The brand-new Echo Dot just got its first big discount

While we’re going to be knee-deep in Black Friday deals a week from now, there are plenty of sales to check out if you’re planning to do some spending this weekend. If you’re gearing up for the main event taking place next week, make sure to bookmark our Black Friday hub for regular updates on all the latest deals.

Our first deal to send off the workweek is the first significant discount we’ve seen on the fifth-generation Amazon Echo Dot. Currently, you can pick up the newest Echo Dot for $39.99 at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy, knocking $20 off the regular price of the clock model; however, if you prefer your Echo Dot sans clock, you can also pick up the clock-less Echo Dot for just $24.99 ($49.99).

The latest Echo Dot doesn’t look different from its previous iteration, but it supplies a number of significant hardware upgrades. In addition to sounding better, Amazon claims that the fifth-gen Echo Dot is more responsive to tap gestures, and its integrated temperature sensor can trigger Alexa Routines based on the ambient temperature. The clock-enabled model of the Dot can also use its display to show you song information as well as the current weather forecast.

Just like the fourth-gen model, the fifth-gen Dot has the ability to serve as an Eero Mesh Wi-Fi extender, which can be handy in a pinch but can affect the overall performance of your device. However, the latest Echo Dot has the feature out of the box, while the fourth-gen version will support this feature when an over-the-air update arrives in the coming months. Read our review.

Taking a trip back to last-gen devices, you can currently find the 512GB configuration of the 12.9-inch 2021 iPad Pro discounted to $999.99 at both Amazon and Best Buy, knocking $400 off the regular price of the Wi-Fi-ready, M1-equipped Apple tablet. If you’re cool with having less storage, Best Buy also has the 256GB configuration on sale for $899.99 (normally $1,299.99). Even with the slightly older M1 CPU, the 2021 iPad Pro has more than enough juice to serve as an ad hoc laptop, and it’s equipped with one of the sharpest displays you can get on a tablet. Read our review.

If you’re in the market for a more budget-friendly Apple tablet, you can currently find the base 2021 64GB iPad matching its lowest price on Amazon. Normally $329, you can get the Wi-Fi model of the 10-inch Apple tablet for $269.99. While it lacks the M1 processor present in newer iPad models, the A13 Bionic processor is still capable of handling most applications. It’s also worth noting that the vanilla 2021 iPad is the only Apple tablet that still uses a Lightning connector for charging, as opposed to USB-C, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack for wired listening.

You can currently save on a couple of excellent Sony headphones at a number of retailers. The latest Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are normally $398, but they’re on sale at both Amazon and Best Buy for roughly $350. Sony’s latest noise-canceling earbuds, the WF-1000XM4, are on sale for around $180 at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy, knocking $100 off their usual price.

The WH-1000XM5 have a slimmer design than the XM4, and while Sony didn’t make any drastic changes to their main features, they offer a wholly improved experience. Superior noise cancellation alongside a better sound profile and upgraded voice call quality are why we currently consider the XM5 to be the best noise-canceling headphones you can currently get. Read our review.

For something smaller, we consider Sony’s WF-1000XM4 earbuds to be the best wireless earbuds you can buy. The XM4 earbuds are a stellar combination of top-notch noise cancellation, amazing battery life, and rich, detailed sound quality. While the microphone quality is only average, a recent firmware update eliminated one of our main gripes with these earbuds by giving the XM4 multipoint Bluetooth connectivity. Read our review.

• Several of Anker’s GanPrime charging accessories are discounted at Amazon when you apply the on-page coupon before checkout. The Anker GanPrime 615 65W charging station is discounted to $52.50 (normally $69.99), while the Anker 727 100W wireless charging station and Anker 737 120W USB-C charger are both on sale for $75.99 (normally $94.99).
• If you need to free up some space on your console or PC, the WD_Black 4TB P10 Game Drive for $99.99 at Amazon (normally $129.99) is the lowest price ever for the 4TB configuration of the external hard drive. While it uses the older USB-A to Micro-B interface, the P10 is still capable of transfer speeds up to 5Gbps. If you use it with the Xbox Series X / S or PS5, it can be used to archive games, but you can’t play them directly from the drive. You’ll first have to move them back to the console’s internal storage.
• Currently, you can get a four-pack of black Tile Pro Bluetooth trackers on the Tile site for $49.99 instead of their usual $99.99. The Pro is the premium model in Tile’s Bluetooth tracker lineup, offering greater range than the Tile Mate or Tile Slim and allowing you to locate your lost valuables from up to 400 feet away.