Cyber Monday has arrived - here are the top non-smartphone deals

Black Friday is a general shopping holiday with discounts on all sorts of things, the Monday after that has a special name – Cyber Monday – because it focuses on tech deals. So, if you missed out on our top Black Friday deals, here are the best Cyber Monday deals.

• Apple wearables
• Bluetooth speakers
• Storage
• Networking
• Projectors
• Smart speakers
• Smart displays
• Security cameras

Apple wearables

We’ll start with some Apple stuff since Black Friday was light on deals from Cupertino (and Cyber Monday is proving more fruitful). The second generation Apple AirPods Pro are off $50 in a rare discount.

The Apple Watch Series 8 also has a $50 discount, bringing it closer to the price of the new Watch SE. The Series 8 has a larger display (1.9” vs. 1.78”) as well as a more advanced sensor suite.

Bluetooth speakers

The JBL Flip 6 is a good all-around Bluetooth speaker. It has two drivers – one for mid-range and one tweeter – and delivers 20W of sound. That’s okay for listening at home, but with an IP67 rating, you can take this one outside next to the pool or even on the beach. You can pair a second JBL PartyBoost-compatible speaker for stereo sound (there’s an app to help you with that).

The JBL Charge 5 is more outdoorsy. It has the same IP67 rating (dust and water proof), and it also doubles as a power bank so you can charge up your phone. This one is rated at 20 hours (up from 12hr for the Flip 6). This one supports PartyBoost as well, but with 40 Watt RMS it is loud enough on its own.

The Bose SoundLink Flex also boasts an IP67 rating (it even floats if you drop it in the water); it also has 12-hour battery life and can be paired with a second speaker. The paint is UV resistant, so it won’t peel and flake if you leave it out in the sun for prolonged periods of time.

The Marshall Emberton looks like it belongs on the stage, and with an IPX7 rating it is not afraid to perform in the rain. This one stands out with its battery wife, 20+ hours (according to Marshall), and has two 10W drivers with two passive radiators.

Here’s something more compact that is designed to clip to your backpack. The JBL Clip 4 also has an IP67 rating so it can brave the outdoors, and despite being small and light, it promises 10 hours of playback time and 5W of output power.

Heading back inside, the Bose SoundLink Revolve II design allows it to blast audio in 360°. This means it can fill the room with sound wherever you put it. It has an IP55 rating, so you can take it outside, as long as you’re careful. Charging through a microUSB port is unfortunate, though.

The LG XBOOM Go PL5 brings a built-in light show with RGB ring lights on either side. This 20W speaker can be paired with a second unit for extra oomph. It can go 18 hours between charges. It is IPX5 rated, so it can survive a splash of water.

By the way, we have a list of smart speakers below.

Storage

Some of you have phones with microSD slots (lucky you!), but these tiny memory cards are also useful for action cameras, the Nintendo Switch and so on. A 1TB SanDisk Ultra card offers up to 150MB/s read speeds and is rated A1 if you want to move apps on it.

There is also a 512GB version available if you want to save some cash and don’t need a full terabyte.

The Samsung EVO Select card has an A2 rating, so it can handle 4,000 IOPS for reads and 2,000 IOPS for writes, compared to 1,500/500 IOPS for an A1 card. Sequential read speeds are a tad slower, though, 130MB/s.

If you need extra storage on the go for your laptop, the SanDisk Extreme Pro portable SSD is available in 1, 2 and 4TB varieties. It has a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, so it transfer data at up to 2,000MB/s. And it will keep that data safe – it can survive 2m (6.5ft) drops and is rated IP55 (it also has 256-bit AES hardware encryption).

The WD Black P40 drive looks tough, but isn’t meant for the outdoors. I can pair well with a PC or console, however. There are 512GB, 1TB and 2TB versions. The USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port delivers data at 2,000MB/s. It has built-in RGB lighting, so it will feel right at home next to your gaming rig.

However, if you want a proper upgrade for your PlayStation 5, the WD Black SN850 has been officially licensed for use with the console. The PCIe Gen 4 interface goes up to 7,000MB/s. There is a 2TB version too (AAA games have gotten quite huge).

