We recommend Amazon's Echo Show 5 for those looking to adopt a smarter type of alarm clock, and as of this writing Amazon is running a sale that brings two of the diminutive smart displays down to $60 when you use the code SHOW52PK at checkout. We've seen individual deals bring the device as low as $35 in recent months, so this offer represents a slightly better value if you know you want multiple displays around the house (or if you want to grab one for multiple people). The Echo Show 5 technically has an MSRP of $85, but its average street price has typically sat in the $40-50 range in recent months.
We gave the Echo Show 5 a review score of 85 when it launched last year, praising its solid-for-its-size sound quality, compact design, and usual suite of Alexa-aided smart features. Its most natural home is on a bedside table, as the device is fitted with features like a "sunrise" alarm that gradually brightens its screen to more gently wake you up in the morning and the ability to tap the top of the display to snooze an alarm. The device's 960 x 480 resolution display isn't exactly high-end, but it's competent enough given the device's small stature, and an ambient light sensor lets it automatically dim when you turn the lights off at night.
The device still has its uses outside of the bedroom, as it can tell you the weather, play music, display recipes, show Ring security cam feeds and control compatible smart home gear like any other Alexa machine. But that smaller display naturally won't be as pleasing for video as the panels on larger devices like the Echo Show 8 or Echo Show 10, and the included camera is only 2MP, so it's best used in a pinch, not for extended video calls. (It does come with a privacy shutter, however.) This also isn't the most performant device, so it's better off sticking to simpler Alexa commands, casual music streaming, and that alarm clock functionality.
All of that is easier to accept when the device is deeply discounted, though. Google's Nest Hub is a fine alternative for those who prefer to use the Google Assistant or just want a bedside display with no camera at all. If you're looking to add a couple of smart displays to your home and are already onboard with Alexa, though, this is a solid chance to save a few bucks.
Sonos has launched a new sale that discounts various bundles of the company's smart soundbars, speakers, and subwoofers. All of the offers are still on the expensive side — the cheapest bundle starts at $678, and relatively affordable Sonos devices like the Ray soundbar or Sub Mini subwoofer aren't included. Still, discounts of any sort on Sonos speakers are uncommon, and the bundles here take roughly 20 percent off several home theater devices we recommend, including the high-end Sonos Arc and compact Sonos Beam soundbars, the latest Sonos Sub subwoofer, and the Sonos One SL surround speaker.
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) + 2x Sonos One SL for $678, down from $847
Sonos Arc + 2x Sonos One SL for $1,038, down from $1,297
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) + Sonos Sub (Gen 3) for $958, down from $1,198
Sonos Arc + Sonos Sub (Gen 3) for $1,318, down from $1,648
Sonos Beam (Gen 2) + Sonos Sub (Gen 3) + 2x Sonos One SL for $1,277, down from $1,596
Sonos Arc + Sonos Sub (Gen 3) + 2x Sonos One SL for $1,637, down from $2,046
The first-gen Sonos Beam is also down to $299 in white, which is a $100 discount, though that soundbar lacks Dolby Atmos support compared to the $449 second-gen model.
It's worth noting that Sonos hiked prices on most of its devices last year, and if you aren't looking for a whole-home audio setup, there are plenty other soundbars we like on both the premium and budget ends of the market. Port selection on Sonos devices is typically limited as well. But if you can afford the premium, Sonos speakers still have the benefit of working easily in tandem, with simple setup processes, a polished universal control app, wide streaming service support, room calibration, and Apple AirPlay functionality.
We've also found the Arc, Beam, Sub, and One SL to offer quality sound for their intended audiences. We gave the top-end Arc and midrange Beam review scores of 85 and 88, respectively; both technically support Atmos, though the Arc is a bigger 5.0.2-channel bar that will better fill a large room compared to the shorter 5.0-channel Beam. The Sub is undeniably expensive but delivers powerful bass, while the One SL is just the excellent Sonos One without built-in microphones (which isn't as much of a problem for smart assistant support when paired with a mic-enabled soundbar).
