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The best President's Day sales on tech we could find

President's Day might not be the hugest event for tech deals — the holiday typically brings out deals on large home appliances and the like. But it's still possible to save some money on devices you may have had your eye on. Right now we're seeing a $50 discount on the Apple Watch Ultra. Other Apple products, including the iPad Air, Apple Pencil, and the Apple Watch SE are also seeing some nice sales. Samsung products, like the Galaxy Buds 2, the M8 hybrid TV/monitor and the T7 Sheild portable SSD are between 18 and 44 percent off. And it's a good week to grab one of our favorite midrange smartphone, the Pixel 6a for just $300. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.

Apple Watch Ultra

Apple's latest, biggest and consequently most expensive watch is now a little cheaper thanks to a $50 discount at Amazon. That brings the wearable down to $749 instead of its usual $799. It dipped $10 lower during Black Friday sales, but this is the cheapest it's been outside of the holidays. 

The Apple Watch Ultra earned a review score of 85 from us when we tested it out upon its debut. We liked the extra long battery life —with a charge lasting three days even while tracking daily workouts — and the bright display. The extensive tracking and GPS functions are impressive, but might be better suited to frequent hikers, runners and outdoor adventurers. The Ultra may be overkill for anyone just looking for a competent smartwatch. For that, you can go for the Series 8, which Target has for $70 off. It's Apple's second-newest smartwatch and may be the better bet. For an even cheaper Apple wearable, Target is also discounting the Apple Watch SE, which we gave a high score of 89 in our review. 

Apple 2022 iPad Air

Right now at Amazon, the latest generation iPad Air is down to $500 for the 64GB model, which matches the lowest price we've seen for the tablet. Note that Amazon's $100 discount only applies to the Space Gray color. You can snag that same $100 discount on all colorways right now at Target, and the sale applies to both the 64GB size and the larger 256GB model

We think 2022's iPad Air M1 is the best iPad for most people. We called it "almost future-proof" in our review, thanks to the super fast M1 chip, combined with a quality build and strong battery life. It's got an excellent display and supports the latest peripherals, including the Magic Keyboard and second-generation Apple Pencil. That useful-but-pricey accessory is 31 percent off right now, bringing it down to just $89. 

If you're looking for something a little cheaper, the 2022 10th generation 10.9-inch iPad is seeing a $50 discount at Target, on both the 64GB and 265GB models, bringing those dow to $400 and $550, respectively. The discount is part of a larger 4-day sale at Target, which also includes deals on wearables like the Apple Watch SE and the Fitbit Charge 5.  

Blink Outdoor security camera

Blink security devices went on sale this week, with discounts between 20 and 40 percent off. Amazon bought Blink back in 2017 and has continued to expand the lineup of security cameras, positioning them as a less expensive alternative to the online giant's other security acquisition, Ring. But less expensive doesn't mean less capable. 

Blink Outdoor cameras are our top picks for wireless security cameras and right now, they're 30 percent off, or $70, for a single unit, and 44 percent off a four-pack. The weather-resistant cams will run up to two years on a set of AA batteries and require no professional installation. They have built-in mics and speakers that allow you to see, hear and speak to whomever wanders in front of the camera, and you can set zones so you're only alerted when motion is detected in more critical areas. 

If you want to keep tabs on who's at the front door, the Blink Video Doorbell is also getting a 30 percent discount, bringing it down to $60. The unit ships with Blink's Sync Module 2, which lets you locally store video clips, no subscription required — though you'll need to provide a flash drive to save the files indefinitely. The doorbell works either wired or on batteries and can send you real-time 1080p video during the day and infrared night vision after dark. 

Keep in mind that Blink devices are only compatible with Alexa and Echo hubs. If you've set up your smart home to work with the Google Assistant or Apple Homekit, Blink devices won't natively integrate with them. For that, you might look to a brand like Arlo. Their cameras and doorbells will pair up with Google, Apple and Amazon home ecosystems. This week, you can snag their Wireless Video Doorbell and other security products for up to 50 percent off. 

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2

Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 are on sale at Amazon for just $89. That's a 40 percent discount and matches the lowest we've seen on the buds yet. The discount applies for the all four colorways, including green, white, purple and black. We gave the buds a solid score of 84 when we reviewed them, saying they were premium-level buds at an affordable price — and now that's even more true. 

While they offer active noise cancellation, it doesn't match the world-silencing ANC of top-tier (and more expensive) buds, but they do an okay job of muffling distractions. The sound quality is improved over the previous generation, offering ample base and balanced levels, especially with the EQ presets. The buds are also smaller and more comfortable than their predecessors. The Galaxy Buds 2 only sport a IPX2 rating, which is fine for going out in a drizzle, but might not stand up to sweaty workouts. 

The buds work great with a Samsung phone and integrate nicely with Samsung's Galaxy Watches. If you use an iPhone, they'll pair up, but you'll miss out on a lot of control. Those who've adopted Apple's ecosystem are probably better off going with Apple's AirPods. The second gen AirPod Pros are also on sale this week, for a tidy 20 percent off. 

Samsung T7 Shield SSD

If you're reaching capacity on your computer or need to transfer and store files, check out Samsung's storage device sale. Many of their SSDs and microSD cards are dipping down near their all time lows, including the portable SSD T7 Shield. The 2TB size is down to $150 and the 1TB size is now $90, or 44 percent off it's usual price at Amazon. The T7 is our pick for the best portable drive in our SSD storage guide thanks to its fast read/write speeds and tough exterior. 

MicroSD cards can give you more space on your phone or tablet. Samsung's 128GB Evo Select is 33 percent off, bringing it down to just $14, which is close to an all time low. The larger 256GB size is perfect for adding storage to your Switch or GoPro and it's seeing the steepest discount with 43 percent off. If you'd rather pick up your new storage devices from Best Buy or direct from Samsung, the discounts apply at those outlets too. 

Samsung's Smart Monitor M8

The line between TVs and monitors can sometimes get pretty thin, with the latter getting bigger and the former getting thinner. Samsung's Smart Monitor M8 erases the line completely. Ably performing the functions of a TV, monitor and smart home hub, it usually sells for a round $600, but Amazon has it for $350, which is a new all-time low. Note that the $350 price tag only applies to the white version, and only on the configuration that includes the VESA adaptor along with the stand.

It has a bright display that delivers deep blacks, but only offers a 60Hz refresh rate, which isn't ideal for gaming. It has two USB-C ports and one micro-HDMI port — not a ton of inputs but it does help the screen keep its sleek design. It also includes a detachable webcam that can mount up top. 

Unlike a standard monitor, the M8 comes with Samsung's Tizen OS built in, as on a Samsung smart TV. That means you can easily run streaming apps without being connected to a computer. Also like a TV, it comes with a remote. As a home hub, Samsung's SmartThings capabilities are built in, so you can keep tabs on and control your compatible smart speakers, cameras and other smart home devices. 

Google Pixel 6a 

True, it's an older phone, but Google's Pixel 6a still ranks as our favorite mid-range Android smartphone and right now it's cheaper than it's ever been. Amazon is selling the unlocked phone for $299, or $150 off the list price. Best buy has the mobile for $50 cheaper, but only if you activate with a carrier upon checkout. If you're not ready to activate yet, the price is also $299 directly from Google

If you want Google's latest phone, that's on sale too. We called the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro the best bargain in flagship phones. Right now the Pixel 7 is $100 off at Amazon and on Google's own store, while the Pixel 7 Pro is $150 off. Best Buy is offering a steeper, $300 discount on the Pixel 7 Pro, but again, only if you activate today. 

