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Like the other popular streaming services, HBO Max added many new shows and movies to its service. The Gilded Age made its triumphant return for its fourth season last weekend. As for movies, HBO Max loaded up its holiday hits collection with Elf, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and The Polar Express.

We're entering a new smartphone jailbreaking renaissance that may rival (or surpass) the jailbreaks that we experienced over a decade ago. It's a perfect storm; consumers are bored of ever-increasing iOS and Android restrictions, they're sick of having their privacy violated, and they now have access to powerful LLMs that rapidly accelerate the process of discovering and leveraging exploits.

Much of the time, opening the Command Prompt as a regular user is all you need. Sometimes, though, you will need to open the Command Prompt as an administrator to run system-level commands. Whether you are repairing a corrupted Windows installation with sfc /scannow, managing disk partitions, or configuring deep network settings, you need elevated privileges.

It's a sad fact of life that perfectly usable hardware often becomes unusable when the manufacturer stops supporting it. My fourth-generation Kindle has served me well for more than a decade, but Amazon decided to drop support for older models, and I lost access to some of the most useful features. By jailbreaking my Kindle, I've managed to bring a lot of them back.

Years ago, I was excited to try Bottles and finally run Windows applications on Linux. That excitement didn't last long. I got disappointed pretty quickly and eventually switched to open-source alternatives for my Windows apps. I haven't really looked back since.

PC components cost a small fortune these days, which means putting together a new build can set you back considerably.

Docker's explosive adoption and dominance over the tech industry is incredible, to say the least. But because Docker's rise was so meteoric, a lot of people tend to mistake it for some kind of mystical, groundbreaking, all-new way of doing things. But the reality is much more simple: Linux set the groundwork for containers decades ago, and Docker found an appealing way to use it.

Samsung's Galaxy phones are some of the best Androids you can buy, and we all know why. They're packed with a slew of features, excellent screens, and solid cameras. Part of what makes Galaxy phones unique is the dizzying number of features and customization controls. You're probably familiar with all the big-name ones, but here are a few tiny features you'll actually appreciate.

I’ve had an exoskeleton under my desk for several months now. That’s not a sentence I ever expected to type, but 2026 is weird like that. It was sent to me by a company called Hypershell, and it’s quite the conversation starter.

What's the best iPhone to buy right now? This fall, that question got a lot more interesting.

In mid-September, Apple launched the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max with upgraded cameras, a revamped vapor chamber cooling system, longer battery life, and a fresh, AI-ready chipset. A month later, it released the long-awaited iPhone Duo, its first-ever foldable. Mashable senior editor Stan Schroeder deemed it "the most exciting iPhone since the first one."

The new Apple phones join the standard iPhone 17, the budget iPhone 17e, and the super-slim iPhone Air to round out the 2026 iPhone roster, which now runs on iOS 27. We've tested the entire iPhone family, and we've compared them all to pick the best iPhone for every type of user.

Best iPhones at a glance: Best iPhone for most people Apple iPhone 17 (256GB) $0 with trade-in on select Experience plans at T-Mobile Shop Now Best budget iPhone Apple iPhone 17e (256GB) $0 with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-Mobile Shop Now Best iPhone for photography Apple iPhone 18 Pro (256GB) $0 with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-Mobile Shop Now Best iPhone for battery life Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max (256GB) $2.78/month for 36 months with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-Mobile Shop Now Best foldable iPhone Apple iPhone Duo (256GB) $799 with new line and port on Experience Beyond plan at T-Mobile Shop Now Best iPhone for design snobs Apple iPhone Air (256GB) $0 with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-Mobile Shop Now A note on Apple's iPhone price increases

Apple's smartphones have never been more powerful, feature-rich, or diverse in their form factors. Alas, they've also never been pricier. Every current iPhone has gotten more expensive due to the ongoing global memory crisis, which has jacked up the cost of electronic components over the past year. (The Duo turned out to be slightly less of a splurge than the gossip mill predicted, though it's still the most expensive iPhone ever.) Unfortunately, there's no escaping higher prices with any other brand: All the best smartphones have seen price increases this year.

SEE ALSO: Memory pricing suggests iPhones could get even more expensive in 2027

So, is it worth splashing out on the Duo or one of the new Pro models? Or would you be perfectly happy with something less snazzy and more wallet-friendly, relatively speaking? After extensively testing every single iPhone, Mashable's experts have recommendations for all budgets and usage needs.

One more thing: Before you buy your new iPhone, be sure to check out our coverage of the latest carrier deals. If you trade in an older device and sign up for a new line or data plan, you could pay a fraction of the price — or nothing at all.

Best iPhone for most people: iPhone 17 In addition to plain white (pictured), the iPhone 17 also comes in mist blue, sage, lavender, and black finishes. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

• Read our full review of the iPhone 17

• Who it's for: In all likelihood, you. We think the iPhone 17 is the model most people should buy. It's also the most colorful iPhone on the market.

The new iPhone 18 Pros and iPhone Duo are amazing phones, but they're overkill for the average user. Last year's iPhone 17 is still the most well-rounded, "just right" phone in Apple's lineup. (We don't expect the new base model iPhone 18 to land until spring 2027.)

The iPhone 17 is a fast-enough, long-lasting-enough, nice-looking-enough smartphone that feels "Pro" where it counts for most people. Namely, it has a 120Hz, always-on display and an ultrawide camera with a dedicated macro mode, but none of the extra photography or thermal fixings intended for superusers. Compared to the budget iPhone 17e, which costs $200 less, it has a brighter, smoother screen, nicer cameras, and 15 percent more battery life.

Was the iPhone 17 an earth-shattering upgrade over the iPhone 16? Not really, but it got better in some crucial yet practical ways without straying over the $1,000 mark. Mashable's Schroeder christened it "the most compelling standard iPhone in years."

Apple iPhone 17 (256GB) $0 with trade-in on select Experience plans at T-Mobile
  Shop Now at T-Mobile Shop Now at Walmart Shop Now at Apple.com iPhone 17 specs

• Screen size and display: 6.3-inch OLED display with 2,622 x 1,206 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate

• Cameras: 48MP (wide), 48MP (ultrawide), and 18MP (front)

• Battery life (rated): Up to 30 hours of video playback

• Processor: Apple A19

• Storage: 256GB or 512GB

• Colors: Black, white, mist blue, sage, or lavender

• Dimensions: 5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31 inches

• Weight: 6.24 ounces

• Software: iOS 27

Best cheap iPhone: iPhone 17e The iPhone 17e is Apple's first budget smartphone with MagSafe support. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

• Read our full review of the iPhone 17e

• Who it's for: We recommend the iPhone 17e for frugal shoppers who just want the core iPhone experience, as well as those who like small, pocket-friendly phones. It would also make a great starter phone for a teenager.

The iPhone 17e delivers your go-to iOS features like FaceTime and Siri AI, plus the classically clean Apple look — now with MagSafe! — for the least amount of money. It's a compact little device with a sharp, if not super-smooth display, and a battery that should last you a day between charges. It runs on the same A19 chip as the regular iPhone 17 and starts with the same amount of storage (256GB), which makes it more future-proof than last year's iPhone 16e (which started with half that).

The cameras on the iPhone 17e aren't as "versatile" as the ones on the iPhone 17, Schroeder said; it lacks an ultrawide lens and has a noticeably inferior front camera. But at least it takes marginally better low-light pictures than its predecessor.

