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To the surprise of almost no one, Apple is holding its first virtual event of the year on March 8th to show off its latest hardware. We heard rumors about this date for weeks, and the date isn’t the only thing that leaked – as is so often the case, we have a pretty good idea what Apple will be announcing. Of course, nothing is official until Apple shows it off on its livestream, but here’s what the rumors are pointing to this time.

iPhone SE with 5G

While this new iPhone won’t be nearly as exciting as the flagship models that Apple introduces in the fall, the iPhone SE remains an important product for the company. Starting at $400, the iPhone SE is a way to get Apple’s most powerful mobile processor in a “classic” (old) design. It sounds like that is the case with the 2022 iPhone SE: rumors indicate it will be physically identical to the current iPhone SE, which itself is identical to 2017’s iPhone 8.

But while the design may be dated, the internals should be fresh: The phone will likely include the same A15 Bionic chip found in the iPhone 13 lineup. Giving its $400 phone flagship performance is a trick Apple has been pulling since it released the original iPhone SE back in 2016, and we expect more of the same in 2022.

Chris Velazco / Engadget

The other notable change is that this phone will probably include 5G connectivity, just like Apple’s more expensive phones. Carriers will certainly like the idea of a $400, 5G-capable iPhone as they try to get more and more subscribers using their more advanced networks. Both the A15 processor and 5G connectivity mean the new iPhone SE should be well supported for years to come.

As for everything else, the 2022 iPhone SE will likely retain its dated design, including a relatively low-resolution 4.7-inch LCD display with large bezels above and below it. It’ll also certainly keep the classic iPhone home button and Touch ID, something that might be a point in its favor for people who don’t like Face ID. The cameras could get a modest bump, but don’t expect anything more than a single shooter on the back.

iPad Air

The iPad Air is currently the oldest iPad in Apple’s lineup; it was completely redesigned when Apple released it in the fall of 2020. It’s still a pretty great tablet, sitting comfortably between the extremely basic entry-level iPad and the wildly expensive and powerful iPad Pro.

Dana Wollman / Engadget

The rumor mill, lead by the reliable Mark German at Bloomberg indicates that the iPad Air will still get a few tweaks for 2022. In fact, they’re the same updates that we expect to see in the iPhone SE: an A15 Bionic chip and support for 5G networks. Neither of these things will fundamentally change the iPad Air; the current A14 processor (which was first released in Apple’s iPhone 12 lineup) is already plenty powerful. But given that the redesigned iPad mini from last fall has the A15 chip, it makes sense that Apple will want to make performance identical between the two devices.

5G is another feature that Apple added to the iPad mini last fall, so bringing it to the Air makes sense. To that end, it’s also possible that the iPad Air will get a new front-facing camera. Both the iPad mini and basic iPad that were refreshed last fall have an ultra-wide, 12-megapixel front camera with a “Center Stage” feature. That means the camera uses that ultra-wide field of view to continuously crop and adjust the focus of the video feed so your face stays, well, in the center of the screen.

Everything else about the iPad Air is expected to stay the same, including its 10.9-inch LCD display, single back camera and Touch ID on the power button. It’s a fairly modest set of updates, but that’s OK. The iPad Air offers the most important parts of the iPad Pro experience at a much more affordable price, and we expect that’ll continue with this update.

An updated 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 processor

Devindra Hardawar / Engadget

Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Pro is looking long in the tooth. There’s nothing wrong with the M1 processor inside it, but compared to the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models Apple released last fall, the chip is quite pedestrian. As such, we’re expecting a new M2 Apple silicon chip to power the refreshed laptop. It won’t be as powerful as the M1 Pro or M1 Max, but it should be a nice upgrade for a device that’s almost a year and a half old now.

Unfortunately, other changes are expected to be minimal. Apple might finally get rid of the Touch Bar for good, replacing it with a standard row of function keys like those found on the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. Other than that, it’ll probably keep the same display, form factor and paltry port selection. We’re really hoping it gets a better front-facing camera, but it’s not clear if that will happen.

It’s certainly not shaping up to be the most exciting Mac upgrade, but given how expensive Apple’s larger MacBook Pro laptops are, the 13-inch MacBook Pro should provide a bit of an upgrade over the MacBook Air without at a more affordable price.

More Macs?

