Amazon announced new Fire HD 10 tablets at the end of last month and now it seems the company is trying to get rid of previous models in a one-day closeout sale. The main device is the 64GB, 2019 Fire HD 10, which is nearly half off at $96. That's even better than its Prime Day price of $100 that we saw back in June, and considering the 2021 version of the tablet isn't too different, this is a good way to get one of the most capable Fire tablets for less.
The 2019 model and the latest Fire HD 10 have a lot in common: both have 10.1-inch 1080p touchscreens, although the new version's is 10 percent brighter, and both run on 2.0GHz octa-core processors. The max amount of built-in storage you can get on either is 64GB, but both can be expanded with a microSD card slot. The 2019 version can hold up to 512GB of storage while the new model has a 1TB capacity. Both also have a 12-hour estimated battery life and both charge via USB-C.
Arguably the biggest differences between the two are in design and RAM. The 2021 model has a slightly more refined design with thinner bezels, and it comes in new colors as well as configurations like the "Productivity bundle," which includes one year of Microsoft 365 and a keyboard case. Also, the previous version had 2GB of RAM while the new model has 3GB.
The increased RAM will likely make the biggest difference in the overall experience of the new Fire HD 10 compared to its predecessor. But if you're willing to skip that extra gigabyte of memory and the other small upgrades, the 2019 Fire HD 10 remains a solid budget tablet.
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Amazon's latest one-day sale on Anker devices presents a good opportunity to grab a charging brick for that new iPhone you just bought. The sale includes up to 45 percent off a handful of Anker accessories, including the Nano 20W charger in the new lavender grey color that came out recently. That's $5 off and down to $15, while the standard white Anker Nano charger with a foldable plug is on sale for $12.
Either of these bricks makes a good substitute for Apple's own 20W charger, which is bulkier and slightly more expensive at $19. Both support iPhone fast-charging with the proper USB-C to Lightning cable and they also work with other USB-C devices like other smartphones, wearables, earbuds and even the Nintendo Switch (just be aware that, for the latter, neither support charge-and-play in TV mode).
We've also been fans of Anker portable battery packs and two are included in this sale. The 10,000mAh PowerCore Slim is down to $28 and can charge an iPhone 12 up to 50 percent in 30 minutes. It includes one 18W USB-C port and one 10W USB-A port, so it'll power up even your older devices. You're only getting the battery pack with that deal, but Anker has another 10,000mAh, 18W PowerCore Slim bundle that includes the battery along with a USB-C cable and the compatible charging brick for $30, or 25 percent off its normal price. This is the bundle to get if you don't want to worry about finding an appropriate brick to recharge the battery itself — the PowerPort III Nano charger that comes with it will fully power up the battery pack in 4.5 hours.
Those are the highlights in this sale, but there are a few other gadgets that have been discounted. A couple of wireless chargers are on sale, including a magnetic PowerWave disc that looks similar to Apple's MagSafe charger, and you can get a two-pack of three-foot, MFi-certified Powerline+ II USB-C to Lightning cables for $20, or 46 percent off its normal price.
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This week brought iPhone reviews, new Surface devices and a bunch of tech deals across the web. Apple's MacBook Air M1 returns to the best price we've seen it while the iPad Air remains discounted by $100. Some of our favorite Sennheiser wireless earbuds are $100 off, too, and you can still grab a great deal from Oculus that knocks $100 off a second headset when you buy a Quest 2 VR system. Here are the best tech deals we found this week that you can still get today.
MacBook Air M1
Engadget
Apple's MacBook Air M1 is back down to an all-time low of $850, which is $150 off its normal price. It earned a score of 94 from us for its stellar performance, attractive, fanless design and its comfortable keyboard and trackpad.
Amazon has the new, space gray iPad mini for $459, or $40 off its normal price. Apple announced the upgraded tiny tablet last week and it's officially available today. We gave it a score of 89 for its much improved design, speedy performance with the A15 Bionic chip, long battery life and USB-C charging.
Apple's iPad Air is $100 off right now, bringing it down to $500. All five colors are on sale at Amazon. thanks to automatically applied coupons, although with various shipping times. We gave the Air a score of 90 for its speedy performance and WiFi, healthy battery life and support for the second-gen Apple Pencil.
