Posts with «information technology» label

Microsoft is testing a few ways to improve Windows 11's Start menu

Microsoft isn't ready to backtrack on Windows 11's major design changes yet, but at least it's testing out a few new ways to customize the OS. With the latest Windows 11 Insider build (22509), you can have the revamped Start menu show more pinned apps, or more recommended apps and files, in addition to the default mode which balances the two. That's not a return to the Windows 10 Start menu that some diehard users have been clamoring for, and really, it's unlikely Microsoft will ever relent. Windows 11 prioritizes minimalism, and a busy Start menu filled with all of your apps doesn't really fit that mould.

Microsoft

Among other changes, the Insider build will also bring the date and clock back to the taskbar on additional monitor screens, something that was inexplicably removed in Windows 11. Microsoft notes that tweak isn't going to appear for every Insider user, oddly enough. It's a shame Microsoft isn't exploring more ways to customize the taskbar—losing Window labels has made my desktop cleaner, but harder to navigate compared to Windows 10. 

 The new Windows 11 Insider build will also it easier to use the Edge web browser while using Narrator, Microsoft's built-in screen reader. You can also expect to see more options moving over from the aging Control Panel, and into the cleaner Settings app. That includes Advanced Sharing settings, like Network Discovery and File/Printer Sharing. You'll also see more details about your printers and scanners within the Settings app.  

Verizon and Bang & Olufsen made soundbars with Android TV built-in

Verizon (Engadget's former parent company) isn't just relying on no-frills media players to push its Stream TV platform. The carrier has unveiled the Stream TV Soundbar (shown below) and Stream TV Soundbar Pro (at top), both of which mate Android TV with Bang & Olufsen's audio know-how and some high-end features to match. All of them include Dolby Atmos surround sound and content-sensitive sound field selection — it's just a question of how much B&O influence you want.

The base Stream TV Soundbar costs $400 with five speakers "tuned" by B&O as well as two HDMI ports. Step up to the $1,000 Soundbar Pro and you'll get nine B&O speakers, a third HDMI port and a B&O-designed profile. Both run the same Stream TV interface with similar software features (including Chromecast streaming and the Google Play Store), so it really comes down to your budget and desire for Danish audio.

Both soundbars are available solely through Verizon as of today (December 1st). They face stiff competition. On top of direct rivals like JBL's Link Bar, you can find plenty of not-quite-so-connected soundbars like the Sonos Arc and Beam or Sony's HT-A5000. Verizon's bars make the most sense if you're already shopping the company's store, unimpressed with your immediately available alternatives or just want a (relatively) inexpensive way to get B&O sound into your living room.

Microsoft will be required to disclose sexual harassment cases after shareholder vote

Microsoft's shareholders have forced the tech giant to write up an annual report that would detail how it handles sexual harassment cases within the company. Investors voted in favor of passing a proposal requesting the annual report at their recent meeting despite the company's recommendation that they vote against it. 

According to The Wall Street Journal, Microsoft has been planning to disclose how it implements sexual harassment and gender discrimination policies even before the vote took place. However, the company didn't want to reveal independent investigations into its executives, including the probe into Bill Gates. One of the proposal's key requests is the disclosure of executive-level investigations. 

Following the news that Bill and Melinda Gates were having a divorce, reports came out accusing the former of questionable behavior. The Microsoft co-founder allegedly pursued women who worked for him at the tech giant and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2019, Microsoft's board of directors opened an investigation after discovering that he had an affair with an employee around 20 years ago. 

The greater transparency around sexual harassment in the company was proposed by financial services provider Arjuna Capital. Natasha Lamb, a portfolio manager at Arjuna, said during the meeting that the investor is "concerned about Microsoft's alleged continued culture of workplace sexual harassment and its history of unfulfilled previous commitments to resolve it." Arjuna said the reports about the probe into Gates' affair and behavior that came out earlier this year "put into question whether Microsoft was maintaining and protecting a culture of sexual harassment, especially seeing how Bill Gates was protected around this issue by the board."

Despite advising against voting for the proposal, Microsoft will take steps to comply with it. Company President Brad Smith said Microsoft will bring in a third party to assess its investigations and will share what those assessments contain. He also gave a taste of what the annual reports would include: Apparently, the tech giant received 51 complaints from employees in the fiscal year ending in June, and 47 percent of them were substantiated. The year before that, it received 142 complaints.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 will power the next generation of Android flagships

Every December for the last few years, Qualcomm has held an annual event in Hawaii to announce its latest flagship mobile chipset. This year was no different with the company taking the opportunity to unveil the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. That’s right, for the second year in a row, Qualcomm is moving away from the sequential numbering scheme that has defined its processors for years. Just as the Snapdragon 865 gave way to the 888, the company will now replace the 888 with the Gen 1. 

