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Top 16 Black Friday tech deals (pictures)
So what are the real deals this Black Friday? Check out these top picks from CNET.
$179 40-in Toshiba LCD TV (Best Buy)
This one's a Best Buy doorbuster, which means each store will only get a few dozen, so you'll probably never get near this -- but it is a deal. Amazon is also rumored to be serving up a 40-inch Toshiba for $200 on Black Friday.
Verdict: Smokin' hot
Verdict: Smokin' hot
$299 Toshiba 50-inch LED TV (Sears)
This one might be a better deal than the 40-inch doorbuster that Best Buy is offering for $179. Naturally, this one will be gone almost instantly (it costs around $500 normally).
Verdict: Smokin' hot
Verdict: Smokin' hot
$688 Vizio 60-inch 1080p LED TV (Walmart)
Vizio's 60-inch smart LED TV for $688. We thought it was a good deal at just under $1,000. So it's a great deal at less than $700. (Amazon is also rumored to be offering similar Black Friday pricing on this model).
Verdict: Smokin' hot
Verdict: Smokin' hot
Free $50 Best Buy gift card with iPod Touch purchase
If you're considering buying a new 32GB iPod Touch (fifth generation), this offer makes some sense because Apple products just don't get discounted. Target is also offering a gift card ($40) with the purchase of an iPod Touch.
Verdict: Mildly hot
Verdict: Mildly hot
$20 off Roku models (Best Buy)
Best buy is giving $20 off all Roku models, which brings the Roku HD down to $40 -- $10 cheaper than the entry-level Roku LT.
Verdict: Medium hot
Verdict: Medium hot
Jawbone Jambox $129.99 (Best Buy)
Best Buy is giving $50 off the Jawbone Jambox mini Bluetooth speaker. It's been out a while and it now has a lot of competition, but that's a good price for a Jambox.
Verdict: Marginally hot
Verdict: Marginally hot
LG 27-inch monitor for $199 (Best Buy)
This LG monitor from Dell seems like a solid deal at $199. It has digital and analog connection for your computer, as well as an HDMI connection. However, it doesn't appear to have a built-in speaker.
Verdict: Medium hot
Verdict: Medium hot
Free Motorola Droid Razr Maxx with two-year Verizon contract (Best Buy)
Motorla's highly rated Razr Maxx and its long-lasting 3,300mAh battery can be had for free at Best Buy when you sign a two-year contract with Verizon. While Moto now offers a version with a high-res screen (the Maxx HD), the original Razr Maxx is still a great phone -- especially for free.
Verdict: Hot
Verdict: Hot
Samsung Galaxy S3 for $49.99 (Best Buy, RadioShack, and others)
Retailers are offering deals on the most popular Android phone of the year, the Samsung Galaxy S III. Both RadioShack and Best Buy are offering the Sprint handset for $49.99 and $48, respectively. In addition, the AT&T version is going for $49.99 from Best Buy, $99.99 from RadioShack, and $129 from Walmart.
Verdict: Hot
Verdict: Hot
$39.99 Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch (Sears)
The Nook Simple Touch e-reader normally sells for $99 (we gave it an Editors' Choice Award when it was first released). Target will have limited quantities for $49 and Sears goes $9 better with units priced at $39.99.
Verdict: Hot
Verdict: Hot
Acer Aspire V5, 15-inch for $529 (Best Buy)
From laptop editor Dan Ackerman:
We've tested one of the Core i5 versions of the Acer V5 laptops and the design is pleasingly thin and modern-looking. There are a lot of Core i5 laptops you can find for around $500, but the touch screen is rarer, and makes Windows 8 much more usable. Obviously, having the Core i5 is better, but the V5 should be fast enough with the Core i3, which makes this a solid deal. More info here.
We've tested one of the Core i5 versions of the Acer V5 laptops and the design is pleasingly thin and modern-looking. There are a lot of Core i5 laptops you can find for around $500, but the touch screen is rarer, and makes Windows 8 much more usable. Obviously, having the Core i5 is better, but the V5 should be fast enough with the Core i3, which makes this a solid deal. More info here.
Verdict: Hot
Dell Inspiron 14z for $299.99 (Dell.com)
From laptop editor Dan Ackerman:
The current Inspiron 14z is a pretty sharp-looking mainstream laptop that's near ultrabook-thin. This doorbuster from Dell has a Core i3/4GB RAM/500GB HDD configuration that's a great deal for this price. But, Dell says quantities are limited, and this price starts November 23 at midnight on Dell.com.
Verdict: Very hot
The current Inspiron 14z is a pretty sharp-looking mainstream laptop that's near ultrabook-thin. This doorbuster from Dell has a Core i3/4GB RAM/500GB HDD configuration that's a great deal for this price. But, Dell says quantities are limited, and this price starts November 23 at midnight on Dell.com.
Verdict: Very hot
HP Pavilion Sleekbook, 14-inch for $399 (Sam's Club)
From editor Dan Ackerman:
A decent price for an Intel Core i5/6GB RAM/500GB HDD laptop of any kind, this is one of HP's recently redesigned Pavilion laptops, which look pretty sharp, even if they're mostly plastic. The Sleekbook name is HP's way of saying this is a very thin laptop, but one that doesn't meet Intel's exact specs for it to be called an ultrabook (most likely because of the lack of any SSD storage). More info here.
A decent price for an Intel Core i5/6GB RAM/500GB HDD laptop of any kind, this is one of HP's recently redesigned Pavilion laptops, which look pretty sharp, even if they're mostly plastic. The Sleekbook name is HP's way of saying this is a very thin laptop, but one that doesn't meet Intel's exact specs for it to be called an ultrabook (most likely because of the lack of any SSD storage). More info here.
Verdict: Hot
Canon T3 with two lenses for $499.99 (Target and others)
I asked our digital camera editor Lori Grunin about this deal and got this response: "The T3 isn't my favorite camera, but if you're going to get it, this is the way to go -- it's a really good deal."
Verdict: Hot
Verdict: Hot
Sony PS3 Bundle for $199.99 (Target and others)
The new PS3 costs $269.99 (with Uncharted 3), so this is somewhat enticing at $200, especially if you don't have these games already.
Verdict: Mildly hot
Verdict: Mildly hot
Target XBox 360 4GB Kinect Bundle (Target and others)
There are few different Black Friday deals on the XBox 360, including $199.99 for the 250GB XBox 360 at Best Buy. For those who can live without the storage and want the Kinect, this bundle is arguably the better value.
Verdict: Mildly hot
Verdict: Mildly hot
See more tech deals (by category)
That may be the end of our "best" tech deals roundup, but we've got a more granular look at various Black Friday deals by category. Check out CNET's other roundups here:
All of CNET's Black Friday coverage
Best (and worst) PC/laptop and tablet deals for Black Friday
Great Black Friday, Cyber Monday phone deals
All of CNET's Black Friday coverage
Best (and worst) PC/laptop and tablet deals for Black Friday
Great Black Friday, Cyber Monday phone deals
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