Apple's Mac Mini M1 returned to its all-time-low price of $600 thanks to a sale and an automatically applied coupon. You're getting all of the performance boosts provided by the M1 chipset in a compact desktop package. This is a good machine to get if you have an older desktop that needs replacing, but you don't want to spend a ton of money.
Through September 27, you can get $100 off a second headset when you buy an Oculus Quest 2. That means you'll get two VR machines for as little as $500. We gave the Quest 2 a score of 89 for its powerful hardware, higher resolution screens and excellent performance as a standalone and a desktop VR set.
Amazon and Sennheiser have the excellent Momentum True Wireless 2 earbuds for $200, or $100 off their normal price. We gave these buds a score of 85 for their stellar audio quality, good ANC, smaller size and handy companion app.
The original Echo Show 5 is down to $45 again, a return to its all-time low. It's not much different from the second-generation device, which came out earlier this year, so you can safely save some money if you're willing to grab the older device. We gave the Echo Show 5 a score of 85 for its compact size, decent audio quality and its sunrise alarm feature.
With the announcement of an updated Kindle Paperwhite coming this October, Amazon knocked $50 off the previous Kindle Paperwhite, bringing it down to $80. We gave this e-reader a score of 95 for its improved, waterproof design, Audible support and higher-contrast display.
Google's Pixel 4 smartphone is down to a new low of $379 at B&H Photo. We believe the launch of the Pixel 6 to be right around the corner, so you may want to wait if you want the latest phone from Google. However, the Pixel 4 remains a solid handset — we liked its speedy performance, lovely display and stellar camera experience.
Through December 8, you can enter to win four-day passes to San Diego Comic-Con 2022. Along with the passes, you'll get access to a special preview night, reserved seating in Hall H, a personal concierge, a private tour of the Comic-Con Museum, dinner in Balboa Park and tickets to the "Night at the Comic-Con Museum" event. It's free to enter, but funds from this sweepstakes will go to the San Diego Comic Convention.
Amazon has the Logitech G915 TKL keyboard for $50 off, bringing it down to $180. This one has low profile mechanical switches and an attractive aluminum alloy body. It's also a wireless keyboard that can last up to 40 hours before it needs a recharge.
WarnerMedia pulled HBO Max from Amazon Prime Video Channels this week, but it's hoping to entice fans to subscribe directly with a new offer. Through September 26, new and returning HBO Max subscribers can get six months of the service for 50 percent off, which comes out to $7.49 per month. That's one of the best deals we've seen, but just remember the price will automatically go up after the six-month period.
NordVPN, one of our favorite VPNs, is running a sale on a two-year subscription. You can sign up and pay $99 for two years, plus you'll get an extra three months free. We like NordVPN for its speed, its no-logs policy, the thousands of servers it has to choose from and that one account supports up to six connected devices.
Despite being more than a year old, Sennheiser's Momentum True Wireless 2 earbuds remain our favorites if you're looking for the best sound quality you can get. But they're pretty pricey at $300, and we rarely see them drop lower than $250. But both Amazon and Sennheiser direct have them right now for $200, or $100 off their normal price, making it a great time to upgrade to a better pair of wireless earbuds without completely emptying your wallet.
Sennheiser brought its audio expertise into its wireless earbuds and it resulted in stellar audio quality that remains unmatched. Out of the box, the True Wireless 2 have a warm, inviting tone, with an audio profile that highlights the subtle details in songs. You're able to customize the EQ in its companion mobile app if you want more bass or something similar, but these buds don't require the manual adjustments that some other earbuds do to sound their best. The active noise-cancellation is good as well, blocking out most surrounding noises, but unlike other buds, there are no ANC levels to choose from — just on and off.
We also appreciate the True Wireless 2's small, comfortable size, customizable controls and handy mobile app. As far as battery life goes, these buds should last for seven hours before they need more juice and unfortunately they don't support wireless charging. But our biggest complaint about Sennheiser's buds have always been their high price tag — and this sale fixes that.
But if the True Wireless 2 still fall outside your budget, Amazon has the white model of the Sennheiser CX 400BT wireless earbuds on sale as well for $90. That's $100 off their normal price and a record low. These are the company's midrange wireless buds and they were just replaced by the CX Plus series. The CX 400BT have a 7mm dynamic driver, customizable controls, voice assistant support and up to 20 hours of battery life with its case.