Apple iPhone 17e (256GB) $0 with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-Mobile
  Shop Now at T-Mobile Shop Now at Walmart Shop Now at Best Buy iPhone 17e specs

• Screen size and display: 6.1-inch OLED display with 2,532 x 1,170 resolution and 60Hz refresh rate

• Cameras: 48MP (wide) and 12MP (front)

• Battery life (rated): Up to 26 hours of video playback

• Processor: Apple A19

• Storage: 256GB or 512GB

• Colors: Black, white, or soft pink

• Dimensions: 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches

• Weight: 5.96 ounces

• Software: iOS 27

Best iPhone for photography: iPhone 18 Pro Good riddance, cosmic orange. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

• Read our full review of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

• Who it's for: Get the smaller iPhone 18 Pro if you're a mobile photographer or creator looking for the best cameras.

Both the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max feature the latest Apple camera technology, but we think the former has greater appeal for on-the-go shutterbugs because it's more compact and less expensive.

What's new with those cameras? A new physical variable aperture on its main camera lens, for starters. This gives you more control over the exposure and depth of field of photos. It works automatically, but you can also adjust it manually via the Camera app. There, you'll find other new Pro controls for tweaking settings like white balance and shutter speed; new Photographic Styles; new Cinematic effects that can be applied to videos after they're recorded; and a new Focus Tracking tool that locks on moving subjects.

The average user might appreciate those upgrades, "but I do bet that the majority of people will try out the manual aperture setting once and then leave it on auto," wrote Mashable's Schroeder in his review. Power users will make the best use of them.

Besides the new camera features, the new A20 Pro chip also provides extra support for AI tasks, including the newer, smarter Siri AI. There's plenty of storage space, too: Unlike older iPhones, the 18 Pro supports up to 2TB of storage.

Apple iPhone 18 Pro (256GB) $0 with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-Mobile
  Shop Now at T-Mobile Shop Now at Walmart Shop Now at Apple.com iPhone 18 Pro specs

• Screen size and display: 6.3-inch OLED display with 2,622 x 1,206 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate

• Cameras: 48MP (wide), 48MP (ultrawide), 48MP (4x telephoto), and 18MP (front)

• Battery life (rated): Up to 36 hours of video playback

• Processor: Apple A20 Pro

• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB

• Colors: Black, silver, glacier, and burgundy

• Dimensions: 5.91 x 2.83 x 0.34 inches

• Weight: 7.44 ounces

• Software: iOS 27

Best iPhone for battery life: iPhone 18 Pro Max The iPhone 18 Pro Max (left) is a slightly larger and even longer-lasting version of the iPhone 18 Pro (right). Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

• Read our full review of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

• Who it's for: The latest iPhone Pro Max is geared toward battery life maximizers who hate being chained to an outlet and Apple fans with large hands. That's not a euphemism for anything: This is a big ol' phone.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is rated for up to 45 hours of video playback per charge, making it the longest-lasting iPhone ever. (Its battery is so big that Apple had to come up with a way to get around shipping restrictions that limit battery sizes, according to MacRumors.) Inside, you'll find the powerful A20 Pro chip and an improved vapor chamber cooling system that helps prevent overheating during extended heavy use. Schroeder tried to push this new hardware to the limit "by playing a few games of PUBG: Battlegrounds on the highest settings for a full hour," he wrote, and "The phone barely got warm." What's more, its battery only fell by nine percent.

The regular iPhone 18 Pro has the same chipset and cooling system as the Max version, though it's shorter-lived and smaller. The iPhone 18 Pro Max's size is an advantage for mobile gamers and movie-watchers who value immersion (but not so much that they can justify an iPhone Duo).

Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max (256GB) $2.78/month for 36 months with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-Mobile
  Shop Now at T-Mobile Shop Now at Walmart Shop Now at Apple.com iPhone 18 Pro Max specs

• Screen size and display: 6.9-inch OLED display with 2,868 x 1,320 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate

• Cameras: 48MP (wide), 48MP (ultrawide), 48MP (4x telephoto), and 18MP (front)

• Battery life (rated): Up to 45 hours of video playback

• Processor: Apple A20 Pro

• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB

• Colors: Black, silver, glacier, and burgundy

• Dimensions: 6.43 x 3.07 x 0.34 inches

• Weight: 8.78 ounces

• Software: iOS 27

Best foldable iPhone: iPhone Duo Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

• Read our full review of the iPhone Duo

• Who it's for: The iPhone Duo is a worthy investment if you're a well-off early adopter, tech enthusiast, or avid multitasker who consumes most of their entertainment on their phone. It's not for people who rely heavily on Face ID — it only has Touch ID.

Apple's first foldable is a feat in hardware and user interface design. It has some first-gen quirks, but they're not dealbreakers. And though it's expensive, "it's a quality-made product with enough novelty to justify the high asking price," said Schroeder.

The Duo features a passport-style design with a roomy matte inner display, a smooth hinge, and an extremely subtle crease. This form factor opens up a world of usage possibilities. You can use it closed like a normal phone. You can snap it open to play games and watch movies on it, like you would a tablet. You can have two apps running side by side. (It has the same peppy A20 chip as the new iPhone 18 Pros, so it's got plenty of horsepower for heavier workloads.) You can even draw or take notes on either display using a USB-C Apple Pencil.

The Duo's battery life isn't Pro-tier, but it's quite good for a device that powers two screens at once. In typical mixed use, it lasts about as long as the cheap iPhone 17e. Its cameras are probably the most lackluster thing about it, especially its crummy inner selfie camera, but that's typically the case with foldables, in our experience.

Apple iPhone Duo (256GB) $799 with new line and port on Experience Beyond plan at T-Mobile
  Learn More at T-Mobile Learn More at Apple.com Learn More at Verizon iPhone Duo specs

• Inner screen size and display: 7.6-inch OLED display with 1,878 x 2,670 resolution, 120Hz variable refresh rate, and nano-texture finish

• Outer screen size and display: 5.4-inch OLED display with 1,398 x 2,034 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate

• Cameras: 48MP (wide), 48MP (ultrawide), 12MP (front, outer), and an additional inner, under-display FaceTime camera (resolution TBA)

• Battery life (rated): Up to 44 hours of video playback when using the outer display; up to 31 hours of video playback when using the inner display

• Processor: Apple A20 Pro

• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB

• Colors: Night sky and star white

• Unfolded dimensions: 4.64 x 6.48 x 0.21 inches

• Folded dimensions: 4.64 x 3.31 x 0.44 inches

• Weight: 8.96 ounces

• Software: iOS 27

Best iPhone for design snobs: iPhone Air Left: The iPhone Air is so thin. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable Right: Like, REALLY thin. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

• Read our full review of the iPhone Air

• Who it's for: This is the iPhone for minimalists and aesthetes who care more about their phone's looks than its performance. Its camera system, in particular, is pretty mediocre for the money.

People who bought the iPhone Air often say the same thing: Its svelte form factor ruins you for other phones.

The iPhone Air is the thinnest handset Apple has ever made — and arguably the "sexiest," said Schroeder. If you set it next to one of the iPhone Pros, "it feels like a Ford F-150 parked next to a Porsche," he wrote. "The Porsche may not have the utility that a pick-up has, but it turns heads." The bezels on its smooth, detailed display are virtually invisible, and its rear camera bump blends into the back of its chassis when you look at it straight-on. It's made from titanium, so it's not easy to scratch up, and it's super comfy to hold. It's peak Apple sleekness.

An A19 Pro chip makes the iPhone Air mildly faster than the A19-powered iPhone 17, though it doesn't last as long. (Apple makes a MagSafe battery that you can slap on the back of it, but costs $100 extra and works against the device's "ultra-thin" thing.) Camera-wise, it has better zoom than the iPhone 17, but it misses out on an ultrawide shooter à la the iPhone 17e. While you probably won't win any photography prizes with the Air, it's perfectly fine for selfies and everyday snapshots.