The system-on-a-chip includes Qualcomm’s own X65 5G modem. The company says it’s capable of theoretical download speeds of 10Gbps. That’s one of those specs that’s impressive on paper, but won’t mean much out in the real world since some of the fastest 5G networks can’t deliver speeds greater than 4Gbps in ideal conditions. If you have access to a WiFi 6 or 6E router, the Gen 1 can sustain download speeds of 3.6 Gbps over WiFi.

As with its past flagship chipsets, Qualcomm has put significant effort into improving the camera experience. The Gen 1 features an 18-bit image signal processor. That’s a first for the company, and something it says allows the component to process 4,000 times more data than the 14-bit Spectra ISP found on the Snapdragon 888. Additionally, phones with the Gen 1 will have the ability to capture photos at 3.2 gigapixels per second. In practice, that means the Gen 1 can process data from three 36-megapixel cameras simultaneously without any shutter lag, according to Qualcomm.

In another first for a mobile device, the company says the chipset can record 8K HDR footage at 30 frames per second. Again, that’s not the most practical feature for a phone in 2021 since 4K is the top end for most content. On that note, the Gen 1 supports UHD capture at 120 frames per second and can record slow motion footage at 960 frames per second at 720p. Separate from its Spectra ISP, the Gen 1 includes a always-on image signal processor that can power a camera while consuming very little battery power. It’s a feature that will allow Gen 1-equipped devices to offer always-on face detection for biometric authentication.

The Gen 1 won’t offer greatly improved CPU performance over what was already possible with the Snapdragon 888 Plus. What it does promise is faster performance when it comes to AI-related tasks. That’s thanks to Qualcomm’s new seventh-generation AI engine, which the company says is up to four times faster than its predecessor thanks to more shared memory and a faster tensor accelerator. Gaming performance is another highlight of the Gen 1. According to Qualcomm, its latest Adreno GPU offers 30 percent faster rendering performance while consuming 25 percent less power. Over on the audio front, the Gen 1 includes support for Qualcomm’s recently announced aptX Lossless Bluetooth codec. It can deliver up to CD-quality 16-bit 44.1kHz audio streaming over a wireless connection.

Rounding out the Gen 1’s feature list is a dedicated Trust Management Engine. The Gen 1 is the first mobile chipset to support Google’s Android Ready SE standard out of the box, which means it has the capability to store things like digital car keys and IDs.

With its mix of performance improvements and new features, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 offers an intriguing look at the next generation of Android flagships. Now we have to wait to see what capabilities manufacturers decide to enable in their latest devices. The first Gen 1-equipped phones will arrive later this year, with more expected to come in the first half of 2022.

Separately, Qualcomm announced it’s partnering with Google to bring the company’s Neural Architecture Search platform to its product portfolio. The technology, which will be available first on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, allows companies to create and optimize AI models automatically instead of manually. According to Google, NAS optimize AI models in weeks rather than months.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro is $200 off right now

If you’ve been patiently waiting for Apple’s new MacBook Pros to go on sale, Cyber Monday has delivered. Adorama and B&H have discounted the base 14-inch model by $200. That’s a 10 percent discount off its usual $1,999 starting price. We’ve seen price reductions on the new MacBook a handful of times since launch — most notably when Amazon discounted both the 14- and 16-inch variants by $50 the week they came out. However, $200 off is an all-time low for a computer that only went on sale at the end of October

Buy MacBook Pro at Adorama - $1,799Buy MacBook Pro at B&H - $1,799

We'll note here only the Space Gray model is part of today's promotion. If you want the computer in Silver, it’s $1,999. You also can’t upgrade any of the components without paying the full price of the computer. Thankfully, the base model is plenty powerful with its 8-core M1 Pro processor, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage.

We gave the new MacBook Pros a score of 92. Apple addressed a lot of the issues that made the previous generation so divisive. To start, unlike its predecessor, the 14-inch model comes with almost all the ports you could want. It features three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI connection, a MagSafe power port, a headphone jack and an SD card slot. Another standout feature of the 2021 MacBook Pro is its Liquid Retina XDR display. The one on the 14-inch model features a resolution of 3,024 x 1,964 and is capable of reaching 1,600 nits of brightness. It also has a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes using the computer feel smoother. The only downside of the display is that unsightly notch. But if you don’t mind it, there’s a lot to like about the 2021 MacBook Pro.