Microsoft announced a deluge of new Surface gadgets today and most of them are already available for pre-order. Key among them are the Surface Duo 2, Microsoft's second-gen version of its dual-screen, tablet-smartphone hybrid that now has a formidable triple-camera array, and the Surface Pro 8, a powerful update to the Pro 7 that adds 11th-gen Intel processors, a 13-inch screen with Dolby Vision and Thunderbolt 4 ports. Plus, you can also pre-order the high-powered Surface Laptop Studio, the updated (yet still affordable) Surface Laptop Go 3 and a Wi-Fi only Surface Pro X. Here's how to pre-order all of the gadgets Microsoft announced today.
Suface Duo 2
Microsoft
The Surface Duo 2 folding smartphone is available for pre-order today and starts at $1,499. It will be widely available October 21 in Australia, Canada, Germany, France, the UK and the United States.
The new Surface Duo 2 features the same flip design as last year's device, with two 5.8-inch AMOLED PixelSense touchscreens connected by a hinge. They support 90Hz refresh rates, HDR, P3 color and up to 800 nits of brightness. The smartphone runs on the Snapdragon 888 5G Mobile platform and now supports 5G connectivity.
Microsoft upped the Surface Duo 2's camera game replacing the single shooter on the original Duo with a triple-lens system. Now it has a 12MP wide angle lens, a 12MP telephoto shooter and a 16GB ultra wide lens on the rear and a separate 12MP camera on the front. One of our biggest problems with the first Duo was how hard it was to take quick photos, so we're eager to see if Microsoft's improvements this time around have fixed that.
The Surface Duo 2 also supports NFC for contactless payments, WiFi 6, biometric authentication with a fingerprint sensor, fast-charging via USB-C and more. It'll come in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB models and all will have 8GB of RAM.
Surface Pro 8
Microsoft
The Surface Pro 8 2-in-1 is available for pre-order today and starts at $1,099. The new Surface Slim Pen 2 is also available for pre-order today and costs $129.
Running Windows 11, the new Surface Pro 8 improves upon most things that made the Pro 7 great. The 2-in-1 now supports 11th-gen Intel Evo processors, is two times faster than its predecessor and gained supported for external GPUs. The screen is a bit larger and brighter, too — it's a 13-inch PixelSense panel with Dolby Vision that can reach 120Hz refresh rates, and it has a new 5MP front-facing camera on top of it that should provide a clearer feed during video calls. There's also a 10MP rear camera with autofocus that's capable of shooting 4K video. As far as connectivity goes, the Surface Pro 6 supports WiFi 6 and LTE, and has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a power connector and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Along with an array of Intel processors, the Surface Pro 8 supports up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. However, only the 128GB and 256GB models are available with LTE connectivity — the 512GB and 1TB versions are WiFi-only. It also works with the new $129 Surface Slim Pen 2 and its Signature Keyboard has a space for the pen to magnetically connect for easier storage.
Surface Laptop Studio
Microsoft
The Surface Laptop Studio is available for pre-order today and starts at $1,599. It will be available in stores in the US and Canada starting October 5.
Microsoft built the Surface Laptop Studio with power users and creatives in mind. It has a noteworthy design featuring a "Dynamic Woven Hinge" that lets you pull the screen forward into "Stage" mode, which the company claims gives you a better angle for streaming, gaming and presenting. The machine also works in standard Laptop mode and "Studio" mode, the latter of which is best for sketching.
The screen itself is a 14.4-inch, 2,400 x 1,600 PixelSense panel that can reach 120Hz refresh rates and supports the Slim Pen 2. That accessory also has its own home on the underside of the Laptop Studio, where it neatly and magnetically attaches. There are also quad speakers with Dolby Atmos, a 1080p front-facing camera and a new Precision Haptic touchpad that provides feedback while you use it. Similarly to the Surface Pro 8, the Laptop Studio has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one power connector and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
When it comes to performance, the Laptop Studio packs a punch. It supports 11th-gen Intel H-series processor along with Intel Xe graphics and even NVIDIA RTX 3050Ti graphics in select models. It'll have up to 32GB of RAM inside and up to 2TB of storage.
Surface Go 3
Microsoft
The WiFi-only Surface Go 3 is available for pre-order today and starts at $399. It will be widely available starting October 5. LTE models are forthcoming in December 2021.