Like the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the MacBook Air and Mac mini haven’t been updated since they were released with the M1 processor back in the fall of 2020. It seems likely that both computers will also get updated with the M2 processor before long. That said, the rumor mill hasn’t been too solid on exactly which Macs will show up for Tuesday’s event. There’s even a chance that Apple might re-introduce an iMac Pro with the M1 Pro or M1 Max inside – but right now, a new Mac mini or MacBook Air feels more likely.

A number of gadgets from smartwatches to headphones to smart thermostats went on sale this week. You can get a total of $50 off many 41mm Apple Watch Series 7 models at Amazon right now, while Bose's QuietComfort 45 headphones are back down to their Black Friday price. A few AMD Ryzen 5000 processors are still on sale, plus a bunch of Samsung storage devices have received decent discounts — including the T7 Touch portable drive. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.

Apple Watch Series 7

Engadget

Certain colors of the Apple Watch Series 7 are down to $349, or $50 off their normal price. Apple's latest flagship smartwatch earned a score of 90 from us for its slightly larger display, faster charging and handy watchOS8 features.

Apple AirPods (3rd gen)

Billy Steele/Engadget

Apple's latest AirPods are down to $145 at Woot, or $35 off their normal price. We gave them a score of 88 for their improved design, better sound quality and long battery life.

Bose QuietComfort 45

Billy Steele/Engadget

The Bose QC45 headphones are on sale for $279, which is their all-time-low price that we saw last Black Friday. We gave the cans a score of 86 for their excellent sound quality, strong ANC and comfortable fit.

AMD Ryzen 5000 series

AMD

Some of AMD's Ryzen 5000 processors are down to record-low prices at Amazon right now. The six-core Ryzen 5 5600X, arguably the best value of them all, is down to for $230 in the US and £210 in the UK. The 16-core Ryzen 5950X is also on sale for $599 in the US and £539 in the UK.

Nintendo eShop gift card

Kris Naudus/Engadget

Amazon knocked 10 percent off Nintendo's $50 eShop gift card, bringing it down to $45. It's a modest discount, but a good one if you want some extra funds to add games to your Switch.

Samsung T7 Touch (1TB)

Samsung

The T7 Touch portable SSD in 1TB is on sale for $140 across the web. This palm-sized drive works with most devices thanks to the duo of cables it comes with, and it supports 1,050 MB/s read speeds, 1,000 MB/s write speeds, AES 256-bit encryption and Dynamic Thermal Guard.

Samsung 980 Pro SSD (2TB)

Samsung's 980 Pro internal drive in 2TB is 35 percent off and down to $280 — a great price for a powerful SSD that works with the PS5 (provided you have a heatsink). It has read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s, advanced thermal controls and works with Samsung's Magician Software, which lets you check its health and optimize settings as you'd like.

Google Nest Thermostat

Google

Google's Nest Thermostat is on sale for $93 right now, which is 29 percent off its normal price. It's a more affordable version of the Nest Learning Thermostat and it uses a feature called Savings Finder to suggests ways you can conserve energy in your home.

Google Nest Hub Max

Nicole Lee/Engadget

The Google Nest Hub Max is on sale for $169 right now, which is close to its record-low price. We gave the large smart display a score of 86 for its good sound quality, gesture controls and ability to work as a Nest Cam.

Paramount+ anniversary sale

Paramount+

Through March 7, new subscribers can get a few months of Paramount+ for only $1. Use the code BIRTHDAY when you sign up to get the ad-supported Essential plan for $1 per month for three months, or the ad-free Premium plan for $2 per month for the same amount of time.

Eero Pro 6

Laurie Frankel / Amazon

The Eero Pro 6 two-pack is $80 off for Prime members, bringing the price down to $319. This system can cover up to 3,500 square feet and it supports WiFi 6, gigabit speeds and a built-in Zigbee smart home hub.

Samsung Galaxy S22 series

Amazon's offering a $100 credit to those that order any of the three smartphones in the new Samsung Galaxy S22 lineup. All you have to do is enter the promo code on the product page before you check out, and you'll get an email after your handset ships with the details of the credit being added to your Amazon account. Those considering the Galaxy S22 have an extra incentive on top of that — $100 off in the form of an on-page coupon that you can clip, which will bring the price of the base model down to $700.

Roku Streaming Stick 4K+

Roku's new Streaming Stick 4K+ is down to $49, or 30 percent off its normal price. In addition to 4K streaming, it supports HDR10+, a faster processor and it comes bundled with the Roku Voice Remote Pro, which lets you use voice commands to search and issue verbal commands.

