Best Deals on Tech Products Right Now
CR's shopping experts help you find the best bargains on TVs, laptops, headphones, and more
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If you’re in need of a new pair of headphones or you’re itching to replace a laptop at the end of its days, you may not have to pay full price to get something that will suit your needs.
Since the holidays are over, we’re not seeing as many deals and discounts, and the sale prices that are available are mostly not as steep anymore. But you can still find some savings if you’re not able to wait for a bigger sale.
When it comes to determining what makes a deal truly great, we don’t just look at the price tag—we also consider how well the item stood up to the rigorous testing in our labs. That way you can purchase it knowing full well that it’s going to make you happy for months and years to come.
For discounts on other products you may want and need, check out Consumer Reports’ Deals hub.
Headphones and Earbuds
While this isn’t the steepest discount we’ve seen, the price for these headphones has remained steady for the last few weeks. For all of the popularity of Apple’s earbuds, the AirPods 4 with ANC is a rather unusual model. It doesn’t have much passive noise cancellation–the ear tip blocks up your ear canal, earplug style. But it does have active noise-canceling with a mic monitoring the noise around you and generates a soundwave that’s the exact opposite of the noise. The AirPods4 are largely successful. Without that passive noise canceling, their ability to dampen noise is good but not great. But with the noise canceling turned off, you can hear what’s going on around you, which can be great when you’re on the run or walking on a busy street. In terms of sound and fit they’re very similar to the regular AirPods 4.
If you want a pair of noise-canceling earbuds at a budget price, check out the Soundcore Space A40s. Our testers report that the sound quality is solid—and better than many more expensive models. The bass packs some wallop, and the overall sound is warm, which makes the A40s pleasant to listen to over a long period of time. The noise cancellation gets top marks from our testers as well. It has a transparency mode that allows you to monitor your surroundings, such as when you’re out running or walking down a busy street.
The Sennheiser CX Plus true wireless noise-canceling earbuds deliver solid sound quality at a nice price. They also get solid scores for active noise cancellation, which can be used whether or not you’re listening to music. There’s even a transparency mode that allows you to add in some outside noise, which can make it safer to use them while outdoors.
This wireless Bluetooth iPod/iPad/cellphone-centric model from JBL is a solid pick. The JBL Tune 660NC delivers very good sound quality and excellent active noise reduction. These headphones have a closed design, they will provide some muffling of external noises and also reduce the amount of sound that escapes from the headphones.
If you’re looking for a pair of earbuds that prioritizes fit above all else, check out the Beats Fit Pro. These noise-canceling buds have soft silicone ear tips in three sizes, plus wingtips that fit into the pinna (the exterior of your ear) for additional security. They have actual buttons, too, rather than the touch-sensitive controls on many other models, which may make it easier to operate them while on the go. The Fit Pros also sound really good and feature effective active noise cancellation, making them a solid alternative to the similarly priced AirPods Pro.
You might think of the Pixel Buds Pro as Google’s answer to Apple’s AirPods Pro. These noise-canceling in-ear headphones are designed to work best with the company’s Pixel phones and smartwatches and Google Assistant, although you can certainly use them with any phone. Our testers report that Pixel Buds sound a bit bassy but are otherwise satisfying. At this very nice Black Friday price, the Pixel Buds Pro are worth looking into.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 may have been replaced by the newer and sleeker XM5, but our testers report that the models perform similarly. The Sony XM4 delivers truly superb sound quality, dead quiet noise cancellation, plus a nice array of features. They were selling for around $200 as recently as December, but Walmart has the best price right now by more than $100.
Bowers & Wilkins, aka B&W, might not be a household name, but this British company has been making audiophile-grade speakers and headphones for decades. The PX7 S2e delivers on both noise cancellation and lively sound quality.
The price for these headphones tends to fluctuate greatly. While they did sell for as little as $250 during the holidays, we haven’t seen a big discount outside of that. This deal is more in line with the sales we tend to see throughout the year.