Microsoft's most affordable Surface device is getting a power boost. The new Surface Go 3 supports up to Intel Core i3 processors now, and those models will be 60 percent faster than previous versions. It has a 10.5-inch FHD touchscreen, stereo speakers with Dolby Audio, 1080p front- and rear cameras and support for Type Covers and the Surface Pen. The edges of the device have one USB-C port, one power connector, a microSD card slot, a nano SIM slot and a headphone jack. In addition to the new Intel processors, the Go 3 runs on up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
Surface Pro X
Microsoft
The WiFi-only Surface Pro X is available for pre-order today and starts at $899.
The Surface Pro X isn't getting a big refresh or an upgraded model like some of Microsoft's other gadgets. Instead, the company introduced a new WiFi-only model at a lower price point — only $899. It will run Windows 11 on ARM and will include 64-bit emulation built in. The machine runs on an SQ2 processor, along with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. The new detachable keyboard will also have a slot for the new Slim Pen 2.
Follow all of the news from Microsoft's fall Surface event right here.
It’s almost comical how stagnant the iPad mini has been in recent years. The 2019 version sported an upgraded processor and a slightly nicer display, but essentially looked the same as the tablet that debuted in 2012 (which is dated, to say the least). That hasn’t stopped the iPad mini from gaining a loyal following though, and we even called 2019’s mini our favorite small tablet.
Now it appears that Apple’s giving the tablet the love that its devotees have been asking for. The 6th-generation iPad mini is really more of an iPad-Air mini with its new “all-screen” Liquid Retina design, TouchID-capable top button, second-generation Apple Pencil support and USB-C charging. It’s the most significant update the mini has received in years, and Apple’s hoping you’ll pay extra for it. The 2021 iPad mini starts at $499, $100 more than its predecessor’s starting price, and with that Apple is squashing any notions that “smaller” means “lesser.”
Design and hardware
Many people, myself included, were happy to see the facelift Apple gave the iPad mini. While the old design with the physical Home button isn’t necessarily bad (it’s still good enough for the new 10.2-inch iPad, apparently), it felt boring on the mini after seeing it unchanged for so many years. This year’s iPad mini has what Apple calls an “all-screen” design, which is just different enough from the “edge-to-edge” display that the iPad Pros have to warrant discussion.
I understand why Apple didn’t want to give the mini the same “edge-to-edge” moniker, but it could have come up with something a bit better than “all-screen.” The bezel surrounding the 11-inch iPad Pro’s screen is roughly 0.25-inches thick and that of the iPad mini is only about 1/8th of an inch thicker than that. That’s not a huge difference, but it’s more noticeable when you’re only working with an 8.3-inch display. Also, the previous iPad mini had a 7.9-inch display, so you’re not getting a ton of extra screen real estate on the new model.
That said, I found the bezels to be just the right size. Notably, they helped me get a better grip on the mini when I was using it as an e-reader, and I can only assume many mini owners will do the same. The same could be said for when I was watching YouTube videos while carrying the mini around my apartment — I never accidentally paused the playing video because the bezels gave me enough room to hold the device.
The new mini’s display size and the fact that it’s a Liquid Retina panel are the upgrades here, because the 5th-gen model supported TrueTone, 500 nits of brightness and the P3 color range as well. This year’s mini has a 2266 x 1488 resolution, 326ppi panel, which is only slightly higher than the old model’s 2048 x 1536 resolution, 326ppi screen. If you upgrade from the 2019 mini, you may not notice a huge difference in quality, but the rounded-rectangle shape of the new mini’s display and the revamped design overall gives it a fresh feel.
Otherwise, I felt like I had a small version of the iPad Air the entire time I was using the mini. Their designs are very similar, save for the location of certain buttons. The iPad mini now has flat edges with a TouchID-capable power button and volume adjusters at the top and a USB-C port at the bottom. Notably, its edges lack a headphone jack and that may be a key factor for current iPad mini owners in their decision to upgrade or not. It’s made of 100-percent recycled aluminum, weighs less than one pound and measures 6.3mm thick — just as portable as the last model, but with a much-needed modern aesthetic.