Galaxy Book 3 Ultra

Samsung's new S23 series of flagship phones that were announced at its Unpacked event earlier in February have already been released, but the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is still available for pre-order. If you order through Samsung, you'll get an upgrade to 1TB of storage for the price of the 512GB model. That's a $200 savings if you were planing on going for the bigger capacity unit. Plus Samsung is throwing in a $50 store credit. 

We spent a little time with the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra after the event, and thought it was a beast of a machine. This configuration runs on Intel’s Core i7 processors, using NVIDIA’s RTX 4050 graphics cards. It's got 16GB of RAM, plus the aforementioned terabyte of storage. Overall, it's thin and light, weighing just shy of four pounds and measuring 0.64 inches thick.

Ports include HDMI, a microSD slot, two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, one USB-A and a 3.5mm audio jack. The keyboard is roomy and the trackpad is huge. It also packs a 1080p webcam and an updated quad speaker system. While we haven't had the chance to fully test and review the Book 3 Ultra, if you can't wait for the full verdict and want it soon after it releases on February 22nd, you can snag a free storage upgrade with a pre-order. 

OnePlus 11

When we reviewed OnePlus's latest phone, we liked the fact that you got a good amount of phone for a competitive price. And now the company is offering a free storage upgrade on the OnePlus 11 for the next few days. That gives you 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $699, which is the price of the smaller, 8GB/128GB model. 

The standout feature of the OnePlus 11 is the incredibly fast charging. When juicing up using the included cable and adapter, 100W charging gets the phone from empty to full in about 25 minutes. That said, there's no wireless charging. But with a battery that lasted 20 hours in our rundown test and only needs 10 minutes on the cable to get to 50 percent, it's easy to overlook the absence. 

The Android phone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and comes with a great, 6.7-inch 2,048 × 1,080 OLED screen that can reach up to 120Hz refresh rates. The camera array includes a primary 50-megapixel sensor, a 115-degree ultrawide 48MP camera and a 32MP telephoto camera.  

Sony A90J BRAVIA XR OLED 4K TV (55-inch)

Image quality has always sets Sony TVs apart in the past and, while other companies are closing the gap, higher end Sony's will never disappoint. This week, we're seeing a big 44 percent discount on Sony's Bravia A90JvOLED 4K TV, bringing the $2,500 set down to $1,398. The set takes advantage of the company's new Cognitive Processor XR chip, an advancement that uses AI to create a more realistic and dynamic picture. You also get Google TV built in and Alexa integration for voice control. That said, LG's C2 TV is a comparable set and is $100 cheaper, even when it's not on sale. 

If you're willing to spend a little more, our dive into the reviews suggest that Samsung's S95B OLED 4K TV is a better bet and it's seeing a 23 percent discount right now, bringing it down to $1,698. That's not an all-time low, but puts it just $300 over the Sony, which may make it worth the investment.  

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice. Check out Yahoo for more President’s Day lifestyle sales and Autoblog for the best President's Day automotive sales.

How to watch Super Bowl 2023

An estimated two thirds of the US population watched the Super Bowl last year – and it didn’t even have Rihanna. Super Bowl 2023 will take place in Glendale, Arizona at the State Farm Stadium on Sunday, February 12th with a kick off time of 4:30pm Mountain (or 6:30pm Eastern/3:30pm Pacific). The Philadelphia Eagles will play against the Kansas City Chiefs to see who takes home the Lombardi trophy this year. Whether you show up for the snacks, the halftime show or actual football, here are all of the ways to watch Super Bowl 2023.

Who’s airing the Super Bowl this year?

Fox will televise the game this year, and have confirmed it will air in 4K as the network did in 2020. Airing rights to the Super Bowl rotate annually between broadcasters and since 2007, the game has alternated between CBS, Fox and NBC (ABC will get a turn in 2027). As it’s Fox’s year, you can watch the game on local Fox broadcast stations and on Fox channels offered through your cable or satellite TV provider, including Fox Sports 1 and the Spanish-language Fox Desportes. You can also watch through certain live TV streaming services and the NFL+ app on mobile. If you’re watching outside the US, here is a list of international channels that will carry the game.

How to watch with cable or satellite TV

If you already pay for cable, you’re set. Even basic cable services include access to your local Fox channel, and most also include Fox Sports 1, both of which will air the game. You can find your local Fox channels here. Having a cable or satellite subscription also means you can log into the standalone Fox Sports app and watch via your smart TV or computer.

How to watch Super Bowl 2023 without cable

For those who’ve cut the cord, live TV streaming offers a bunch of ways to watch. A few – but not all – of those services will let you watch the Super Bowl this year. Here’s a list of providers that carry Fox Sports, along with their monthly subscription fees:

Sling TV is the cheapest way to watch the game with live streaming, and the channel lineup confirms access to Fox Sports 1 with their Blue package. Many of these services also include a free trial period, so you could sign up before the game and cancel afterwards to avoid a charge.

How to watch the Super Bowl on mobile

If it’s just you watching and you’re thinking of using your smartphone or tablet, NFL+ is an over-the-top subscription app that’s $5 per month or $13 for the NFL season (which ends with the Super Bowl). We should note that the app won’t work on a TV and doesn’t support casting, so this is only a good option if you were already planning on watching on mobile.

How to watch the Super Bowl for free

We reached out to Fox Sports to ask how to watch the game for free and a customer service rep said, "Super Bowl 57 has been made available to all who would like to stream without a TV provider. Super Bowl 57 will stream on a number of platforms: watch it on theFox.com, FoxSports.com FOX Sports app, FOX NOW app, and the NFL+ app." They went on to say this access only applies to the game itself. You'll need to enter your TV provider credentials to access other Fox content before and after the game. 

Local Fox stations will broadcast the Super Bowl over the airwaves and access there is also free, provided you have a way to receive the signal. Indoor HD digital antennas are available for between $20 and $100. These devices plug into your RF connection input (the coaxial port) on your TV and tend to work best when placed in a window. They’re not all that beautiful to look at, and there is an initial cost, but they do give you the ability to grab content out of the air for (almost) free.

How to watch Super Bowl 2023

An estimated two thirds of the US population watched the Super Bowl last year – and it didn’t even have Rihanna. Super Bowl 2023 will take place in Glendale, Arizona at the State Farm Stadium on Sunday, February 12th with a kick off time of 4:30pm Mountain (or 6:30pm Eastern/3:30pm Pacific). The Philadelphia Eagles will play against the Kansas City Chiefs to see who takes home the Lombardi trophy this year. Whether you show up for the snacks, the halftime show or actual football, here are all of the ways to watch Super Bowl 2023.

Who’s airing the Super Bowl this year?

Fox will televise the game this year, and have confirmed it will air in 4K as the network did in 2020. Airing rights to the Super Bowl rotate annually between broadcasters and since 2007, the game has alternated between CBS, Fox and NBC (ABC will get a turn in 2027). As it’s Fox’s year, you can watch the game on local Fox broadcast stations and on Fox channels offered through your cable or satellite TV provider, including Fox Sports 1 and the Spanish-language Fox Desportes. You can also watch through certain live TV streaming services and the NFL+ app on mobile. If you’re watching outside the US, here is a list of international channels that will carry the game.

How to watch with cable or satellite TV

If you already pay for cable, you’re set. Even basic cable services include access to your local Fox channel, and most also include Fox Sports 1, both of which will air the game. You can find your local Fox channels here. Having a cable or satellite subscription also means you can log into the standalone Fox Sports app and watch via your smart TV or computer.