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

The best laptop and tablet deals you can get for Cyber Monday

If you're still on the hunt for the best laptop to replace your aging machine, or to gift to a loved one, Cyber Monday has brought a bunch of options for you. Laptops and tablets from the likes of HP, Apple, Samsung and others are on sale today, and there are a number of discounts from Black Friday still lingering across the interwebs. As usual, we recommend going directly to manufacturers like Dell, HP, Microsoft and Razer if you're looking for a machine with a specific amount of RAM or storage. However, it can be simpler to go to retailers like Amazon and Best Buy and pick from the pre-configured models they have in stock. 

HP Spectre x360 13

HP's Spectre x360 13 is on sale for $840. This particular model has an 11th-gen Core i5 processor, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage and 13.3-inch FHD touchscreen. It earned a score of 94 from us for its gorgeous design, thin-bezeled screen, powerful performance and comfortable keyboard and trackpad.

Buy Spectre x360 13 at HP - $840

Razer Book

Razer's mainstream notebook, the Razer Book, has fallen to $1,500. The model on sale is specced out: it runs on an 11th-gen Core i7 processor, Iris Xe graphics, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and a 13.4-inch UHD+ touchscreen. This laptop includes a generous array of ports, eGPU compatibility and Chroma keyboard lighting.

Buy Razer Book at Amazon - $1,500

Dell XPS 13

Starting at 1pm ET today, you can get the Dell XPS 13 with an 11th-gen Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and a 13.4-inch 4K touchscreen for $1,200. Amazon has a slightly different model with a FHD+ touchscreen for $1,440 today only as well. We gave the 2020 model a score of 94 for its attractive design, powerful performance and thin-bezeled screen.

Buy XPS 13 at Dell - $1,200Buy XPS 13 at Amazon - $1,440

ASUS ZenBook Flip 13

Engadget

ASUS' ZenBook 13 convertible laptop is on sale for $1,010, or 16 percent off its normal price. This model has an 11th-gen Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of storage and a 13.3-inch FHD OLED display.

Buy ZenBook 13 at Amazon - $1,010

Lenovo Chromebook Duet

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Lenovo's Chromebook Duet is on sale for $230, or $70 off its normal price. A couple of models are on sale, but the base version with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage would make a good secondary device for most people. We gave the Duet a score of 79 for its good performance, solid battery life and included detachable keyboard.

Buy Chromebook Duet at Lenovo - $230

Apple MacBook Pro

The latest MacBook Pro laptops are $200 cheaper than usual at Adorama and B&H Photo. We gave them a score of 92 for their powerful performance, lovely Liquid Retina XDR displays and new bevy of ports.

Buy 14-inch MacBook Pro at Adorama - $1,800Buy 14-inch MacBook Pro at B&H - $1,800

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7+

Both the Galaxy S7 and S7+ tablets are still on sale for Cyber Monday, down to $499 and $699, respectively. Either would be good options for Android lovers looking for a new tablet — we were impressed by their beautiful build, vibrant 120Hz displays, long battery lives and S Pen support.

Buy Tab S7 at Amazon - $499Buy Tab S7+ at Amazon - $699

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go

The Surface Laptop Go has dropped to $550, or $150 cheaper than usual. It earned a score of 81 from us for its attractive design, speedy CPU and excellent keyboard and trackpad.

Buy Surface Laptop Go at Best Buy - $550

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4

Microsoft's Surface Laptop 4 is on sale for $900. We gave it a score of 87 for its fast performance, great keyboard and excellent battery life.

Buy Surface Laptop 4 at Best Buy - $900

Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360

The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 is $500 off right now, bringing it down to $900. We gave it a score of 82 for its thin and light design, colorful display and included S Pen.

Buy Galaxy Book Pro 360 at Best Buy - $900

Google Pixelbook Go

Google's Pixelbook Go is on sale for $599, or $50 off its normal price. It earned a score of 84 from us for its excellent keyboard, thin and light design, good performance and solid battery life.

Buy Pixelbook Go at Amazon - $599Buy Pixelbook Go at Best Buy - $599

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2

The Galaxy Chromebook 2 is down to $399, or $50 off its normal price. We gave the Chrome OS machine a score of 82 for its impressive screen, powerful performance, surprisingly loud speakers and eye-catching design.