TouchID is nothing different from older iOS devices, although it may take you a tad longer to set up because of how narrow the fingerprint-sensitive button is. It’s exciting that Apple finally brought USB-C to yet another iPad as it makes charging more efficient but it also continues to feed us poor saps who yearn for a USB-C iPhone sometime in our lifetimes. Also, the new design allows the second-generation Apple Pencil to neatly and magnetically stick to the right edge of the tablet.
In use
I’ve been keeping the iPad mini by my side at all times for the past week or so, and I was pleasantly surprised by how easy that was thanks to its size. Every iPad is portable, but some are certainly more portable than others. I have a 2020 11-inch iPad Pro and, while it could come with me almost anywhere, I mostly use it in my home as a secondary device or as my main driver when I’m traveling. The iPad mini, on the other hand, could fit into almost any bag I own without hassle, providing a much-needed larger screen for activities like reading, watching videos and FaceTime calls. I didn’t find it super difficult to use my thumbs to type on the mini, treating it almost like a super-wide iPhone, but I also wouldn’t call it a comfortable experience.
Speaking of FaceTime, the iPad mini comes equipped with the new 12MP ultra wide front camera that supports Center Stage, the feature that automatically pans and zooms to keep you in frame during video calls. Each time I used FaceTime, I could move around my (admittedly small) kitchen and the mini’s camera followed me so my family could always see most of my face. There’s a limit, of course — I often stepped out of the camera’s field of view, but it followed me until I was nearly out of the camera’s field of view. This is a handy feature for anyone like me who’s often multitasking while catching up with loved ones over FaceTime.
The rear camera is also better than that on the previous mini, but I wouldn’t consider it a huge selling point. It’s a 12MP wide camera with an f/1.8 aperture, 5x digital zoom, Quad-LED TrueTone flash and Smart HDR 3 support. It can also shoot 4K 60 fps videos and shoot Slo-Mo videos at up to 1080p 240 fps. We’ve all seen a tablet photographer in the wild, but considering the shooters on our phones are far-and-away more capable than those on tablets, most people turn to the smallest screen in their pockets for photography. The pictures of my fiancé and my cat that I took with the mini were just fine, but I found myself more inclined to use the rear camera as a document scanner with Evernote’s Scannable app. And even in that case, was it better than using my iPhone? Not necessarily, just more convenient when I was using the iPad mini as my default device.
I may not have been taking a ton of photos with the iPad mini, but I use it for almost everything else that I normally turned to my iPhone for. The A15 Bionic chip inside makes the mini feel zippy, and it handled everything that I threw at it well. I spent most of the time watching YouTube and Netflix videos, answering messages in Gmail and Slack, taking notes in Evernote, saving wedding inspo in Pinterest, browsing e-cookbooks in the Kindle app and doodling in Procreate and GoodNotes. The iPad mini didn’t falter once and, in comparison to my iPhone, the tablet’s larger screen made it a much better work companion when I was trying to be productive on the couch. The mini smoothly ran games like Temple Run 2, Crossy Road and High Rise as well, even if my attempts at beating those games were anything but.
The 2021 iPad mini next to Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite.
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
While it didn’t affect the performance of the iPad mini I had, the storage capacity on the model you choose may have a significant impact on how you use your mini in the future. The tablet comes in 64GB and 256GB models, with the higher of the two costing $150 more than the other. That’s a significant difference in both capacity and cost, and it follows an unfortunate pattern in the iPad lineup — you’ll find the same pricing structure in the iPad Air configurations. The previous iPad mini had the same minimum storage capacity, so we didn’t even get an upgrade here and that’s a shame.
While I don’t think most people will be using the iPad mini as a laptop replacement, it would have been nice to have a 128GB model just to have an in-between option for those with tighter budgets. I would also hesitate to recommend the 64GB model to anyone that wants to use their iPad mini as the digital file folder for their documents, photos, books, scans and more. Considering iPadOS 15 takes up 7.5GB of space already, those people may quickly eat up most of their internal storage.
With the Apple Pencil
Another area that could eat up storage over time are handwritten notes, scribbles, doodles and other artwork you make with the second-generation Apple Pencil. The previous iPad mini supported the first-gen stylus, but I was thrilled to see the newer Apple Pencil snap on to the side of the mini and line up almost perfectly. The Pencil is almost as tall as the tablet so it truly feels like the two were made for each other.