The Samsung 980 Pro SSD can also fit inside a PS5 (the console uses a standard m.2 2280 slot, it’s all about the clearances). It works in a PC or laptop too, of course, delivering data at 7,000MB/s. We have linked the 2TB version here, but there is a 1TB stick as well (the 512GB model is only a few dollars cheaper, not worth it).

There are a few other options for PC and laptop use, e.g. the WD Black SN850X. This one goes a touch faster at 7,300MB/s. It has on-board DRAM and uses TLC storage.

Not so fast but cheaper is the Crucial P5 Plus, rated at 6,600MB/s. Cheap though it may be, it still has DRAM and uses TLC memory chips (cheap drives often go DRAM-less or use QLC).

The Samsung 980 is a DRAM-less drive and relies on SLC cache. Once that is out, it drops down to the speed of the TLC memory chips. In the US, it is cheaper than the Crucial drive, so it might make sense for some; in Europe the price isn’t as nice.

Networking

The Asus ROG Strix GS-AX5400 gaming router goes up to 5,400Mbps (as the name suggests) over Wi-Fi 6. It also has a gaming Ethernet port, which gets priority over other ports for minimal latency. It is equipped with Aura-compatible RGB lighting for extra flair. On a more practical note, it supports Asus’ AiMesh for extended coverage, and there is a USB 3.2 1x1 port.

The TP-Link Archer AX73 also delivers 5,400Mbps over Wi-Fi 6. No RGB here, but this one supports mesh networking as well (TP-Link’s OneMesh). There is a single USB 3.0 port on the back.

Going up a segment, we have the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX6000. This router has two 2.5 gig ports with traffic priority for high bandwidth, low-latency operation. It is quick over the air too with 6,000Mbps Wi-Fi 6. Like the Strix, there is Aura RGB lighting, AiMesh support and a pair of USB ports (one 3.2 1x1 and one USB 2.0).

TP-Link’s alternative is cheaper – the Archer AX6000 has a single 2.5Gbps port on the back, but two USB 3.0 ports (one Type A and one Type C). OneMesh is supported.

Going all out is the TP-Link Archer AXE160 – with two 10G ports and Wi-Fi 6E going up to 15.6Gbps this is one of the fastest routers that money can buy. Wi-Fi 6E uses the 6GHz band, which is less congested too (important for those living in large apartment buildings). There is a single USB 3.0 port and OneMesh support.

Speaking of mesh networks, if you have a large home with gaps in coverage, you may as well get a dedicated mesh system. The Netgear Nighthawk MK83 has tri-band Wi-Fi 6 connectivity – the third band is dedicated to connecting with the router, so no need to run extra Ethernet wires. The 3-pack combo can cover homes up to 630m²/6,750ft² (there is a 2-pack option as well).

The Asus ZenWiFi AX XT8 is another tri-band Wi-Fi 6 system. A 2-pack like the one listed above should be okay for up to 510m²/5,500ft². These support AiMesh so you can extend an existing network too (you may want to get the single pack then).

You can cover several rooms with these, but what if there is a dead spot in your backyard? The TP-Link EAP110-Outdoor access point is slow – N300, meaning Wi-Fi 4 at 300Mps – but comes built into an enclosure that will protect it from the elements. Plus, range is the name of the game here, not so much speed. With two omnidirectional antennas, this has a range of up to 200m/650ft. Another neat thing is the PoE support, meaning you only need to run an Ethernet cable, a PoE injector will supply power over the same cable (one is included for free from Amazon US).

Can your computer even handle the fast Wi-Fi speeds? If not, a cheap and easy way to improve things is something like the TP-Link Archer TX20U Plus. It plugs into a free USB 3.0 port and gives your computer Wi-FI 600 connectivity up to 1,800Mbps.

A more permanent installation for a tower PC looks like this – the Archer TXE75E. It goes into a PCIe slot and includes Wi-Fi 6E support (up to 2,400Mbps on the 5GHz and 6GHz bands each), plus it includes Bluetooth 5.2.

