Samsung’s Unpacked event today was chock full of new product announcements, and fans of the companies foldables have a lot to check out. The company showed off the new Galaxy Z Fold 4, its new flagship folding smartphone that starts at a whopping $1,79…
Apple’s 256GB iPad drops to a new low of $399
Apple’s base iPad is the most cost-effective way to get an iOS device, and now you can pick one up for even less than usual. In a rare sale, most models are down to record-low prices at Amazon right now. Key among them are the 256GB iPad for $399, which is $80 less than usual, and the base, 64GB version remains on sale for $299 as well. As for cellular models, you can pick up the 64GB tablet for $400 thanks to an extra $30 coupon that’s automatically applied at checkout, or the 256GB version for $550.
Buy iPad (64GB, WiFi) at Amazon – $299Buy iPad (256GB, WiFi) at Amazon – $399Buy iPad (64GB, Cellular) at Amazon – $400Buy iPad (256GB, Cellular) at Amazon – $550
It may not look as slick as the iPad Air or the latest iPad Pros, but it’s hard to argue the utility of Apple’s most affordable tablet. We gave it a score of 86 when the latest model came out last year, and we consider it to be the best budget tablet you can get. It has solid performance and an excellent, 14-hour battery life, and since Apple upped the base amount of storage to 64GB from 32GB, you’ll have a good amount of space even if you pick the cheapest option. That’s important for those who download tons of apps and games, or those who plan on using the iPad to hold all of their personal, work or school documents. While we think some of the more advanced iPads make better laptop replacements, the base tablet would make a good on-the-go device if you pair it with accessories like the Smart Keyboard or the first-generation Apple Pencil.
The most dated things about the iPad are its chunkier bezels and the physical Home button that supports TouchID, although some may prefer the latter to FaceID. Otherwise, the slab has a 2,160 x 1,620 resolution Retina display with True Tone, an 8-megapixel rear camera and an updated 12MP front-facing camera with support for Center Stage, which will come in handy if you FaceTime a lot with friends and family. While it doesn’t have many of the extra features you’ll find on the iPad Air, those are fair trade-offs considering its low starting price.
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Anker charging gadgets are up to 40 percent off for Prime members
Now’s a good time to pick up a new charger for your phone, tablet and other devices while a number of Anker’s charging accessories are down to record-low prices for Amazon Prime members. Standouts among the discounts are Anker’s 521 magnetic battery pack for MagSafe-compatible iPhones, which is 40 percent off and on sale for $30, and Anker’s 511 2-in-1 power bank, which is 30 percent off and down to $35.
Shop Anker deals at AmazonBuy Anker 521 magnetic battery pack at Amazon – $30Buy Anker 511 2-in-1 power bank at Amazon – $35
Both portable batteries have a 5,000 mAh capacity, but they’re each versatile in their own ways. The 521 magnetic power pack will snap onto the backs of the latest iPhones, charging them up wirelessly. It’ll provide almost a full extra charge for your iPhone, depending on the model you have, and it’ll even snap on and power up the handset when it has a MagSafe case on it.
The 511 battery pack is essentially a wall charger and a portable battery in one. If you’re near an AC outlet, it can act as a USB-C adapter for all of your mobile devices — provided you have a USB-C charging cable with you. And when you’re not near a power source, you can use its built-in battery to charge up your gadgets. Unlike the 512 magnetic pack, the 511 battery will work with iPhones as well as Google Pixel smartphones, Samsung devices and others.
Prime members can also get the Anker Nano Pro 20W charger with a USB-C to Lightning cable for $28, which is 30 percent off its usual rate. The bundle gives you everything you need to charge your iPhone as quickly as possible, and we like that Anker’s 20W adapter is more compact than Apple’s version. Other accessories on sale include the 623 MagGo 2-in-1 wireless charging station, which you can pick up for a record low of $70, and a two-pack of wireless charging stands, which is on sale for $35.
