My top 5 best Black Friday deals all hit record low prices

I admire the patience of people who know the technology they want but wait for the best deals and discounts to show up on Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday. That patience has been rewarded this year as there are some very aggressive offers on great products.

It’s brutal to narrow down the best deals this year, but the following are my top 5. I’ve either purchased or tested all five of these products this year, so I can personally vouch that they’re all outstanding. And I was very pleased that all five achieved record low prices on Black Friday.

Also: The best Black Friday deals: live updates

1. Meta Ray-Ban data glasses

Smart glasses have never looked as good – or as close to normal glasses. Meta has teamed up with Ray-Ban to integrate its audio-based augmented reality glasses into these iconic frames. And the audio quality is actually its best feature. These glasses are great for taking phone and video calls as well as playing podcasts and audiobooks. And while the practical sound is their main feature, these glasses can also take photos and videos that are as good as a 3-4 year old smartphone camera. They also offer a hands-free AI assistant that can answer questions and translate languages, and receive regular software updates to add new features.

Also: I would recommend Meta Ray-Bans as the best tech deal of Black Friday 2024

The Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses were one of the hardest tech products to get in the first half of 2024, as many of the models were sold out for months – so discounts were very rare. But for Black Friday, Amazon is offering a creative offer for the standard version with a black frame and green-tinted lenses. These retail for $299, but Amazon is selling them for $239 (20% off) and also includes $90 in digital credit that you can redeem at Amazon.com. So if you can spend the $90 on other Amazon purchases you already have planned, the price of the Meta Ray Bans is effectively $149. I would actually recommend getting the Meta Ray-Bans with transition lenses so you can wear them indoors and outdoors. These retail for $379 and are on sale for $303 (20% off). So the $90 digital credit brings it down to an effective price of $213 – which is still a great deal.

2. iPad 10th generation

Apple now makes many very advanced and very expensive iPads that can easily cost over $1,000 – and can even grow to over $2,000. However, I only recommend these iPad Pro and iPad Air models to digital artists, creatives and multimedia professionals.

For most people, the standard iPad is the best iPad iPad 10th generationwhich actually looks very similar to the iPad Pro and iPad Air and was the first iPad to feature a front-facing webcam on the long side of the iPad to make it perfect for video calls. The 10th generation iPad is powerful enough for the things most people do with their iPads – watch streaming services, read, surf the web and answer messages.

Also: The iPad hits its all-time low price of $250 on Black Friday—and it’s the model I recommend most

Apple products rarely get big discounts, but Amazon sells them iPad 10th generation for 28% off ($100 off). The retail price is $349, it’s $259 on Amazon. But you can also check the box for a $9.01 instant coupon and get it for $249.99. Considering this tablet sold for $450 less than a year ago, this is an even better deal than it looks – especially for an Apple product.

3. Sony Bravia X90L 65-inch TV

I’ve seen the best TVs of 2024 from Sony, Samsung, LG, TCL and Hisense and the TV I still recommend the most is last year’s Sony X90L LED TV. Although it doesn’t wow you on the spec sheet, this TV looks great in any room – wall mounted or stand mounted – and it does everything well. It has a great design, a high quality remote control, an excellent software interface with Google TV and excellent picture quality right out of the box.

Since this is a mid-range TV, there will never be any big discounts – with the exception of the huge 98-inch model – but almost all sizes of this TV are heavily discounted at Amazon and Best Buy for Black Friday. I would highly recommend the 65-inch model for most people, and it’s available at an all-time low price of $998 (23% off the retail price of $1,299).

Also: This Sony Bravia TV is my pick for the best TV for the money – and Black Friday has an all-time low price

Now, if you are someone who loves great images and really wants to have the best image quality money can buy, then I would recommend this LG G4 OLED TV. The 65-inch model is available for $2,297 (32% off the retail price of $3,399). Keep in mind that you could get two X90Ls and a soundbar for this price.

4. Hisense AX5125H 5.1.2 Soundbar

If you have a TV that already does this job, the best way to upgrade it without having to buy and install a whole new TV is to add a soundbar. In fact, clearer sound with better bass and surround sound is often a bigger upgrade that makes your viewing experience more cinematic than buying a TV with a better picture.

The best budget soundbar I’ve tested is the Hisense AX5125H 5.1.2 channel soundbar. It is equipped with a 500W wireless subwoofer and dual rear speakers. It’s easy to set up using an eARC HDMI port and offers clear sound and plenty of volume for a medium-sized room.

The retail price is $350 and there is a 29% discount on Black Friday, so you can get it for $250.

5. AirPods Pro 2

AirPods are a perennial favorite among Black Friday deals. Apple rarely gives them discounts, but third-party sellers are not afraid of it. The AirPods Pro 2 are now the best-selling model and received a major software upgrade in 2024 that now makes them a medically approved hearing aid. As a gift, the AirPods Pro 2 are more versatile than ever.

And for Black Friday, AirPods Pro 2 are available at the lowest price we’ve ever seen for Apple’s Pro earbuds. Amazon is selling them for $154 (38% off the retail price of $249). The crazy thing about this deal is that the Pro earbuds are cheaper than Apple’s standard earbuds – the AirPods 4 for $165.

If you’re a fan of over-the-ear headphones, this is it AirPods Max for $399 also hit an all-time low price on Black Friday.