How to watch Super Bowl 2023 without cable

For those who’ve cut the cord, live TV streaming offers a bunch of ways to watch. A few – but not all – of those services will let you watch the Super Bowl this year. Here’s a list of providers that carry Fox Sports, along with their monthly subscription fees:

Sling TV is the cheapest way to watch the game with live streaming, and the channel lineup confirms access to Fox Sports 1 with their Blue package. Many of these services also include a free trial period, so you could sign up before the game and cancel afterwards to avoid a charge.

How to watch the Super Bowl on mobile

If it’s just you watching and you’re thinking of using your smartphone or tablet, NFL+ is an over-the-top subscription app that’s $5 per month or $13 for the NFL season (which ends with the Super Bowl). We should note that the app won’t work on a TV and doesn’t support casting, so this is only a good option if you were already planning on watching on mobile.

How to watch the Super Bowl for free

Local Fox stations will broadcast the Super Bowl over the airwaves and access is free, provided you have a way to receive the signal. Indoor HD digital antennas are available for between $20 and $100. These devices plug into your RF connection input (the coaxial port) on your TV and tend to work best when placed in a window. They’re not all that beautiful to look at, and there is an initial cost, but they do give you the ability to grab content out of the air for (almost) free.

Sonos gear is on sale ahead of the Super Bowl, plus the rest of this week's best tech deals

Even if you won't be watching the Super Bowl, you can still take advantage of the sales brands are running on home theater equipment ahead of the game. Sonos, which rarely offers discounts, just announced deals on some of their soundbars and smart speakers. TVs from Samsung are on sale too. This week, Samsung unveiled three new Galaxy S23 smartphones during Wednesday's Unpacked event. You can pre-order the phones now, and Amazon and Samsung are both offering a free storage upgrade plus a gift card when you do. We've got a discount code for $55 off Pixel Buds Pro and the price on the 2022 iPad Air dropped by $100. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.

Sonos Arc Soundbar

Sonos keeps a short leash on their products, generally only selling through their own site and carefully regulating when things go on sale. Turns out the Super Bowl is one such occasion and a few of our favorite Sonos speakers are seeing decent discounts this week. One of the top speakers from our soundbar guide is the Sonos Arc. It's usually $899, but is $100 off as of today. We like it for the modern design and stellar sound. Thanks to internal smarts, it can also automatically calibrate to your living room and happily integrates with additional speakers.

The Beam Soundbar is $50 off right now, bringing that one down to $399. It's our top pick for a midrange soundbar, thanks to its solid sound quality, compact design and easy set-up. This newer model improves on the previous Beam — which we thought was already pretty great — with the addition of Dolby Atmos. The deals on both Sonos speakers will run through February 12th.

Sonos One

When we gathered up our favorite smart home gadgets, the Sonos One topped the list for the best smart speaker. We like that it's compact enough to fit most places in your home.

It’s compact enough to fit in most areas in your home, but more importantly, it delivers excellent audio quality that’s superior to a lot of other smart speakers out there. When tuned properly to the acoustics of your room — which requires the iOS app — the sound is fantastic, with punchy bass and clear highs. Unfortunately, the Android app doesn’t have TruePlay tuning (Sonos has not said whether it’s in the works), but the speakers should still sound admirable. It’s also compatible with a slew of streaming services, including major ones like Spotify and Pandora.

The main benefit that a Sonos speaker brings over the competition is that it’s a gateway to a multi-room audio setup that you can build out over time. It’s also convenient if you plan on building a home theater setup later on, as the One integrates well with Sonos soundbars, including the Arc and Beam.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Samsung's Galaxy S22 Ultra starts at $1,200 for the smaller 256GB storage capacity. Right now Amazon, Best Buy and Samsung are all offering a free bump up to the 512GB size (which has a suggested price increase of $180). Both Amazon and Best Buy are throwing in $100 gift cards when you pre order through them, which will ship once the phones are released February 17th. At Samsung's site, you'll also get the free storage upgrade, plus $100 bonus in the form of a Samsung credit. The Ultra is the flagship phone, with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, a 200 MP camera and of course that built-in S Pen. Here are our initial impressions

The standard Galaxy S23 will also come with a free storage upgrade from all three outlets, bumping its base 128GB storage up to 256GB with no upcharge. That phone goes for $800 and comes with a $50 gift card at Amazon or a credit at Samsung. If you want the S23+ you can get 512GB of storage for the same $1,000 price tag as the 256GB size. The plus also comes with a $100 gift card at Amazon, and a credit at Samsung. Here's what we thought after seeing the S23 and S23+

Beats Fit Pro

We named Beats Fit Pro the best wireless earbuds for working out and they just dropped to $150 on Amazon. That's 25 percent off and just $5 more than their lowest price ever. We gave them a score of 87 in our review, admiring the great noise cancelling performance and the fact that they offer all of Apple's earbud features, without being AirPods. Big bass and a wing tip that makes sure they stay put when you move make them particularly suited to working out — as does the IPX4-rating for sweat and water resistance. 

The Beats Studio Buds are also on sale. They're $50 off, making them $100 at Amazon — that's also very close to a record low. We liked the comfortable fit and balanced sound when we reviewed them. They'll give you all the same sweat resistance and Apple integrations as the Fit Pros and AirPods. And while they are impressively small, they do lack on-board controls. 

Samsung S95B OLED TV

While we haven't done a full review on Samsung's S95B just yet, many who have reviewed it agree it's one of the best options out there for a top-end TV from 2022. Right now the 55-inch model is $1,448, or 34 percent off. That matches the low we saw during Black Friday sales. The bigger 65-inch model is seeing an even deeper discount of 41 percent off. Bringing that one down to $1,798. That's not its all-time low, but it's just $20 more than its cheapest price.

The QD-OLED panel on both sizes has earned props for delivering high contrast and deep blacks and puts out a higher level of brightness than some other OLEDs. It comes with four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, and can deliver 4K video at a 120Hz refresh rate so when the big game is over, you'll get immersive and smooth graphics on the latest gaming titles.  

When we gathered up our favorite smart home gadgets, the Sonos One topped the list for the best smart speaker. We like that it's compact enough to fit most places in your home. 

It’s compact enough to fit in most areas in your home, but more importantly, it delivers excellent audio quality that’s superior to a lot of other smart speakers out there. When tuned properly to the acoustics of your room — which requires the iOS app — the sound is fantastic, with punchy bass and clear highs. Unfortunately, the Android app doesn’t have TruePlay tuning (Sonos has not said whether it’s in the works), but the speakers should still sound admirable. It’s also compatible with a slew of streaming services, including major ones like Spotify and Pandora.

The main benefit that a Sonos speaker brings over the competition is that it’s a gateway to a multi-room audio setup that you can build out over time. It’s also convenient if you plan on building a home theater setup later on, as the One integrates well with Sonos soundbars, including the Arc and Beam

Samsung QN90B QLED TV

If a 43-inch TV is more your speed, here's a high-end option that hit a new low price this week. Samsung's 43-inch QN90B is down to a new low of $898, which is 25 percent off its MSRP. The 55-inch model is down to $1,298, which is an all time low. The QN90B is a more traditional LED LCD panel with a Mini LED backlighting to give it better contrast and HDR performance that most TVs of this type, and its great that its available in a 43-inch size. If you're going for the larger 55-inch size, however, we actually recommend Samsung's S95B, mentioned above, for its superior OLED panel. 