Anker Nano Pro 20W charger bundle at Amazon – $28Buy Anker 623 MagGo charging station at Amazon – $70Buy Anker wireless charging stands (2 pack) at Amazon – $35
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Apple’s iPad drops to $299, plus the rest of the week’s best tech deals
Now’s a great time to pick up Apple’s iPad ahead of the upcoming school year. The base, 10.2-inch tablet is $30 off right now and down to $299, which is the best price we’ve seen it. It may not have all the bells and whistles that the iPad Air does, bu…
The Beats Studio Buds are back on sale for $100
We called the Beats Studio Buds the best device from the company for most people when they came out last year, and it remains one of our top picks if you’re looking for a pair of relatively affordable wireless earbuds. They’re an even better buy when you can grab them on sale — Amazon currently has the Beats Studio Buds for $100, which is a record low and a return to their Prime Day price. The discount applies to all color options, too, including the newer moon gray and ocean blue schemes.
Buy Beats Studio Buds at Amazon – $100
Normally priced at $150, the Beats Studio Buds impressed us with their small, comfortable design, solid sound quality and good active noise cancellation. In addition to being compact and lightweight, these buds have an IPX4 water-resistant rating, making them good for sweaty workouts, and they have onboard controls that let you play/pause, skip tracks and adjust ANC on the fly. Our biggest gripe with the overall design is that the Studio Buds’ case doesn’t support wireless charging.
As far as sound quality goes, Beats has come a long way. In addition to supporting Apple’s spatial audio, the Studio Buds produce well-tuned sound with punchy bass that doesn’t overwhelm. Noise cancellation does a good job of blocking out environmental noises, and Transparency mode lets you easily jump in and out of conversations happening around you.
The Beats Studio Buds also include Apple’s H1 chipset inside, which will allow them to quickly pair with iPhones and other Apple devices. Similarly to AirPods, they should provide seamless switching between those devices as well. But Android users have not been left out in the dust — the Studio Buds also support Fast Pair and Find My Device on Android gadgets, so all of those features make them a good pick, regardless of which OS you prefer.
If you’re willing to pay a bit more, the new Beats Fit Pro earbuds are also on sale right now for $180. While not the record low we saw during Prime Day last moth ($160), this $20 discount is a decent one for Beats’ latest offering. These buds have a similar design to the Beats Studio Buds, but they include wingtips that help keep the buds in your ears comfortably. We like them for their solid sound quality, strong ANC and spatial audio support with dynamic head tracking.
Buy Beats Fit Pro at Amazon – $180
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Amazon knocks $100 off Samsung’s Freestyle smart projector
Samsung debuted its Freestyle smart projector earlier this year at CES as a portable home theater gadget with auto focus and auto leveling features, making it easier to watch anything, anywhere. Normally priced at $900, the Freestyle projector is down to $798 at Amazon right now, which is just about $100 off. Samsung also has it for nearly the same price. The only time we’ve seen the projector cheaper was when it went on sale for $650 at Woot in a one-day sale back in April. If you missed the chance then, now’s a good opportunity to grab the Freestyle while it’s decently discounted.
Buy Freestyle projector at Amazon – $798Buy Freestyle projector at Samsung – $800
The Freestyle is really best for those that want a portable projector as it weighs only 1.83 pounds and can be easily picked up and moved from spot to spot around your home. Its stand can rotate nearly 180 degrees and its auto focus and auto leveling features help align what you’re watching, so you could project a movie onto your ceiling, your wall and a number of other places without the picture looking too wonky. The Freestyle projects images with a 1080p resolution with a size range of 30 to 100 inches, making it easy to adjust the image to fit the surface you’re working with. Along with built-in Alexa, Google Assistant and Bixby voice command support, it also has 360-degree audio, so you won’t need to plug in external speakers for sound.
If you’d rather invest in a new TV than a projector for your home theater setup, some of Samsung’s 2022 smart TVs have also been discounted on Amazon. The 85-inch Class Neo QLED Mini LED 4K TV is a whopping $700 off and down to $3,298, which is an all-time low. This set uses Mini LED technology to produce bolder, brighter colors and higher contrast, plus it supports a 120Hz refresh rate, 4K AI upscaling, Dolby Atmos and Alexa, Google Assistant and Bixby voice controls. Elsewhere, Samsung’s 65-inch Q80B Series QLED 4K set is $200 off and down to $1,298, while the 65-inch Class Neo QLED 8K Mini LED TV is $500 off and on sale for $4,498.