With Black Friday around the corner, there's always a chance we'll see more deals before the end of the year. But if you're been thinking of jumping headfirst into a new premium home theater setup, these discounts should lighten the load at least somewhat. If any of the offers above run dry, note that many are also available at B&H and Adorama.
The market for wireless earbuds is loaded with quality options, but in the sub-$100 range, the selection is generally a bit spottier. We've found Jabra's Elite 3 to be a standout for those on a budget, though, and as of this writing the earbuds are down to $50 at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Jabra's online store. We've seen the Elite 3 hit this price a few times this year, but the discount is still about $15 off the device's average street price in recent months and $30 off Jabra's MSRP.
The earbuds briefly dropped to $47.49 earlier this month, but this matches the lowest price we've seen outside of that. It's also worth noting that Best Buy is marketing this as the Elite 3's "Black Friday price" as part of a wider early Black Friday promotion, so this is likely to be the earbuds' going rate during any upcoming holiday sales.
Our audio expert Billy Steele gave the Elite 3 a score of 88 last year, deeming it "the new standard for affordable wireless earbuds" in the process. We were particularly impressed in the sound department: it's not purely neutral, and it can't match pricier models like Apple's AirPods Pro or Sennheiser's Momentum True Wireless 3, but the overall clarity is greater than what you typically get for less than $100, let alone $50, and the bass-forward profile lends tracks a nice amount of body.
We found the Elite 3's compact design to be light and comfortable in the ear, with reliable physical control buttons on each earpiece. The buds have an IP55 dust and water resistance rating, which is enough to survive most workouts. Battery life comes in at roughly seven hours of continuous use, which is good, with another 20-ish hours available through the included charging case. A recent firmware update also added the ability to create a custom EQ profile, addressing one of the issues we had in our initial review.
To be clear, these are still Jabra's "budget" earbuds, so their overall feature set is limited compared to more expensive alternatives. There's no active noise cancellation, no wireless charging support, no ability to connect to more than one device simultaneously, and no automatic pausing when you remove an earpiece. Call quality is just average, and while there is a "HearThrough" ambient sound mode, it generally sounds more muffled than the equivalents on higher-end pairs. Anker's Soundcore Space A40 is a good budget-friendly alternative for those who want ANC and other advanced features, though it's still pricier at $100.
Nevertheless, the Elite 3's overall package remains a strong value when it's discounted to this extent, so consider this a PSA if you're been looking for a quality set of no-frills wireless earbuds without spending a ton.
For digital artists, doodlers, and heavy note takers, we think Apple's own second-generation Pencil is, unsurprisingly, the best iPad stylus money can buy. The one major hang-up with the device has been that it's wildly expensive, but if you've been looking to pick one up, a deal going on today alleviates that concern at least somewhat. The second-gen Pencil is currently available for $89 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart, which marks the lowest price we've tracked to date and comes a couple days before Apple makes its newest iPad Pros widely available. This is $10 off the previous low we've seen from various past discounts, about $30 off the device's average street price in recent months, and $40 off Apple's MSRP.
As a refresher, both this and the first-gen Pencil—which Apple continues to sell for its older tablets at $99—are specifically designed to work with the iPad. There's no Bluetooth pairing process to worry about, and notably they both offer pressure sensitivity across iPadOS, so the harder you press down, the heavier the line you're drawing gets. Various third-party styluses support the latter in specific apps, but the Pencils have the benefit of offering it system-wide. The latest model was released in 2018 but, while it's possible Apple could announce an updated version in the near future, we haven't heard much to suggest a refresh is imminent.
Both Pencils perform reliably, but between the two, the second-gen Pencil remains a fairly noticeable upgrade. Instead of having to charge through a Lightning port—or a dongle, if you own a USB-C-based iPad—and awkwardly jutting out the side of your tablet, it attaches magnetically to a newer iPad's right side. Apart from providing more natural place to rest, this also charges the Pencil, so battery life should never be a concern unless you plan on drawing for 12 hours straight. The newer model also has a useful double-tap feature that lets you quickly toggle between settings in certain apps; in Apple's Notes app, for instance, you can double-tap to switch from your drawing tool to an eraser. The flatter edges of the second-gen Pencil are less conducive to rolling off a table than the rounded design of the first-gen model, too.