Vitamix Explorian E310

Vitamix blenders are ideal for sauces, salsas, dips and icy drinks — all of which may come in handy at a Super Bowl party. The Vitamix series we recommend in our smart kitchen gadget guide is from the Explorian lineup, which isn't the most powerful of the Vitamixes, but instead balances price and performance. We think it's the best option for most people. The E310 usually goes for $350, but is $50 off right now. If you decide you do want all possible power in your blender, go for the Ascent series, most of which are also $50 off, which takes a little of the sting out of their starting price of $500.  

iPad Air

Apple's 2022 iPad Air is $99 off right now, bringing the "almost future-proof" tablet down to $500 at Amazon. It dips down to this price fairly often, so it's wise to wait until you see the discount before hitting add to cart. This is the 64GB WiFi model of Apple's latest M1-equipped iPad Air. The larger-capacity 256GB model is also $99 off, bringing it down to $650. The M1 chip is fast enough for content creation, gaming and running other demanding apps. And you'll get an impressive 10 hours of battery life. The build is top-notch and overall, we think it's the best iPad for most people. Especially when it's nearly $100 cheaper.  

Pixel Buds Pro

In our estimation, Google's Pixel Buds Pro are the best earbuds for anyone who carries an Android device in their pocket. Right now at Wellbots, you can save a healthy $55 off the usual $200 price tag when you use the code ENGTSOUND at checkout. We called them Google's best earbuds yet, praising their ability to deliver deep and punchy base notes along with active noise cancellation that effectively blocks out world around you. On-board tap controls let you easily adjust volume, control your playlist and toggle the ANC and you can easily recharge the buds and case wirelessly. One of our complaints was the price bump over the previous models, but hopefully this discount makes that less of an issue. 

Kindle Paperwhite

Amazon just added two new colors to the backs of their Kindle Paperwhites and are offering a 27 percent discount to go with the new look. That brings the $150 e-reader down to $109, which doesn't beat the Black Friday sale price of $99, but is the best price the device has seen since then. The discount only applies to the 16GB capacity model in the new colors, green or blue. The 8GB capacity model isn't available in the new colors and the black version is still full price. 

The new colors — and discount — apply to the Paperwhite Signature Edition as well. We called it the "best e-reader period" in our review and this is one of the few times outside of the holidays that the device has gone on sale. Both the blue and green versions are on sale for $140, which is a 26 percent discount off the usual $190 price tag. 

Disney+

To make it easier for us to afford the growing list of streaming services out there, many providers are offering ad-supported versions of their services at reduced prices. Right now, the Disney Plus ad-supported variant is down to $6.99 a month for your first three months. It goes back up to $7.99 after that, but you're free to cancel at any time. You may remember a time when Disney plus without ads was only $7, but just like manyotherstreamingservices out there, they've raised prices recently. Still, for the amount of content available, including Marvel movies, Star Wars shows, Disney features and Pixar fare, it feels worth the cost. 

Arlo Video Doorbell

Here's a chance to keep tabs on your front door — for half the price. Arlo's Essential Video Doorbell is on sale for 50 percent off right now at Amazon, bringing the $200 device down to $100. It's battery-powered, which is great for those without a wired already installed at their front door and gives you a 180-degree field of view. It'll send HD video with HDR to your smartphone or home hub and allows you to see, hear and speak to whomever is out there. The wired-only version is on sale for 47 percent off, bringing it down to $80. And Arlo's exterior security cameras are 38 percent off, or $80 each.  

Meta Quest Pro

Meta's Quest Pro headset only arrived three months ago, but it saw its first discount this week. It's a pricey device to begin with and even with a 27 percent discount, it will still put you back $1,100. We tried out the VR headset, and had a lot to say. Meta hopes the Quest Pro will become the device that starts to truly enable the Metaverse. Whether or not we want to live and work in VR just yet is still up for debate, but for those that do, this is a powerful (and relatively comfortable) way to do it.  

Spigen Ultra Hybrid MagSafe case

We’ve got a whole list of the best iPhone cases we’ve tried, and a good all-purpose option is Spigen’s Ultra Hybrid MagFit case. It’s a clear cover that has anti-yellowing properties, which should keep it looking clean and new for longer than other cases. Raised edges help protect the screen and camera array from making too much contact with other surfaces, and you’ll be able to use it with any magnetic accessories you want.

WD_Black SSD Cards

It's another good week to add extra storage to your computers and gadgets. Right now Amazon is running discounts on a range of storage cards and drives. Discounts range from 20 to 50 percent on Western Digital Black gaming SSDs and SanDisk microSDs. WD_Black's 250GB Internal Gaming SSD is down to $35, which is 42 percent off the original $60. The 500GB version is fifty percent off, or $40. 

As for the cards, SanDisk's 256GB Ultra microSDXC is down to $25, which isn't the lowest it's ever been, but is still a decent 25 percent off. SanDisk's 1TB Ultra microSDXC is 20 percent off, or $109. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

The best power banks for 2023

Whether you call them battery packs, power banks or portable chargers, these accessories do one thing well: charge your devices when you can’t find an open outlet. Small enough to fit in a day pack and sturdy enough to live at the bottom of your carry on, battery packs can charge your smartphone, tablet, laptop or even all three at once, depending on the size of the battery. What size you’ll need, and any extra features you may find useful, will largely depend on the devices you plan on charging up. With so many of these accessories on the market right now, we tested out a bunch to see which are worth your money.

What to look for in a portable battery pack

Battery type

Nearly every rechargeable power bank you can buy (and most portable devices) contain a lithium-ion battery. These beat other current battery types in terms of size-to-charge capacity, and have even increased in energy density by eight fold in the past 14 years. They also don’t suffer from a memory effect (where battery life deteriorates due to partial charges).

One drawback you may have heard is the possibility of lithium ion batteries catching fire. To limit the danger, battery packs require internal mechanisms to limit things like voltage and pressure. While you should still make sure a battery isn’t exposed to unnecessary stress like excessive heat, damage from drops or operating in freezing weather, battery packs are considered safe enough to bring on an airplane. According to the TSA, external batteries rated at 100Wh or less (which all of our recommendations are) can fly with you – just make sure you stash them in your carry on as they aren’t allowed in checked baggage.

Capacity

Power bank manufacturers almost always list a battery’s capacity in milliamp hours, or mAh. Smaller batteries, say those that can charge a smartphone to between 50 and 75 percent, tend to have a 5,000mAh capacity. Larger batteries that can recharge laptops and tablets, or give phones multiple charges, can exceed 25,000mAh. Unsurprisingly, the prices on most batteries goes up as capacity increases, and since batteries are physical storage units, size and weight go up with capacity as well. If you want more power, be prepared to spend more and carry around a heavier brick.

You might think that a 10,000mAh power bank could charge a 5,000mAh phone to 100 percent twice, but that’s not the case. In addition to simple energy loss through heat dissipation, factors like voltage conversion also bring down the amount of juice that makes it into your phone. Most manufacturers list how many charges a battery can give a certain smartphone. In our tests, 10,000mAh of battery pack capacity translated to roughly 5,800mAh of device charge. 20,000mAh chargers delivered around 11,250mAh to a device, and 25,000mAh banks translated to about 16,200mAh of charge. That’s an average efficiency rate of around 60 percent.

Ports

While the tech world is (thankfully) moving towards USB-C as the standard, it’s still a mixed bag in the power bank world. All of our picks have at least one USB-C port and a few also have a USB-A port or two. Newer Android smartphones charge via USB-C, iPhones still use the Lightning port, but the latest tablets (including current generation iPads) and newer laptops are typically powered up via USB-C.

When a battery pack has more than one port, they usually serve different functions. You’ll typically see at least one port labeled “in/out,” which means you can use it to both charge the bank and charge your device. While USB-A ports can power up smartphones and other small devices, they can’t charge larger devices. Plus, they aren’t as fast as USB-C ports overall. That’s something to keep in mind when you’re deciding which ports and cables to use to connect your phone to the pack.

