Black Friday 2018 Deals That Are Actually Deals

Black Friday 2018 is upon us. And that means everything is on sale at low low prices… Sometimes.

Having monitored the past half dozen Black Friday deals like a shark, patterns start to stick out. Super low discounted items tend to be last year’s models or special SKUs, made specifically for that store and for Black Friday, never to be seen again.

But sifting through all of the crud, there actually are a few deals that are worth considering. Below are those deals.

The Deals

• $150 or $200 off Google Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL, respectively. I expressed my thoughts after using a Pixel 3 XL for a few weeks, and while there are more software glitches than I’d like, they will be fixed “in the coming weeks”. The camera is still the best you can find on a smartphone right now and for this much off, it makes me wish I waited to purchase.
• $50 off, $99 – The Google Home Hub released not too long ago and is a 7″ Google assistant powered smart display for your home. If you were envious of the Echo Spot and Echo Show but wanted to stay within the Google ecosystem, this is your best bet.
• $17.99 64GB, $29.99 128GB MicroSD – If you use a phone with expandable storage, having the right SD card matters when having apps stored on it and recording 4K video. These cards are higher quality, supporting A2 application performance (higher minimum IOPS compared to standard SD cards) and a minimum speed of 30MB/s after the card has aged.
• $40 off, $39.99 Pixel Stand – If you’re buying a Pixel 3 and want a wireless charger that turns your phone into a Google Home like device, this is a great price for another, just released, accessory.
• $50 off, $149.95 / $179.95 Fitbit Versa –  The spiritual successor to the Pebble line of smartwatches. If you’re looking to track steps and your sleep patterns, but also want something a little more than a simple tracker, this is for you.
• $79.99 4TB Portable Hard Drive – Comes with a free 32GB flash drive as well. If you aren’t backing up your data in some way, this is a good price to get started.
• $127.98 Samsung 860 EVO 1TB – Other options can be a little cheaper, but make use of cheaper components and no caching, which cause them to get slow under certain conditions. Still the tried and true standard for SSDs that I recommend.
• $49.99 Logitech C922x Webcam – Slight upgrade to the standard C920 camera, support 1080p30 as well as 720p60, up from 720p30 on the C920. Also allows use of Personify chroma software to remove your background and comes with an Xsplit trial.
• Up to 80% off on Android Games – Monument Valley 2 and Don’t Starve Pocket Edition 99 cents each, Final Fantasy Tactics $3.59
• $20 off, $39.99 Playstation Plus 12 month – Extend your online multiplayer gaming capabilities on your PS3, PS4 or PS Vita console.

Most of these item’s are available across different stores such as Target, Walmart, Kohl’s, as well as Amazon. Pick whichever will net you the most benefit and make sure you have a Happy Thanksgiving!