Early Black Friday markdowns have already transformed three crowd-favorite finds into impulse buys, with Apple AirTag, Amazon’s Echo Pop smart speaker, and the Fire TV Stick all dropping under $25 at major retailers. For deal-seekers and gift-buyers, these prices are not only low — they’re historically good for single-unit purchases that almost never dip this far outside big shopping windows.
Below, we discuss why each offer is notable and compare features at this price range, plus what to look for in order to get value without overthinking it.
Apple AirTag under $20 is a rare seasonal win
Seeing this price on a single Apple AirTag — dropping it to around $18 — is noteworthy. Four-pack discounts are common, but tags sold solo at this tier are few and usually don’t last long. That’s important, because often one tag is enough to attach to a set of keys, a suitcase, or a backpack — no bunch necessary.
The ace up AirTag’s sleeve is Apple’s Find My network, which leverages a huge installed base of iPhones, iPads, and Macs. According to Apple, there are more than 2 billion active devices worldwide, and that spread gives AirTags real-world recovery odds your classic Bluetooth-only tracker typically can’t compete with. Precision Finding on the latest iPhones includes ultra-wideband direction guidance that directs you to a tag with onscreen arrows, turning retrieval into a less guesswork-y, more GPS-like experience.
Practicalities are there as well: a user-replaceable CR2032 battery (about a year of life), IP67 dust and water resistance, and aggressive anti-stalking protections that summon alert notifications on nearby iPhones and Android phones.
If you are all-in on Android, then Samsung’s SmartTag2 makes more sense due to its integration with Galaxy devices — but for iPhone homes, an AirTag at this price is still hard to beat.
Echo Pop slips under $25 without skimping on core smarts
Echo Pop typically costs $39.99, so a drop to around $22 is a good discount for an Alexa speaker of its generation. It’s a smaller, front‑firing design crafted for desks, dorm rooms, and nightstands — a smart home starter that takes up small real estate but doesn’t necessarily feel disposable.
Voice-first features are included in the price, as noted:
- Hands-free timers and reminders
- Intercom announcements
- Smart light control
The Pop also features eero Built‑in, which allows compatible eero networks to serve as Wi‑Fi extenders — a stealth bonus that can help scrape away dead zones in small apartments. Music quality is fine given its size, but the real value here is in Alexa access and household utility, not audiophile sound.
The wider ecosystem is part of the appeal. Amazon states that there are more than 500 million Alexa-enabled devices in use now, and that reach means skills and devices — or routines therein — are widely supported. If you’re setting up a child’s room, the Kids edition frequently drops below $25 as well and offers parental controls and age-appropriate content. Privacy toggles — including a mic-off switch — are still standard across all editions.
Fire TV Stick drops to impulse-buy territory
It’s also a no-brainer when Fire TV Stick pricing drops to near $22 to $25 or so, and that includes the value-driven Fire TV Stick 4K Select and the regular 4K model. This upgrade ranks as one of the easiest you can make for your TV.
Whether you’re saving a geriatric set from the dump or kitting out a guest room, the math is compelling: a few dollars buys you an immediate browser, universal search, and access to hundreds of apps.
The 4K models also tack on support for HDR formats, mounts to install them behind your TV (you could wall-mount the non-4K models, too), and Dolby Atmos passthrough when watching supported content through compatible systems — but all three come with an Alexa Voice Remote for voice searches, power and input switching, and volume control. Amazon says there are more than 200 million monthly active Fire TV users, and that scale shows up in the available applications, the quick software updates, and how easy it is to pair a Ring, Echo, or another Alexa device.
If you’re choosing between trims, then go for the 4K models where your TV supports HDR; in sales season the picture quality bump is typically worth the tiny differential. Gamers and power users should be cautious of the storage limitations in entry sticks; a cheap USB OTG cable can mitigate that if you are interested in sideloading.
Which sub-$25 deal should you get right now
Choose AirTag if you have an iPhone and desire loss prevention you will actually deploy. The network effect alone is worth the buy, and single-unit discounts this deep don’t stick around.
Opt for Echo Pop if you’re outfitting an Alexa home or looking for hands-free convenience in a smaller room. It’s the cheapest on-ramp to voice control, but with the added perk of eero Built‑in for compatible setups.
Go Fire TV Stick if you do a lot of streaming and your TV’s apps are sluggish or obsolete. For under $25 it’s difficult to beat the performance-per-dollar, and it also doubles as a great travel streamer for hotel Wi‑Fi.
Purchasing tips for maximizing value this season
Stick with first‑party or highly reviewed sellers so you don’t end up accidentally adding refurbished or international units to your online shopping cart.
Pay close attention to the model name — Fire TV “Stick 4K,” “4K Select,” and “Max” are almost identical but have different specs and price floors.
Check price history: An easy rule of thumb is to buy when an item hits an all-time low or falls within 5 percent of it, which is a benchmark deal trackers and retail analysts use. Most of the big boys here extend their holiday return windows into early January, so you can do this and exchange later if a better bundle comes along.
Bottom line: Apple AirTag is best of season at $18; Echo Pop for about $22; a Fire TV Stick between $22 and $25 are all best‑in‑season pricing on proven, stocking-stuffable tech — and the kind of deals that don’t typically get better even on Prime Day.
