While this is the way too early to talk about Black Friday, it is at least objectively cooler to associate the expression with Halloween than with Thanksgiving. So we’ll forgive Best Buy for kicking off its sale a month early. Luckily, that also means you have more time to snag deals on a ton of electronics from the retailer this week.
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Camera Deals
The GoPro Hero11 (9/10, WIRED recommends) is one of our favorite action cameras. This model adds a larger sensor that’s great for vertical video, if you’re into that sort of thing, and can record up to 5.3K of video, although you’ll need a new phone for that.
Sony’s A7 cameras are still among our top picks for most people and while the A7 IV (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is our favorite, it’s also very expensive. If you don’t mind missing out on some new autofocus features, the A7 III is also a great choice, and it’s on sale right now.
Another step up from the A7 III (although it’s still a great camera in its own right), this AII kit comes with a 28-70mm variable lens. If this is your first mirrorless camera and you don’t have any Sony lenses yet, this is a great place to start without dumping a ton of cash.
Ecosystem lockdown is real in the camera world, and if you’re a hardcore Canon fan, the EOS-R is our top pick for you. It’s a heavy camera with satisfyingly machined metal tips, phase-detection autofocus, and even a handy cover that folds out to protect your sensor when you switch lenses.
Audio offers
These Beats headphones (8/10, WIRED recommends) are particularly great if you’re in the Apple ecosystem. They pair easily with iPhones and other Apple devices and boast incredible Bluetooth range and at least 20 hours of battery life. Unfortunately, Android users might not enjoy the same battery life.
Our resident audiophile, Parker Hall, called the Galaxy Buds2 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) “the new standard in mid-range wireless headphones.” They’re comfortable, with active noise cancellation and enough water resistance to survive your workouts.
If your workouts are more intense than those of the average person, you might prefer headphones designed to keep up with you. On that front, the Jabra Elite 7 Active is our favorite. In our tests, they fit people with vastly different ear sizes without falling out. They also have excellent noise cancellation and at least eight hours of battery life.
Google may be a latecomer in the headphone world, but the Pixel Buds Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends) impressed us with seven hours of playtime, intuitive touch controls, and the ability to easily switch between devices. Unfortunately, they lack some features if you use them with iPhones.
Although we haven’t tested this specific model, Sony’s WH-1000XM4 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) remains our overall top pick for wireless headphones. This model is normally slightly cheaper than other options, but today it’s downright affordable while still offering many of the benefits of Sony’s earphone design and expertise.
This M-series soundbar from Vizio (9/10, WIRED recommends) strikes the perfect balance of detailed surround sound without breaking the budget. We especially like this one for gaming because it makes it easy to hear that enemy sneaking up behind you.
Portable Deals
Despite Google’s recent return to the smartwatch game, Samsung is still making the best smartwatch for Android users right now. The Galaxy Watch5 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) has many fitness features comparable to the Apple Watch, though some, like EKG measurements, only work if you pair the Watch5 with a phone Samsung.
It’s no surprise that the best smartwatch for iPhone is the Apple Watch. While the Series 7 (8/10, WIRED recommends) isn’t the newest model on the block, this discount makes it an attractive and affordable option.
Smart home deals
Google’s Nest Hub Max (8/10, WIRED recommends) is our favorite smart display overall. It has great speakers, a large 10-inch touchscreen, and a camera for video calls. Google’s software can also identify specific members of the household to show only relevant reminders and events for that person, and it even has a guest mode so others can use it without seeing your personalized results. .
If you prefer your smart display without a camera (and there are plenty of reasons why you might), the smaller 7-inch Nest Hub does most of what the Max can, in a cheaper package. It supports gesture control so you can pause videos with a wave of your hand, making it ideal in the kitchen.
There’s no cheaper way to enter Google’s smart home ecosystem than with the Nest Mini. At $20 each, you can put one in most rooms in your home. They don’t have the heavy-duty speakers of more expensive options, but if all you need is to set timers and get reminders, this is a great entry.
In the Amazon ecosystem, the Dot serves the same simple entry purpose. It offers a basic set of voice commands for listening to music, organizing your schedule, and setting timers. While $20 isn’t the cheapest we’ve seen, it’s pretty close.
The fourth-gen Echo (8/10, WIRED Recommends) provides a nice upgrade over the basics. It comes with room-filling sound, a 3.5mm output for connecting to a larger sound system, and the usual host of Alexa commands.
Lenovo makes some really great smart home accessories for the Google Assistant ecosystem (sometimes even nicer than those from Google itself.) This alarm clock is a prime example. It offers a 4-inch smart display and alarm clock functions to help you wake up, and it comes with a slot to charge your phone wirelessly at night.
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