The other knock against the Pencil is that it's only compatible with iPads, and each generation only works with specific models at that. For the second-gen Pencil on sale here, those models include the fourth-gen iPad Air and up, the third-gen 12.9-inch iPad Pro and up, any 11-inch iPad Pro, and the sixth-gen iPad mini. All other iPads, including the entry-level 10.2-inch iPad or the just-announced 10th-gen iPad, aren't supported. Nevertheless, while there are other iPad styluses like Logitech's Crayon that we recommend for more casual needs, this deal should be a relatively strong value for more committed iPad artists.
The week is nearing its end, which means it's time for another roundup of the week's best tech deals. Among the highlights, Amazon currently has Apple's still-powerful M1 MacBook Air down to an all-time low of $799, while the M1 iPad Air is available for the second-best price we've tracked, at $519. A couple of streaming services we like in Paramount+ and Peacock are running sizable discounts for new subscribers, plus Google's Pixel Buds Pro are down to a new low. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
Apple MacBook Air M1
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
Though it's a couple years old at this point, Apple's 2020 MacBook Air is still a dependable notebook for lighter workloads and casual use. Its chassis is still slim and sturdy, its keyboard and trackpad remain excellent, its battery can still genuinely last all day, and its M1 chip is still plenty quick for the essentials. We gave it a review score of 94 back in late 2020.
To be clear, the laptop is a harder sell these days at its standard $999 MSRP. And if you can afford to upgrade to Apple's newest Air with the faster M2 chip, you should: it will get you a bit more performance, an updated design with slimmer bezels (and a notch), a noticeably improved webcam and speaker system, and fast charging support. We gave that device a score of 96 earlier this year. It's also worth noting that this discounted SKU only includes 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, so it's really not ideal for more involved tasks like video editing.
But at $799, it's a good value as an everyday laptop and a more affordable route into macOS. This deal matches the lowest price we've tracked and comes in about $120 off the typical street price we've seen in recent months.
Apple iPad Air
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
The newly announced 10th-generation iPad will likely steal a bit of its thunder, but at this deal price of $519, we expect Apple's iPad Air to remain a worthwhile tablet for the right person. This discount matches the second-lowest price we've tracked, coming in at $80 off Apple's MSRP and about $40 off the device's usual street price online.
While the new iPad features a near-identical design, a speedy A14 Bionic chip, and unique perks like a landscape-oriented webcam, it doesn't support Apple's second-gen Pencil stylus (hello, #donglelife), and it lacks the full lamination and wider color gamut of the Air's display. The Air's M1 chip is still a decent ways faster for more involved tasks, too. Overall, we gave the iPad Air a score of 90 upon its launch this past March.
The new iPad starts at $449, and its sacrifices may not be that big of a deal for many. We'll have to test the new device before giving any definitive recommendations, but for those willing to pay for the more futureproof M1 chip, laminated display, and better Pencil support, the fifth-gen Air should still represent a decent value when it's discounted to this extent. Just don't feel the need to upgrade if you already own a fourth-gen model.
Samsung Pro Plus microSD card
If you need new storage for your camera, GoPro, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or whatever else, this deal matches the all-time lowest price for the 128GB model of Samsung's Pro Plus microSD card. This U3, V30-rated card isn't the absolute fastest option in a vacuum, but with rated read/write speeds of 160MB/s and 120MB/s, respectively—and real-world performance that should be close to that, based on reviews around the web—it'll be performant enough to handle 4K photos and video, continuous recording, and the like. It also comes with a 10-year limited warranty. This deal is about $4 below the usual street price we've tracked in recent months. If you don't need quite as much performance and you really want to save a buck, note that the 128GB version of Samsung's slightly-slower Evo Select card is available for $16.
