The latest Nest Learning Thermostat is $70 off for Verge readers

It’s Friday once again, and two more Fridays from now will be the big one: Black Friday. I bet you’re also thinking to yourselves, “Just where has the time gone?” Well, it’s flying by for all of us, and while our excellent (if I say so myself) Verge Deals team has been hard at work on our beautiful Verge Holiday Gift Guide for you to peruse and adding a bunch of hot early Black Friday deals to shop, we even have some exceptional deals for you today.

First up, we have an exclusive deal on the Google Nest Learning Thermostat (third generation) for Verge readers. You can save $70 on the Nest Learning Thermostat at Wellbots. Use the coupon code THEVERGENEST through December 1st to bring the price of the stainless steel, white, or polished steel finishes all the way down to $179.

This is one of the few smart thermostats that lets you set it and forget it, if you choose to. Many other models can allow you to control your home heating and cooling remotely, with extra features like geofencing and optional remote temperature sensors, but few learn from your habits and preferences like this Nest unit.

Google Nest Learning Thermostat (third-generation)

• $179
• $249
• 29% off

The Nest Learning Thermostat is the original smart thermostat, complete with automatic adjustments, smart phone control, and the ability to go into an energy saving mode when you’re not home.

If you’re shopping for a set of true wireless earbuds for an Android phone, it can feel a bit like the Wild West. Samsung’s offerings are frequently discounted, but they might not be everyone’s style. The OnePlus Buds Pro, though, feature a subdued design, solid noise cancellation, and good audio quality at an affordable price. They’re also lightweight — weighing in at just 4.35 ounces per earbud — and they come with a charging case that is actually pocketable, unlike some competing models, like the Beats Powerbeats Pro.

OnePlus itself is offering these earbuds for $50 off, for a best-yet price of $100. That’s a great deal for these earbuds considering that they just came out in September. Read our review.

OnePlus Buds Pro

• $100
• $150
• 34% off

The OnePlus Buds Pro offer a lot for a fair value proposition. They’re lightweight and comfy, with solid active noise cancellation — available in both matte black and glossy white finishes.

Sticking with deals in the realm of audio, but shifting gears just a bit to the world of gaming, the wired Xbox Stereo Headset offers a very budget-friendly option of quality audio for Xbox and PC gamers (or anything else that has a 3.5mm input). It looks a lot like the more expensive Wireless Stereo Headset, but it is nearly half the price and you never have to worry about charging it. Normally $60, Amazon currently has it for just $50 — a discount of 17 percent.

If you’re looking for something higher end, then we have you covered in our roundup of the best wired and wireless gaming headsets, but at this price it’s hard to deny the appeal of a simple product at a great price.

Xbox Stereo Headset (wired)

• $50
• $60
• 17% off

The Xbox Stereo Headset offers a no-fuss wired solution for gaming on Xbox Series X / S and Xbox One consoles, as well as Windows 10 / 11 PCs. They look similar to Microsoft’s Xbox Wireless Headset, but features like the chat / game audio mix dial are omitted to hit a lower price.

I already mentioned that we were shifting gears to the world of gaming, but now we’re shifting actual gears on real (virtual) cars thanks to this great deal on Forza Horizon 5. The latest iteration in the open-world driving series landed this week, and it has a lot to offer on Xbox Series X / S consoles. Forza Horizon 5 is available on Xbox and PC on Xbox Game Pass, but if you prefer physical copies of games, then Walmart and Amazon are helping you out with an early deal.

Both Walmart and Amazon are offering Forza Horizon 5 for Xbox Series X / S and Xbox One consoles at $51, saving you 15 percent just shortly after the launch of one of Xbox’s hottest new games.

Forza Horizon 5 (Xbox, physical)

• $51
• $60
• 15% off

Forza Horizon 5 is the latest of the long-running open-world racing game developed by Playground Games. It’s an exclusive Xbox title, playable on both Xbox Series X / S and Xbox One consoles. The new installment is set across a lusciously detailed landscape in Mexico and features over 500 cars at launch.

Over at Amazon’s early Black Friday deals, there are some excellent savings on a variety of Shure microphones. These include some of the heavy-hitters of the podcast world, like the broadcast-quality SM7B and its newer offspring: the MV7 and MV7X. You probably know the sound of a Shure SM7B even if you’re not an audiophile, as it’s one of the most popular podcast mics in the industry. People often choose it for the darker tones it offers, giving that NPR-like warmth to even nasally voices. Of course, a good EQ and pre-amp can be just as important as the mic itself for high-end productions, especially for the SM7B which is very quiet without a quality interface or in-line boost for added gain.

Shure SM7B

• $359
• $399
• 11% off

The SM7B from Shure is one of the gold standards of the professional podcast world. You can see its iconic design on many major podcast sets, recording studios, and even professional Twitch streams. This broadcast-quality dynamic mic features a cardioid polar pattern to isolate your voice — helpful in the studio as well as your home setup.

The Shure SM7B, MV7, and MV7X are all dynamic microphones, so while that means you are best served by talking directly into them — up-close and right into the mic — it also means your voice is isolated, and the background noises or reflections bouncing off of hard surfaces in your room are reduced.

All three mics are discounted at Amazon and other retailers like B&H, Adorama, and Best Buy. The Shure SM7B is $359 at Amazon, B&H, and Adorama — discounted $40 off its normal price of $399. The MV7, which is newer and simplest to use thanks to its option of direct USB connection, is on sale for $219 at Amazon, B&H, Adorama, and Best Buy — $30 off its standard price of $249. Lastly, the newest spinoff of the SM7B, the MV7X, comes in at a savings of $30 for the lowest price of $149 at Amazon, B&H, Adorama, and Best Buy. That’s a lot of mic for the value, though keep in mind that when opting for the high-end SM7B or entry-level MV7X, you need an audio interface for their XLR-only connections.

Shure MV7

• $219
• $249
• 13% off

A dynamic microphone with both USB and XLR outputs for use with computers and professional interfaces. Includes a headphone jack for real-time monitoring of your voice.

Shure MV7X

• $149
• $179
• 17% off

The Shure MV7X is the latest descendent of the SM7B mic and now the lowest-cost option in the family. It takes the popular MV7 mic, launched in 2020, and omits the USB interface for a lower price point that relies solely on the classic XLR connection. You will need a USB interface for this dynamic mic, but its no-frills feature set offers an attractive value proposition.

A few more deals to have your eye on