Apple iPhone Air (256GB) $0 with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-Mobile
  Shop Now at T-Mobile Shop Now at Walmart Shop Now at Apple.com iPhone Air specs

• Screen size and display: 6.5-inch OLED display with 2,736 x 1,260 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate

• Cameras: 48MP (wide) and 18MP (front)

• Battery life (rated): Up to 27 hours of video playback

• Processor: A19 Pro

• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB

• Colors: Space black, cloud white, light gold, and sky blue

• Dimensions: 6.15 x 2.94 x 0.22 inches

• Weight: 5.82 ounces

• Software: iOS 27

Mashable tech editor Timothy Beck Werth also contributed to this guide.

Apple raised prices this year, but who didn't? Well, now that Black Friday sale season is here, this is your best chance to cancel out those price hikes. That's why we're paying extra close attention to early Black Friday Apple deals.

Yes, Apple does do Black Friday, but not in the way you might expect. Shopping directly on Apple's website usually means getting a measly gift card for future purchases. The real way to find great deals? Looking at retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target. Especially as Black Friday approaches (mark Nov. 27 in your calendar), retailers duke it out to see who can offer the best prices on AirPods, MacBooks, and iPads. Walmart and Amazon are infamous for outdoing each other by a single cent.

Usually, prices on Apple products drop to record lows during the hectic Black Friday weekend. However, especially good deals can also sell out quick. In my five years covering Black Friday at Mashable, I've seen many an AirPod Pro deal go out of stock before I can finish writing a 200-word story about the deal.

SEE ALSO: 14 headphones deals that are already Black Friday-worthy

Shopping early lets you score decent savings while avoiding the post-Thanksgiving chaos. So, how do you know what to buy, and what to save for Black Friday and Cyber Monday? That's where the expertise of the Mashable shopping team can be helpful.

How I chose the best early Apple deals

Let's start with the very expensive elephant in the room. In June, Apple raised prices on MacBooks, Macs, iPads, the HomePod, Apple TVs, and even the Vision Pro headset, followed by iPhone price increases in September. With many products rising up to $200 in price, the likelihood of seeing products fall to record-low prices is, well, low. Instead, I used price-tracking tools to look for products at or near record-low prices over the past five months.

SEE ALSO: The 45 best early Black Friday deals: Shop Kindle, Lego, and Bose

I also took into account the frequency of deals. If, like the AirPods Pro 3, there's a $50 deal that's nearly always on, I don't necessarily consider that a deal worth highlighting. On the other hand, if an iPad is $100 off for the first time in a month, I'll include it and note its pricing history.

Finally, I considered our reviewers' first-hand experiences with these products. Most of the items in this guide have been hands-on tested by at least one person on the Mashable staff, and I prioritized Mashable award winners, choosing the best deals based on overall product performance and value.

Best Black Friday AirPods deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 $89 at Walmart
$129 Save $40   Get Deal at Walmart Why we like it

AirPods with no active noise cancellation are a thing of the past, unless you pick up a pair of the last-generation earbuds. The AirPods 4 without ANC don't stand up against the AirPods 5 with ANC at full price, but picking them up for a sub-$100 price point makes them a much better buy. With five hours of battery life per charge, an IP54 water- and dust-resistance rating, spatial audio for immersive listening, and voice isolation for calls, they're a great daily pair of earbuds. With no silicone ear tips, they're also ideal for folks who like the Apple experience, but prefer a semi-open ear design.

While this $89 sale price has been live for some time, I imagine Walmart is clearing out the last of its stock — these earbuds are no longer sold new at Amazon, Apple, or Best Buy (at least, not by a first-party seller). During Black Friday, I imagine they'll clear out for good.

More early AirPods deals Apple AirPods Max 2 $449 (save $100) Get Deal Black Friday AirPods deals to watch for

• The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are on sale for $199 at the time of writing. While the $50 discount off their $249 isn't necessarily bad, it is common, and almost certain to get significantly lower during the week of Black Friday. Ahead of June's Prime Day sale, they dropped to a record low of $169.

• The AirPods 5 haven't received a proper discount yet, as Apple's newest AirPods. The version without a wireless charging case got a few dollars off the $129 around their release, while the $149 wireless charging case edition hasn't had any price drops. If these buds are going on sale in 2026, Black Friday is likely when.

Best early MacBook deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,349 at Amazon
$1,599 Save $250   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

At $250 off, this is the lowest price we've seen on the 13-inch MacBook Air since June. The terabyte of built-in storage means you probably won't ever run into the issue of having to delete a bunch of files when updating your operating system, while the M5 chip will easily power you through daily tasks. According to our laptop expert, this is a great laptop for college students due to its size, but it's also a great daily driver in general. If you prefer a slightly larger display, the 15-inch Air with 1TB of storage is also $250 off at the time of writing.

More early MacBook deals Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $684 (save $15) Get Deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,099 (save $200) Get Deal Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,299 (save $200) Get Deal Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,549 (save $250) Get Deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,599 (save $200) Get Deal Black Friday MacBook deals to watch for

MacBook prices went up in June of this year, with the Neo jumping by $100 and the Air by $200. That means it's highly unlikely we'll see any prices reach their former record lows, even if they're starting at a much higher price point. I've taken this into account as I select the best deals and note the deals to look out for.

• The MacBook Neo only dropped $10 over October Prime Day, which means that the $684 price isn't bad, but the real Black Friday dream for this laptop would be if it dropped back down to its former list price of $599.

• The MacBook Pro hasn't really dropped below the sale price of $1,799 since the price was raised in June. That is, except for one time on October 31, according to the price-tracking tool camelcamelcamel, when it fell to $1,349. While I'm not keeping my fingers crossed for that much of a price dip, a $250 discount would at least be an improvement.

Best early iPad deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, 128GB, WiFi) $649.99 at Amazon
$749 Save $99.01   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

While it's pricier than the base iPad, the M4 chip in this tablet means that it's more versatile, being just as good for streaming as it is for creative projects. Since the price raise on iPads, the Air has fallen to $649 a handful of times, dropping even as low as $559 in August. Still, even with the price raise this is one of the better value (and more future proof) tablets you can pick up from Apple. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a return to the $559 low, but in the meantime, this is a solid deal to pick up in early Black Friday sale season.

More early iPad deals Apple iPad (A16, 128GB, WiFi) $399.99 (save $49.01) Get Deal Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M4, 128GB, WiFi) $849.99 (save $99.01) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, 256GB, WiFi) $1,099 (save $99.01) Get Deal Black Friday iPad deals to watch

• The base iPad used to regularly go on sale for $299 pre-price raise. Its current $399.99 price isn't bad, especially compared to the rest of the iPad lineup — but it could be even better.

• The 11-inch iPad Pro is technically on sale, but a price drop of $99 on a $1,200 isn't significant. It is the lowest price this tablet has dropped to in the past five months, which is why I included it as one of the best early deals. Still, a $200 price drop for Black Friday would make this a more palatable tablet to pick up.

Best early Apple Watch deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Ultra 3 (49mm, GPS + cellular) $549 at Best Buy
$799 Save $250   Get Deal at Best Buy Why we like it

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 shares similar features to the newer Ultra 4. In his review of the Ultra 4, Mashable's Stan Schroeder wrote, "It's an amazing smartwatch, but not an essential upgrade from last year's model." A huge benefit of opting for the Ultra 3? The list price is $100 cheaper, and during Best Buy's first phase of Black Friday deals, it's at an even more impressive discount of $549, making it $150 cheaper than the Ultra 4's current sale price of $799. In other words, it's easily the best Apple Watch deal available right now.

More early Apple Watch deals Apple Watch Ultra 4 (49mm, GPS + cellular) $799.99 (save $99.01) Get Deal Black Friday Apple Watch deals to watch

• The Apple Watch SE 3 dropped $50 to a price of $199 during October Prime Day, so I expect to see a return to this price point during or in the lead-up to Black Friday.