This is the lowest price we've seen for the action-adventure game Metroid Dread, which we've named one of our favorite Switch exclusives. This is a tense and challenging experience by default, so it's not necessarily for everyone, but we also found it to be surprisingly welcoming to series newbies who aren't well-versed in the usual hallmarks of "Metroidvania" game design. The game doesn't reinvent that formula, but it plays the notes well, and it goes out of its way to keep players moving along, if that's what you value. There's also an easier "rookie" difficulty for those who want to enjoy the story and slick sci-fi aesthetic without feeling quite as stressed all the time.
Dread just had its first anniversary earlier this month and takes only 10-ish hours to beat, so it could stand to be cheaper, but larger discounts on first-party Nintendo games are still rare. Typically, the game has hovered between $50 and $60 online in recent months. This deal comes as part of a wider Switch game sale, though Dread is the clear highlight. Among the other notable video games we're seeing this week, the cyberpunk cat adventure Stray is down to a low of $24 at the PlayStation Store, while the "no-brainer" PS5 bundleUncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is back to a low of $30.
Google Pixel Buds Pro
Billy Steele/Engadget
Google's Pixel Buds Pro are an Android-friendly set of true wireless earbuds we recommend, and right now you can grab a pair for $50 off with the code ENGN50 at smart device retailer Wellbots. That's the lowest price we've seen to date and about $45 off the earbuds' average street price in recent months. We gave the Pixel Buds Pro a review score of 87 this past July. Their call quality is middling, and competitors like Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds II or Apple's AirPods Pro will be better depending on your priorities, but Google's pair still provides a nice blend of effective active noise cancellation, good battery life (at 7-11 hours of continuous use, depending on how much ANC you use), a compact fit, and punchy, bass-forward sound. At this deal price, they're a fair bit cheaper than their closest rivals.
Google Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro + $100-200 gift card
There's always a chance we see bigger discounts on Google's new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro phones as we get nearer to Black Friday, but if you need a new Android phone today, note that the pre-order deals we highlighted a couple weeks back are still available after the devices' launch. That means Amazon, Target, and Best Buy are all still offering a $100 digital gift card with the $599 unlocked Pixel 7, or a $200giftcard with the $899 unlocked Pixel 7 Pro, at no extra cost. If you know you'll use any of those stores for holiday shopping anyway, that's a solid bonus to go with what our review called "the best bargain in flagship phones" as it is.
We gave the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro scores of 90 and 92, respectively, for offering class-leading cameras, solid battery life (particularly with the smaller Pixel 7), vibrant OLED displays, and Google's typically clean take on Android. They aren't performance powerhouses, and Google is only promising three years of Android OS updates per phone, but the whole packages are still highly competitive for the money. These deals should heighten that.
Peacock Premium subscription (1 year)
Here's a quick PSA for those who've been thinking of checking out NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service: up through November 19, new subscribers can get a year of the service's "Premium" tier for $20. Peacock has run a few sales like this in recent months, but if you missed those, this is still a $30 discount from the usual going rate of an annual plan. It also works out to $1.67 a month, which is a nice drop from the typical $5 cost of a monthly plan. Just enter the code FALL22 at checkout to see the discount.
Note that this deal is not applicable to current or returning subscribers, and that "Peacock Premium" is the service's ad-supported tier. (The $10-a-month or $100-a-year "Peacock Premium Plus" tier removes ads and lets you download shows for offline viewing, but that one is not currently discounted.) You can view the offer's full terms here, but keep in mind that your subscription will be set to auto-renew at the normal $50 annual rate by default until you cancel your service. Whether you need another streaming subscription in the first place is up to you, but if you're looking to watch Premier League games, re-runs of The Office, WWE live events, Bravo reality shows, or anything else in NBC's library, this deal brings a more affordable entry point.