There’s even more variation among USB-C ports themselves, with different ports on the same device supporting different power transfer rates. What that means in practical terms is an iPhone will charge just fine plugged into a power bank’s 18W port. But to properly charge, say, a MacBook or similar laptop, it’ll need the extra juice supplied by a 100W port (which larger power banks can offer). Power banks with more than one port can also charge multiple devices at the same time, but speeds and the overall charge delivered will be lower.

You’ll also want to consider your cable. For anything larger than a smartphone (and to access fast-charging capabilities) you’ll want to use USB-C ports and cables. But not all cables are created equal, even when they have the same USB-C plugs on the end. If you want power delivered from a 100W USB-C power bank port, you’ll need a 100W-rated USB-C cable. Luckily, power banks capable of delivering 100W tend to include a compatible cable. For any devices that don’t, we’ve tried and liked Anker’s 100W USB-C cable. For smaller devices, we used this 60W cable from Nimble and we don’t recommend bothering with cables under 60W. For around $20, higher-capacity cables will make sure you’re not wasting time with connections that limit your potential power transfer.

Design

For the most part, battery packs have a squared-off, brick-like design, though many nod towards aesthetics with attractive finishes and detailing. While that doesn’t affect how they perform, it’s a consideration for something you’ll interact with regularly. Some include extra features like MagSafe compatibility, a built-in wall plug or even a kickstand. Nearly all have some sort of indicator to let you know how much available charge your power bank has left, usually expressed with lighted pips near the power button. Some of the largest banks take that a step further with an LED display indicating a percentage for the remaining battery, which can be helpful if you’re relying on a pack in a mobile office setting or something similar.

How we tested

Amy Skorheim / Engadget

Before we even put our hands on a battery pack, we did extensive research. We considered brands Engadget reviewers and staff have tried over the years and we checked out customer ratings on retail sites like Amazon and Best Buy. In all, we acquired 14 battery packs, ranging from small wireless banks to large, multi-device batteries.

Here’s the full list:

MagSafe-compatible

Low capacity (≤10,000mAh)

Mid capacity (10,001 - 20,000mAh)

High capacity (20,001mAh+)

I tested each battery on an iPhone 14 Plus and a Galaxy S22 Ultra. For the mid- and high-capacity packs, I added an iPad Air (5th generation) to the mix. I only charged one device at a time, even though some are capable of multiple-device charging. I charged from fully depleted to 100 percent (or until the power bank was dead), and didn’t use the device while they charged other than to power them on and enter the unlock code.

Amy Skorheim / Engadget

For the most part, I used the cable included with each power bank to charge the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the iPad Air. For the iPhone 14 Plus, I used the USB-C to Lighting cable that came with Apple’s phone. In the case of the lower-capacity power banks that didn’t include a cable or included a USB-C to USB-A cable, I used a 60W-rated USB-C to USB-C cable.

For reference, here are the battery capacities of each device we used for testing:

I noted the times for each charge and the number of charges each bank provided. I also paid attention to things like ease of use and overall design. Here’s what made the cut:

Best MagSafe-compatible battery: Spigen ArcHybrid Mag

I went into this category expecting Apple’s own MagSafe battery pack to win. And while it performed admirably, charging a dead 14 Plus to about 43 percent in an hour and 45 minutes, Spigen’s ArcHybrid delivered a 56 percent charge in nearly the same amount of time. The ArcHybrid firmly attaches to the MagSafe ring and it’s flush enough that you can easily hold your phone and use it while charging up. Unlike the Apple battery, it includes four indicator lights to help you gauge how much juice the pack itself has left. Considering Spigen’s battery is $30 cheaper than Apple’s, it’s easy to recommend.

Alternatively, Anker’s 633 Magnetic battery delivered a larger charge thanks to its 10,000mAh capacity, boosting the iPhone to 100 percent in three hours with enough left over for an additional 29 percent charge. And while the kickstand feature felt mildly useful, the battery itself was bulky – but that’s understandable for a power bank that’s twice as large as Spigen’s. Ultimately, the ArcHybrid performed better as a quick and convenient way to give a partial charge to your iPhone on the go.

It’s important to note that wireless charging is less efficient than wired. Our tests showed wired battery banks deliver a device charge at around 60 percent efficiency. With the wireless chargers, that rate dropped to an average of 46 percent. Something to keep in mind when weighing the costs, both ecological and monetary, of wasted energy.

Specs: 5000mAh, 7.5W max
Ports: One USB-C in/out
Cable: USB-C to USB-C
Number of charges iPhone: 0.56
Charge time iPhone: 0 to 56% in 1h 43m

Best battery for a partial charge on an Android: Anker 511 Power Bank

Until Android phones get something like MagSafe, a wired connection makes the most sense for on-the-go charges. The Anker 511 Power Bank is a cleverly designed unit about the size and shape of a skinny stick of butter. The battery charged a depleted Galaxy S22 Ultra to 75 percent in a little over an hour, so you’ll be covered if you don’t have long between flights to give your phone a bit more juice. It also has a built-in plug and allows for pass-through charging, which means it can act as a wall adapter if you’re ever stuck with both a dead battery bank and phone, but happen to be near an outlet. It doesn’t come with a cable, though, so you’ll need to provide one that can go from the bank’s single USB-C port to your device.

Specs: 5,000 mAh, 10W max
Ports: One USB-C and wall outlet prongs
Cable: None
Number of charges Galaxy S22 Ultra: 0.75
Charge time Galaxy: 0 to 75% in 1h 7m

Best low capacity battery: BioLite Charge 40 PD

BioLite is probably better known in the outdoor community than the tech world, and it’s fair to say that the Charge 40 PD is geared more towards camping trips than urban commutes. But this battery simply outperformed the others in its category. The rugged, yellow-accented exterior is a refreshing change from the standard shiny black of many tech accessories. It also has a rubberized finish and feels solid enough to handle the bumps and jolts of riding around in a purse or messenger bag all day. It gave both the iPhone and the Galaxy one and a half charges, which means it’s plenty capable of reviving a dead phone a couple of times when you’re out and about.

The Nimble Champ gets an honorary mention here because it’ll also deliver a few reliable fill-ups and comes in a rugged package. It delivered a full charge to the iPhone in two hours plus a 22 percent charge in 16 minutes. It gave the Galaxy a full charge in an hour and 44 minutes, then got the phone from dead to 41 percent in 50 minutes. At the same $60 price point as the BioLite, Nimble gets extra points for being one of the few B-Corp-certified personal tech manufacturers out there, meaning they’ve committed themselves to higher environmental and social standards, and took the time to prove it through B Lab’s certification process.

Specs: 10,000mAh, 18W max
Ports: One in/out USB-C, two USB-A out only
Cable: USB-C to USB-A
Number of charges iPhone 14 Plus: 1.36
Charge time iPhone: 0 to 100% in 1h 50m, 0 to 50% in 36m
Number of charges Galaxy S22 Ultra: 1.33
Charge time Galaxy: 0 to 100% in 1h 33m, 0 to 50% in 45m

Best medium capacity battery: Otterbox Fast Charge

At the medium-capacity level, you can charge multiple devices at once or power up something larger than a phone. The Otterbox Fast Charge power bank only lists 15,000mAh of capacity, but it performed nearly as well as the 20,000mAh batteries while costing about $30 less. Over the month and a half I spent testing battery packs, this was the unit I grabbed the most when my own devices needed a charge. It has a stylish exterior with a gray faux leather finish and copper detailing. A little bigger than a deck of cards and weighing just over 11 ounces, it’s a nice looking accessory that feels solid.