• The Apple Watch Series 12 was announced just this past September, but it has dropped down to $349.99 once already. In Black Friday's past, new generations of Apple Watch have fallen as low as $329. It would be great to see a return to that pattern, but with RAMaggedon, we're hoping for a $50 markdown.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters or get Mashable push alerts today. 

Fresh off their triumph in the wildly chaotic Series 22, Taskmaster champion Chloe Petts sits down with Say More's Mark Stetson to break down what it really takes to claim Greg Davies’ golden head.

From navigating the unfiltered comedic mayhem of fellow contestants like Richard Ayoade to executing game-winning strategies—including the legendary hide-and-seek decoy and that heartbreaking baked beans calculation—Chloe opens up about balancing raw competitive drive with pure absurdity. Plus, they reflect on the moments that almost broke them and their work co-founding the queer comedy collective, The LOL Word.

Taskmaster Series 22 is streaming now on YouTube.

SAVE $250: Two configurations of the M5 Apple MacBook Air are $250 off at Amazon and Best Buy as of Nov. 6. Get a 13- or 15-inch model with 16GB of RAM and a full 1TB of storage starting at $1,349.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,349 at Amazon and Best Buy
$1,599 Save $250   Shop Now at Amazon and Best Buy Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,549 at Amazon and Best Buy
$1,799 Save $250   Shop Now at Amazon and Best Buy

Some of the Black Friday MacBook deals we expected to see later this month have arrived early. As of Nov. 6, Amazon and Best Buy are both selling two popular configurations of the Apple MacBook Air (M5) for $250 off, a discount that completely erases their summer price hikes —and then some.

For the uninitiated, the M5 MacBook Air is a Mashable Choice Award winner. Tech editor Timothy Beck Werth called it "an impressive piece of machinery" with a premium, lightweight design, a "fantastic" display, and a ridiculously fast processor. (Read his full MacBook Air review.) This is the most recent version of the MacBook Air, as Apple's recent MacBook releases focused solely on the Pro models.

The 13-inch MacBook Air with 16GB of memory and 1TB of storage has fallen to $1,349 (normally $1,599), while its 15-inch counterpart is marked down to $1,549 (typically $1,799). The other configurations of Apple's sleek and speedy ultraportable are all $200 off, which isn't too shabby in the age of RAMageddon.

We feel confident in recommending these MacBook deals to early bird shoppers. Last Black Friday, no retailers' MacBook discounts exceeded $250. In 2024, Amazon offered $255 off a couple models, but we don't think a potential extra $5 savings is worth waiting several weeks for; at that point, you risk your preferred model selling out.

When Smosh Games plays the social deduction game Werewolf, or variations on it, the vibes are of cousins gathering in a basement during a family holiday party. A herd of the comedy channel's cast members squeezes onto one massive couch, which quickly becomes a war zone as a team of "villagers" must suss out the "werewolves" among them. Accusations fly, alliances crumble, and general chaos abounds.

SEE ALSO: If you love 'Traitors,' you need to play these games

This November, though, Smosh Games levels up its Werewolf videos in a big way, with two supersized Werewolf in Real Life episodes. Each installment throws cast members Courtney Miller, Amanda Lehan-Canto, Tommy Bowe, Chanse McCrary, Angela Giarratana, Guchi, Courtney Theophin, and Eli Gonzalez into a mansion for a larger-than-life game of Werewolf, hosted by fellow cast member Shayne Topp. It's basically Smosh meets The Traitors, and it's certainly the channel's most ambitious project since 2025's Smosh Summer Games, which spanned across every Smosh YouTube channel.

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Other gaming channels, such as Good Time Society and No Rolls Barred, have pulled off similar large-scale projects based on social deduction game Blood on the Clocktower. In 2020, Smosh Games even put out Among Us in Real Life, a video that feels like Werewolf in Real Life's progenitor. But while that video clocks in at 17 minutes long and takes place on Smosh's real-life set, Werewolf in Real Life goes bigger, with episodes ranging from an hour to an hour and a half long, as well as elaborate sets and costumes.

Amanda Lehan-Canto, Angela Giarratana, and Courtney Theophin in "Werewolf in Real Life." Credit: Smosh

For Smosh Games Channel Director Spencer Agnew, a project of this magnitude seemed daunting at first.

"I don't think I felt ready to do something like this," Agnew told Mashable in a video call.

Agnew credits the 2025 arrival of Smosh Games producer Anders Norberg, who also co-directed Werewolf in Real Life with Agnew, for helping push him and the team to believe in a project of this scale. Norberg's background includes working on reality TV series like Survivor and Big Brother, so his experience proved vital for Werewolf in Real Life.

The reality TV influence shines through in Werewolf in Real Life's cast confessionals, a narrative tool Smosh also employed in the return of Smosh Summer Games. However, the main focus remains the gameplay, which combines the standard roles of One Night Ultimate Werewolf with the deliberations and side conversations of Blood on the Clocktower. (Players do vote each other out, Traitors-style, at dramatic roundtables.)

SEE ALSO: What's new to streaming this week? (Nov. 6, 2026)

"The biggest thing that we had for this was, I wanted to preserve the structure and momentum of a normal game of Werewolf or Blood on the Clocktower, which was always going to be really hard when shooting on location," Agnew said.

Agnew and the Smosh Games crew had to ensure that the cast maintained a sense of urgency and Werewolf-style paranoia throughout the shoot. Unlike The Traitors, where cameras are running throughout the castle, Werewolf in Real Life could only film in one room at a time, meaning the cast had to take breaks from the game while the crew reset for the next shots. Yet the transitions between scenes feel seamless.

A large part of that comes down to the immersion of the environment, which cast members said helped them lock into the game.

"Being in a massive haunted mansion, if you will, and being in full costume — and the thing is, not costumes, those were legit Irish wool sweaters, a Greek fisherman cap — it just immediately raised the stakes for me," Lehan-Canto told Mashable in a joint video interview with Bowe. "I was like, 'It's Werewolf. Someone is gonna die tonight.'"

"When you're in your comfy sweater and you're sitting on a couch ass to ass with everyone and you're looking at a card, there's less energy around it. It's more casual," Bowe added. "[With Werewolf in Real Life,] your call time is early, you're getting into a full outfit, and you're playing Werewolf, and Shayne looks like a Christmas tree made out of special fabrics. It made it so intense that in the second episode, Chanse will not let me have a one-on-one conversation because he's just truly giddy about talking to people."

The cast of Smosh in "Werewolf in Real Life." Credit: Smosh

The costumes, designed by costume designer Mila Hermanovski, were inspired by the villagers in Resident Evil Village at Agnew's request, while the set, helmed by production designer Andrew Lau, ushers in a deliciously spooky atmosphere.

"To me, the costumes and the set really helped everyone come to life, and it gives them so much more comedic fodder," Agnew said. "That's my favorite thing to do, is to set cast up with a playground that they can play in, and props to play with, and costumes to inhabit, and characters to figure out, and it makes my job the easiest, most fun job in the world."

While the first episode presents a fairly standard game of Werewolf, with just two Werewolves and a Seer, the second episode, out Nov. 8, promises to take things further. This time around, the game incorporates roles like the Hunter, who gets to kill someone if they're killed; the Bodyguard, who has the ability to protect someone during the night phase; and the Cupid, who chooses two players to be Lovers, whose fates are bound to one another.

"The people that Cupid picked feels like a produced moment, but it was genuinely off the cuff, and it leads to the funniest moments ever," Agnew teased.

Even as Werewolf in Real Life kicks it up a notch from episode to episode, Agnew and Norberg are already cooking up what new installments of this level of immersive gameplay could look like for Smosh's future. At some point, Agnew would love to incorporate the Tanner role, whose main objective is to get killed by the villagers, and who has led to several twisty moments in Smosh Games' usual Werewolf fare.