Smart and Bluetooth Speakers
Looking for a really good, inexpensive small speaker? The Flip 6 is very similar to the venerable Flip 5, and that’s a good thing. It’s water and dust-resistant, has a 12-hour battery life, and is just the right size to slip into a bag or even the water bottle pocket on a backpack. Various colors are on sale at Walmart right now from $95 to $100 or so. Though it was $80 for Black Friday, this is still a good price for this speaker, especially since it’s selling for $129.95 at other retailers.
The XG300 delivers satisfying sound, plus the features you want in a modest-sized tailgating speaker: decent volume, an IP67 water-resistance rating (which means it can survive a dunking), and a rechargeable battery with 25 hours of battery life, according to Sony. All in all, our testers say, it’s a significantly better speaker than its more expensive XG500 sibling, and here it is at less than half price.
Sonos Move
The Sonos Move is great for a Sonos fan looking to expand an existing multiroom system to a porch or patio. This rather large portable smart speaker is modestly weather-resistant and, like Sonos’s other smart speakers, can work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Sonos’s own digital assistant. It can also add Bluetooth functionality to your existing Sonos system. And the price has continued to drop since Black Friday when it was selling for $350.
TVs
Anyone looking for a top-performing 48-inch 4K OLED TV should consider the LG OLED48B4PUA, which delivers in every respect except for HDR performance, where our test results show it’s only so-so. It’s in an entry-level OLED TV series for 2024. This is an excellent sale, dropping $100 since last month and selling for $50 less than during Black Friday.
Roku 55R8B5/55R8BX
We didn’t test this 55-inch Roku set, made by Roku, but we did test the 65-inch version and it does very well for both overall picture quality and HDR. Roku’s top-of-the-line Pro-series TVs use Mini LEDs in the backlights, which can help improve overall brightness, as well as contrast and black levels.
TCL 55Q550F
The TCL 55Q550F, which uses the Amazon Fire TV smart system, is an entry-level QLED TV from 2023 that does well for 4K picture quality in our tests, though not as well for HD or HDR performance. Right now we see this set, which has the Alexa voice assistant built in, only at Best Buy.
Situated right below Samsung’s pricier flagship QD-OLED TV for 2024, the Samsung QN65S90D is a smart all-around buy, with commendable picture quality and HDR performance. Like the model above, it’s $100 more than its best price, so hold off until Black Friday for a potentially better price. It has a lot of features, including an ATSC 3.0 tuner for receiving NextGen TV off-air signals where available. Walmart’s still selling it for its Cyber Monday price, and the other retailers come close.
Unlike some other Onn TVs we’ve tested, which have done fairly well for overall picture quality, the 65-inch Onn 100012587 from Walmart’s private label brand does only okay in our tests and worse than that for HDR. Still, this is a very low price for a 4K set this size and might be an option for less finicky viewers on a tight budget. It’s a Roku TV, so it has access to a lot of streaming services. It matches the price we saw on Cyber Monday.
Although a 2023 set, the LG OLED77C3PUA is a top-performing OLED that’s worth owning, and thanks to more than a year of price drops it’s a lower, though still not inexpensive, price. It aced our picture quality tests, has great sound, and very good HDR performance. We saw this set for about $100 less at Best Buy during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, but every other major retailer never sold it for under $2,000—Amazon and Walmart now list it at full retail value for around $1,800.
Soundbars
The Sonos Ray is a compact 2.0-channel soundbar and the least expensive Sonos model we’ve tested. Despite its small size, it manages to deliver impressive overall sound. It lacks an HDMI input—you connect it to a TV via the optical digital audio input—but it has built-in WiFi for playing music, podcasts, and radio from your favorite services. This soundbar often drops down to $169, so this isn’t the best sale price. You may be better off adding it to your wishlist or cart and waiting to hit that buy button so you can save an extra $50.
The Samsung HW-Q60C is a midlevel 3.1-channel Dolby Atmos soundbar from 2023 with sound quality good enough for both music and movie soundtracks. It includes a center-channel speaker for reproducing dialogue, as well as a separate wireless subwoofer. It doesn’t have rear satellite speakers, but you can add them to create a full surround-sound setup. It has Samsung’s Q-Symphony feature, which lets you use both the TV and soundbar speakers together. This model isn’t marked as discounted on Amazon, but it was selling for $20 more earlier this month, so this may be the new regular price.