It filled up both smartphones twice, then gave an additional third of a charge each. I introduced the iPad to the mix here and got a full charge plus an extra third. The Otterbox also lost very little charge while sitting dormant, which means if you carry it around on the off chance that you’ll need it, it should have plenty of power when the time comes.

This category may have been the closest to call, as Anker’s 535 Power Core performed slightly better than the Otterbox, but Anker’s price point is higher. That said, if you want a screaming fast charge for your Galaxy phone, grab the 535. It got the Galaxy up to 100 percent three times, taking about an hour each time. It had enough left over for a small nine-percent charge before it finally gave up. While the battery did get pretty warm, it never felt overly hot. That one-hour fill up is the fastest any power bank was able to deliver a charge to the Galaxy, other than Anker’s 737, which shaved off a few minutes, but costs $90 more. I also appreciated the 535’s cool iridescent finish.

Specs: 15,000mAh, 18W max
Ports: One in/out USB-C, one in/out USB-A
Cable: USB-C to USB-A
Number of charges iPhone 14 Plus: 2.33
Charge time iPhone: 0 to 100% in 2h 2m average, and 0% to 33% in 27m
Number of charges Galaxy S22 Ultra: 2.33
Charge time Galaxy: 0 to 100% in 1h 35m and 0 to 37% in 33m
Number of charges iPad Air: 1.31
Charge time iPad: 0 to 100% in 2h 23m and 0% to 31% in 38m

Best high capacity battery: Anker 737 Power Bank

If you want something with a lot of charge that transfers quickly, go for the Anker 737 Power Bank. It was for the most part the fastest bank we tried, capable of delivering the largest amount of charge in the shortest period of time for the iPad and Galaxy. (Anker’s 535 got the iPhone to 100 percent an average of two minutes faster, but didn’t give as many charges.) The 737 fully charged our S22 Ultra three times, with enough left over for another 93 percent charge – and those full charges completed in under an hour on average. That’s on par with outlet charging. The numbers for the iPhone were slightly less staggering, but still impressive, going from zero to full in about an hour and a half. The iPad charged completely twice, and did so in just over two hours, which is also close to that device’s wall-connected charge speeds.

While it’s great for multiple full charges on a given smartphone, I should point out that the 737 has three ports, but only one of those is USB-C. If you want to charge more than one device at a time, you’ll have to use the lower-efficiency USB-A ports for a couple of them. That said, this bank not only costs less than the other high capacity batteries we tried, it also includes a 65W PowerPort fast charger, which goes for $34 on its own.

The design is nothing groundbreaking, with a glossy black exterior and a metallic-looking finish on one side. It weighs a little over a pound and has the same general form as an old school TI-85 graphing calculator. Its single button has eight lighted pips to show you how much charge it has left.

Specs: 25,600mAh, 60W max
Ports: One in/out USB-C, two out only USB-A
Cable: USB-C to USB-C, includes 65W wall adapter
Number of charges iPhone 14 Plus: 3.67
Charge time iPhone: 0 to 100% in 1h 38m average and 0 to 67% in 40m
Number of charges Galaxy S22 Ultra: 3.93
Charge time Galaxy: 0 to 100% in 57m average 0 to 93% in 59m
Number of charges iPad Air: 2.14
Charge time iPad: 0 to 100% in 2h 7m average and 0 to 14% in 13m

Best mobile command center battery: Mophie Powerstation Pro XL

For those who take their work on the road, the Mophie Powerstation Pro XL, with its trio of USB-C ports, is a good pick. It’s capable of charging three devices at once, with a different wattage rating for each port: 100W, 45W and 20W. In practice, that means you could use the ports to charge a laptop, a tablet and a phone simultaneously. To keep the numbers comparable across our testing, I charged one device at a time. Both smartphones juiced up fully three times, with around a third of an additional charge left over. I got about two full charges from the battery on the iPad Air.

The Powerstation XL has the look and feel of a fancy pocketbook with a marled gray fabric exterior that feels nice in the hand and, incidentally, hides stains well. It weighs the same as the Anker 737 (one pound and three ounces) and also has lighted pips to indicate charge levels. There are only four lights, however, which doesn’t give you the most precise insight as to how much charge it's carrying.

Another option, the Zendure Supertank Pro, almost won this category in part because it handles its charge indication with a lighted LED display that shows exactly how much charge remains, expressed as a percentage. With four variable-wattage USB-C ports, a tough exterior and included semi-hard case, it seems tailor made to act as a power source for mobile photoshoots or nomadic offices. The charge speeds were a little slower than the Mophie, but it did manage to give a few more percentage points of charge to the iPad and the Galaxy phone, filing the latter four times. In the end, it came down to price: for $50 more than the Mophie, the Supertank Pro’s speeds and capacity just didn’t edge it out. But if you happen to see the Supertank on sale, snap it up.

Specs: 25,000mAh, 120W max
Ports: One USB-C in/out, two USB-C out only
Cable: USB-C to USB-C
Number of charges iPhone 14 Plus: 3.23
Charge time iPhone: 0 to 100% in 1h 45m average and 23% in 18m
Number of charges Galaxy S22 Ultra: 3.85
Charge time Galaxy: 0 to 100% in 1h 36m and 85% in 1h 12m
Number of charges iPad Air: 2.02
Charge time iPad: 0 to 100% in 2h 16m and 2% in 7m

Amazon is offering $50 or $100 gift cards with Samsung Galaxy S23 pre-orders

Before Samsung Unpacked even wrapped up today, Amazon swooped in with an offer on pre-orders for unlocked units of the new Galaxy S23 Ultra, Plus and base model smartphones — bundling a $100 Amazon gift card with the Ultra and plus and a $50 card with the S23 standard. All three phones will also get a free bump to the larger storage size and the offer is good on all available colors (black, cream, green and lavender). Like Amazon, Samsung is also offering $100 or $50 bonus, but in the form of Samsung credit.  

The S23 Ultra has an MSRP of $1,200 for the 256GB storage capacity and the S23+ starts at $1,000 for the 256GB size. The free storage upgrade bumps both of those models up to 512GB. The base S23 goes for $800 with 128GB, and the upgrade brings that to 256GB. The phones will ship on February 17th and the Amazon gift card will be delivered via mail once the phones ship.

We got a chance to spend some time with the S23 and the S23+ this week. The notable differences between the two versions are screen size, battery capacity and price. Both have vivid and smooth screens, as you'd expect from Samsung's Galaxy S series, and this year's versions include software advances for both photo and video capture. 

We also got a chance to check out the S23 Ultra, and, of course, the big news there is the big 200 MP camera lashed to its back. We'll dive into full reviews on all three phones very soon, but in the meantime, the new S23 Galaxy phones are ready to pre-order as of today, and both Amazon and Samsung will throw in a bonus if you jump in now. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Amazon is offering a $50 gift card when you buy a year of Microsoft 365 Family

If you've been thinking about adding Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint to your home office, this may be a good day to sign up. Today only, Amazon is offering a 12-month subscription to Microsoft 365 Family bundled with a $50 Amazon gift card for $100. The price of the yearly subscription is usually $100, so you're essentially getting a free gift card for signing up. The deal is only good through the end of the day and the subscription will auto-renew at the end of the year, so set a reminder if you want to cancel before that kicks in.   

The year-long subscription will come as a digital download and runs on PCs or Macs as well as smartphones and tablets running Apple's iOS or Android OS. It covers up to six people and can run on five devices at the same time, with offline access included. Microsoft 365 is the new branding for the well-known Office software and the Family subscription includes access to Word, Excel, Outlook email and PowerPoint. It also comes with the Microsoft Teams video calling app, which updated last year to include a Live Share feature enabling easier real-time collaboration. You also get Clipchamp video editor, which Microsoft acquired in 2021. Included security add-ons like Microsoft Defender and ransomeware protection will help protect your data and devices. 