Elsewhere, Agnew and Norberg are looking at reskinning the game to fit into different eras. Hermanovski suggested a '70s-era Studio 54 moment, while Agnew is also intrigued by a late '60s, early '70s Scooby Doo-inspired look.

Whatever the future of the game looks like, the priority for Agnew remains authentic cast reactions, as well as a limited level of producer-manufactured drama.

"I feel like we could play the exact same roles we did in the last one, and it would be just as fun and funny, because they're just an incredible cast," Agnew said.

The first episode of Werewolf in Real Life is now on YouTube. The second premieres Nov. 8 on the Smosh Games channel.

Best early Black Friday deals at a glance Best Apple Deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,099 (save $200) Get Deal Best headphones deal Bose QuietComfort noise-cancelling headphones $169 (save $190) Get Deal Best TV deal TCL 75-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV $1,497.99 (save $1,502) Get Deal Best Amazon device deal Amazon Kindle Bundle (16GB Kindle, Knit Case, Kindle Click) $190.97 (save $34) Get Deal Best kitchen deal Ninja Crispi Air Fryer $159.99 (save $20) Get Deal Best Lego deal Lego Pokémon Eevee $47.99 (save $12) Get Deal

The moment Halloween wraps, we turn to the holiday season. For most people, that means Hallmark holiday specials, planning Thanksgiving, and Christmas music on the radio. But for Mashable's shopping team, it means only one thing: It's time to prep for Black Friday sales. Yes, we know that Black Friday 2026 doesn't technically start until Nov. 27, but that hasn't stopped retailers.

So, we are officially on the hunt for the best early Black Friday deals. And as of this writing, we've found huge $200 discounts on MacBook Air laptops, 53% discounts on Bose noise-cancelling headphones, and 50% savings on award-winning QLED TVs, not to mention discounts on Pokémon Lego sets and other items on our holiday wishlists.

So, if you don't want to wait for Thanksgiving to get your hands on the best gifts of the year, retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Sephora, and Best Buy already have plenty of early deals to entice you. And in a year of relentless price hikes, it's nice to finally get some relief.

How do we choose the best deals? The Mashable shopping team has an encyclopedic knowledge of the latest tech gadgets, gifts, and trending products. We use price-tracking tools, insider knowledge, and our years of experience covering sales like this to search for the best discounts. We're looking for first-ever price drops on new products, steep markdowns on past-gen products, and record-low prices on must-have items from Apple, Ninja, Shark, Dyson, and Lego.

Best early Black Friday Apple deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,099 at Amazon
$1,299 Save $200   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

The Apple MacBook Air is a stunner of a laptop, with the blazing-fast M5 chip. If you have a MacBook that's a few generations behind, you'll instantly notice a difference with the speakers and cameras, not to mention Siri AI. In the weeks before Black Friday, this popular laptop is $200 off, bringing it down to its lowest price in almost six months. It's also the best price we've seen since Apple raised prices over the summer.

Read Mashable's full review of the Apple MacBook Air (M5).

More Apple deals

AirPods

• Apple AirPods 4 — $89 $129 (save $30)

• Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation — $119.97 $179 (save $59.04)

• Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $199 $249 (save $50)

• Apple AirPods Max 2 — $449 $549 (save $100)

iPads

• Apple iPad (A16, WiFi, 128GB) — $399 $449 (save $50)

• Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro, WiFi, 128GB) — $545 $599 (save $54)

iPhones

• iPhone 18 Pro (256 GB) — Free with 36 months of billing credits $1,199.99 (save $1,199.99)

• iPhone 16 Plus (128GB, Unlocked) — $799.99 $829.99 (save $30)

• iPhone 15 Plus (128GB, Refurbished) — $549.99 $899 (save $349.01)

MacBooks

• Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,299 $1,499 (save $200)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Pro with 18-core CPU/20-core GPU, 24GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $2,822 $3,199 (save $377)

Best Black Friday deals on headphones and earbuds Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort $169 at Amazon
$359 Save $190   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

The best Black Friday deals always include savings on noise-cancelling headphones. And the Bose QuietComfort are not only some of the most comfortable headphones in the world (according to our headphones reviewer), but also some of the best mid-range headphones you can buy. And when they're marked down 53%? Nothing else comes close. Pick up these ANC headphones while they're marked down to just $169 and thank us later.

More headphones deals

• Sony WH-CH530 — $48 $69.99 (save $21.99)

• Sony WH-CH720N — $88 $179.99 (save $91.99)

• Marshall Major V — $89.99 $159.99 (save $70)

• Sony WH-CH730N — $128 $179.99 (save $51.99)

• Nothing Headphone (a) — $129 $199 (save $70)

• Nothing Headphone (1) — $199 $299 (save $100)

• Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen) — $199 $359 (save $160)

• Marshall Monitor III — $199.99 $279.99 (save $80)

• Sennheiser Momentum 4 — $199.99 $299.99 (save $100)

• Sony WH-1000XM5 — $198 $399.99 (save $201.99)

• Sony WH-1000XM4C — $248 $299.99 (save $51.99 with on-page coupon)

• Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) — $369 $449 (save $80)

• Sony WH-1000XM6 — $378 $459.99 (save $81.99)

• Apple AirPods Max 2 — $449 $549 (save $100)

More earbuds deals

• CMF by Nothing Buds 2 — $29 $49 (save $20)

• JBL Vibe Beam 2 — $29.95 $49.95 (save $20)

• Nothing Ear (a) — $59 $79 (save $20)

• Sony WF-C710N — $78.99 $129.99 (save $51)

• Nothing Ear (3a) — $79 $99 (save $20)

• Apple AirPods 4 —  $99 $129 (save $30)

• Beats Studio Buds + — $99.95 $169.95 (save $70)

• Bose QuietComfort earbuds — $129 $179 (save $50)

• Marshall Motif II — $129.99 $219.99 (save $90)

• Refurbished Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds — $149 $299 (save $150)

• Beats Powerbeats Fit — $169.95 $199.99 (save $30.04)

• Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $199 $249 (save $50)

• Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 — $199.95 $249.95

• Refurbished Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) — $279 $299 (save $20)

Best Black Friday TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 75-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV $1,497.99 at Amazon
$2,999.99 Save $1,502.00   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

Black Friday is one of the best times of year to buy a new TV, and you don't have to wait until the end of November. Go ahead and treat yourself to an award-winning 75-inch TCL QLED TV for a cool 50% off the retail price. It comes with built-in Google TV OS, up to 6,000 nits of brightness, and a super-thin design for a modern look. Plus, Amazon is tossing in free delivery and unpacking in the room of your choice.

