Black Friday is upon us once again, and that means great deals on all the gear you’ve been eyeing that seemed just a bit too pricey. Below we’ve rounded up our favorite Black Friday Best Buy deals, bringing the best of the store into your living room.
Now is the time to strike, so whether you’re after a sweet new screen, a smarter security camera, or any number of cool gadgets with a temptingly slashed price tag, you’ll find the perfect holiday shopping fare below.
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TV and Audio Deals
Bose’s new Smart Soundbar (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a killer compact bar, updating the Smart Soundbar 600 with all new tricks. The biggest improvement is the bar’s new AI dialog mode, which brilliantly clarifies dialog and center channel information. Another new trick is the ability to add Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds for personalized surround, which creates an almost AR effect. Apart from the new tricks, the bar offers impressive Dolby Atmos immersion with upfiring drivers and a balanced, musical sound profile. It’s not the bassiest bar in its price class, but features like Wi-Fi streaming and the ability to connect other Bose speakers later provide loads of value that let the system grow with your needs.
Hisense’s U7N QLED TV (8/10, WIRED Recommends) sits atop our best TV list as the best option for most people thanks to the serious value it provides. You’ll get excellent brightness, striking quantum dot colors, and impressive black levels with minimal light bleed, or “blooming.” Videophiles may see some screen aberrations (aka the dirty screen effect) but it’s something most folks won’t notice in most scenarios. The U7N’s impressive performance is backed by great gaming features, including VRR (variable refresh rate) for gaming at up to 144Hz, and a breezy Google TV interface.
Photograph: Apple
Apple’s AirPods Pro are the best earbuds for anyone with an iPhone. They offer excellent sound, great noise canceling, and advanced features like transparency mode that can suppress loud sounds so your ears don’t get blown out. The controls are brilliantly simple to use, and Apple continues to update the firmware to unlock innovations, including a new over-the-counter hearing aid option. With all that and more in a supremely light and comfy design, it’s no wonder these are the most popular buds (according to Apple) on the planet.
Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max is one of the best streaming sticks available, especially for those who watch a lot of Amazon Prime Video TV shows and movies. The second-gen device provides plenty of apps, 16GB of storage, and Wi-Fi 6E support for ultra-fast streaming. Alexa fans will be particularly pleased thanks to features like built-in voice control and a picture-in-picture mode for supported security cameras.
Sonos’ Era 100 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is one the best-sounding smart speakers you can buy. It offers particularly impressive detail and balance, and more bass than you’d expect, not only serving but even elevating your catalog. Its smarts include voice control via Amazon Alexa and Sonos’ built-in voice assistant, and its network skills let you connect it with other Sonos speakers in a surround system or as part of a multi-room audio system. The Sonos app has had its troubles of late, but it seems to be back on track, providing simplified control and tons of usability. If you’re after a small and elegant speaker that sounds bigger than its size, the Era 100 is a top pick.
Photograph: Joseph Shin
Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra headphones (9/10, WIRED Recommends) are the best noise-canceling headphones you can buy. That’s a serious distinction given the competition, but nobody can strangle the sonic world around you quite like Bose’s current flagships. They match that feat with a posh and luxurious design, tactfully balanced sound, and loads of features. The only downside to these cans is their launch price of well over $400. With this sale, they may just be the best value in the genre right now.
Sonos may be the first name in smart speakers, but don’t sleep on JBL’s retro-styled Authentics 200 (9/10, WIRED Recommends). The speaker blends vintage looks with innovative smarts, including the ability to use Google Assistant and Alexa interchangeably for all sorts of tasks. Most importantly, the speaker serves up fabulous sound, with a rich and detailed midrange, crisp treble, and way more bass than you’d expect. This beauty was already awesome at full price, and with this latest deal, it’s a serious steal.
Roku’s streaming interface is so intuitive and convenient, the company finally went out on its own to create a line of TVs powered by its popular software. If you don’t have one of those, just grab this high-powered purveyor of all things Roku. This box makes everything easier, from grabbing virtually any app in existence to streaming over AirPlay 2 or Chromecast or watching your favorite show in any major flavor of HDR. If you’ve been looking for the easiest way to upgrade your TV experience, your search is over.
Photograph: Amazon
LG’s C4 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) holds a yearly reservation on our list of the best TVs you can buy. This is about as close to a perfect TV as you’ll find, and it’s not even the top model LG makes (see the G4 OLED). It’s not the brightest OLED you can buy, but it’s got plenty of Dolby Vision HDR spunk, matched by dazzling contrast, perfect black levels, accurate colors, and fabulous 4K detail. LG’s webOS smart interface is a little odd, but it’s ultra-fast, and the Magic remote lets you point and click your way through the menu (or simply use your voice). You’ll also get four HDMI 2.1 inputs loaded with advanced gaming features like VRR (variable refresh rate) and ALLM (auto low latency mode) for seamless next-gen gaming. A TV this good makes you never want to leave the house again, which is really what an online Black Friday sale is all about, after all.
If you’re in need of a Blu-Ray player for all the physical media you’re stocking up on again, this Panasonic 4K player is a great to snag and get the most out of every disc you own since it supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+. WIRED reviewer Parker Hall says that while the software within the player is a is a little dated, the device itself is easy to use. It makes for a good gift for your favorite disc hoarder, too.
Sony’s Bravia 9 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is our favorite QLED TV thanks to its mini-LED backlighting system that makes it one of the brightest TVs we’ve ever tested. It combines that mini-LED system with a proprietary dimming technology to achieve fantastic contrast and black levels, plus you get truly vivid details thanks to Sony’s picture processing. And don’t worry—it’s beautifully bright without blinding you. There’s only two HDMI 2.1 ports, so those with several gaming consoles might not be happy with this TV. But otherwise, it’s a great sale on a great TV.
