The early Black Friday sales we saw on Google smart home devices are back just about a week before we get to Black Friday proper. And there are a few other devices included this time around — like Google’s new Pixel 6 smartphone, which is $100 off at Best Buy if you buy and activate today, or $50 off if you activate later. Regardless of which you choose, those are the best sales we’ve seen on the handset since it debuted last month.
We gave the Pixel 6 a score of 89 in our review — it can hold its own against flagship competitors from Apple and Samsung, and it has arguably a more fun design than the competition and remarkable cameras. The horizontal camera bar on its back is controversial, but striking nonetheless. It has a 6.4-inch 1080p OLED touchscreen that can reach up to 90Hz refresh rates, and it has an under-screen fingerprint sensor too (although we found this a bit too finicky). Google’s new Tensor chip provides sold performance, and we liked the new Assistant and Android 12 perks such as the voice keyboard that will be popular with those who hate typing on smartphones.
As far as cameras go, you’re getting a 50-megapixel main shooter along with a 12MP wide-angle lens and an 8MP selfie cam, all of which produce sharp, clean and bright photos. We also praised the Pixel 6’s battery, which lasted about 20.5 hours during our testing. The Pixel 6 was already a competitively priced flagship smartphone, but this early Black Friday sale makes it even more tempting for Android users in need of an upgrade.
Along with that, a bunch of other Google gadgets have been discounted before the Black Friday frenzy begins. We’ve seen some of these deals before, like the Nest Hub for $50 and the Nest Audio for $60 at Best Buy and B&H Photo. But a new one is the Chromecast with Google TV in white for $10 off, bringing it down to $39. This is a pretty rare discount on the already affordable streaming device that we gave a score of 86 for its solid new remote control, excellent Google Assistant integration and 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support.
Those looking to upgrade their smart home should also consider the various deals in that department. The Nest Thermostat and the upgraded Learning Thermostat are down to $100 and $180, respectively, while the Nest Doorbell Battery has dropped to $130. Also, the outdoor Nest Cam Battery is on sale for $150 while both Nest and Google WiFi systems have been discounted.