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Apple's 10.2-inch iPad drops to $270, plus the best early Black Friday deals so far

Though Black Friday is technically a week away, we're already seeing a barrage of sales that we expect to carry over into the shopping holiday. Several of Apple's iPads, Apple Watches and MacBooks are available at their lowest prices to date, for instance, as are a plethora of devices from Amazon and Google. PlayStation and Xbox have kicked off their respective Black Friday sales, too, and there are numerous discounts on wireless headphones we like. We expect to see many more deals go live in the coming days, but for now, here are the best early Black Friday deals from this week that you can still get today.

Apple iPad 10.2-inch and iPad Pro

Chris Velazco/Engadget

It's a good time to be in the market for a new iPad, as several of Apple's tablets are back down to the lowest prices we've tracked. The entry-level iPad, for instance, is on sale for $270. That's about $25 below the 10.2-inch tablet's average street price over the last few months. We gave the device a review score of 86 last year; while it lacks the more modern design of Apple's newer slates, we still consider it the best budget tablet you can buy.

Buy iPad deals at Amazon

If you want a step up, the latest iteration of the 11-inch iPad Pro is $70 off less than a month after launch. We gave that one a score of 87, praising its top-of-the-line M2 chip and 120Hz display, though the iPad Air (currently down to $520) is still a better value for most. If money is no object, the 512GB version of last year's 12.9-inch iPad Pro isn't that far off from the newer model; it's down to $1,000, which is roughly $275 lower than its typical street price as of late.

Apple Watch Series 8

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

The Apple Watch Series 8 is down to $349 ahead of Black Friday, which matches its lowest price to date and sits about $40 below the typical price we've seen in recent months. That deal is for the 41mm model; if you'd like a larger case, the 45mm version is down to a new low of $379, which is also $40 off its usual street price. The Series 8 is the top pick in our best smartwatches guide: It's probably not worth the upgrade if you're coming from a Series 5 or newer, but it continues to offer the most robust blend of app support, fitness tracking, smartphone connectivity and style you can get in a wearable.

Buy Apple Watch Series 8 at Amazon - $349

Apple MacBook Air

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Apple's M2-equipped MacBook Air is still on sale for $1,050, which is the best price we've tracked and about $75 off its typical price online in recent months. We gave it a review score of 96 earlier this year, and it's currently the top pick in our guide to the best laptops. This entry-level model suffers from slower storage speeds than pricier configurations, so it's not ideal for pro-level work, but its premium-feeling hardware, vibrant display and powerful SoC should still make it a pleasure for more common tasks.

Buy MacBook Air M2 at Amazon - $1,049Buy MacBook Air M1 at Amazon - $800

If you want a cheaper route into macOS, the 2020 MacBook Air with Apple's M1 SoC is back down to $800, which is about $100 off its usual going rate. That model is saddled with thicker bezels, tinnier speakers, a worse webcam, slower charging and slightly worse performance than the new Air, but its long battery life, still-speedy chip and comfortable keyboard and trackpad keep it a fine value for casual web browsing and basic work at this deal price.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

This one is more of a PSA than an ongoing deal: As spotted at Slickdeals, the latest AirPods Pro are set to drop to $199 at Target starting November 20, which is the lowest price we've tracked. If you can't wait a couple days, the earphones are on sale for $230 now, which is $19 off Apple's MSRP and about $10 off the average street price we've seen since the pair launched this past September. 

Either way, while there's no shortage of good wireless noise-cancelling earphones these days, the AirPods Pro continue to offer powerful ANC, rich bass and particular ease of use with other Apple devices. Battery life and call quality are just average, though. Our review gave the pair a score of 88.

If you prefer a more open design, we'll note that the second-gen standard AirPods are still available for $90, which is roughly $15 below its typical street price. Again, though, it might be best to wait, as Walmart's product listing says that it'll have that pair available for $79 starting next week.

Sony noise-cancelling headphones sale

Sony has discounted a number of its premier noise-cancelling headphones ahead of Black Friday, which include the flagship WH-1000XM5 marked back down to $348. That's a $50 discount for the feature-rich cans, matching the all-time low for what we consider the best wireless headphones you can buy. If you want to save some cash, the last-gen WH-1000XM4s are back to a low of $228 themselves. That pair isn't as comfortable as the newer model, but it delivers a similar feature set and bass-forward sound for less money. It also avoids the auto-adjusting ANC of the XM5, which some may prefer.

Shop Sony noise-cancelling headphones sale at Amazon

Among in-ear pairs, the WF-1000XM4 and LinkBuds S are also on sale for $178 and $128, respectively. Again, both of those deals match the lowest prices we've seen. Between the two, the WF-1000XM4 offers more detailed sound, stronger noise isolation and a bit more battery life, though the LinkBuds S have a lighter and more comfortable fit. We gave the former a score of 86 last year.