Each person gets 1TB of OneDrive personal cloud storage, which not only lets you store a large amount of files in the cloud, it lets you share photos and files with other OneDrive users, across pretty much any device. 

The Microsoft 365 family subscription is activated as a digital download, but the $50 gift card will arrive as a physical card in the mail. And as we said, the deal ends today, so take advantage if you want to add Microsoft's productivity apps to your setup. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

How to share your screen on FaceTime

If you’ve ever wished you could just show someone what you’re talking about rather than trying to describe it, Apple’s screen sharing function for FaceTime can help. The capability is part of SharePlay, a protocol that lets Apple users do more than just talk to each other on video calls. SharePlay and screen sharing only work between Apple mobile devices running iOS 15 and Macs running MacOS Monterey. While the iOS 15 and Monterey releases did add the ability to FaceTime with Android users via a browser, screen sharing still isn’t available outside of Apple-to-Apple connections.

How to share your screen using an iPhone or iPad

Amy Skorheim / Engadget
  1. After you’ve initiated a FaceTime call, tap on the screen to bring up the control bar and tap the sharing icon, which looks like a rectangle with a person in front of it.

  2. Tap Share My Screen. A three second countdown will begin, then a black window with your initials will appear on the other person’s screen. This is where your shared content will appear once you’ve selected an app. (If you are using an iPhone, your camera turns off while sharing your screen. If you are on an iPad, your camera remains on.)

  3. Swipe up to reveal your home screen.

  4. Choose the app or document you want to share. If you want to share a webpage, open your browser. At this point, your screen will appear for the other person.

  5. By default, your content will be a smaller inset window on other callers’ screens, that they can tap to enlarge.

  6. You’ll see the other person in an inset window, which you can move around, or even slide off-screen to get it out of your way. Keep in mind that if you tap their window, screen sharing will pause.

As you navigate through apps, photos or webpages, people on your call will see exactly what appears on your screen.

How to stop sharing your screen on iPhone

  1. Tap on the active call icon in the upper left then tap the screen sharing icon again. That will immediately end screen sharing.

  2. In our tests, we encountered an occasional problem on iPhones with the camera not coming back on after sharing ends. If that happens, tap on the FaceTime app from your home screen, then tap the camera icon. That should bring your camera back online.

How to take over screen sharing from someone else

If someone else on the call is sharing their screen and it’s your turn to take over, you can switch by following these instructions:

  1. On an iPhone, tap to bring up the FaceTime controls. On an iPad, tap to show your menu bar and tap the green FaceTime icon.

  2. Tap the SharePlay icon, which looks like a person icon with two arcs behind it.

  3. Tap Share My Screen.

  4. A pop-up window will ask if you want to replace the current screen. Tap Replace Existing.

  5. Other callers will see a black screen with your initials until you swipe up and select an app from your home page.

Amy Skorheim / Engadget

How to share your screen using a Mac

If you want to show people content from your MacBook or desktop Mac, the process is largely the same, but you can decide whether to share your entire screen or just one window. Note that, like on an iPad, your camera does not turn off when you screen share on a Mac.

  1. Initiate a FaceTime call. Hover over the FaceTime window to bring up the controls.

  2. Click the screen share icon.

  3. Decide whether you want to share a single window or your entire screen.

  4. If you select Window, hover over your open windows and click on the one you want to share.

  5. If you want to share your whole screen, click anywhere on the screen. If you have two monitors, decide which screen you want to share. Everything there will appear for other people exactly as you see it.

Amy Skorheim / Engadget

How to stop sharing your screen on Mac

  1. Return to the FaceTime window and click on the Screen Share icon again.

  2. A window will open from your menu bar at the top of the screen asking whether you want to switch to window share, screen share or end screen sharing. Click Cancel and then click Stop Sharing Screen.

Amazon's Fire tablets are up to 43 percent off, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

This week, Apple announced and set the release date for the new MacBook Pros and both Amazon and Best Buy rushed to offer a slight discount on pre orders. Amazon also knocked a hefty 40 percent off many of their Fire Tablets, including the new Fire HD 8. Bose's QC II earbuds are back down to $250, and a couple robot vacuums are on sale, including the best budget vac we've tried, iRobot's Roomba 694. We also found a few deals on SSD cards from both Samsung and Crucial, plus a tidy 32 percent discount on one of our favorite tiny Bluetooth speakers. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.

Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet

Amazon's own tablets are already among the most affordable out there but right now, you can grab the latest eight-inch HD model for just $60. That's a 40 percent discount off the usual $100 price tag and while it's not quite the all-time low we saw for Black Friday, it's still an extremely low price for a tablet. For a moderate upgrade the Fire HD 8 Plus adds an extra gigabyte of ram, wireless charging and improved cameras. Right now it's 33 percent off, for a sale price of $80. You can save a larger percentage on the 10-inch models like the Fire HD 10. It's down to $85, or 43 percent off the list price. It's important to note that these are all ad-supported models, meaning you'll see ads from Amazon on your lock screen. The non-ad-supported models are currently full price.

While Fire tablets don't have the level of processing power or performance that you'd get from a more expensive iPad or Galaxy Tab, they're decent options for casual web browsing, e-reading and video streaming. The Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is what we recommend for kids in our latest tablet guide and the sale brings it down to $140 or $60 off the list price. Fire tablets for kids don't have ad-supported versions and include a year of Amazon Kids+ which offers thousands of kid-oriented games, apps and videos. Plus it comes with a protective case with a handle that doubles as a kickstand.

Amazon Kindle Kids

It was just released back in September, but the new 2022 Kindle Kids just got its first discount at Amazon. The kid-focused e-reader is $85 right now, which is $35 less than its usual $120. The Kindle Paperwhite for Kids is also on sale for $110, or $50 off the usual price. The Paperwhite edition adds waterproofing, adjustable warm light, and a slightly larger screen (6.8 inches vs the Kindle Kids' 6-inch screen). The deal isn't the lowest we've seen, but it's only $5 more than its all-time low during last year's holiday sales. 

Both kid-focused Kindles include a year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which grants access to thousands of age-appropriate e-books and audiobooks. They also have a Parent Dashboard to set age filters and device time limits. The new Kindle Kids ups the storage capacity to 16GB, while the Paperwhite is available in either an 8GB size or a 16GB size. You can also snag the same deals on the Kindle Kids at Best Buy or Target if you prefer.   

Microsoft Surface Pro 9

Microsoft’s Surface Pro 9 usually retails for $1,100, but right now it's $ 929, which is cheaper than it's been since its release back in October. The slab is our current favorite Windows tablet thanks to its laptop-like capabilities with a slim tablet design. With Windows 11 and a 12th-gen Intel Evo i5 processor, the tablet is built for productivity. You also get a beautiful display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and improved stereo speakers. There's a front-facing camera that allows for facial recognition for easier log-ins. Unlike many tablets, you can access and upgrade the SSD as needed. The larger app icons and touch-friendly controls in Windows 11 make it easy to use as a tablet, or you can add a keyboard and mouse for a full laptop-like experience. 

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

If you want to shut out the world, we recommend going with Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds II. They usually sell for $300, but right now at Amazon the earbuds are down to $250. We've seen the buds dip to this price a few times in the past, and it matches their sale price for Black Friday last year. While $250 still isn't cheap, if you're ready to invest in a set of earbuds with the best noise cancellation we've tried, saving $50 could help. We gave them a score of 87 in our review, giving them kudos for their sound quality, comfort and ambient (transparent) sound — in addition to the phenomenal ANC. 