More TV deals

Under 50-inch TV deals

• onn. 32-inch HD TV — $68 $88 (save $20)

• TCL 40-inch Q3CR QLED TV — $149.99 $299.99 (save $150)

• Samsung 43-inch M70H Mini-LED 4K TV — $247.99 $349.99 (save $102)

• LG 43-inch 75B Mini-LED 4K TV — $299.99 $499.99 (save $200)

• LG 48-inch B6 OLED 4K TV — $699.99 $1,199.99 (save $500)

• Samsung 48-inch S85H OLED 4K TV — $749.99 $1,199.99 (save $450)

50 to 55-inch TV deals

• Insignia 50-inch F50 4K TV — $179.99 $299.99 (save $120)

• Hisense 55-inch E6 Hi-QLED 4K TV — $296.99 $429.99 (save $133)

• Samsung 55-inch M70H Mini-LED 4k TV — $299.99 $449.99 (save $150)

• Hisense 50-inch E7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $449.99 $699.99 (save $250)

• LG 55-inch B6E OLED 4K TV — $799.99 $1,399.99 (save $600)

• LG 55-inch C6 OLED 4K TV — $999.99 $1,999.99 (save $1,000)

• Samsung 55-inch R85H RGB 4K TV — $1,029.99 $1,599.99 (save $570)

65-inch TV deals

• Toshiba 65-inch G700 ArtVision QLED 4K TV — $997.99 $1,999.99 (save $1,002)

• Samsung 65-inch S85H OLED 4K TV — $1,297.99 $1,999.99 (save $702)

• LG C6 Series OLED 4K TV — $1,399.99 $2,699.99 (save $1,300)

• Samsung 65-inch The Frame Pro LS03HW QLED 4K TV — $1,597.99 $1,999.99 (save $402)

• Samsung 65-inch R95H RGB 4K TV — $2,799.99 $3,199.99 (save $400)

70 to 75-inch TV deals

• Insignia 70-inch F50 4K TV — $299.99 $499.99 (save $200)

• Samsung 75-inch M70H Mini-LED 4K TV — $539.25 $729.99 (save $190.74)

• TCL 75-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $1,497.99 $2,999.99 (save $1,502)

80 to 85-inch TV deals

• LG 85-inch NU700B 4K TV — $699.99 $849.99 (save $150)

• TCL 85-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,497.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,502)

Over 85-inch TV deals

• Hisense 100-inch U7 Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,999.99 $4,499.99 (save $1,500)

Best Amazon device deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Kindle Bundle (16GB Kindle, Knit Case, Kindle Click) $190.97 at Amazon
$224.97 Save $34   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

We consider ourselves Kindle experts, and we've been eagerly testing all of the new Kindle e-readers Amazon released this fall. Even though the new Kindles just came out, you can already pick up the base model and the new Kindle Click page turner in a discounted bundle. BookTok has been waiting a long time for a proper Kindle page-turner accessory, and we're big fans.

If you're not interested in the Kindle Click, we expect all of the new Kindles to get their first real discounts when Black Friday begins, so you may want to add them to your cart and wait until Nov. 27.

More Kindle deals

2026 Kindle Deals

• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, Cover, and Power Adapter Bundle — $229.97 $269.97 (save $40)

• Amazon Kindle (32GB), Cover, and Kindle Click Bundle — $233.97 $274.97 (save $41)

• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, Page Turn Cover, Sling Bag Bundle — $365.97 $429.97 (save $64)

2024 Kindle Deals

• Kindle (16GB, 2024 model), Cover, and Power Adapter Bundle — $186.97 $201.97 (save $15)

• Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition (2024 model), Cover, and Wireless Charging Dock Bundle — $372.97 $407.97 (save $35)

More Amazon Device deals

• Echo Dot Max — $89.99 $119.99 (save $30)

• Amazon Echo Show 8 — $149.99 $199.99 (save $50)

• Amazon Echo Show 11 — $199.99 $249.99 (save $50)

• Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select — $14.99 $49.99 (save $35 with on-page code SELECT4K)

• Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K — $15.96 $59.99 (save $44.03 with on-page coupon code FTV4K)

• Amazon Fire TV Stick HD — $17.99 $39.99 (save $22 with on-page code HDFTV)

• Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet — $72.99 $154.99 (save $82)

• Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet — $79.99 $129.99 (save $50)

• Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids tablet — $94.99 $169.99 (save $75)

• Harry Potter Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet (limited edition) — $132.99 $189.99 (save $57)

Best kitchen deal Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Crispi Air Fryer $159.99 at Amazon
$179.99 Save $20   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

You may have heard that Mashable's gift experts recently named the Ninja Crispi glass air fryer as the best kitchen gift of 2026. This 4-in-1 countertop appliance actually comes with two glass containers, which are sized just right for easy storage. We've had very good experiences with Ninja appliances in recent years, and this particular air fryer has become a Mashable team favorite.

More Kitchen deals

• Ninja Professional Plus Blender — $89.99 $119.99 (save $30)

• Ninja Air Fryer XL with MaxCrisp — $119.99 $179.99 (save $60)

• Ninja PossibleCooker Pro — $129.95 $169.99 (save $40.04)

• Keurig K-Duo — $129.99 $219.99 (save $90)

• Ninja BlendSense Tech Kitchen System — $179.95 $249.99 (save $70.04)

• Nespresso Vertuo Up — $199 $229 (save $30)

• Meraki Dual Boiler Espresso Machine — $1,799 $1,999 (save $200)

Best Lego deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Pokémon Eevee $47.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $12   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

We love Pokémon. We love Lego. Putting them together just makes sense, especially as we're celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise. Legos are always popular holiday gifts for kids and adults alike, and we're anticipating big Black Friday Lego deals. The pre-Black Friday season is also a great time to order Lego Advent calendars.

More Lego deals

• Lego Botanicals Rocking Plants — $19.97 $22.99 (save $3.02)

• Lego Friends Advent Calendar — $25 $34.99 (save $9.99)

• Lego Botanicals Flowering Cactus — $27.95 $34.99 (save $7.04)

• Lego Disney Princess Advent Calendar — $30 $44.99 (save $14.99)

• Lego Botanicals Succulents — $32.99 $49.99 (save $17)

• Lego Star Wars AT-RT Attack — $35.99 $44.99 (save $9)

• Lego Icons Poinsettia — $42.99 $49.99 (save $7)

• Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Mos Eisley Cantina — $53.99 $79.99 (save $26)

• Lego Botanicals Hibiscus Flower — $55.95 $69.99 (save $14.04)

• Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter — $55.99 $69.99 (save $14)

• Lego Botanicals Flower Arrangement — $62.04 $109.99 (save $47.95)

• Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Millennium Falcon — $79.95 $99.99 (save $20.04)

• Lego Star Wars Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice) — $103.99 $129.99 (save $26)

• Lego Icons Tranquil Garden — $103.99 $109.99 (save $6)

• Lego Pokémon Pikachu and Poké Ball — $183.18 $199.99 (save $16.81)

• Lego Icons Tropical Aquarium — $446.82 $479.99 (save $33.17)

The best free deals ahead of Black Friday: Best free membership deal Amazon Prime 30-day free trial Get Deal Best free reading deal Kindle+ 30-day free trial Get Deal Best free music deal Apple Music 1-month free trial Get Deal Best free audiobook deal Audible 30-day free trial Get Deal

I’ve spent the past few weeks looking through early Black Friday deals, and while I love a good discount, nothing beats an unexpected freebie — especially when I’m buying gifts for other people.

SEE ALSO: The Black Friday 2026 countdown is on: Our top 7 hacks for finding the best deals

Of course, “free” usually comes with a few conditions. You might need to be a new subscriber, qualify for a specific offer, or remember to cancel before the first charge is made. So I’m rounding up the free trials worth considering, along with what you get, who qualifies, and what you’ll pay if you keep the subscription.

Best free membership deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Prime (30-day free trial)   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

Paying for a membership just to shop a sale feels a little counterproductive. Luckily, eligible customers can try Amazon Prime free for 30 days. Starting your trial now gives you time to shop early deals and still have it for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. After the trial, Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year, depending on your selected plan.

Prime comes with more than free shipping, though that’s probably the perk you’ll use most while shopping for gifts. You also get Prime Video, Amazon Music’s ad-free listening options, access to a selection of books through Prime Reading, and member-exclusive deals. The newest addition is $0 delivery fees on eligible Uber Eats restaurant orders of $25 or more placed through Amazon — a useful extra for the nights you’d rather order dinner than make it.

Best free reading deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle+ (30-day free trial)   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

Books are one of those things I don’t particularly enjoy putting a spending limit on. A subscription at least gives you a way to read more without paying for every title separately. Kindle+, formerly Kindle Unlimited, offers a 30-day free trial with access to a catalog of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and comics. It automatically renews at $11.99 per month unless you cancel.