Buy Galaxy Chromebook 2 at Samsung - $399

ASUS Chromebook Flip C436

ASUS's capable Chromebook Flip C436 is on sale for $650 today only, which is $150 off its normal price. That gets you a 10th-gen Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a 14-inch FHD touchscreen and a convertible design. With those specs, this Chromebook could easily be a daily driver for Chrome OS diehards.

Buy Chromebook Flip C436 at Amazon - $650

Amazon Fire 7 tablet

The Fire 7 tablet is on sale for $35. If you're looking for a cheap tablet to be a couch device, or to give your kid without worry, this is a good option. While it doesn't have the Google Play Store, you can still use it to check email, watch videos, play music and more.

Buy Fire 7 at Amazon - $35

Amazon Fire HD 8

The Fire HD 8 tablet is on sale for $45, or half off its normal price. We gave it a score of 79 for its decent performance, good battery life, wireless charging capabilities and USB-C port.

Buy Fire HD 8 at Amazon - $45

Amazon Fire HD 10

The biggest of Amazon's tablets, the Fire HD 10, is half off right now, bringing it down to $75. It's the best Fire tablet to get if you care at all about performance. We like its 1080p display, 12-hour battery life and its Show Mode feature.

Buy Fire HD 10 at Amazon - $75

Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro

The 8-inch version of Amazon's kids tablet is half off and down to $70. This comes with a protective case, a two-year warranty and a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+.

Bu Fire HD 8 Kids Pro at Amazon - $70

Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro

The Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is 40 percent off, knocking it down to $120. You're getting the same thing in this bundle — a protective case, a two-year warranty and a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+ — along with a larger tablet.

Buy Fire HD 10 Kids Pro at Amazon - $120

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Apple's second-gen AirPods are on sale for $100 right now

If you're an iPhone, Mac, iPad and/or Apple Watch user who's on the hunt for new earphones this Cyber Monday it's worth checking out deals on AirPods. The second-generation AirPods are currently on sale for $100 on Amazon, a saving of $59. The price is $115 on the product page, but a $15 coupon is applied at checkout.

Buy Apple AirPods (2nd-gen) at Amazon - $100

We gave the second-gen AirPods a score of 84 in our review, giving them props for maintaining the same solid battery life as the first version and offering better wireless performance.

Elsewhere, you can also save on the most recent model. The third-gen Apple AirPods are currently $150 on Amazon, after a $20 coupon is applied. In total, Amazon has reduced the price by $29. We gave the third-gen AirPods a score of 88 in our review, in part due to the more comfortable design. The latest version offers better audio quality and a longer battery life.

Buy Apple AirPods (3rd-gen) at Amazon - $150

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The best deals on smartwatches, fitness trackers and wearables this Black Friday

Wearables are getting to be as ubiquitous as smartphones, but that also means companies like Apple and Samsung are making better and more expensive devices. Regardless of if you prefer a smartwatch, fitness tracker or another kind of wearable, it's best to wait until a big sale — like Black Friday — to get one for the best price possible. This year, a bunch of wearables have been discounted and we picked out the best ones here as you don't have to go searching for them.

Apple Watch SE

The Apple Watch SE has been knocked down to $219, which is $60 cheaper than usual. This is the best Watch for wearable newbies as well as those with tight budgets. We gave it a score of 88 for its responsive performance, comfortable design and solid feature set for the price.

Buy Apple Watch SE at Amazon - $219

Apple Watch Series 7

The latest Apple Watch Series 7 is $20 cheaper right now, bringing it down to $380. It's the most comprehensive wearable Apple makes and it earned a score of 90 from us for its larger screen, faster charging and handy features in watchOS 8.

Buy Series 7 at Amazon - $380

Apple Watch Series 6

Valentina Palladino / Engadget

The previous-gen Apple Watch is $50 off, bringing it down to $350. While it doesn't have the larger screen that the Series 7 does, this smartwatch is still a good choice thanks to its good performance, improved battery life and faster charging.

Buy Series 6 at Amazon - $350

Fitbit Charge 5

Valentina Palladino / Engadget

You can pick up the Fitbit Charge 5 for $130 right now, or $50 off its normal price. This is Fitbit's most comprehensive fitness band and it earned a score of 82 from us for its full-color touchscreen, built-in GPS, onboard EDA sensors for stress tracking and multi-day battery life.

