From Yale smart locks, the new <a href="https://apple.sjv.io/0GNLoN” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>LG x Apple Home Collection, and HomeView to the slate of 2026 smart speakers from Google, Apple, and Amazon, it’s time to take a look at some smart home gear. We have return all-time low pricing on Ring video doorbells, some super affordable gadgets to transform any outlet into a smartphone controlled one, and intelligent temperature control for your entire home –we have gathered up some of the smart home gear we have on our gift giving lists this year for ourselves and others, and we will be updating this list as more of it drops in price for Black Friday (some of it already has).
Yale smart locks
Yale remains one of our favorite smart lock brands out there. With a series of options ranging from Matter models that works across several smart home platforms and devices, to those that come complete with official Apple Home Key support, and models like the Assure Lock 2 that combine keyless entry, a keypad, biometric fingerprint access, and a traditional key in case of emergencies. It is a brand that makes a broad range of options for just about anyone and makes for a wonderful home upgrade this holiday season. The Yale Assure Lock 2 with Wi-Fi also happens to down at $174.99 shipped at Best Buy right now – that’s $125 off the list price.
- Yale Assure Lock 2 with Wi-Fi$175($125 off)
- Yale Google Home Smart Lock with Matter $160 (Reg. $190)
meross Matter Smart Plug Mini
The affordable meross Smart Plug Mini with Matter can be a wonderful addition to just about anyone’s home. They can deliver smartphone control over just about anything plugged into them and in any room in a space – and with the Matter support they integrate nicely into just about any smart home platform someone might be invested in – Apple, Android, and Amazon Echo gear users included. Plus you can grab a 4-pack of them for $35 right now – that’s under $9 Prime shipped each.
Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen)
Google latest Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) is still one of the nicest-looking smart HVAC controllers you can put on your wall if you ask me. Clean, simple, and minimalist, but yet also high-tech and modern, the latest Nest Learning Thermostat comes with the Nest Temperature Sensor features Matter support to work along with a plethora of other smart home gear – “adjust on your phone from anywhere or by using your voice with Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant smart speaker.” It also happens to be sitting down at one of the lowest prices to date in brand new condition right now:
- Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) $225 (Reg. $280) | Best Buy
- Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) $230 (Reg. $280) | Amazon
Ring smart video doorbells
Amazon’s Ring brand delivered a range of all-new smart doorbell solutions this year, including the 2026 2K models that are starting down at just $39.99 shipped at Best Buy and Amazon right now, through to the higher-end 4K Retinal model that is currently $100 off. A great option for folks invested in the Amazon Alexa smart gear ecosystem, these Ring video doorbells work wonderfully with Echo speakers and smart displays and you can score them with seriously deep discounts as part of the early Black Friday sales – these Amazon gear deals tend to go live well ahead of Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
- Ring Battery Doorbell 2K $40 (Reg. $100)
- Ring Wired Doorbell 4K Pro $150 (Reg. $250)
- Ring Battery Doorbell with Chime $50 (Reg. $135)
Apple HomeView
Apple’s HomeView also found a quick mention in our best speaker gift ideas feature as well, alongside the new HomePod mini 2, but it is much more than just a Siri AI speaker. Serving as the control center for your entire home, it delivers a mini heads-up display for video, calls, and control over all of your Apple-compatible smart home gear from one centralized spot in your home. Be it the wall-mounted edition or on the stand, HomeView is easily one of the more exciting new additions to the HomeKit experience even though it’s not really a smart home product in and of itself.
LG x Apple Home Collection
The new Home Collection Apple is releasing in collaboration with LG is the perfect accompaniment to the new HomeView, and easily some of the most gorgeous gear you can upgrade your home with. While there is loads of HomeKit gear out there that also works with HomeView and this new LG x Apple gear does come at a premium, it is truly gorgeous if you ask me and should at the very least be on the radar of anyone looking to start upgrading their smart home setup alongside HomeView. I will most likely be upgrading my space with this gear, piece by piece over time, so it doesn’t cost a fortune all in one go, and we are still awaiting some of the other products int he lineup to go up for sale anyway – here are the new models you can pre-order straight from now ahead of release next month:
Mini smart speakers with smart home control
Like the HomeView above, there are a range of mini smart speakers can add to your space or gift for someone else’s that not only keep the tunes rolling, but they also deliver voice control over connected smart devices. There are three we recommend exploring before all others – the latest Google Home Speaker, Apple’s new HomePod mini 2, and Amazon’s Echo lineup. That is to say, we generally feel these are the best options for Android/Google Nest users, Apple and HomeKit ecosystems, and those leveraging Alexa-powered smart home gear.
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