Photograph: Amazon
Our favorite TV for most people—aka, you!—is on sale right now. The Hisense’s 65-inch U7N QLED TV (8/10, WIRED Recommends) packs an impressive set of features for the money before it’s on sale, and you can get it for a nice little discount right now during Black Friday. The TV uses mini LED backlights for great brightness and deep black levels, has great gaming features like VRR (variable refresh rate) for gaming at up to 144 kHz from its high-refresh panel, plus Google TV built into the device to make it all work. It’s not perfect—some folks will notice a dirty screen effect (normal for a value TV) and the off-axis viewing could be better. Still, it’s a fantastic TV for a great price, especially right now.
If you’re looking for a good TV without spending much, Roku’s Plus Series is a good option, and it’s on sale right now. Roku’s built-in operating system makes it easy to grab any streaming service, call up connected devices, and even find your remote. (That particular feature should be required on all modern TVs.) There’s just a 60-Hz refresh rate, so it’s not the best option for serious gamers. But besides that, it’s a solid performer with good brightness and colors, and local dimming will keep any blotchy patches away. There’s support for all kinds of smart home users, too, from Apple Homekit to Alexa and Google Assistant.
Tech Deals
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The Apple Watch is a perennial smartwatch leader, and the latest Series 10 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is another winner. The bigger and brighter display is easier to see than ever, the latest WatchOS has some great new features, and the sleep-apnea tracking is a game changer for the snorers among us (guilty). I love my Apple Watch’s ability to track things like my water intake, exercise routines, and environmental noise to keep from blowing my ears out–not to mention the insanely convenient phone finder. Whatever you’re into, if you haven’t yet jumped on the Apple Watch, it could be the new Robin to your iPhone’s Batman.
The newest Pixel Watch 3 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) comes in two sizes, and WIRED reviewer Julian Chokkattu recommends going for the larger 45-mm size. It gets a much better battery life—just over a full 24 hours—than the smaller variant, and he says it doesn’t look that big on small wrists. There’s fantastic health and fitness tracking abilities, and unique Loss of Pulse feature coming to the US that could be great for anyone worried about cardiac arrest.
Photograph: Apple
The colorful iMac with M4 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is our favorite desktop in our guide to Best All-in-One Computers. It’s powered by the latest M4 chip, giving it great performance. It has some fun upgrades, too, including the 12-megapixel webcam with support for Center Stage and the option to add a nano-texture display. The iMac’s accessories now come with USB-C ports, which is great too.
The stylish new MacBook Air (7/10, WIRED Recommends) isn’t a massive upgrade over last year, moving from the ultra-fast M2 chipset to the ultra-faster M3. That said, it’s an ample bump from older models, including the M1, offering an 8-core CPU that hums along with up to 60 tabs open in our testing. The computer is still short on ports, but can support up to two external displays at 6K and 5K resolutions simultaneously at a 60Hz refresh rate. Its battery life is hefty at around 15 hours per charge (or even a bit more) depending on your demands. This isn’t the top option for graphics-intensive work, but it’s a slick and speedy laptop for anyone with a basic workload (i.e. most of us).
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Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
Apple’s miniature iPad is the best option for those who want a tiny tablet to bring along wherever you roam. The 7th-generation model (8/10, WIRED Recommends) offers improved performance with the new A17 Pro chipset, savvy smarts via Apple Intelligence, and compatibility with the Apple Pencil Pro. This is a sweet little machine at a more manageable price than Apple’s top models, especially on sale.
Apple’s latest iPad Pro tablet (6/10, WIRED Review) has a bunch of new features, upgrading it with a bigger, brighter display and an OLED screen. There’s also a front-facing camera with landscape mode. It’s all powered by the latest M4 chip, which gives it a nice, snappy performance. It’s compatible with a ton of new accessories, like the Apple Pencil Pro ($99, $30 off), so your shopping doesn’t have to end at the tablet itself. We still prefer the 2022 M2-powered iPad Pro, though.
The 10th gen Apple iPad (7/10, WIRED Review) is our favorite iPad for most people. The A14 Bionic chip has never felt sluggish in our testing, and it packs a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina (IPS LCD) display, with a USB-C port for charging. It has a nice modernized design, too, with slim bezels around that screen. Touch ID is built into the power button, and there’s a 12-megapixel selfie camera in the center of the iPad for better video chatting. It comes with support for the first-gen stylus or the USB-C Apple Pencil ($69, $10 off) as well as the Magic Keyboard Folio ($199, $50 off) and the original Smart Folio case ($79).
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Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
If you haven’t yet joined the Kindle world, it’s a game-changer. The latest Paperwhite model (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a fantastic way to get acquainted, offering a larger display with improved contrast, faster page-turning, and a slightly longer battery life than previous versions. The paper-like Paperwhite provides backlighting for when the lights are off (and your S.O. is asleep) and makes grabbing the latest titles from the Kindle shop or your local online library convenient. We could all use some literary elevation in our lives, and the Paperwhite is one of the best ways to bone up.
WIRED Senior Reviews Editor Julian Chokkattu said the latest Pixel phones gave an impression that the hardware is finally “all grown up.” The Pixel line now leads the charge as one of the best Android phones you can buy. The Pro version is a great package, offering excellent camera performance, a stellar OLED display, and loads of software features. If you’re looking for a top-tier phone not made by Apple, this is an awesome device at an awesome price.
Google’s Nest Cam is one of the best indoor security cameras you can buy thanks to its subtle styling, clear and focused 1080p HDR resolution, and accurate detection of people, animals, and the ever-present delivery man your dog is trying to chase away for good. It would be nice if you could get more than three hours of history without a Nest Aware subscription, but this is one of the most accurate such cameras we’ve tested and worth grabbing on sale.
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