Since I regularly use the Apple Pencil with my 11-inch iPad Pro, I was not surprised to find that using it with the iPad mini is a similar, yet more constrained, experience. But that’s not a bad thing — I actually think the iPad mini excels at being a digital notebook. It’s portable enough to come with you everywhere you go and it’s much easier to balance in your palm while you jot down notes during a walking meeting. Apple makes it really easy to take notes in iPadOS 15, too, with the Quick Note feature that’s accessible by swiping up from the bottom-right corner of the iPad. It opens a small window on the screen into which you can scribble a quick grocery list or something you don’t want to forget. Those Quick Notes get saved in the Notes app, where you can retrieve and edit them at any time.
Apple’s made the Notes app more robust over the years, so much so that it could be your main note-taking tool. But there’s no shortage of capable apps in which to use the Apple Pencil and I was happy to find that two popular ones, Procreate and GoodNotes, work just as well on the iPad mini as any other iPad. Serious artists will probably want to spring for an iPad with a larger screen because it just gives you more space to play with, both in regular and Split View. But those who are visual thinkers, those who prefer to sketch out their thoughts, will probably find the mini’s screen to be sufficient. For example, I’m in the early stages of planning a wedding and I took the iPad mini with me on a few venue tours. Not only was it much less ostentatious to take around than my larger iPad, but I could also snap quick photos with it, bring those images into Procreate, pull out colors I liked in venue fixtures and decorations and experiment with them in concept sketches.
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
Battery life
One thing that hasn’t changed about the iPad mini is its estimated battery life. Just like the 2019 model, Apple estimates the slab should get up to 10 hours of battery life, and again, that’s a bit of a lowball. With how much I was using the device, I essentially had to charge it every other day. The mini lasted an entire afternoon and evening filled with doodling, video streaming, emailing, light gaming and more (I used it instead of my phone for almost every task), and I was able to use it most of the next day before the battery life dropped to around 10 percent. I also ran a makeshift battery test on it, playing a video clip on repeat until the tablet died, and the mini lasted just about 12 hours.
Unlike the previous mini, the new model uses a USB-C port for charging and it’s about time. It’s good to see Apple transitioning the iPad family to USB-C, even if most people looking to buy an iPad mini probably already have a few Lightning cables strewn around their home. The mini also comes with Apple’s 20W USB-C charger, which should help power-up the device quickly.
Wrap up
The iPad mini’s spec sheet has changed quite a bit, but the appeal of the tablet remains the same. It looks and feels different thanks to the redesign and the handful of new features Apple brought to it. Still, the iPad mini remains one of Apple’s most niche devices. But niche doesn’t mean less-than — with the iPad mini so similar to the iPad Air, you won’t be sacrificing much by choosing it. However, I don’t think most people will take a look at all the new perks — things like a camera with Center Stage, USB-C charging and even the A15 Bionic chip — and be persuaded to choose the iPad mini over any other Apple tablet.
What it will come down to, as always, is size. The iPad mini remains the best small tablet out there and you probably already know if an 8-inch tablet has a place in your life. It either solves a specific problem, or it doesn’t — and if you fall into the second category, you probably prefer bigger screens anyway.
But if you updated in 2019 to the 5th-generation iPad mini, the decision to upgrade now is not entirely cut-and-dry and that’s mostly due to cost. If the 6th-generation iPad mini had the same $399 starting price as the previous model, it would be a no-brainer upgrade. Sure, that extra $100 does get you a lot, but if your 2019 iPad mini is still going strong, the higher price of the 2021 model may be too great. But for those who have a hole in their lives where a small tablet could fit, you (still) can’t get better than the iPad mini.
The Oculus Quest 2 impressed us last year with its improved hardware, versatility and reasonable $299 price. Those who have been eager to get their hands on one of these VR headsets can now get two at one of the best prices we've seen. Through September 27, Oculus is running a deal that knocks $100 off a second Quest 2 headset when you buy one at full price. That means you can get two of the 128GB models for $500, or two of the 256GB versions for $700.
Oculus improved its machine in nearly every way with the Quest 2, and the device ultimately earned a score of 89 from us. The headset itself is 10 percent smaller and more comfortable to wear for long stretches of time, although it does take a bit of fiddling to properly adjust its fit for your head. Powered by a Snapdragon XR2 processor, the Quest 2 includes fast-switching LCDs with a resolution of 1832x1920 per eye, and although it didn't launch with this, it will support 90Hz refresh rates. Its controllers are larger than before but still easy to hold, and they include a bit more space next to the gamepad buttons so you can rest your thumbs.