You might also see an offer for two months for $0.99 total. That’s not free, but it’s worth comparing with the trial before you choose.

Best free music deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Music Apple Music (1-month free trial)   Get Deal at Apple Why we like it

A music subscription is pretty easy to test for a month. You’ll have time to find your favorite artists, try a few playlists, and decide whether you like it enough to pay for it. New subscribers can get one month of Apple Music free, including ad-free listening and downloads for when you don’t have an internet connection. The Individual plan costs $11.99 per month afterward.

And despite the name, you don’t need an iPhone to use it — Apple Music also works on Android and Windows.

More free music deals

• Spotify Premium Individual — One month free for people who haven’t tried Premium before, then $12.99 per month. Includes ad-free music and offline downloads.

• Amazon Music Unlimited Individual — 30 days free for new subscribers, then $11.99 per month for Prime members or $12.99 per month for nonmembers, plus applicable tax.

Best free audiobook deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Audible (30-day free trial)   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

Not all reading has to involve sitting down with a book. Audible’s 30-day free trial lets new customers choose one audiobook from its collection, including bestsellers and new releases, and listen to an included catalog of podcasts. After the trial, it automatically renews at $8.99 per month unless you cancel.

There’s also a separate promotion for three months at $0.99 per month, plus a $20 Audible bonus. I wouldn’t call that free, but paying $2.97 for three months might make more sense than taking one free month and then paying the regular rate.

More free audiobook offers

• Hoopla — Free through participating public libraries. Check whether your library offers access before signing up; this is library borrowing, not a subscription trial that turns into a monthly bill.

• Kobo Plus Listen — 14 days free, then $7.99 per month. The Read & Listen plan includes both ebooks and audiobooks for $9.99 per month after the trial. You can use the Kobo Books app on your phone or tablet, so there’s no need to buy an e-reader.

• Everand — 30 days free, with plans starting at $11.99 per month afterward. The trial includes one premium-title unlock, plus unlimited access to a separate catalog of more than 20,000 audiobooks, ebooks, and podcasts.

• All You Can Books — 30 days free, then $24.99 per month. The service advertises unlimited downloads from its catalog of audiobooks, ebooks, language courses, and other content, and says downloaded files remain yours even after cancellation.

Best free magazine and news deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple News+ (1-month free trial)   Get Deal at Apple Why we like it

Apple News+ gives new subscribers one month to try its collection of newspapers and magazines, making it a different option from the book-focused subscriptions above. The subscription costs $12.99 per month after the trial.

I’d use the free month to check whether the publications you actually want to read are included. A long list of magazines sounds nice, but it doesn’t mean much if you’re only opening one of them.

TL;DR: Ms. Rachel and Mr. Aron's debut studio album I'm So Happy arrives on the screen-free Yoto audio platform on Nov. 12, packing all 23 tracks onto a physical card ahead of the holiday season.

Opens in a new window Credit: Yoto Ms. Rachel I'm So Happy Yoto Card $14.99 at Yoto
  Preorder at Yoto

If you live with a toddler, Ms. Rachel's catchy melodies and speech-development tunes are probably already the permanent soundtrack in your home. Between their massive YouTube following and a hit Netflix series, Rachel and Aron Accurso have basically become honorary members of millions of households. The only real catch was that letting your toddler pick the songs usually meant giving up your phone screen.

That changes this holiday season. Interactive children's audio company Yoto announced that I'm So Happy, the couple's debut studio album, will land in Yoto's physical library starting Nov. 12. Marking the first time Ms. Rachel's music is available on a dedicated kid-friendly audio platform, the physical card is available for preorder on the official Yoto website for $14.99.

All 23 tracks on a screen-free smart card

The I'm So Happy card packs every single one of the record's 23 tracks into a physical smart card that little hands can control themselves. When the record first came out, it quickly became an absolute staple for families, dominating the children's music charts.

Executive-produced by Rachel and Aron alongside Grammy-winning producer Scott Riesett, the tracklist includes viral fan favorites such as "I Love a Rainbow," "Big Feelings," "I Could Be Your Friend," "Icky Sticky Bubblegum," and "Hop Little Bunnies." It also features fresh arrangements of classic playground staples like "Old MacDonald" and "The Wheels on the Bus," as well as early-learning jams like "Phonics" and "Counting to 20!"

Kids simply slide the card into the slot on any Yoto player to start the audio, so they can jump, clap, and sing along without holding a fragile smartphone.

Yoto Mini vs. Yoto Player 4th Gen Opens in a new window Credit: Yoto Play Yoto Mini 4th Gen $109.99 at Yoto Play
  Shop Now at Yoto Play Opens in a new window Credit: Yoto Play Yoto Player 4th Gen $149.99 at Yoto Play
  Shop Now at Yoto Play

The card is backward-compatible with every generation of Yoto hardware (and works inside the free Yoto mobile app), but if you do not own a device yet, Yoto's latest fourth-generation lineup covers two distinct use cases.

If your family is often on the move, the Yoto Mini (4th Gen) is built specifically for strollers, car rides, and road trips. It features a rugged, puddle-proof exterior, up to 16 hours of battery life on a single charge, and enough internal memory to store over 1,000 hours of audio offline.

In the box, you get the player, a USB-C charging cable, a Welcome / Make Your Own card, a free digital Journey Jams card, and free access to Yoto Daily and Yoto Radio streams.

SEE ALSO: Yoto announces 4th generation of popular audio players

For everyday listening around the house, the full-sized Yoto Player (4th Gen) is designed to stay parked on a nightstand or shelf; it swaps the ultra-compact frame for richer stereo sound, an integrated full-panel nightlight, and a built-in "okay-to-wake" clock face that helps little ones learn when morning has arrived.

Like the Mini, it ships with a USB-C cable, a Make Your Own card, access to Yoto Daily and Yoto Radio, and a free 5 Minute Stories From Around the World digital card.

You can preorder the I'm So Happy card for $14.99 before it lands on doorsteps Nov. 12. If you are looking to get a jump on holiday shopping, pairing it with a player is pretty much a guaranteed win for any toddler house.

TL;DR: Dave and Buster's is temporarily rebranding to Doom and Buster's ahead of Marvel Studios' Avengers: Doomsday, rolling out new arcade games, themed cocktails, and double-ticket DOOMHOUR events from Nov. 16 through Jan. 31, 2027.

Doctor Doom is not waiting around for his return to the big screen to claim new territory. Ahead of Marvel Studios' Avengers: Doomsday arriving in theaters on Dec. 18, Dave and Buster's is temporarily surrendering its name, gaming floors, and bar to Latveria's ruler for a nationwide takeover dubbed Doom and Buster's.

While select Marvel games began rolling out to arcade floors this week, the full experiential takeover officially launches on Nov. 16 and runs through Jan. 31, 2027. Between now and late January, visitors have two and a half months to jump into new Marvel games, collect exclusive merch, and sip themed drinks as they count down to the premiere.

Credit: Dave & Buster's / Marvel Step inside the Doomsday Zone

The cornerstone of the takeover is the in-store Doomsday Zone, framed by custom entry arches, Marvel signage, and villainous game displays. The rollout introduces many brand-new games and interactive attractions:

• Marvel Cosmic Invasion — A fast-paced, four-player beat-'em-up where you pick two Marvel superheroes and switch between their abilities mid-fight to survive waves of enemies.

• Avengers: Roller Race and Battle — A four-player head-to-head racing game where the fastest racer to the finish takes down a villain along the way to help save the day.

• Human Crane — A life-sized claw attraction where guests strap into a harness, lift off, and get lowered directly into a pit of giant inflatables and prizes.

• Mystery Crane — The classic claw machine with a twist, hiding surprise prizes inside mystery pillow boxes.

