet.
Read our Acer Chromebook 715 preview.
Sarah Tew/CNET
When Lenovo introduced the IdeaPad 330s last year, it started at $500. Now, you can get a decent midrange configuration -- with a quad-core AMD processor, a 256GB SSD and 8GB of RAM -- for under $300. Equipped with a sharp 15.6-inch display, the 330s has thinner-than-usual bezels and an aluminum lid.
Read our Lenovo IdeaPad 330s preview.
Fluxx
Remember when hoverboards cost $500 or more? Well some still do, but you don't need to spend nearly that much to ride a self-balancing two-wheeler. While most hoverboards tend to run $130-$200 these days, this model from Fluxx is about the cheapest you're going to find one for the holidays.
Walmart
While CNET hasn't reviewed this exact model (RTR3260-W) -- and expectations for a $130 TV shouldn't be too high -- this 720p model has the Roku smart TV operating system (our favorite) and three HDMI inputs. Hard to complain about that feature set at this price if you're looking for a small TV for the kitchen or kids' room.
CNET
This Walmart exclusive, which includes Google's tiny virtual assistant and Chromecast streaming device, turns any TV into a smart TV. Hook them up and use your phone (or voice) to stream Netflix, YouTube, Spotify, Pandora, HBO Now and thousands of other apps and games.
Read our Google Home Mini review.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The price on this model was $599 last week -- but even at $699, this is a solid deal on an older version of Apple's iPad Pro. The 10.5-inch iPad was released in 2017, but Walmart's loaded configuration (512GB of storage, Apple's A10X processor) will do the job in 2019 and beyond.
Read our 10.5-inch iPad Pro review.
RCA
Looking for the other end of the size spectrum? Check out this 70-incher from RCA, the RTRU7027-US. We haven't reviewed it, and this brand isn't exactly known for its picture quality. But it's a friggin' 70-inch 4K Roku TV for $550. Allowances can (and will) be made!
Lego
I bought this -- actually two of them -- last year for my kids, and it was a hit. You get a new, small Lego figure or ship for 24 days in a row. These usually sell out.
Arcade1Up
Most of Arcade1Up's machines cost around $300. This one -- which is a three-quarter-size version of the original -- costs $170 once it's in your shopping cart. And it looks, sounds and plays exactly like the old arcade machines. Walmart is also offering the Centipede edition for $180.
Nintendo
This bundle includes the new version of the Switch, which offers an improved battery life of up to 9 hours. And since the list price for this Switch is $299, you're getting Spyro for free.
Read more about the Nintendo Switch V2.
With an improved fit on previous models, these wireless headphones have very good sound for Bluetooth sports headphones. Reliable operation and strong battery life (12 hours) thanks to Apple's W1 chip, our one knock on these headphones was the price. But during Walmart's Black Friday festivities, you can score a pair for just $89. Check out our full review.
Need a new coffeemaker for your home or office? You won't want to miss this sale. The space-saving K-Compact coffee maker brews one of three cup sizes in less than a minute and is the slimmest Keurig removable reservoir coffee maker.
Walmart deals that have expired (but are likely to return)
Want to escape reality during this upcoming election year? Strap a shiny new Oculus Go to your eyeballs. This completely self-contained, standalone, no-phone-or-PC-necessary VR system has a comfortable design and feel. Sharp-looking display and effective built-in speakers with spatial audio. Hundreds of apps. Oculus setup app works with iOS and Android phones. Connects for social chats with Go, Gear VR and Oculus Rift owners.
Sarah Tew/CNET
We reviewed the similar Legion Y545 and appreciated its edgy design and great components for the price. Walmart's configuration comes stocked with solid components, including an Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, 512GB SSD and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 GPU.
Read our Lenovo Legion Y545 review.
Sarah Tew/CNET
These aren't the high-end AirPods Pro, but this is the lowest price we've ever seen for the standard AirPods.
Read our AirPods 2019 review.
Sony
This is the best we've seen this season. Last year, you got the same console plus Spider-Man at this price, so this is a pretty big ramp-up. You get:
That pulls together three of the best-ever PS4 exclusives -- albeit ones that are not for younger kids.
Nintendo will be offering its own Black Friday Switch bundle next week -- but that one will include the original version of the console, not the newer version with improved battery life. Walmart's bundle includes a physical copy of Minecraft.
Read more about the Nintendo Switch V2.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The M-Series Quantum delivers excellent picture quality, with deep black levels, accurate color and very good 4K HDR performance. And its smart system is phone-friendly, with Google Cast and Apple AirPlay control.