Paramount+ subscription (1 year)
Like Peacock above, Paramount Global's Paramount+ service is also running a deep discount on annual subscriptions, with both its ad-supported "Essential" tier and (mostly) ad-free "Premium" tier available for 50 percent off. That drops the price down to $25 or $50, respectively, for a year of service. The discount should apply automatically if you use this promo page, but if you don't see the offer, use the code UEFA50 at checkout. (The promotion is based on the service's coverage of UEFA Champions League soccer.)
Paramount says this offer is available to both new and returning subscribers—but again, not existing ones—and that it'll throw in one of Amazon's 1080p Fire TV Stick Lite streaming sticks with the sign-up. The latter isn't nearly as robust as recommended 4K streamers like Google's Chromecast with Google TV or Roku's Streaming Stick 4K, but it's a perk nonetheless.
Again, if you're suffering from subscription fatigue, Paramount+ isn't essential, but we do recommend it in our guide to the best streaming services for the aforementioned soccer coverage, originals like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Lower Decks, kid-friendly Nickelodeon fare, and several other shows from the company formerly known as ViacomCBS. Note that with the Premium tier, you also get a stream of your local CBS station and the ability to download select shows for offline viewing. Paramount says this offer will be available until November 3, and again your subscription will be set to auto-renew at its standard price by default until you cancel your service.
This is a good deal for those looking to keep things simple, but we'd be remiss not to note that it's still technically possible to get repeated months Paramount+ for free if you're willing to jump through a few hoops. TechHive has a good breakdown of how this works, but in short, Paramount has been dishing out coupon codes that give a free month of service to new and returning subscribers, every month, for years. Over that time, it's been possible to continually use those codes to get free Paramount+ service—even the higher-priced Premium tier—so long as you let your "trial" membership expire and don't let the service recognize you as an active subscriber.
This means you can create an account, get a free month through a coupon code, cancel your subscription before you're actually charged (it's usually best to wait a day or so to avoid nullifying your free trial), then repeat for the next month with whatever new promo code Paramount+ has doled out. The website Doctor of Credit typically lists whatever promo code is active now; as of this writing, for instance, it's FINALFIGHT. This process might not be worth the hassle for many, and Paramount could close this loophole at any time. But if you're okay putting in a bit more work, free is free.
2021 Apple TV 4K
$100 is the best price we've seen for the 2021 edition of the Apple's 4K streaming box, beating the previous low by $10. Now, this is a very much an inventory-clearing situation for Apple, as the company just announced a refreshed model this week that includes a faster A15 Bionic SoC (the 2021 model here uses an A12 chip), double the base storage (from 32GB to 64GB), support for HDR10+ video, a slightly more compact design, and a Siri remote that charges over USB-C instead of the usual Lightning.
The new model will start at $129, while a 128GB model that also adds an Ethernet port and Thread mesh networking support will be available for $149. If you can afford to get either of those, it's generally always better to buy the latest model you can. But if you're looking to save a few bucks, the 2021 model's A12 chip is still far from slow for everyday streaming, the 32GB storage should be enough if you aren't playing Apple Arcade games, and the overall UI will be the same. If you're looking for a more affordable 4K streamer, meanwhile, consider one of the picks from our recently updated guide to the best streaming devices.
65-inch LG C2 OLED TV
LG
LG's C Series of high-end OLED TVs has long been commended for offering near-perfect contrast ratios with deep and uniform black tones, notably vibrant colors, wide viewing angles, and low input lag. This year's C2 model is widely said to continue the trend, and it's fitted with gaming-friendly features like full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports and the ability to play in 4K at up to a 120Hz refresh rate.
This deal from Amazon-owned retailer Woot brings the 65-inch C2 within $50 of the best price we've tracked. The full discount should apply at checkout. Black Friday historically brings the lowest prices on TVs each year, but at $1,597 (pre-tax), this is a particularly sizable $200 off this model's usual street price online over the past month.