Instant Pot Max

The six-quart Instant Pot Max is down to a record low of $74, or half off its normal price. This multicooker has a large touch screen for easy programming, 15psi of pressure so you can experiment with canning and a sous vide cooking option.

New tech deals

Apple MagSafe battery pack

Apple's magnetic battery pack for iPhones is down to $88, which is 11 percent off its normal price. We have seen it cheaper in the past, but this is the best price we've seen since December. The accessory attaches magnetically to the back of the latest iPhones and provides up to 15W of wireless charging.

NordVPN

NordVPN's latest sale knocks the price of a two-year subscription down to just under $96, plus you'll get a free gift on top of it. The prize isn't anything physical, but rather additional subscription time on top of the two-year plan you paid for. Prizes are chosen at random, but after you make your purchase, you'll get either an extra month, and extra year or an extra two years added on to your subscription.

Amazon Luna

Amazon's Luna controller is 29 percent off right now, bringing it down to $50. It's designed to work with the company's Luna cloud gaming platform, and it's wireless and works with a bunch of operating systems including Mac, Windows, iOS, Fire TVs and others.

Anker Eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid

This Eufy robot vac-and-mop machine is $200 off and down to $450. It's a good robot vacuum to consider if you want strong suction as well as a mopping feature that can better clean hardwood floors and tile. Plus, this machine maps out your home as it cleans, so you can send it to specific rooms and areas during future jobs.

Insta360 One X2

This tiny camera is 10 percent off and down to a record low of $387. It's a waterproof action cam that can shoot 360-degree video in 5K, and it supports advanced stabilization without the need for a gimbal and features like hyperlapse.

UK deals

AirPods (2nd gen)

Apple's second-generation AirPods are down to £99 at Amazon. These don't have some of the bells and whistles that the new third-gen models do, but they remain a decent option for Apple users on a budget. We gave them a score of 84 when they first came out for their improved wireless performance and solid battery life.

Kindle Paperwhite

A bunch of Kindle e-readers are on sale in the UK right now, including the new Paperwhite for £100. The Signature Edition, which we called the best e-reader by far, is down to £150 as well.

Fitbit Sense

Fitbit's most advanced smartwatch, the Sense, is down to £189 right now. That's not a record low, but it's still 37 percent off its usual rate. We gave it a score of 82 for its comprehensive health tracking features and big, bold display.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Samsung will at least partly address complaints that it's throttling the performance of apps on some Galaxy phones. As The Vergereports, the company has promised an update to its Game Optimizing Service to give users more control over throttling. In a statement to Engadget, Samsung said the option was coming at an unspecified point in the future in response to both feedback and "careful consideration." You can read the full statement at the end of this article.

However, Samsung disputed claims GOS was throttling as many as 10,000 apps across numerous categories. The service "does not manage" apps beyond games, the company said. Users have accused Samsung of throttling the performance of non-gaming software like Netflix and TikTok while disabling the restrictions for benchmarks like 3DMark and GeekBench, skewing expectations for real-world speed.

GOS is now known to be present on the Galaxy S22 series. While the exact range of phones with GOS isn't clear, the software is known to exist on older phones like the Galaxy S21 lineup and S20 FE.

Samsung isn't alone. In 2021, OnePlus admitted that it throttled the OnePlus 9 while popular apps were in use. This was ostensibly meant to preserve battery life, but didn't include benchmarks. Huawei, Oppo and other phone makers have been caught cheating on benchmarks in the past, but those methods relied on ramping up performance when a test app was in use, not slowing down for other apps.

It's difficult for phone vendors to completely avoid throttling. Chips like the Galaxy S22's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Exynos 2200 can run hot, and Samsung even introduced vapor chamber cooling to the S22 to manage that heat. As Apple learned years ago, though, at least some users want more control and transparency for throttling — they're willing to sacrifice battery life and heat to see devices reach their full potential.

"Our priority is to deliver the best mobile experience for consumers. The Game Optimizing Service (GOS) has been designed to help game apps achieve a great performance while managing device temperature effectively. GOS does not manage the performance of non-gaming apps. We value the feedback we receive about our products and after careful consideration, we plan to roll out a software update soon so users can control the performance while running game apps."

Microsoft has closed its $19.7 billion takeover of speech-tech company Nuance Communications. It announced the acquisition last April and cleared the final regulatory barrier this week when the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority signed off on the deal. Regulators in the EU, US and Australia rubber stamped the buyout last year.

