Amazon made big price cuts on its Echo and Fire TV devices for Black Friday
Amazon is discounting a lot of its hardware starting on November 22nd.
Ahead of Thanksgiving next week, Amazon has shared a preview of its Black Friday deals. This year, the company's Black Friday sale will run a full week starting on November 22nd. Amazon will have a lot of different products discounted, but for the purposes of this roundup, we've decided to highlight the company's own hardware.
Echo devices
Amazon will discount the Echo Dot, its smallest (and most affordable) voice-activated speaker, by $28, making it $22 instead of $50. It will also sell a three-pack bundle for $65. While we haven't had a chance to review the third-generation Echo Dot, we did like its predecessor, awarding it a score of 86 when we reviewed it last year. Amazon says the new version is 70 percent louder than the second-generation model. Just note that if you want the Echo Dot with "time on its side," you'll want to take advantage of the next deal, not this one.
There's not much to say about the Echo Dot with Clock. It's an Echo Dot with a digital clock on its side that can also display information like the current temperature and any upcoming alarms. Normally it costs $10 more than the base model Echo Dot, but thanks to Black Friday, you'll be able to get it for $35 instead of $60 -- which is less than the regular price of the non-clock model.
Moving on to Amazon's smart displays, the company will discount the Echo Show 5 by $40. So you'll be able to grab it for $50, as opposed to the usual $90 it costs normally. For $5 more, you can bundle it with an Amazon Smart Plug. We gave the Echo Show 5 an 85 when we reviewed it earlier this year. We liked the fact the Echo Show 5 could double as a sunrise alarm, as well as how good it sounded in our testing. On the flip side, customizing its display could have been easier.
Amazon plans to sell the newest version of its original smart speaker, the aptly named All-new Echo, for $60, down from $100. We liked the new Echo a lot when we put it through its paces last month, awarding it a score of 90. Highlights include great sound quality and responsive mics.
If you already own a decent sound setup and don't want to buy a separate smart speaker, look no further than the Echo Input. Amazon will sell the Chromecast Audio of the Echo family for a mere $15, down from its usual price of $35.
Fire TV devices
If you want a cheap way to watch Amazon Prime Video originals like Good Omens and Jack Ryan on your TV, Amazon will sell the Fire TV Stick (with included Alexa remote) for half off on Black Friday, making it $20 instead of $40. We liked the Fire TV Stick when we first reviewed it back in 2014, and Amazon has made it better since.
It's not a Black Friday if you don't at least consider buying a new TV. If you do end up splurging for a 4K set, Amazon plans to discount the Fire TV Stick 4K by $25, so it will be half off just like the regular Fire TV Stick. If you want to buy a discounted Echo Dot while you're at it, you can get both for $47 as part of a bundle.
Lastly on the Fire TV front is the Fire TV Cube, which will cost $90 on Black Friday, down from $120. Uninspiring design and voice control quirks aside, there's a lot to like about Amazon's set-top box. We gave it an 84 when we reviewed it on the back the performance, compatibility and feature enhancements Amazon made.
Ring and Eero
If you've been thinking about adding a smart doorbell to your home, Amazon plans to discount the Ring Video Doorbell Pro by $70 on Black Friday, which means it will cost $180. Amazon also plans to offer a $180 bundle that includes both the Ring Video Doorbell Pro and Echo Show 5.
Discounted Echo speakers and Fire TV devices are all well and good, but let's be honest: what you really want this Black Friday is a mesh WiFi. If you haven't jumped on the mesh train, now is the time to do so, with Amazon discounting its new Eero WiFi system by $90, so that it only cost $160. Mesh routers are one of those gadgets that aren't all that exciting at first glance but are life-changing, especially if you live in a large home with WiFi dead spots.
Kids Edition products
If you're shopping for kids, Amazon hasn't forgotten about you. The company is discounting several of its Kids Edition products, starting with the Fire 7 Kids Edition. Normally the tablet costs $100, but for Black Friday you can get the Fire 7 Kids Edition for $60. Each Kids Edition product detailed in this post comes with a two-year worry-free guarantee and a complimentary one-year subscription to the company's FreeTime Unlimited subscription service.
If your child has been pestering you for their very own Echo Dot, the Kids Edition will cost $40, down from $70. You can also get a three-pack for $120. It too comes with a two-year worry-free guarantee and a complimentary FreeTime Unlimited subscription -- which is why it costs more than the standard Echo Dot.
Last but not least, Amazon will discount the Kindle Kids Edition, which it announced in October, to $80, down from $110. In addition to all the usual Kids Edition perks, it comes with a fun-looking kid-proof case. It also has a couple of software tweaks to make the Kindle experience more appealing to younger readers.