The slight design changes and the better processor help make the Quest 2 an improvement on its predecessor in nearly every way. It excels at being both a standalone and a desktop headset, delivering more realistic VR experiences. It does have some limitations when it comes to standalone games, mostly due to its mobile hardware, but that's to be expected. Also, you must sign in with a Facebook account to use the Quest 2, which is also to be expect, but nevertheless a bummer for those who don't use the social network.
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With the debut of new Echo Show 8 and Show 5 devices in June, we've seen a few good deals on Amazon's first-generation smart displays since then. A new one has popped up on both Amazon and Best Buy for the original Echo Show 8, dropping it down to a record low of $64. That's the best price we've seen all year on the gadget, and it's even better than the $70 sale price that we saw during Amazon Prime Day.
The Echo Show 8 sits in the middle of Amazon's smart display lineup with its 8-inch HD screen. While the Echo Show 5 excels as a smart alarm clock, the Echo Show 8 lets you watch videos, view photos and check out security camera feeds with a bit more comfort. The larger display is also better for video chats and it has a physical camera shutter (along with a microphone on/off button) for when you want extra privacy. If the Show 5 is a bit too small for you but the $250 Echo Show 10 is too expensive (or you're freaked out by its swiveling base), the Show 8 will likely hit a sweet spot with its power, screen real estate and price.
The updated Echo Show 8 is only a few months old but it's much pricer at $130 and it's not significantly different from the first-generation. It has a faster octa-core processor and a 13-megapixel wide-angle camera with auto-framing, which means it will automatically pan to track your face and keep you in view during video calls. This feature also works with all video chat services that the device supports, including Skype and Zoom, so it will come in handy if you frequently make calls with the Show 8. But you could safely skip the 2021 model if you mostly use your smart displays for weather alerts, calendar appointments, music streaming and other basic tasks.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
While Apple announced new iPhones and iPads this week, a bunch of its existing gadgets remain discounted. The AirPods Pro are close to an all-time low at $180 and the iPad Air is still at the best price we've seen it — only $500 for the base model. You can also still get $100 off the MacBook Air M1 and the Mac Mini M1, so regardless of your computer-style preference, there are discounted options available. Also, Google's Pixel 4 has dropped to a new low of $379 and Amazon includes a free Samsung SmartTag when you buy the $150 Galaxy Buds 2. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
AirPods Pro
Billy Steele / Engadget
Apple's AirPods Pro are down to $180, or $70 off their normal price. These remain Apple's best sounding earbuds and we gave them a score of 87 for their comfortable fit, improved audio, good ANC and wireless charging.
The latest 10.2-inch iPad and the iPad mini just went up for pre-order this week and Walmart has both for a bit less — the base iPad is $299 instead of $329 and the iPad mini is $459 instead of $500. Both tablets have been updated with better processors, a 12MP front camera with support for Center Stage and now a minimum of 64GB of storage.
Apple's iPad Air is $100 off right now, bringing it down to $500. All five colors are on sale at Amazon. thanks to automatically applied coupons, although with various shipping times. We gave the Air a score of 90 for its speedy performance and WiFi, healthy battery life and support for the second-gen Apple Pencil.
Apple's MacBook Air M1 is back down to an all-time low of $850 thanks to an automatically applied coupon. It earned a score of 94 from us for its stellar performance, attractive, fanless design and its comfortable keyboard and trackpad.
Apple's Mac Mini M1 returned to its all-time-low price of $600 thanks to a sale and an automatically applied coupon. You're getting all of the performance boosts provided by the M1 chipset in a compact desktop package. This is a good machine to get if you have an older desktop that needs replacing, but you don't want to spend a ton of money.
One of our favorite internal drives, the Crucial MX500 SSD, is on sale for $85 right now, or $15 off its normal price. That's also a record-low, making now a good time to pick up some extra space if you know your machine is reaching its limits. This drive has read speeds of up to 560 MB/s, sequential write speeds of up to 510 MB/s, AES-256 bit hardware encryption and integrated power loss immunity.
