Black Friday is over a month away, but these deals on creative tech essentials will be hard to beat

A collection of the best pre-Black Friday deals on creative tech
(Image credit: Future / Apple / Sony / Samsung / Xencelabs)

Black Friday seems to comes earlier every year. There's over a month until the symbolic date itself, and presumably a few weeks to go until most retailers start official Black Friday sales (Best Buy says that it will start on 21 November). But there are already loads of great deals on creative tech, including on some of the most essential tools and accessories.

B&H Photo has $135 off one of my favourite external hard drives, the Samsung T7 Shield, and Amazon has a massive $180 off an Acer 16-in-1 Thunderbolt 4 Dock. It also has a record saving of 27% off the price of the new Apple Pencil Pro and a record low price of $699 for the M2 MacBook Air 13.

Apple Pencil Prowas $129 now $93.99 at AmazonSave $35.01

Apple Pencil Pro: was $129 now $93.99 at Amazon
Save $35.01: The Apple Pencil Pro was only released in May, but, incredibly, this deal means that it's currently cheaper than the 2nd-gen Apple Pencil from 2018. Compatible with the new iPad Pros, iPad Air and, new this week, the A17 Pro iPad mini, it introduces new features including a squeeze gesture and barrel roll to allow quick changing of brushes for the best iPad drawing experience yet.

Apple MacBook Air 13 (M2)was $999 now $699.01 at AmazonSave $299.01

Apple MacBook Air 13 (M2): was $999 now $699.01 at Amazon
Save $299.01: This 2022 MacBook Air 13 was superseded by a new M3-chipped model this year, but even still, we hardly ever see this big a discount on any MacBook Air. Considering that this year's device is a relatively iterative update, this is the laptop I'd go for if you're looking for a highly portable device for working on the go. The 8GB of RAM may be limiting for video editors, but it can handle general productivity, browsing, and 2D graphic design. Click the voucher box for the full discount.

Samsung T7 Shield 2TB Portable SSD: $284.99 $149.99 at B&H PhotoSave $135: 

Samsung T7 Shield 2TB Portable SSD: $284.99 $149.99 at B&H Photo
Save $135: 
This deal is our top pick for value on an external SSD right now. I've been using this SSD daily for two years now. Available in 3 colours, it's rugged, water and dust resistant and provides transfer speeds of up to 1,059MB/s. There are discounts on the 1TB and 4TB versions too.

Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium: $379.99 $223.99 at AmazonSave $50:

Xencelabs Pen Tablet Medium: $379.99 $223.99 at Amazon
Save $50: This excellent graphics tablet remains at the top of our list of the best drawing tablets thanks to its excellent value. Now it's even better value.

Sony WH1000XM4 Noise-Cancelling headphoneswas $349.99 now $299.99 at Best BuySave $50

Sony WH1000XM4 Noise-Cancelling headphones: was $349.99 now $299.99 at Best Buy
Save $50: Best Buy has announced its Black Friday sale for November, but it already has some good deals on laptops and creative tech accessories, including on these headphones that I use myself. These wireless beauties are well-designed, comfortable and provide excellent noise cancellation.

Acer 16-in-1 8K Thunderbolt 4 Dock: $349.99 $169.99 at AmazonSave $180:

Acer 16-in-1 8K Thunderbolt 4 Dock: $349.99 $169.99 at Amazon
Save $180: Need a dock to connect external monitors and peripherals to your laptop or MacBook? This limited-time deal offers an incredible price for 16-in-1 Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C dock that can support DisplayLink quad monitors, 160W of power, 40Gbps of data transfer and 2.5Gbps Ethernet. For the full saving, you'll need to check the box for an additional $100 off. I can't see this deal lasting long.

Asus ZenScreen Portable FHD USB Monitor: Was $279 now $229 at AmazonSave $50: 

Asus ZenScreen Portable FHD USB Monitor: Was $279 now $229 at Amazon
Save $50:
 Portable monitors are becoming increasingly popular for those who work between a home office and other locations. Asus is the king of this category with a wide range of quality offerings, many of which we've reviwed. This FHD display is now fantastic value with $50 off various sizes and configurations. It connects via USB-C and the smart cover allows it to be used in both landscape and portrait orientations at a range of viewing angles.

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Joe Foley

Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news, features and buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment and software for creatives, from video editing programs to monitors and accessories. A veteran news writer and photographer, he now works as a project manager at the London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. He also dances Argentine tango.

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