Apple M2 MacBook Pro Laptop 

The latest Apple laptops haven't even been released, yet the base configuration of the new MacBook Pro with the brand's fastest M2 Pro processor chip is seeing its first discount both on Amazon, which has it for $50 off, and Best Buy, where members can get a $100 gift card along with a pre-order. It's rare for new Apple products to get discounts this early, but the two retailers are hoping the savings will help you click Add to Cart through their sites. Announced earlier this week, the new computers have the new, faster M2 Pro chip, plus support for WiFi 6E and an HDMI port that supports 8K up to 60Hz and 4K displays up to 240Hz. Battery life has also been upgraded with lifespans of up to 22 hours, the longest ever on a Mac, according to Apple. 

Note that Amazon's $50 discount applies to the space gray colorway in the base configurations of the 14- or 16-inch models. The 14-inch base model has a 10-core CPU, 16‑core GPU and 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD. The 16-inch model has 12-core CPU, a 19-Core GPU, 16GB RAM and 12GB of SSD storage. The Best Buy gift card offer applies to more configurations, but is only available to TotalTech members, a $200-per-year membership that you can sign up for with your pre-order. Compared to the list price of $2,000 for the 14-inch base model, these aren't huge discounts, but if you were planning on getting Apple's latest release anyway, you may as well save yourself a little cash. The computers will release next Tuesday, January 24th. 

Sony X95K Series Bravia XR Mini LED TV

Sony's 65-inch X95K Bravia mini LED TV is $1,000 off right now, bringing the price down to $1,798. That's the lowest price the set has gone for since its release last May. If you want a bigger screen, the 75-inch model is $500 off, bringing that one down to $2,498. Amazon is offering other Sony sets at a discount as well, including some high-end OLED and 4K LED sets like the 55-inch Sony Bravia XR A80K Series 4K Ultra HD TV, which is 35 percent off or $1,298. 

A slightly more affordable TV, Sony's Sony 65 Inch 4K Ultra HD TV is 30 percent off its usual $1,000 price tag, bringing that set down to $698. All the sets come with Google's smart TV OS, Google TV, which we liked for its super simple streaming interface. And since Sony also makes the PlayStation, many of these sets include bonus features designed to enhance the look of your PS5 gaming. With the Super Bowl in the US around the corner, this might be a good week to upgrade if you've had your eye on a Sony. 

Samsung 980 Pro SSD 2TB

When your PC or console edges close to its storage limits, it might be time to grab an SSD or memory card. Right now Amazon is hosing a sale on Samsung storage options, including the 980 Pro SSD in the 2TB capacity. We named it the best SSD for your PS5 in our guide (and included instructions on how to install it). Right now it's a steep 53 percent off, bringing it down to just $180. It's a fast PCIe Gen4 NVMe drive with read speeds up to 7,000MB/s, but it also has a reputation for reliability. Also on sale is the 256GB Evo Select microSD card for just $20, that's a 52 percent discount on a card that'll expand the storage of a tablet, Android phone or a Nintendo Switch. 

Crucial MX500 SSD

Storage from Crucial is also on sale at Amazon right now, with the 1TB option down to $62, which beats its Black Friday price. The MX500 SSD is a good option for adding extra storage to a computer that's nearing capacity, either extending the life of an older device or simply upgrading what you've recently picked up. The 2.5-inch design should fit most laptops and desktops, and it supports read speeds up to 560MB/s and write speeds up to 510MB/s. AES 256-bit hardware encryption is built in and also comes with power loss immunity to protect your saved data it the power goes out. We also appreciate that the MX500 comes in a number of capacity options. The 1TB is arguably best for most people, but you can get it as low as 250GB or as high as 4TB — and all configurations are discounted right now.

iRobot Roomba 694

This turned out to be a great week for anyone looking to dive into automated cleaning for their floors. Our current "best overall" pick in our budget robot vacuum guide is just $174 at Amazon right now. That's $95 off its usual price and just $4 more than it was for Black Friday. We like iRobot's Roomba 694 machine for its good cleaning power and simple app. We think iRobot's app is great, and even those new to robot vacuums will feel comfortable setting schedules for a mostly hands-free experience (you'll still need to empty the vac once its full).  

iRobot Roomba Combo j7+

We had a chance to try the iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ a couple of months ago and liked the way it worked its way into a daily cleaning routine with minimal fuss (after contending with the initial mapping of the floor plan). The unit self-empties into the base and the app is "beautifully simple." We feel that the water reservoir might need refilling to get a full clean in larger homes, but the fact that it lifts up the mop pad when not in use to avoid dripping on your carpet is a nice touch. The price is steep, usually going for $1,100, but right now both Wellbots and Amazon are knocking $200 off the list price, making it a slightly more manageable $900.  

Logitech Pebble Wireless Mouse

One of our favorite mice for general productivity is the Pebble mouse from Logitech and right now, the blue and tan colorways are down to $22. We liked the mobile mouse for its slim portability that still had enough heft to feel reassuring in the hand. It's got a simple, two button plus a wheel configuration and can connect via Bluetooth or with the included USB dongle (which conveniently stores in the battery compartment). The long battery life can get up to 18 months on a single AA and while it might not be the most comfortable for extended use, you can't beat the price for an on-the-go mouse. 

Tribit StormBox Micro 2

A carryover that's still going strong this week, Tribit's StormBox Micro 2 is down to $48 from its usual $70 at Amazon right now. It's one of of the Bluetooth speakers we recommend in the sub-$200 range thanks to its compact size that manages to pump out decent volume. It'll get up to 12 hours of play time on a charge and you can even use the unit as a USB-C power bank to charge your phone. Pair up two of them for stereo sound and is waterproof enough to handle a dunk into water. 

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iRobot's Roomba 694 robot vacuum is back on sale for $179

Our current favorite budget robot vacuum is $95 off its usual price at Amazon right now. iRobot's Roomba 694 usually retails for $274 but is seeing a 35 percent discount, putting it just $4 above its all-time low of $174, which the vac dipped to in advance of Black Friday. If you've been curious about automated floor cleaning, but were waiting for a good deal, now might be a great time to see whether a robot vac is for you. We've tested a number of these machines over the years and this model is our current "best overall" pick in our budget robot vacuum guide

What really sets the Roomba 694 apart from other budget vacuums is the easy-to-use app. While the unit has three physical buttons that allow you to start, stop and dock the unit, you'll mostly be controlling it through the app via a WiFi connection and your smartphone. After following the setup instructions, you can set schedules so the vac runs regularly and keeps your floors clean with minimal input on your part. 

The 694 can run for 90 minutes on hard floors, but we got about half that using the vac on a mixed landscape of carpet and tile. It automatically returns to the dock when the battery runs low, so it can handle larger homes with a pit stop to recharge. We found the Roomba 694 did a good job picking up dirt and debris, but it did get tripped up if charging cables were left on the floor. Getting those out of the way and emptying the unit when it's full are two of the times you'll need to physically interact with the unit. Keep in mind that this one doesn't come with extra brushes, you'll need to order them when the time comes. 

If you want to interact with your robot vac even less frequently, you could opt for a self-emptying model, like the iRobot Roomba j7+. You also get better obstacle detection and customized room mapping options. Of course you'll pay more for these upgrades, but right now the j7+ is 25 percent off, bringing the $800 unit down to $600. The Roomba s9+ is also on sale. It's our current pick for a premium robot vacuum in our guide, and right now the $1,000 unit is down to $800, or 20 percent off. 

Buy iRobot Roomba j7+ at Amazon - $600Buy iRobot Roomba s9+ at Amazon - $800

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