Projectors

Gaming monitors are cool, but they are often geared towards competitive gaming. For sims like Microsoft Flight Simulator or a racing sim, something like this might be a better pick the BenQ TK700STi gaming projector can create a display up to 100” in size (at 2m/6.5ft, 3,000lm brightness). In 1080p mode, it can run at 240Hz (4.16ms), and there is a 4K mode at 60Hz (with a 16ms low input lag mode).

If you just want a cheap projector you can move around easily, the Anker Nebula Capsule Max can create a 100” screen (at 2.8m/9.5ft, 2,000lm brightness), and the built-in battery lets it run for up to 4 hours. There is a built-in 8W speaker too, plus this runs Android 8.1, so it can work without a phone (there is an HDMI in and wireless screen mirroring too). The image is only 720p, but projectors look better than an LCD at the same resolution. This unit weighs 725g/1.6lbs.

Another portable solution is the BenQ GV30. It also creates a 100” screen with 720p resolution, but it stands out with 2.1 audio – dual 4W drivers and an 8W woofer. It has an Android TV mode as well as Chromecast and AirPlay support wireless connectivity, HDMI and USB-C wired connectivity. The battery only lasts 2.5 hours, so not enough for Lord of the Rings.

A premium home theater experience can cost dearly. Something like the LG CineBeam HU85LA ultra short throw laser projector can create a 120” screen from just 18cm/7” distance. And it is a quality 4K HDR10 image, too with 2,700lm brightness. Similar to LG’s smart TVs, this runs webOS Lite. Even with a $1,500 discount, this still costs a hefty $3,500.

The LG CineBeam HY715QW is a similar ultra short throw projector (120” at 19cm/7.5”). It creates a 4K images at 2,500lm brightness, but misses HDR. This makes it a bit cheaper, though not cheap by any means. Note that these have built-in speakers, but if you’re spending that much cash, you really should get a proper audio system to go with them as well.

Another 120” ultra short throw option is Samsung’s The Premiere. This 4K projector supports HDR10+ - it was the first in the world to do so when it came out in 2020. Yes, it’s not fresh, but that has allowed it to drop in price. This one also uses a smart TV platform, Tizen in this case (this is helpful for installing the major streaming services as well as apps for local streaming).

Smart speakers

The 5th gen Amazon Echo Dot is down to $25/€25. It is a cheap digital assistant/general Bluetooth speaker for the home. You can also get the slightly pricier version with a built-in digital clock, which is good for your nightstand. Alternatively, the older Echo Dot 3rd gen is more compact (and cheaper).

If you need a Bluetooth speaker for the home, the Amazon Echo Studio would be a better pick over the Dots. With a total of 5 speakers (30mm tweeter, three 2” mid-range drivers and a 5.3” woofer), not to mention Dolby Atmos support, this can fill the whole room with 360° audio.

Smart displays

Here are a few smart displays. The Amazon Echo Show 15 is designed to look like a picture frame and can be mounted on the wall. It has a high-quality 15.6” 1080p display, and beyond showing off at-a-glance info, it can also play Netflix and Spotify (it has dual 1.6” drivers), plus Amazon’s own streaming services, of course.

The Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd gen) has a smaller 10” 720p display and costs the same as the Show 15. This one is designed for video calling, however. The motorized swivel base allows the 13MP camera to follow you around while you are on a Zoom or Skype call. Audio is a bit better too with two 1” drivers and a 3” woofer.

A simpler, cheaper alternative is the Echo Show 8. Besides the smaller 8” 720p display, this one also lacks the motorized mount, however, the wide-angle camera can still track you (it does it by cropping in).

There’s also the Meta Portal, a 10” smart display designed for video calling. It handles Zoom, WhatsApp and the Facebook Messenger.

Security cameras

Besides video calls, you may want a smart display to pair with security cameras. Like the Blink Outdoor camera, for example. It’s battery-powered and promises 2-year battery life with motion detection activated. It is weather resistant too, of course. We have linked a 3-pack below, but you can get just one or as many as 8 in one bundle. Watch out, though, as they do require a cloud subscription to be used.

Thee camera above has infrared night vision, however, if you prefer a full-color image, this model is equipped with a floodlight. It still promises 2-year battery life, but there are two battery compartments here – 2x AA like above, plus 4 D cells for the light. You can power the camera over a wire too, if you don’t want the hassle with changing the batteries.