Black Friday bargain hunting just got a major head start. With nearly three weeks left before the main event, retailers are already dropping prices to record lows across consumer tech. Apple's M4 MacBook Air has hit an all-time low of $749.99, while Fitbit devices are seeing up to 50% off. The early offensive signals how competitive this year's holiday shopping season will be.
The 2025 Black Friday shopping season is starting earlier than ever, with major retailers launching aggressive price cuts weeks ahead of the traditional November 28th kickoff. What's emerging isn't just typical early-bird discounting, but record-breaking deals that suggest retailers are competing harder than ever for consumer dollars. Apple is leading the charge with its latest 13-inch MacBook Air featuring the M4 chip now available for $749.99 at Amazon, representing a $250 discount from the $999 retail price. This marks the lowest price ever recorded for Apple's latest laptop refresh, which launched earlier this year with upgraded performance and extended battery life. The timing is notable - Apple rarely sees such steep discounts on current-generation hardware this early in a product cycle. The pressure isn't just hitting Apple. Google products are seeing significant markdowns, with the TV Streamer 4K dropping to $74.99 from $99.99, and the Pixel Watch 3 falling to $199.99 from $299.99. The search giant's hardware division has been pushing aggressively into consumer electronics, but these pricing moves suggest they're prioritizing market share over margins heading into the crucial holiday quarter. Television manufacturers are getting particularly aggressive with pricing. LG is offering its 55-inch C5 OLED for $1,196.99, down $804 from the regular price. The premium 77-inch G5 OLED has dropped to $3,496.99, representing over $1,000 in savings. These aren't minor adjustments - they're the kind of price cuts typically reserved for end-of-lifecycle clearances. The streaming and smart home categories are seeing similar pressure. Bose has dropped its QuietComfort Ultra headphones to $299 from $429, while newer audio products like the Ultra Open Earbuds are hitting $199 (down from $299). The aggressive pricing extends beyond premium brands - even budget-friendly companies like EarFun are offering up to 65% off their already affordable audio products. What's driving this early discounting isn't just competitive pressure, but changing consumer behavior. Shoppers increasingly spread their holiday purchases across multiple weeks rather than focusing on a single Black Friday shopping spree. Retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and have already announced their full Black Friday timelines, signaling a more extended sales period than previous years. The robotic vacuum market is seeing particularly dramatic cuts. The Eufy X10 Pro Omni has returned to its Prime Day low of $499.99, down from $899.99. Premium models like the Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni have dropped to $699.99 from $1,299.99 - a massive $600 discount on cleaning technology that was launched less than a year ago. Smart home security isn't being left out. Ring and Blink doorbells are seeing 50-60% discounts, while Google Nest cameras have dropped to $119 from $179. These aren't seasonal accessories - they're core home security products seeing the kind of pricing typically associated with clearance sales. The fitness tracker segment shows similar patterns. Multiple Fitbit models are seeing their lowest prices ever, with the Charge 6 dropping to $99.95 from $159.95. Even Apple's Watch SE 3, launched just months ago, is available for $199.99 instead of $249. The early timing of these deals suggests retailers are preparing for a challenging holiday season. With inflation concerns persisting and consumers still cautious about discretionary spending, companies are front-loading their best offers to capture early shoppers. But this strategy comes with risks - starting sales too early can cannibalize full-price sales and train consumers to expect constant discounting. The question now is whether retailers have saved anything for the actual Black Friday weekend, or if these early November prices represent the new baseline for holiday shopping. Based on retailer commitments to "even more deals" as November progresses, it seems likely that prices will continue dropping through the month.