While we don't usually review TVs at Engadget, it's worth mentioning that other reviewers we trust have listed Samsung's new S95B TV as having a superior "QD-OLED" panel that can get brighter and provide more vivid colors than the C2's more traditional OLED display can offer. This makes it better-suited to well-lit rooms in particular. That TV lacks support for Dolby Vision HDR, however, and as of this writing, its 65-inch model costs $400 extra.
Google's Pixel Buds Pro remain one of our preferred sets of true wireless earbuds, having earned a review score of 87 earlier this year for offering effective active noise cancellation (ANC), responsive on-ear controls, a solid seven-ish hours of continuous playback time with ANC on (and up to 11 or so hours with it off), and a powerful bass-forward sound that works especially well with hip-hop and modern pop tracks. A recent firmware update also added a more robust EQ tool. That said, in an increasingly crowded market, they're a tougher sell at their typical going rate of $200.
Today, though, Wellbots has a deal that brings the earbuds down to $150 when you use the code ENGN50 at checkout. We've seen a few deals on the Pixel Buds Pro in recent months, but this deal marks the lowest price we've tracked for them to date, beating the previous low we saw during Amazon's Prime Early Access sale earlier this month by $2.
We're fans of the Pixel Buds Pro on the whole, but the earbuds do have some caveats worth noting. Call quality is just okay, for instance, and we found the included transparency mode to sound overly muffled. Its IPX4 water-resistance rating is basic, there's no aptX support, and we had a few more issues with pairing than we'd have liked in testing.
All of those cost a fair bit more than the Pixel Buds Pro as of this writing, though. Upcoming Black Friday sales could always bring lower prices, but for Android users in particular who want a well-rounded pair of wireless earbuds in the $150 range today, this deal should provide good value.
Beyond the Pixel Buds Pro, Wellbots has a few discounts on additional Google devices we like. The Nest Audio smart home speaker, which we gave a score of 87 upon its launch in late 2020, is down to $50 with the code ENGN50. That matches the lowest price we've tracked. On the smart display side, the 10-inch Nest Hub Max is down to $164 with the code ENGN70, while the seven-inch Nest Hub is available for $50 with the code ENGN50. Those display earned scores of 86 and 89, respectively, and both offers come in about $5-15 lower than the typical deal prices we've seen in recent months. Finally, the diminutive Nest Mini speaker is down to $20 with the code ENGN29—not the lowest price we've tracked, but still a decent price for those looking to hop on the smart speaker bandwagon.
Today, Apple introduced a new crop of iPads alongside a refreshed Apple TV 4K. The new gear was announced through a trio of press releases, not the usual pomp and circumstance of a livestreamed event. For the most part, that makes sense: the new iPad Pros and Apple TV 4K don't bring many sweeping changes, while the all-new iPad largely takes after the existing iPad Air, albeit with a few compromises.
That said, new is new, and all of the updated devices are available to pre-order as of today through Apple's online store. If you're curious about upgrading to a new tablet or high-end media streamer, here's a quick rundown of what's new, how much everything costs and how you can pre-order everything announced today.
Apple iPad (10th gen)
Apple
The 10th-generation iPad represents the most significant revamp of the gadgets unveiled today. It's available to order now in four finishes: blue, pink, silver, and yellow. Prices start at $449 for a 64GB model or $599 for a 256GB model. You can add cellular connectivity to those storage counts for $599 and $749, respectively. Apple says the tablet will be available in stores starting on October 26.
Design wise, the 10th-gen iPad follows closely in the footsteps of the iPad Air. It features a similar 10.9-inch IPS display with a sharp 2,360 x 1,640 resolution and 500 nits of rated max brightness. The design has flatter edges, slimmer bezels, no dedicated Home button, a USB-C port, and a Touch ID sensor located in the sleep/wake button. Battery life is still rated at up to 10 hours of video viewing and web browsing on WiFi.
There's a 12MP wide camera—up from the 8MP sensor in the ninth-gen, 10.2-inch iPad—which Apple says can take 4K video and utilize the company's "Center Stage" frame-centering feature. Notably, the front-facing camera is located along the landscape edge of the tablet, which should make it particularly accommodating for group video calls. The device supports WiFi 6, too, while the cellular version works with 5G networks. Like other new iPad models, it also ditches the 3.5mm headphone jack.
