It’s early November and the holiday deals are already rolling out, with many retailers kicking off Black Friday earlier than ever. But this isn’t your typical year. For 2021, there’s actually good reason to start shopping for Black Friday tech deals long before Thanksgiving.
As we’ve already been hearing for months, the global supply chain is seriously backed up with bottlenecks occurring at key points. Hoping to deal with an already difficult situation, retailers are stretching out the shopping season as much as they dare, what with shipping timelines stretching to frustrating levels.
These supply problems will be felt acutely in technology, or so the market watchers say. Intel is already warning that chip shortages are compelling computer makers to focus on high end PCs, while supplies of mid-range laptops and desktops—the biggest targets for massive Black Friday discounts—will be much more limited. It’s not just computers being affected, however, as everything from televisions to children’s toys are suffering from chip shortages and the supply crunch.
With all the weirdness and uncertainty revolving around this holiday season, smart shoppers should already be on the lookout for deals to avoid an even crazier Black Friday than usual. We’re checking for new tech deals daily to help you stay ahead of the curve.
Which retailers have early Black Friday deals?
As we’ve said pretty much every major retailer already has some Black Friday deals going on right now; however, there are some specific sales going on as well. Here’s the current list that applies to PCs, smart home devices, and mobile gear:
- Amazon: Early Black Friday Deals available now
- Costco: Holiday Savings sale I November 1 – November 14, Holiday Savings sale II November 15-29
- Dell: Black Friday sale starts November 15
- Google Store: Black Friday sale starts November 18
- Microsoft Store: Black Friday sale starts November 19
- Newegg: Black November sale available now
- Staples: Black Friday Sneak Peek available now
- Target: Pre-Black Friday sale available now
- Walmart: Deals for Days starts online November 10, in-store November 12
Early Black Friday deals
Here’s a selection of deals that are already available (or soon will be) that we like.
Microsoft 365 Family (15 month subscription)
From: Walmart
Was: $100
Now: $70 ($30 off)
Microsoft 365 Family is an excellent value when you need Microsoft Office and all the fixings for five people. You get all of the Office apps, as well as 1TB of OneDrive storage and free Skype calling minutes every month for each family member. It’s nothing but value, and with this deal you’re paying less than $5 per month for the whole family.
See Microsoft 365 Family at Walmart.
Fire TV Stick
Amazon
From: Amazon
Was: $40
Now: $20 ($20 off)
Getting a cheap streaming device for your TV has never been easier. Not only is this TV stick loaded with all the apps you want, it also works with Alexa. That means you can use Amazon’s personal voice assistant to launch apps and search for content, as well as get information from the web, and control compatible smart home gear. That’s a whole lot of value for just $20.
See the Fire TV Stick at Amazon.
Asus Chromebook CX1
Asus
From: Amazon
Was: $270
Now: $220 ($50 off)
We love Chromebooks that cost around $200 and this one fits the bill at its sale price. The Asus CX1 would make a nice everyday laptop for a student or someone who mostly lives in the cloud. It has some nice specs for a Chromebook, including 64GB of onboard storage, a 14-inch 1080p display, a spill-resistant keyboard, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, a microSD slot, and an Intel Celeron N3350 processor. In addition to running Chrome, this laptop can also do Linux desktop apps, and Android apps from Google Play.
See the Chromebook CX1 at Amazon.
Asus Chromebook Flip C433
Asus
From: Amazon
Was: $434
Now: $370 ($64 off)
If you want a Chromebook with a little more “oomph” and a lot more flexibility, the Asus Chromebook Flip C433 is an excellent value. It starts with a 14-inch touchscreen, connected to a flexible hinge that can turn this into tablet or tent mode when you need to. It has 8GB of RAM, which is double what most Chromebooks have, and 64GB of onboard storage with a microSD card reader if you need to add more. The Chromebook Flip also has a solid dual-core Intel Core m3-8100Y. This laptop can run Linux apps and Android apps, plus it has two USB 3.1 Type-C ports and one standard USB 3.1 port.