• Thor's Hammer Strike — A test-of-strength cabinet where one hammer swing can land your name on the leaderboard and score ticket jackpots.

• Smash N Win — A target-shooting game where players can collect 20 different Marvel character-themed balls.

• The Arena — A dedicated interactive space featuring immersive gameplay and themed floor takeovers.

• Avengers Themed Photo Booth — A commemorative photo booth where you can snap solo or group pictures and take home a physical photo keepsake.

Credit: Dave & Buster's / Marvel

Arcade floors will also feature an Avengers Funko pusher machine stocked exclusively with themed Funko collectibles, limited-edition Marvel cotton candy flavors, and collectible Power Cards spotlighting Doctor Doom, Thor, and Yelena available at kiosks while supplies last.

Double ticket drops and villainous cocktails

For ticket hunters, Doom is also taking over the prize desk math. Starting Nov. 16, locations nationwide will trigger DOOMHOUR — a surprise 60-minute window that awards double tickets on all green-swipe games.

D&B Rewards members will receive advance warning straight to their phones: an in-app notification 24 hours ahead reveals the date, and a second notification drops the day of to reveal the exact hour before in-store screens and D&B Live radio sound the alarm for everyone else. Fans can also rack up exclusive digital badges and bonus game chips by completing new Rewards Challenges inside the mobile app throughout the event.

Doom's rule extends straight to the bar with three cocktails and two mocktails running through Jan. 31, 2027:

• Doomsday's Dominion — Melon liqueur, pineapple, and Smirnoff vodka paired with an ominous Black Magic sidecar.

• Multiversal Mule — Dragon fruit and ginger beer spiked with Smirnoff, edible shimmer, and a glowing LED cube.

• Fantastic Flight — A four-part flight of mini citrus sour cocktails highlighting different super-powered flavors.

• Panther's Potion (Mocktail) — An alcohol-free cherry and ginger blend served with a shimmering vibranium sidecar.

• Captain Punch (Mocktail) — A tropical blue raspberry and coconut mocktail finished with a sour candy ribbon.

Attractions, games, and drink availability can vary by venue across Dave and Buster's locations. You can check your local store's game lineup and sign up for DOOMHOUR alerts on the Doom and Buster's website.

TL;DR: DJI launched the Matrice 5T, a rugged enterprise drone packing 1K thermal imaging, LiDAR, and AI object tracking to find missing people in pitch-black darkness and bad weather.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Matrice 5T   Learn More at DJI

Searching for a missing person across dense forests or choppy waters is grueling enough in broad daylight. Once night falls, or when heavy fog and blinding rain set in, standard aerial cameras hit a hard physical wall. Search and rescue crews are often left squinting at pixelated monitor screens and hoping a flashlight beam catches something reflective.

DJI designed the Matrice 5T to tackle those exact conditions. Built for first responders, disaster relief crews, and infrastructure inspectors, the enterprise drone functions as an all-in-one sensor rig engineered to handle pitch-black darkness, dense dust, and stormy weather.

Instead of using a standard night camera, the Matrice 5T packs a dedicated multi-sensor setup. The heart of its nighttime search gear is a native 1K thermal camera (1280 x 1024 resolution) with four times as many pixels as typical 640 x 512 sensors, letting teams spot faint heat signatures in cold terrain or rubble. With Ultra-High Resolution mode turned on, it doubles to 2560 x 2048 to keep heat sources crisp against messy backgrounds.

Thermal tech built for darkness

That thermal view is backed by long-range zoom and full-color night optics. The wide camera pulls color out of near-total darkness down to 0.01 lux, while a telephoto camera combines monochrome night vision with up to 176x hybrid zoom to read license plates from 400 meters away. For close-up utility work, a separate 50MP medium telephoto camera checks hardware from 10 meters out.

Flying low in the dark is risky around trees and wires, so the Matrice 5T combines omnidirectional low-light fisheye sensors with LiDAR and millimeter-wave radar. The top-mounted LiDAR spots thin overhead lines up to 32 meters away at night and locks onto them to fly alongside during line checks.

When the weather turns, the millimeter-wave radar cuts through thick fog, heavy rain, or blowing dust that blinds regular cameras. In deep river canyons or between tall buildings where GPS drops out, the drone fuses its visual and radar data to map the area in real-time, keeping flight smooth and steady.

Built-in AI and longer flight times

Spotting something in the dark is one thing, but figuring out what it is takes more work. The drone packs built-in edge AI models that can scan both thermal and standard video feeds in parallel to recognize more than 20 object categories, from vehicles and boats to individual humans. Responders connected to DJI FlightHub 2 can enter text prompts or upload reference images in the DJI Pilot 2 app to have the drone automatically sweep patrol zones and flag targets.

SEE ALSO: The best early Black Friday drone deals have landed — save on DJI, Ruko, Antigravity, and more

To keep long operations running without constant battery swaps, the aircraft offers up to 59 minutes of flight time and carries an IP55 weather-resistance rating, so it can operate in dust storms, downpours, and temperatures ranging from minus-20 degrees to 50 degrees Celsius. The O4 Enterprise transmission system reaches up to 40 kilometers, backed by cellular dongles and multi-drone relay modes to keep video streams live even when mountains or buildings block a direct line of sight.

Fast field modeling and tighter security

Beyond search missions, the drone doubles as a high-precision surveying tool. Paired with DJI Terra, the controller turns 200 photos into 2.5D models or local point clouds in just eight minutes — no ground control points needed. It can also generate 3D models on the fly to auto-route inspections along bridges and solar grids, or handle takeoffs and landings directly from moving boat decks.

Because enterprise and emergency data is sensitive, DJI requires opt-in permissions to share photos and video, while U.S. operators no longer sync flight logs to company servers. The system uses AES-256 encryption alongside ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 certifications. For restricted airspace, a built-in Flight Termination System module lets pilots cut propeller power on demand or triggers automatically if the drone strays past a preset geofence boundary.

SEE ALSO: The best early Black Friday drone deals have landed — save on DJI, Ruko, Antigravity, and more

The DJI Matrice 5T is now available through authorized DJI Enterprise dealers.

TL;DR: Move through your piano learning journey at your own pace with this lifetime subscription to Skoove Premium Piano Lessons, on sale now for just $109.97 (reg. $299.99) through Nov. 8.

Opens in a new window Credit: Skoove Skoove Premium Piano Lessons: Lifetime Subscription $109.97
$299.99 Save $190.02   Get Deal

It’s easy to lose an hour scrolling on your phone without anything to show for it. If you’re looking for an easy way to use your phone for good, it may be time to try Skoove Premium Piano Lessons. This innovative app turns your smartphone, tablet, or laptop into your very own private piano instructor, helping you work on your skills whenever you have free time.

Right now, you can lock in a lifetime subscription to Skoove Premium Piano Lessons for just $109.97 through Nov. 8.

Turn your spare time into piano lessons with Skoove. This AI-powered app makes it easier than ever to learn an instrument, without spending a fortune on lessons or commuting to a studio.

Whether you’re a total beginner, an intermediate player, or an advanced pianist, you can improve your skills with Skoove Premium Piano Lessons. Thanks to the AI component, it can provide real-time feedback to help you improve with every session — all you need is a piano or keyboard and a tablet, smartphone, or computer to get started.

Skoove gives you personalized feedback as you go, and even plans lessons for you. The app is packed with over 400 lessons and thousands of instructional videos to choose from. You’ll also learn tunes by some of your favorite artists, from Adele to The Beatles.

If you need more help with your piano skills, Skoove also offers one-on-one support with real music instructors. Your lifetime subscription includes monthly updated lessons and songs, so you’ll never run out of material.

Lock in your own lifetime subscription to Skoove Premium Piano Lessons for just $109.97 now through Nov. 8.

StackSocial prices subject to change.