Samsung HW-Q6CC
We didn’t test the Q-series 3.1-channel soundbar from Samsung, a 2023 model that supports Dolby Atmos audio, though not DTS:X. In general, Samsung soundbars in this price range have done well in our tests. Samsung Q-series soundbars include the Q-Symphony feature that lets you use both the TV speakers and soundbar together for a more immersive soundfield.
Laptops and Desktop Computers
Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
Thin, light, and powerful, with battery life to spare, the MacBook Air has been a great choice for consumers since the first model was released way back in 2008. This one—outfitted with Apple’s homegrown M1 processor—debuted in 2020 and is still a compelling choice. (Heck, this copy was written on one!) And the model is now selling at a price so low it practically requires a double take. It’s $50 more than it has been, but still one of the more affordable options for an Apple laptop.
Tech Accessories
Apple AirTags (4-pack)
Much like trackers made by Samsung and Tile, AirTags work best if you’re looking for one within Bluetooth range (roughly 30 feet) of your own phone. But that said, there are millions of iPhones and other Apple devices roaming around out there that can pick up a signal and discreetly convey it to you when you find yourself searching for, say, a park or a school campus for the keys you dropped. Is the tracking pinpoint accurate? No. But it’s close enough to give you a little peace of mind.
Apple USB-C to Lightning Cable
This 2-meter cord, designed for the iPhone 5 through the iPhone 14, survived 11,500 bends without failing in the rig we created to test charging cord durability. That’s the equivalent of more than six years’ worth of use, according to our estimates.
Smartwatches
This rugged-looking (and high-performing) Samsung smartwatch is aimed at outdoors enthusiasts—and anyone who wants the latest premium health- and fitness-tracking features. Just note that Galaxy Watches work only with Android devices.
The generation-old Garmin Fenix 7 is a top-of-the-line sports watch intended for those who are tackling more intense training programs or want more advanced navigation tools, like the ability to create turn-by-turn hiking courses. It also has an impressive 18-day claimed battery life. Although this price has gone up by $29.99 in recent weeks, Walmart is the only retailer with this offer—the next best price is $450.
Smart Home
The TP-Link Tapo C420S2 performs well across the board in our tests for video quality, response time, data security, and smart features. This two-camera kit’s features include color night vision, person detection, pet detection, vehicle detection, a built-in siren, and free local video storage on up to a 256GB microSD card. Cloud video storage is also available with a subscription.
Interested in a smart lock but don’t like hubs and dongles? The August WiFi Smart Lock connects directly to WiFi, no hub needed. It’s also a retrofit model, meaning it replaces only the interior side of your deadbolt so you can keep your existing keys. It performs quite well in our tests, including those for ease of remote access and convenience. Features include auto-locking and unlocking, access logs, electronic keys, and a door sensor.
Smartphones
This pint-sized, foldable phone easily stows in your pocket but flips open to reveal a high-quality 6.7-inch display. The cover screen, which remains visible even when the device is closed, shows notifications, dynamic widgets, and your personalized wallpaper. The camera quality and battery life are both respectable. All in all, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 is a solid performer for fans of foldable phones. This phone was $847 earlier this month, but this is still a worthwhile discount.
This is a substantial discount on Samsung’s premium foldable phone. Think of the dual-screen device as part smartphone, part tablet, which might be handy if you want to use your phone for texting and editing spreadsheets for work. It’s a bit heavier than most phones at 8.6 ounces but hinges open to reveal an impressive 7.6-inch display. It was $1,349 in December, but a $150 discount is still nothing to sneeze at.
Printers
The main thing that the Canon PIXMA TS7720, an all-in-one inkjet, has going for it is its price. It’s been selling for $99 for a long time, but now it’s discounted significantly, making it a great time to buy. The real street price is closer to $100 than the original $150, but you’re still getting nice savings here. Our annual estimate of ink cost is $68 a year, pretty typical for a cartridge printer. The lab results it turns in are decent, not extraordinary.
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