Buy 85-inch Samsung Mini LED TV at Amazon – $3,298Buy 65-inch Samsung Q80B QLED 4K TV at Amazon – $1,298Buy 65-inch Samsung QLED 8K Mini LED TV at Amazon – $4,498
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Apple’s 10.2-inch iPad is back on sale for $300 at Amazon
If you missed last month’s sale on the base iPad, you have another opportunity to pick up the tablet for less right now. Amazon knocked $30 off the 64GB, WiFi-only iPad, bringing it back down to a near record low of $300. At the time of writing this, b…
Amazon’s Echo drops to $60, plus the rest of the week’s best tech deals
We saw a number of gadgets go on sale this week as July comes to a close. Both Amazon’s Echo smart speaker and the Echo Show 5 have been discounted, with the Echo now down to the same price as it was on Prime Day earlier this month. The Apple TV 4K is …
Amazon’s Echo Show 5 is more than half off right now
Amazon’s smallest smart display is back on sale at one of the best prices we’ve seen. If you missed the chance to pick up the Echo Show 5 on Prime Day, you can get it now for only $40. That’s 53 percent off its normal price and only $5 more than it was during Amazon’s two-day shopping event. You’re getting the most up-to-date model here, which is the 2021 version with a 2MP camera for video calls. The kids version of the gadget has also been discounted to $50, which is nearly half off its regular rate.
Buy Echo Show 5 at Amazon – $40Buy Echo Show 5 Kids at Amazon – $50
We’ve recommended the Echo Show 5 many times in the past as a solid, compact smart display that also works well as a smart alarm clock. You may not have a ton of space for another gadget on your desk, nightstand or countertop, but the Show 5 should be able to fit even in the most cramped spaces. It has a 5.5-inch, 960 x 480 resolution display that will show things like weather forecasts, calendar events, photos and more. The 2MP camera can be used to video chat with friends and family, but it can also be used as a makeshift security camera of sorts. When you’re out of the house, you can access the camera to check out what’s going on in your home. And if you prefer not to use the camera at all, the Show 5 has a built-in camera shutter (along with a mic mute button) to give you more privacy.
We were impressed by the Show 5’s audio quality as well. While you won’t get as rich sound as you would on a dedicated speaker, the Show 5 pumps out good audio and gets pretty loud, too. If you have the Show 5 on your nightstand, you can use it as a smart alarm clock and make use of the gadget’s tap-to-snooze feature, which lets you silence the alarm with just a touch to the top of the device. Ultimately, the Echo Show 5 is one of the most affordable ways to get Alexa into your home when it’s on sale like this. It’s currently the same price as the Echo Dot, so if you prefer to have a screen to see certain information or to do things like check security camera feeds, follow along with recipe videos and the like, the Echo Show 5 is the better buy.
The Echo Show 5 Kids is essentially the same as the standard smart display, but it comes in fun colors and gives you one year of access to Amazon Kids+. It’s the company’s subscription service that includes a bunch of child-friendly videos, games, books and more, and a lot of them can be accessed directly on the Show 5. Also, the kids version has more advanced parental controls, so you can set usage limits and bed times, review activity and otherwise keep track of how your child can use the gadget.
If you’d rather skip the display and opt for a gadget with even better sound quality, the full-sized Echo remains on sale for $60. That’s a record low and a return to its Prime Day price. It’s been one of our favorite smart speakers since it came out in 2020 thanks to its great audio quality, 3.5mm jack for optional input and output, plus its ability to play stereo sound when you pair two of them together.
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The 2021 Apple TV 4K drops to $130, plus the rest of the week’s best tech deals
This week brought back some of our favorite tech deals we’ve seen all year. A four pack of Apple’s AirTags is back on sale for $89, while the Apple TV 4K has dropped to $130. While neither of those are all-time lows, they’re very close and great deals …