See the Chromebook Flip C433 at Amazon.
Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse
Microsoft
From: Amazon
Was: $40
Now: $30 ($10 off)
The Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse is our favorite wireless mouse, and right now it’s on sale for $30. It’s an excellent travel companion that folds flat until you need it and then it pops up into a comfortable shape. Instead of clickable buttons you get a touch pad, and it lacks a wireless receiver, opting for Bluetooth instead. We thought it was solidly built. It takes two AAA batteries, with battery life lasting up to six months.
See the Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse.
50- and 55-inch Amazon Fire TV
Amazon
From: Amazon
Was: $470 and $520
Now: $330 and $380 ($140 off)
These smart TV deals offer a lot at a great sales price. They’re rocking Amazon’s Fire TV software for streaming video and music, and come with and an Alexa-powered remote. They also have three HDMI 2.0 inputs and a single HDMI 2.1 eARC port.
See the Amazon Fire TV (50-inch and 55-inch) deals at Amazon.
50- and 55-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni
Amazon
From: Amazon
Was: $510 and $560
Now: $360 and $410 ($150 off)
The big deal with the Omni models of Amazon’s smart TVs is that they feature hands-free Alexa integration. That means you can use the TV’s built-in mics to launch apps, get web-based information from Alexa, or even control compatible smart home devices.
See the Amazon Fire TV Omni (50-inch and 55-inch) deals at Amazon.
Nest Cam Outdoor (available online November 18)
Google Nest
From: Google Store
Was: $180
Now: $150 ($30 off)
We reviewed the Nest Cam, giving it 4 out of 5 stars and an Editors’ Choice Award. This is a battery-powered camera that works indoors or out, and Google says it can get up to seven months of operational time on a single charge. It can also be continually charged with the accompanying magnetic charging cable if you mount it close to an outlet.
See the Nest Cam for $150 at Google.
Apple Watch SE 40mm in space gray with Wi-Fi (available November 21)
Apple
From: Staples
Was: $280
Now: $230 ($50 off)
Staples, and presumably other retailers, will be offering the Apple Watch SE at a solid discount starting November 21. This is a good entry-level smartwatch for iPhone owners that looks identical to the flagship Apple Watch Series 6, but lacks the always-on display, Sp02 sensor, and ECG app. Still, if you want to track your sleep, heart rate, and workouts while getting notifications on your wrist the Apple Watch SE is an excellent and affordable option even at full price. With this Black Friday discount, it’s a no-brainer.
See the Apple Watch SE at Staples.
LG 4.1 Channel 420W Soundbar
LG
From: Walmart
Was: $190
Now: $130 ($60 off)
Anyone looking for good value with a mid-range soundbar should check out this deal over at Walmart. This 4.1 channel soundbar not only comes with a wireless subwoofer, but also a rear speaker kit. We haven’t reviewed this soundbar, but upgrading your living room sound for under $150 is a killer deal especially with a well known and trusted brand like LG.
See the LG 4.1 Channel soundbar at Walmart.
2TB Kingston Technology NV1
Kingston Technology
From: Adorama
Was: $200
Now: $145 ($55 off)
Kingston’s computer storage gear is usually very good and this drive is well worth a look. At 2TB you have all kinds of space for the average PC owner, and it comes in a blazing fast NVMe SSD package. This is an excellent deal, as long as your PC’s motherboard can take M.2 2280 drives, and most modern motherboards should. Kingston says you can expect sequential read speeds up to 2,100 MB/s and sequential write speeds around 1,700MB/s.
See the 2TB Kingston Technology NV1 at Adorama.
Adobe Creative Cloud
Adobe
From: Adobe.com
Was: $53/mo.
Now: $30/mo. ($23 off)
All 20 of Adobe’s content creation apps are available in the content-generating package, and right now you can get it at an excellent deal. Even with the discount we wouldn’t exactly call Creative Cloud cheap, but if you’ve been eyeing this subscription package then this deal is a great time to jump in. Creative Cloud features After Effects, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Photoshop, Photoshop Express, Premiere, and a whole lot more.
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