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Save over $200 on B&O's H9i headphones, but only for a few hours
My issues with Bang and Olufsen headphones have never been sound quality, design or features. It almost always comes down to price. Premium audio brand commands a premium price. But despite a refined design, crisp sound and nice overall comfort, it was impossible to recommend the H9i at its full price of $499. There were simply better options available for $100 less even though I scored the H9i a solid 86. For Black Friday, Amazon has knocked over $200 off the full price of these wireless over-ear headphones, which makes them much easier to recommend.
Apple Black Friday deals include a $250 iPad and MacBook Pro discounts
You knew it wouldn't be Black Friday if there weren't sales for Apple gear, and there are plenty of those to go around in 2019. One of the best bargains may be Apple's 10.2-inch iPad, which is selling for $250 at Target through November 30th -- $80 off the usual $329. That makes it far easier to justify if you're looking for straightforward tablet. Appropriately, Amazon is offering the Apple Pencil for $79 ($20 off) to help you get started on any iPad projects.
Elektron's Model:Samples groovebox is $100 off for the holidays
Elektron's synths, samplers, drum machines and grooveboxes are known for their top-notch sound and unique sequencing features. Once thing they're not known for, though, is being affordable. The Model:Samples is the big exception to that rule. And it's getting even cheaper for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Most retailers have knocked $100 of the price, bringing the Model:Samples price to just $299 -- making it perhaps the best bargain in grooveboxes right now.
Garmin's Forerunner 645 (a staff favorite) is 50 percent off at Amazon
As you may have heard, Team Engadget is spending some time this week perusing Black Friday deals. I was sifting through some sales today, and it turns out my favorite running watch received a temporary price cut. In fact, I'm wearing it on my wrist as I type this. At full price ($400) I might not have recommended the Garmin Forerunner 645/645 Music to everyone; I probably would have suggested most people step down to the mid-range 245. But with a price drop today to $200, the higher-end model suddenly becomes much easier to recommend than it was when we first reviewed it. Like any Garmin (or GPS watch from any brand, for that matter), it'll track your distance, pace and elapsed time. Here, you also get built-in music storage allowing you to stream through wireless headphones, without the need to bring a phone. (Or, in my case, clip on an iPod shuffle that's on its last legs.) There's also a heart rate sensor built in (no need for one of those uncomfortable chest straps) and features that monitor your training in a more long-term sort of way, including V02 Max ratings, workout loads and a so-called performance status. This is a good way to confirm what I often already know: that I'm over- or under-training. As for battery life, I've completed five-hour-plus marathons with plenty of juice to spare. The design has been durable enough for many a run in the rain. The distance tracking is also more accurate than the last several generations of Apple Watches. (Apple Watches tend to say I ran longer than I did, which means my calculated pace is also faster than what I probably achieved.) The Forerunner has admittedly been slow at times to find a GPS signal before I start my run, though a recent firmware update seems to have improved things. There are some more smartwatch-like features on board, but that's not why I recommend this. I never use Garmin Pay, the contactless payment system. And the smartphone notifications are crude and unhelpful. If you want a smartwatch experience (not to mention, something that looks a little more stylish that Garmin's rubbery watches), get an Apple Watch Series 5. (Yes, that's on sale today too.) Buy Garmin Forerunner 645 on Amazon - $200
Apple HomePod costs just $200 in Best Buy's Black Friday sale
If you've been curious about Apple's HomePod but felt that it was too expensive even after the April price drop, now's your time to act. Best Buy is selling the smart speaker for $200 as part of its Black Friday sale, a full $100 off the usual price. It's much easier to rationalize at that cost, especially now that Apple has introduced multi-user support and allows voice-controlled Spotify playback. Some caveats still apply, though.
Oculus Go drops to $150 on Amazon in Black Friday sale
You're looking at one of the most affordable ways to immerse yourself in stand-alone VR. Amazon is selling the 32GB Oculus Go headset for $150, down from the usual $199, as part of its Black Friday sales. There have been substantial discounts before (the Go dropped to $159 in a flash sale this summer), but this is steeper than usual.
The Organelle music computer is nearly $100 off this weekend
Here's a sweet deal on a gift that could make sense for the more adventurous music-makers in your life. Critter & Guitari is running a sale on the Organelle M that drops the price from $595 to $499 from now through December 2nd. At that price, the music computer may be hard to resist -- it's a do-it-all instrument that can stand in as a synth, sampler, sequencer, drum machine or virtually anything else if you have the right code.
PlayStation discounts include half-price 'Red Dead' and 'Spider-Man'
It's no secret that Black Friday weekend is a good time to score deals in the PlayStation world, and that's truer than ever as the PS4 era draws to a close. To start, the PlayStation Store is offering massive discounts on a slew of PS4 games until December 2nd, including price drops of 50 percent or more on established hits and recent tiles. Red Dead Redemption 2 is down from $60 to $30, while its Ultimate Edition is just $40. Spider-Man has dropped from $40 to $20, and God of War is a mere $10. You can also snag Madden NFL 20's Superstar Edition for $40 (versus the usual $80), and other 2020 EA Sports games have similarly hefty discounts.
The tech you need to stay warm this winter
The holiday season is creeping up on us, and baby, it's cold outside. Sometimes it's cold inside too, and the chill spreading throughout your body can really kill your holiday buzz. Instead of chugging eggnog or doing 50 jumping jacks to generate body heat, why not get an electric blanket and snuggle up? You can never have too many gadgets, right? Right?!