Mark Benjamin will remain as Nuance CEO, though he now reports to Microsoft Cloud and AI executive vice president Scott Guthrie. The duo wrote in a blog post that Microsoft and Nuance will build on "AI, digital and cloud advancements to create solutions that transform how we – as global citizens – work, shop, bank, engage and receive care." Healthcare will be a major focus of their work.

Microsoft has another massive deal in the works: its proposed $68.7 billion takeover of Activision Blizzard. It expects the deal to be completed by mid-2023 if regulators give the thumbs up.

We’ve come to the end of Mobile World Congress 2022, which, despite the pandemic and a war in Europe, went on as planned. While it’s typically a show full of phone launches from companies like Sony, Huawei, TCL, Xiaomi, Oppo and more, this year there were surprisingly few of those. Instead, we saw lots of laptops and tablets, as well as some foldable concepts. Plus, with major players like Sony choosing to sit out the event, MWC 2022 was generally quieter than years past. Still, if you feel like you’ve missed out on the news from the show, here’s a recap of everything interesting out of the convention this week.

Oppo kicked things off early, unveiling one of the few phones announced at the show: the Find X5 Pro. It’s a beautiful device with a ceramic body and a pair of 50-megapixel cameras using Hasselblad-infused software. In addition to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, the Find X5 Pro also carries the company’s own Marisilicon neural processor for faster processing when you’re recording content in high-res or low light. Like many phones unveiled at MWC, the Find X5 Pro’s availability in the US is unconfirmed, so don’t get too excited if you’re based in America.

Meanwhile, there was so much Huawei news out of PR Newswire’s daily MWC recaps that this year’s event should really be called the Huawei Show 2022. In addition to big speeches about global strategies and 5G, the company unveiled a new MateBook laptop, a MateStation all-in-one PC, a PixLab laser printer, new speakers and a tablet called the MatePad Paper.

The most intriguing of these is the MatePad Paper, a 10.3-inch e-ink tablet with some particularly thin bezels. Its texturized paper-like screen is easy to read in both sunlight and lowlight, and displays not only text and still images, but videos as well. It also works with Huawei’s M-Pencil so you can write on it, and the company’s custom software allows you to simultaneously read and write in a split-screen view. An onboard mic lets you record audio while taking notes, while a fingerprint sensor in the power button enables convenient logins.

Huawei

On standby, Huawei says the MatePad Paper can last up to four weeks. It’ll be available in Europe for 499 Euros and that price includes an M-Pencil. Honestly this might be the most modern e-ink device yet, and I’m quite taken by the sky blue and khaki color options.

Of course, Huawei continues to battle US restrictions that keep it from selling its devices stateside. This is likely part of the reason former Huawei sub-brand Honor left its parent company in 2020. At MWC this year, Honor debuted the Magic 4 series — a pair of flagship-level phones meant to contend with Samsung’s Galaxy S22s. They have triple rear cameras with 50-megapixel primary sensors, 120Hz LTPO screens and are equipped with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chips. But all the specs comparisons might be moot, because despite promises of a global rollout, last year’s Magic 3 never made it outside of China. For now Honor has shared initial European prices on its newly announced devices, which include new earbuds and a smartwatch, but US availability remains unknown.

Though Samsung already unveiled the Galaxy S22s and Tab S8 tablets, it still had products to show off in Barcelona — namely, a new line of laptops. The new Galaxy Book 2 series iterates on last year’s models with a trio of configurations, which include a pair of convertibles and a clamshell. All three flavors are available in 13- and 15-inch sizes, with upgraded webcams and 12th-gen Intel Core processors.

As with previous Samsung laptops, these also feature beautiful AMOLED displays and are impressively thin and light. The Book 2 Pro 360 and the Book 2 360 both support the S Pen, though only the former comes with the stylus in the box. I’ve been a fan of Samsung’s PCs for awhile, and though this year’s generation doesn’t seem to bring major improvements, I’m still curious to see how they stack up against the competition. Plus, Samsung added a burgundy color option that has me kind of mesmerized.

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

Lenovo rolled into MWC 2022 the way it usually does most other shows: armed to the teeth with laptops. This week, the company unveiled about 20 new devices, including the ThinkPad X1 Extreme 5th gen and four other ThinkPads and ThinkBooks; two new sets of IdeaPad Gaming laptops and a pair of IdeaPad Flex mainstream notebooks; three Chromebooks, a Windows 11 detachable and an Android tablet. Oh, and not to mention a new USB-C monitor and a wireless gaming mouse.