The new iPad is powered by Apple's A14 Bionic system-on-a-chip, which was previously found in the 2020 iPad Air and the iPhone 12 family of phones. This should be a handy upgrade over the 10.2-inch iPad's A13 Bionic chip and give more than enough post for most uses, but it'll still be a few ticks behind the M1 chip found in the iPad Air. The new iPad's display also remains non-laminated—so you'll see a small air gap between the image and the glass layer covering it—and it only supports the first-generation Apple Pencil, not the second-gen stylus with more convenient magnetic charging.
Alongside the 10th-gen iPad, Apple is rolling out a $249 Magic Keyboard Folio case, which looks to work similar to the existing Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air and Pro, but includes a 14-key function row, but doesn't let the tablet "float" over the top of the keyboard, instead relying on a built-in kickstand.
Apple says it will continue selling the 9th-generation iPad at the same $329 MSRP (but frequently less than that online) for those who want a more affordable option, albeit with an aged design.
11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros with M2
Apple
The new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros are a bit more familiar, with the main upgrade being internal: both slates now run on Apple's M2 SoC, which is also found in the latest MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro. Both devices are again available in either silver or space gray finishes. Like the 10th-gen iPad, the new iPad Pros are available to order now and will hit stores beginning on October 26.
When we reviewed those M2 Macs, we found the M2 to bring a nice performance bump over the M1, though you'll likely need to go well beyond basic tablet uses to see a major difference in real-world use. Still, for those who want a tablet for video editing and other intensive tasks, it should be more futureproof all the same.
The new Pros will also support speedier WiFi 6E networks, Bluetooth 5.3, and, according to Apple, "more 5G networks around the world." For those with second-gen Apple Pencils, there's also a new "hover" feature that lets the tablets detect the stylus when it's up to 12mm away from the display, similar to past Samsung phones and tablets. Apple says this will allow you to preview of marks you can make before you actually apply the pen.
That's about it, though. Both tablets still support up to 120 Hz refresh rates, though the 12.9-inch model remains the only one with a brighter and more vibrant Mini LED panel, while the 11-inch model has a lesser (by comparison) IPS display. The ports, cameras, accessory support, and overall design is largely the same as before. Perhaps strangely, Apple has decided not to move the front camera to the side on the more expensive Pro models, leaving that feature to the far cheaper 10th-gen iPad alone.
The Pros should remain the best tablets in Apple's lineup nevertheless, though their pricing will likely keep them limited to the most involved iPad users. The 11-inch model again starts at $799 for 128GB of storage, while the 12.9-inch model will begin at $1,099 for the same amount of space.
You can also upgrade to 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage, with the 1TB and 2TB models also doubling the included RAM from 8GB to 16GB. For the 11-inch model, those'll cost $899, $1,099, $1,499, and $1,899, respectively. For the 12.9-inch Pro, those jump to $1,199, $1,399, $1,799, and $2,199. Adding cellular connectivity to whatever option you pick costs an extra $200.
Apple TV 4K (3rd gen)
Apple
The new Apple TV 4K also gets a performance bump, jumping from 2018's A12 Bionic SoC to the faster A15 Bionic chip introduced last year and seen in the iPhone 13 family of phones and the latest iPad Mini. The set-top box also supports HDR10+ playback in addition to the usual Dolby Vision HDR, and the included Siri Remote now charges over USB-C instead of Lightning. Physically, the box itself is 50 percent lighter and slightly thinner, too.
The rest is largely the same as before, but the most notable (and welcome) change is the price: the new Apple TV 4K now starts at $129 for 64GB of storage. That's still a good ways more expensive than a Google Chromecast or Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, but it's a nice drop from the previous model's $179 starting price and 32GB of storage either way. (Though we've seen a number of deals on that device in recent months.)