Xbox controllers and games

Aaron Souppouris/Engadget

If you need an extra gamepad for your Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, or PC, Microsoft is selling its comfy Xbox Wireless Controller from $39 at various retailers. That isn't the lowest price we've seen, but it's still about $10 less than the typical prices we see online. The sale applies to multiple colorways, though getting the controller in anything other than black, red or white will cost an extra $5-10. If you don't want to deal with Bluetooth pairing on PC, you can also grab a bundle that pairs the gamepad a wireless adapter for $50. Just remember that the Xbox pad charges via AA batteries by default; a rechargeable unit costs $25.

Buy Xbox Wireless Controller at Amazon - $39Shop Xbox digital games sale at Xbox

Beyond accessories, Microsoft has also commenced its Black Friday sale for Xbox digital games. You can peruse through that for a full list, but some notables include Halo: The Master Chief Collection for $16, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga for $30 and Doom Eternal for $10. Amazon also has the more recent Halo Infinite for a low of $20 if you'd like to try that FPS' new campaign co-op mode; just note that co-op isn't available to play locally and that the game's multiplayer is still free to play.

Xbox Series S

Aaron Souppouris / Engadget

We don't expect most game consoles to be discounted for Black Friday, but the Xbox Series S is an exception. Right now, Target is selling the diminutive device for $250and throwing in a $50 gift card with the purchase. Provided you use that gift card, that's effectively a $100 savings. If you aren't a frequent Target shopper, Amazon has console down to $240 on its own. 

Buy Xbox Series S + $50 gift card at Target - $250Buy Xbox Series S at Amazon - $240

The Series S itself isn't as powerful as the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5: It's not built for 4K gaming or especially high frame rates, it doesn't have a disc drive and it only includes 512GB of built-in storage. But it can play all the same games as the Series X, its SSD still allows for fast loading times and its compact design is easy to tuck away. It's a fitting choice for a secondary TV or those who want a more casual route into the Xbox library. We gave the console a review score of 85 when it first released in late 2020.

PlayStation controllers, subscriptions and games

Aaron Souppouris/Engadget

If you're prefer the PlayStation 5, Sony has dropped that machine's DualSense controllers down to $49, which is a new low and $20 off their usual going rate. Again, this sale applies to multiple finishes, though most are not priced higher than the standard white model. There are other accessory deals, too: Sony's DualSense Charging Station is back to its all-time low of $20, as is the PS5 Media Remote for those who often use the console as a media streamer.

Shop PlayStation games and accessories sale at AmazonBuy PS Plus at PlayStation Store - 25 percent off

If you need to re-up your PlayStation Plus subscription, Sony has also cut the price of memberships to all three of that service's tiers by 25 percent. This brings the basic "Essential" tier down to $45, the "Extra" tier to $75, and the "Premium" tier to $90. As a refresher, the Essential tier gets you access to online multiplayer, an allotment of cloud storage and a handful of free game downloads each month. The Extra tier adds an on-demand library with a few hundred games, while the Premium tier provides cloud game streaming and a selection of "classic" PlayStation games on top of that. 

Finally, the company has discounted a range of PlayStation games at both its online store and third-party retailers. Highlights there include The Last of Us Part II and Death Stranding for $10; Returnal, Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart for $30; and Horizon Forbidden West for $40. All of those match the lowest prices we've tracked.

Roku Streambar

Valentina Palladino / Engadget

Roku's Streambar is down to $80 at multiple retailers, which is about $30 below its average street price in recent months and matches the lowest price we've tracked. This is a highly compact, 2.0-channel soundbar that doubles as a 4K HDR Roku streamer. You can get more expansive sound from other soundbars, but the Streambar will still outperform most built-in TV speakers, and having a streaming player built in is still useful for smartening up an older TV. We gave it a review score of 86 back in 2020. If you don't need a soundbar, Roku's excellent Streaming Stick 4K is still on sale for $25 as well.

Buy Roku Streambar at Amazon - $80Buy Roku Streaming Stick 4K at Amazon - $25

Google Pixel and Nest sale

Sam Rutherford / Engadget

Google's has set its annual Black Friday sale live, bringing solid discounts on a number of its Pixel and Nest devices. The notable offers here include the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro down to $500 and $750, respectively — both represent the lowest price we've tracked for what our review called "the best bargains in flagship phones." Normally, the handsets have retailed closer to $595 and $880.

Shop Google Pixel and Nest device sale at Amazon

The Pixel 6a, meanwhile, is back at its all-time low of $299, down from a typical street price around $385. We gave that device a review score of 89 this past July. It gets you the same clean software as the flagship models and excellent camera performance for the price, though it does sacrifice wireless charging and a higher refresh rate, among other perks, by comparison.

A range of Nest smart home gadgets are also on sale. The



This post first appeared on Engadget | Technology News, Advice And Features, please read the originial post: here

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Apple's 10.2-inch iPad drops to $270, plus the best early Black Friday deals so far

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