The best board games with an app-based twist
Board games are a timeless way to socialize and bring loved ones together over the holiday season. If you're tired of the classics (please, no more Monopoly), it might be time to freshen up your collection with a hybrid board game. We know, we know -- this can be a touchy subject. Some love the hobby because of its physical components and therefore don't want a smartphone or tablet anywhere near the table. If you fall into this camp, we completely understand. App-supported board games can be wonderful though. Some offer sound bites that tell you where an invisible enemy is on the board. Others serve as a research terminal that lets you feel like an ace detective. Apps can be used to update games too, with additional quests, missions and modes. A few of our favorites have even added single-player campaigns to previously multiplayer-only games. If you're open to the idea and want a few recommendations, check out our Engadget-approved short list below. We take no responsibility for any festive family feuds that occur as a result.
Engadget readers can save on a DJI drone and Segway scooters
Over the last week, we've done our best to try and find the most compelling Black Friday deals to try and save you time and money during your holiday shopping. With this post, we're doing something different. We've partnered with Wellbots to offer Engadget readers exclusive discounts on the DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone, as well as Segway ES4 and Max electric scooters. To take advantage of these deals, use the checkout codes below. As an added bonus, if you live outside of New York State, there's no sales tax on any of the items.
Everything in our holiday gift guide that you can buy for $50 or less
Depending on your budget and how many people are on your gift list this year, you might only have a modest amount to spend on each person. Even if you instill a cap of fifty bucks, though, you still have plenty of options. In Engadget's 2019 holiday gift guide, we have nearly 50 under $50, with picks running the gamut from toys, to video games, to books and movies, to mobile and gaming accessories. As it happens, today is Black Friday in the US, so chances are, many of the items here will cost you even less than the list price. Happy deal hunting!
The best of LG Display’s Black Friday deals
If you've been sleeping on getting yourself a new display, then it's worth checking out what LG is knocking money off this Black Friday. That includes the 32UL750-W, its 32-inch 4K LED monitor with Vesa Display HDR 600, which will now set you back $469, down from its regular price of $635. If that's a little too pricey, and you just need a 4K monitor with AMD FreeSync, you can bag the 32UD60-B 4K for $299.99, down from $458.50. Buy LG 32UL750-W 32 Inch 4K UHD LED Monitor on Amazon - $470 Buy LG 32UD60-B 4K UHD Monitor with AMD FreeSync on Amazon - $300
ASUS' 27-inch, 165Hz gaming monitor is $150 cheaper for Black Friday
Now might be a good time to upgrade your gaming PC's display if your current model is feeling old in the tooth. Two of ASUS' gaming monitors are on sale from now until December 30th at 3:05AM Eastern, and both of them pack features you might appreciate. The ROG Swift PG279QZ has dropped to $450 from its usual $599, making it a considerably sweeter deal. The 27-inch, 1440p screen packs a 165Hz refresh rate (with NVIDIA G Sync support) as well as an IPS panel, giving you very smooth gaming and IPS' vivid colors. There's also eye fatigue reduction for those marathon Modern Warfare sessions.
How to prep tech gifts for kids
Every parent probably dreams of that Nintendo 64 moment -- you know, that video of the boy opening up a present on Christmas morning and screaming the name of the system while his sister hops around him? Unfortunately these days it's easy for that excitement to come crashing down once they unbox a new system only to discover it needs a ton of updates or you don't have the right cables. So be prepared and make sure you do what needs to be done in advance so your kids can enjoy their gifts while you sit back with a well-deserved hot toddy.
Ask Engadget: What are the best tech stocking stuffers?
The support shared among readers in the comments section is one of the things we love most about the Engadget community. Over the years, we've known you to offer sage advice on everything from Chromecasts and cameras to drones and smartphones. In fact, our community's knowledge and insights are a reason why many of you participate in the comments. We truly value the time and detail you all spend in responding to questions from your fellow tech-obsessed commenters, which is why we've decided to bring back our "Ask Engadget" column. This week's question concerns small, but useful, tech gift items. Weigh in with your advice in the comments -- and feel free to send your own questions along to ask@engadget.com! What are the best tech stocking stuffers?
Save up to $400 on Razer Blade laptops at Amazon
With Black Friday around the corner, now is a great time to spring for a laptop -- particularly if you're looking for one that can be used for gaming. Amazon will discount Razer's Blade 15 until December 2nd (or, more likely, while supplies last). If you don't want a gaming machine, but would still like to buy a new laptop this year, you may also want to check out our Dell and Lenovo roundups.
Roku's latest Ultra streaming player is 50 percent off for Black Friday
Only a month after the 2019 Roku Ultra was available for $30 off, there's an even better deal on the streaming player for Black Friday weekend. It's down from $100 to $48 on Amazon until 11:59 PM PT on Monday -- the same as what the 4K Streaming Stick+ typically costs.
Surprise: The Instant Pot is discounted for Black Friday (again)
Instant Pot deals happen fairly often, but as we'd expect, Instant Pot is offering some of its steepest discounts just in time for Black Friday. Its best offer is $85 off the Instant Pot Ultra 8-quart model. Regularly priced at $180, it's on sale for $95, which according to Camelcamelcamel, is the lowest price yet.
Google's Pixel 3a drops to $300 on Amazon for Black Friday
If you missed out on the Pixel 3a's price drop last week, don't worry -- you'll have a second shot now that Black Friday is here. Google's starter 64GB smartphone is selling for $300 between now and December 2nd at 3AM Eastern. That's a full $100 below the official price, and tempting if you want 'pure' Android without spending much. The pricing applies to all colors, including black (above) as well as purple and white.