If you need more storage space for Apple Arcade games and the like, you can order a model with 128GB of storage for $149. This version adds a Gigabit Ethernet port and support for the Thread mesh networking protocol for certain smart home devices, too.
The new Apple TV 4K is available to order now at Apple's online store, though Apple says it won't be available until November 4. It's also worth noting that, with the introduction of the new streamer, the company has also discontinued the 1080p-only Apple TV HD.
Apple rolled out a new round of iPads on Tuesday, upgrading the iPad Pro to the more powerful M2 chip and introducing a new 10.9-inch iPad that hews closely to the existing iPad Air, which launched this past March. While the new 10.9-inch iPad particularly complicates the latter's value, those who were already thinking of treating themselves to a tablet upgrade should still note the 64GB version of the fifth-gen Air is currently down to $519 at Amazon.
Outside of a one-day drop to $479 in August, that's the lowest price we've tracked for this SKU of the tablet, and it matches the deal we saw during Amazon's Prime Early Access sale last week. In total, the deal is $40 off the typical street price we've seen online in recent months and $80 off Apple's MSRP.
When we reviewed the new Air earlier this year, we broadly considered it to be the best Apple tablet for most people, what with its still-powerful M1 chip and significant design upgrades over the base 10.2-inch iPad, which Apple says will remain on sale going forward.
Compared to the forthcoming 10.9-inch iPad, however, the differences look to be more marginal. We'll have to get our hands on the device to confirm, but the new iPad starts at $449 and appears to follow the Air's design almost exactly, with the same 2,360 x 1,640 resolution, slim bezels, USB-C port, WiFi 6 support, Touch ID button, 12-megapixel front camera, and the like. With the new iPad, that front camera is also located along the right-side bezel, making it more suitable for taking video in landscape mode.
This new iPad utilizes Apple's A14 Bionic chip, which is the same silicon that powered the fourth-gen iPad Air and the iPhone 12 lineup. This SoC should be plenty powerful for media consumption and most of the other tablet things most people do with an iPad. Our review did find the Air's M1 chip to be noticeably faster across the board, however, and the M1 should be a bit more futureproof with games and more involved productivity tasks down the road, while also remaining overkill for lighter work, web browsing, and streaming.
Unlike the Air, the new iPad also lacks support for Apple's second-generation Pencil stylus. That means creative types will need to use a USB-C dongle to charge the first-gen Pencil and omit the newer model's magnetic charging and quicker settings-change features. The new iPad does support a new $249 Magic Keyboard Folio, however, which appears similar to the Magic Keyboard supported by the Air and iPad Pro, just without that model's "floating" design. This accessory also adds a row of function keys.
It's also worth noting that Apple doesn't list the new iPad's display as fully laminated, which means it will still have an air gap between its display and the glass itself, and thus can feel slightly more like you're interacting with an image below the glass, rather than the screen itself, which many find irritating. Apple also doesn't list this panel as having an antireflective coating. In terms of size, brightness, and resolution, though, it should be the same.
Beyond that, while the cost difference between the new 11-inch iPad Pro and the iPad Air is prohibitive for many—the former will start at $799—those who can afford the upgrade will still get twice as much default storage (a more robust 128GB), better built-in speakers, a more advanced camera system, a brighter display that supports a faster 120 Hz refresh rate, WiFi 6E support, and now an even more powerful chip. For most, the Air should remain a better value, but in a vacuum, the Pro is a better tablet.
All told, if the added horsepower of the M1, the laminated display, or second-gen Pencil support aren't worth an extra $70 to you, it's likely worth waiting to see how the new iPad stacks up. And if all you want is access to the iPadOS ecosystem for as little as possible, the 10.2-inch iPad is still a solid little tablet overall, and it's still at an all-time low of $269 itself.
If you do need the M1's power gains or improved stylus, though, or if you're looking to upgrade from an entry-level iPad or a pre-2020 iPad Air, though, this deal still represents a good value for those who want a tablet upgrade without totally breaking the bank.