Amazon has a bundle that includes the Galaxy Buds 2 and a SmartTag Bluetooth tracker for $150, so you're essentially getting the SmartTag for free. The Buds 2 are solid budget earbuds that earned a score of 84 from us for their improved sound quality, adjustable ambient sound mode, comfortable design and wireless charging.
Amazon has the Galaxy Note 20 series for up to $400 off right now, so you can grab a Note 20 for $750 and a Note 20 Ultra for $900. These are some of the most premium handsets Samsung has made as of late, and they are good options if you're not sold on foldables and you like the versatility that the S Pen provides.
Google's Pixel 4 smartphone is down to a new low of $379 at B&H Photo. We believe the launch of the Pixel 6 to be right around the corner, so you may want to wait if you want the latest phone from Google. However, the Pixel 4 remains a solid handset — we liked its speedy performance, lovely display and stellar camera experience.
Through September 18, Omaze is giving away another $20,000 to build your ultimate gaming PC. This sweepstakes is free to enter, but funds donated with purchased entries will benefit Schools on Wheels, an organization that provides free tutoring and mentoring services to children experiencing homelessness across Southern California.
Through December 8, you can enter to win four-day passes to San Diego Comic-Con 2022. Along with the passes, you'll get access to a special preview night, reserved seating in Hall H, a personal concierge, a private tour of the Comic-Con Museum, dinner in Balboa Park and tickets to the "Night at the Comic-Con Museum" event. It's free to enter, but funds from this sweepstakes will go to the San Diego Comic Convention.
The 8-quart Instant Pot Duo Plus is on sale for $100 thanks to a $20 coupon you can clip on the product page. This multicooker has nine functions including slow cook, rice cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, sauté pan, sterilizer and more, and its large capacity allows it to make more than enough food for big families or parties.
Dyson slashed $100 off its Pure Cool Link DP01 purifying desk fan, bringing it down to $300. This would be a good addition to a home office because it removes 99.97% of pollutants and allergens, oscillates up to 70 degrees, has a Night Mode if you decide to use it in your bedroom while you're sleeping and it can be controlled with its included remote or via Dyson's companion app.
WarnerMedia pulled HBO Max from Amazon Prime Video Channels this week, but it's hoping to entice fans to subscribe directly with a new offer. Through September 26, new and returning HBO Max subscribers can get six months of the service for 50 percent off, which comes out to $7.49 per month. You just have to pay for six months up front and you'll get a great deal on the ad-free service.
ThermoWorks knocked 40 percent off its tiny ThermoPop instant-read thermometer, bringing it down to $21. This is a limited-time sale, so we're not sure how long they'll be around for this discounted price. The Pop is a budget alternative to ThermoWorks' more expensive thermometers and we like its cute, splash-proof design, rotating display and speedy temperature reads.
One of our recommended VPNs is running a decent sale on a two-year subscription. You can sign up for NordVPN for $99 for the first two years, which comes out to $49.50 per year, and get three additional months of access for free. We like NordVPN for its speed, its no-logs policy, the thousands of servers it has to choose from and that one account supports up to six connected devices.
Crucial's storage devices are reliable options if you're looking for an internal drive to give your laptop or desktop extra space. One of our favorites, the Crucial MX500 SSD, has dropped to a record low on Amazon right now — only $85 for a 1TB model. You can snag a 2TB model for less, too, as it's down to $189. This is the first time since January that we've seen such a good price on this model, so now's the time to pick one up if you can tell your machine is reaching its storage limit.
This is a 3D NAND SATA drive with a standard 2.5-inch design, so it should fit into most computers, and it has speedy sequential read speeds of up to 560 MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 510 MB/s. As far as security goes, it has AES-256 bit hardware encryption plus integrated power loss immunity, which should protect your data even if you lose power in the middle of a work session.
While Amazon isn't having a formal storage sale, there are a number of other SSDs available on discount right now. Crucial's BX500 internal SSD in 480GB is on sale for $47 and the Crucial X8 portable SSD in 2TB is down to $220. The X8 is a handy drive that would work well for college students, photographers and others who need a lot of digital space with them at all times, and it's fast with read speeds up to 1050 MB/s. Two notable Samsung internal drives are on sale as well: the Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD in 2TB is half off, bringing it down to $250, and the Samsung 980 Pro in 2TB is down to $362.
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