I didn’t even include the new ThinkPad X13s, which is the first ThinkPad powered by a Snapdragon chip. It’s also the first in the series to run Windows 11 on ARM, and the company says it’s the first time the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 has been used in a commercial device. The biggest draw here is the estimated 28-hour battery life, in addition to support for sub-6 and mmWave 5G and WiFi 6E. Sure, Windows on ARM has struggled to appeal to a mainstream audience, but with more OEM support and increasing app compatibility, 2022 could be the year Microsoft and its partners turn things around.

One of the best things about events like MWC is seeing the wilder concepts some companies showcase alongside their more traditional products. For the last few years, TCL has teased us with various concept devices at these shows, and this time around, it brought us the “Ultra Flex.” This is a prototype foldable phone that can bend both inward and outward — meaning its hinge and screen have to be extremely durable and carefully designed. The idea is intriguing, but in reality we never saw the display turn on during a demo session ahead of MWC. We did get to see the company’s “Fold n’ Roll” prototype that it announced last April, though, and while it had a technically “working” screen, it was still incredibly janky.

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

TCL didn’t just show us experimental products it doesn’t intend to sell. The company also launched five new phones in its 30-series, as well as two new tablets, including the NXTPAPER Max 10. That’s a bigger version of last year’s 8.8-inch slate with a reflective LCD screen that enables a full-color paper-like display.

There’s still more news from MWC 2022 that might pique your interest, like Qualcomm’s new X70 5G modem and former Xiaomi sub-brand Poco’s new X4 Pro 5G phone with a 108-megapixel camera. OnePlus also confirmed that the OnePlus 10 Pro is headed to the US, Europe and India this month.

Of course, since this is a mobile show, we learned about new developments in 5G. Specifically, FCC chairperson Jessica Rosenworcel announced that the US will hold an auction in July for 2.5GHz mid-band spectrum. Finally, we also couldn’t escape everyone’s favorite buzzwords: NFTs and the metaverse. FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta said in a keynote that there’s been “a lot of attention [on] blockchain products and services such as NFTs and metaverse.” During the same speech, he said the football club “should be able to offer digital products” to its members and fans that will “generate a very interesting emotional experience.”

Although we couldn’t be on the ground in Barcelona, team Engadget was still able to check out many of these new products first-hand at various preview events. Check out our hands-on videos and reports to get all the details.

Catch up on all of the news from MWC 2022 right here!

Apple made a bunch of improvements to its latest AirPods last year, and now you can grab a pair for $35 less than usual. Woot has the third-generation AirPods for $145 right now, which is 19 percent off and close to their record low. The sale will last for 12 days or until sold out, and we expect them to sell out at this price fairly quickly. While anyone can get this deal, Amazon Prime members can get free shipping, too.

These buds mark the first true departure from the original AirPods design since the earbuds first came out. While the AirPods Pro have the best fit out of all of Apple's wireless earbuds, the third-gen AirPods are a big improvement from their predecessors. They have a new contoured design and a shorter stem, both of which help make the buds more comfortable and aid in sound quality. They're also IPX4-rated, so they should be able to withstand sweaty workouts and a quick, accidental splash.

The latest AirPods sound much better than the previous models thanks in part to a new custom driver and a high-dynamic-range amplifier. They work together to produce rich bass and crisp, clean sound overall. You won't find ANC on these buds, but they do have Adaptive EQ, spatial audio and dynamic head tracking.

The H1 chip inside of the buds helps power those features, along with hands-free Siri access and quick pairing. If you use a lot of Apple products the quick pairing and switching feature will come in handy, as it allows you to seamlessly go from listening to music on your Mac to taking a call from your iPhone. As far as battery life goes, you should get up to six hours with the buds and up to a total of 30 hours when using their charging case to power up in between sessions. As usual, be sure to check out Woot's return policy before deciding if you want to pick these up during this sale.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

As the Switch reaches five years old, are its best times behind it? No, the opposite. This year is shaping up to be the biggest for Nintendo’s hybrid hit. Yes, I mean even bigger than its debut year, which gave us Super Mario Odyssey, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Mario + Rabbids and Splatoon 2.

So far, we’ve seen Pokémon Legends: Arceus in January, but that’s just the start of the Pokémon hype train on Switch. Nintendo also announced that a new generation of mainline Pokémon games, Violet and Scarlet, is coming to the console in “Late 2022.” 

The Pokemon Company

There aren’t many details, but we’re being promised an open-world adventure, which could mean a new Pokémon game that balances the traditional franchise parts of Sword and Shield with some of the more interesting choices made in Arceus. Also, weed cat.

