SALTZMAN: Six hot – early – Black Friday tech deals

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‘Tis the season to buy tech toys, whether it’s to gift to loved ones over the holidays or perhaps treat yourself to something you’ve had your eye on.

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Especially following a year of gouging grocery prices, shrinkflation and high interest rates, millions of Canadians have been waiting for bargains on Black Friday (Nov. 29) and Cyber Monday (Dec. 2) to spend their cash.

The good news is you don’t need to wait until next weekend for door-crashers, as many tech brands and retailers have already announced early Black Friday sales, to move inventory for keen-eyed early birds.

The following is a look at a half-dozen tech and gaming recommendations, in terms of quality and price, and where to score the short-term savings.

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Samsung Galaxy S6 Lite Tablet

Now: $229.97

Was: $449.99

Where: Amazon.ca

Those who want a stellar tablet without breaking the bank should consider the 10-inch Samsung Galaxy S6 Lite (2024 Version; 64GB), an Android-powered, grey-coloured tablet that includes an “S Pen” (stylus).

Thin and light, and with a battery that lasts up to 15 hours, expect a colourful screen, dual speakers, and two cameras (8-megapixel rear cam and 5-megapixel front-facing cam for video calls).

If 64GB of storage isn’t enough to download apps and games from the integrated Google Play store, there’s a microSD card slot to expand the memory up to 1 terabyte (about 1,000 gigabytes). Good thing there’s also a fire sale on the high-speed SanDisk 512GB Extreme microSDXC Memory Card with Adapter, down to $50.99 from $119.99 (58% off) at Amazon.ca.

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Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) with USB-C MagSafe Case

Now: $238.99

Was: $329.99

Where: Staples

Great sound, a comfortable design and great battery life: The 2nd Gen wireless AirPods Pro features “Adaptive Audio,” which automatically provides the optimal listening experience depending on where you are, dynamically switching between Active Noise Cancellation (to block out ambient sounds near you) and Transparency mode (when you need to better hear what’s going on – ideal for pedestrians).

Powered by Apple’s H2 chip, audio performance is greatly enhanced, delivering well-balanced and distortion-free lows, mids and highs. Along with “Hey Siri” hands-free support, there’s touch controls, and up to six hours of battery life (with Active Noise Cancellation enabled).

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These weatherproof earbuds include four pairs of silicone tips for a custom fit, and USB-C MagSafe-supported charging case.

LG 4K UHD LED Smart TV (UQ7070)

Now: $598.00

Was: $848.00

Where: Walmart

While there are less expensive TVs, sure, if you’ve been saving for an LG model, Walmart has dropped the price of this 50-inch Smart TV by $250.

Along with its 4K picture and supporting high-dynamic range (HDR10) – for a boost in colour, contrast and brightness – LG’s TruMotion 120 tech reduces blurs for fast-paced sports, action movies and video games by doubling the standard 60 frames per second.

This Smart TV is powered by the webOS 22 platform for a huge app store, reliable connectivity, and several customization features – aided by the Alpha 5 (Gen 5) AI processor.

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This slender, wall-mountable TV is also compatible with Google Home, Amazon’s Alexa and Apple HomeKit, for even more control and compatibility with your smart home.

ASUS ROG Strix G13 Gaming PC

Now: $1199.99

Was: $1,699.99

Where: Best Buy

Currently $500 off, the ASUS ROG Strix G13 Gaming PC delivers a lot of bang for the buck, thanks to its Intel Core i5-14400F processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics (with 8GB video memory) and 16GB of RAM (system memory). To store all your games, a 1-terabyte solid state drive provides capacity and speed.

The see-through tower gives a glimpse into the coloured LED-lined guts of the machine, which looks great in a dark room, while an air cooling system prevents overheating.

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Other features include immersive high-definition 7.1 channel audio and 8 USB ports (USB-A and USB-C) to connected accessories.

Like most desktop PCs, a monitor is not included.

Those who want one of the buzzworthy “AI PCs” could snag up to $200 off on a 1.1cm-thin ASUS Zenbook S 14 laptop, powered by an Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processor, built-in CoPilot+ and battery life that exceeds 20 hours.

Razer Viper V2 Pro 3200 DPI Wireless Gaming Mouse

Now: $99.99 + free Razer mousepad

Was: $189.99

Where: Best Buy

Competitive online players know all too well the gear they use could mean the difference between winning and losing – and a fast mouse is one of the most important considerations.

Don’t compromise on response time and latency with the Razer Viper V2 Pro, a wireless optical gaming mouse featuring 2.4GHz HyperSpeed technology and 3200 dpi (dots per inch) precision, resulting in cutting-edge performance.

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This should help boost your “E/D ratio” in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

Weighing just 58 grams, this Razer mouse has a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 80 hours on a single charge.

Speaking of games, Ubisoft Canada has a Black Friday sale on virtually all games, including $22 off the awesome Star Wars Outlaws – now for $67.49 instead of $89.99 (25% off).

ViewSonic 15.6″ FHD Portable Gaming Monitor

Now: $179.99

Was: $229.99

Where: CanadaComputers.com

The ViewSonic VX1654 Portable Gaming Monitor is a super thin and light 15.6-inch Full HD display, on a kickstand, that you can plug into a laptop, mobile device, or game console.

And you get both mini-HDMI and USB-C cables in the box – the latter of which also carries power over the wire, and so for most devices, like a laptop and tablet, the screen powers up immediately (no need to plug it into a socket). For laptop users, choose to extend or mirror your main display.

For gamers on the go, this anti-glare IPS monitor is fast, too, with a powerful 144Hz refresh rate and with AMD FreeSync technology.

When you’re ready to move, at just 700 grams (about 1.5 pounds), you won’t even feel it in your bag or backpack – and it includes a protective zip-up sleeve, too.

– Marc Saltzman is the host of the Tech It Out podcast and the author of the book, Apple Vision Pro For Dummies (Wiley).

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