Tech deals this week: JBL headphones half price and how to tell if you should wait for Black Friday

Black Friday is on 27 November, but some tech is already cut. We checked John Lewis, Samsung and Philips Hue when we checked on 1 November. The best early deals are on headphones. Tablets and smart speakers have fewer real reductions, and research from Which? suggests you rarely need to rush.

At a glance

• JBL Tune 680NC wireless on-ear headphones: £44.99 at John Lewis, was £89.99.
• JBL Live 780NC: £99.99, was £169.99.
• Sony WH-CH535: £39.99, was £49.99. The Sony WH-CH520 is £29.99.
• Tablets: few cuts on current models. Samsung's trade-in deal on the Galaxy Tab S12 range runs until 5 January 2027.
• Smart speakers: the Sonos Era 100 is £179 at John Lewis, marked "price matched".

Headphones

John Lewis's Black Friday headphone page already had several reductions:

• JBL Tune 680NC Wireless On-Ear: £44.99, was £89.99
• JBL Live 680NC Wireless On-Ear: £79.99, was £129.99
• JBL Live 780NC Wireless On-Ear: £99.99, was £169.99
• JBL Endurance Peak 4 True Wireless In-Ear: £79.99, was £89.99
• Sony WH-CH535 Wireless On-Ear: £39.99, was £49.99
• Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro: £169, marked "Save £34"
• Apple AirPods Max 2: £449, was £499

The Sennheiser Momentum Sport True Wireless is £140, marked "Reduced To Clear". A My John Lewis offer on some Beats headphones ended on 4 November.

Tablets

There are fewer real deals on tablets. At John Lewis, the 2025 Apple iPad 11" (A16, Wi-Fi, 128GB) is £429 with no saving shown. Some older models are "Reduced To Clear", such as the 2021 iPad 10.2" Wi-Fi & Cellular 256GB at £489, down from £699. Check you're happy with an older model before you buy one.

John Lewis and Samsung both have trade-in offers on the Galaxy Tab S12 and Tab S12 Ultra. Samsung says its trade-in discount, from £20 up to £730 off the Ultra depending on the device you trade in, runs until 5 January 2027. Samsung's extra £100 off with PayPal ended on 3 November.

Smart speakers

At John Lewis, the Sonos Era 100 is £179, labelled "Price matched". The Apple HomePod mini 2 is £149, the Google Home speaker with Gemini is £99.99 and the Amazon Echo Dot Max (2025) is £119.99, with no savings shown. Amazon often cuts its own devices in its Black Friday sale, so if you want an Echo, it may be worth waiting.

If you're adding smart lights, Philips Hue offers 15% off when you sign up to its newsletter.

Should you wait for Black Friday?

Which? tracked 175 products from eight retailers over the 2024 Black Friday sales. It found 83% were the same price or cheaper at least once outside the four-week sales period, and none were at their cheapest price of the year during it. So if a price is good now, there's little reason to wait. Use a price history tool to check whether today's price is really low.

Worked example: three pairs of headphones

Buying headphones for three teenagers at John Lewis's prices on 1 November:

• JBL Tune 680NC: £44.99 (was £89.99)
• JBL Live 680NC: £79.99 (was £129.99)
• Sony WH-CH535: £39.99 (was £49.99)

That's £164.97, against £269.97 at the was prices, a saving of £105. If the same models drop further on Black Friday, there's no legal right to a refund of the difference, though some shops offer price promises, so check before you buy.

What to do now

1. Decide what you need and set a budget before you browse.
2. Check the price history of anything over £50.
3. Check the model year, especially on tablets marked "Reduced To Clear".
4. Read the end date on any trade-in or cashback deal.
5. Keep receipts. You usually have 14 days to cancel an online order after delivery.

Questions

What's the difference between "price matched" and a reduction?

A price match means John Lewis has lowered its price to match a competitor. It may not be a new low.

Can I return headphones I've opened?

For online orders, the 14-day cancellation right usually covers items you've unboxed to inspect, but you may have to pay for any loss in value from handling beyond that.

Is trade-in worth it?

It can be, if the trade-in value beats what you'd get selling the device yourself.

Ways to save

Check our John Lewis, Currys, Argos and Amazon pages before you buy.

Sources: John Lewis: headphone offers, John Lewis: tablet offers, John Lewis: smart speakers, Samsung offers, Philips Hue, Which?: Black Friday research, Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 34. Prices checked on 1 November 2026 and may change.

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