A fresh Pokémon generation rounds off a lineup of major games (both from Nintendo and its partners) that makes 2022 a year packed with hugely anticipated titles. It starts now: Kirby and the Forgotten Land launches in a few weeks on March 25th.

The big one, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, is still set for a 2022 release, according to Nintendo. An outright sequel is a surprise for the Zelda series and will be set in the same open world of the original. Judging from the teaser trailers so far, the game appears to expand gameplay to the skies above Hyrule, with Link plummeting from the sky in one of the latest teaser trailers. (Something he’s done before in Skyward Sword – also now available on Switch.)

There are more sequels to games that set the tone at launch too. Splatoon 3 is coming this summer, offering more of the same family-friendly multiplayer inky shooter fun. There’s also Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope – a sequel to Mario + Rabbids – a game that shouldn’t have worked, but did. It combined the Mushroom Kingdom and Mario with Ubisoft’s (pretty annoying) Rabbids and wrapped the whole proposition in surprisingly tight XCOM turn-based strategy gameplay. Sparks of Hope is likely to give us more of the same, but with extra characters, weapons and whatever else happens when two franchises clash.

The longest-running wait for a sequel has to be the Switch-exclusive Bayonetta 3. It was first announced back in 2017. Then we heard nothing. Then we complained after E3. Then a month later, a Nintendo Direct broadcast confirmed that Bayonetta 3 did indeed still exist and will be released in 2022. It offers a more mature flavor of action for the console, something that Nintendo hardware has often missed out on in the past.

Beyond the Nintendo mainstays and highly anticipated sequels, there’s more to get excited about, too. I’m a huge Advance Wars fan, and I’m still waiting on Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp to arrive this April. No Man’s Sky is also, somehow, being crammed into the Switch, while an Oxenfree sequel, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Nintendo Switch Sports, a new Mario Strikers title, Fall Guys and, I hope at least, Hollow Knight: Silksong ensure there should be something for everyone, along with the inevitable Zelda sequel purchase.

Pessimists will argue that Nintendo has a reputation for pushing back its promised release dates and, well, that’s happened a few times. Nintendo, like many companies, faced production delays during these ‘unprecedented times’, but in its latest financial reports, both the Zelda sequel and Bayonetta 3 are still listed as “primary” launch titles for the Switch this year.

Just… forget about Metroid Prime 4 for this year. Your guess is as good as mine.

If you've been looking for a solid deal on a smart display, it's worth considering the Google Nest Hub Max. It's on sale for $169, which is $60 less than the regular price, at both Adorama and B&H. We saw it dip to the same price in a one-day sale on Adorama in January.

The Nest Hub Max has a 10-inch HD display on which you can stream shows and movies from the likes of YouTube and Netflix, control your smart home gear and take video calls. Google Assistant is baked in, of course, and the device has stereo speakers.

The built-in camera supports a feature called Face Match. The smart display can recognize who's using it and tailor information such as messages and calendar alerts to that person. It can also act as a Nest Cam, allowing you to monitor what's happening in your home while you're away or keep an eye on family members in another room.

There are some gesture controls as well, which allow you to play and pause media. Those who keep the Hub Max next to their bed can also snooze alarms and dismiss timers without having to groggily find the right prompt on the display.

We gave the Nest Hub Max a score of 86 in our review in 2019. Although we took issue with a couple of aspects, such as gestures not always working properly, we lauded it for the great screen, solid sound quality and fair price. The latter is an even better selling point for the time being.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Apple's tougher stance on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine now includes a reversal of its policy on Crimea. Mashablenoticed that Apple Maps once again shows Crimea as belonging to Ukraine, at least for people outside of Russia. The company previously tried to strike a middle ground when it showed the region as belonging to no one, and in 2019 conceded to Russian pressure by showing Crimea as Russian territory when viewed within that country.

It's not clear when Apple made the change, or whether Maps still includes concessions for Russian users. We've asked Apple for comment.

Russia forcefully annexed Crimea in 2014, prompting widespread international condemnation and penalties. Many countries still refuse to recognize Russia's control of the area, and other technology firms have tried to negotiate the issue in different ways. Google Maps, for instance, continued to display Crimea as belonging to no nation.

The decision comes just days after Apple halted sales in Russia and clamped down on content in the country by limiting Apple Pay and removing the apps for state-backed Russian media outlets RT and Sputnik. The company is no longer willing to be as conciliatory as it once was, even if it means losing business.