Buy Charge 5 at Amazon - $130

Fitbit Inspire 2

Fitbit

Fitbit's Inspire 2 tracker has dropped to $60 for Black Friday, or $40 off its normal price. This gives you all-day heart rate monitoring, up to 10 days of battery life, sleep stage tracking and more — plus it comes with one year of Fitbit Premium, too.

Buy Inspire 2 at Amazon - $60

Fitbit Luxe

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

Fitbit's small and sleek Luxe tracker is on sale for $100 right now. We gave it a score of 82 for its comfortable design, good battery life and capable health tracking features.

Buy Fitbit Luxe at Amazon - $100

Fitbit Sense

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

Fitbit's high-end Sense smartwatch is $100 off, bringing it down to $200. It earned a score of 82 from us for its wide array of health tracking features plus its big, bright display.

Buy Fitbit Sense at Amazon - $200

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4

Samsung

Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4 has dropped to $200, or 20 percent off its normal price. It remains the best smartwatch for Android users and we gave it a score of 85 for its crisp display, comprehensive health tracking features and its improved third-party app support.

Buy Galaxy Watch 4 at Amazon - $200

Garmin Vivoactive 4

Daniel Cooper / Engadget

Garmin's Vivoactive 4 has dropped to $190, or nearly $160 off its regular rate. One of Garmin's midrange smartwatches, this device tracks daily activity, sleep and workouts and it supports blood oxygen monitoring, onboard music storage, built-in GPS and an eight-day battery life.

Buy Vivoactive 4 at Amazon - $190

Withings Steel HR

Engadget

Withings' Steel HR smartwatch is $60 off right now, bringing it down to $120. It's one of the better options out there if you prefer the analog style but still want smart features like step, sleep and heart rate tracking. It also has connected GPS, a water-resistant design and a battery that will last up to 25 days on a single charge.

Buy Withings Steel HR at Amazon - $120

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

All of the laptop and tablet deals worth your money on Black Friday

Whether you're on the lookout for a new laptop for a loved one or for yourself, Black Friday is a good time to pick one up. Like years past, this year you can find a bunch of laptops, tablets and 2-in-1s on sale for the holiday shopping season, allowing you to save sometimes hundreds on the latest machines. In general, we recommend going straight to manufacturers like Dell, HP, Microsoft and Razer if you're picky about which configuration you want. However, it can be simpler to go to retailers like Amazon and Best Buy and pick from the models they have in stock. Here are the best deals on laptops and tablets that we found for Black Friday.

HP Spectre x360 13

HP's Spectre x360 13 is on sale for $820. This particular model has an 11th-gen Core i5 processor, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage and 13.3-inch FHD touchscreen. It earned a score of 94 from us for its gorgeous design, thin-bezeled screen, powerful performance and comfortable keyboard and trackpad.

Buy Spectre x360 13 at HP - $820

Razer Blade 15 Advanced

Today only, the Razer Blade 15 Advanced is a whopping $1,200 off, bringing it down to $1,400. This is the 2020 model that has a Core i7 processor, RTX 2070 Super Max-Q graphics, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and a 1080p 300Hz display. The Blade is one of our favorite gaming laptops thanks to its slick design, array of customization options and strong performance.

Buy Blade 15 Advanced at Amazon - $1,400

Dell XPS 13

Dell's excellent XPS 13 laptop has dropped to $979. That's for the latest model with an 11th-gen Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, Intel Iris Xe graphics and a 13.3-inch FHD+ display. This has been one of our favorite laptops for a long time and we gave the 2020 version a score of 94 for its attractive design, speedy performance and lovely screen.

Buy XPS 13 at Dell - $979

Apple MacBook Air

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Apple's MacBook Air M1 is down to $850 right now, or $150 off its regular price. We consider this to be the best Apple laptop for most people, giving it a score of 94 for its blazing fast performance, great battery life and lack of fan noise.

Buy MacBook Air M1 at Amazon - $850

Apple MacBook Pro

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

The latest MacBook Pro laptops are $50 cheaper than usual at Amazon. We gave them a score of 92 for their powerful performance, lovely Liquid Retina XDR displays and new bevy of ports.

Buy 14-inch MacBook Pro at Amazon - $1,950

Apple iPad Pro

The latest iPad Pros are on sale for Black Friday — the 11-inch model is down to $750 while the 12.9-inch tablet is down to $999. We gave the slab a score of 87 for its powerful performance thanks to the M1 chipset, lovely displays and Center Stage cameras.

Buy 11-inch iPad Pro at Amazon - $750Buy 12.9-inch iPad Pro at Amazon - $999

Razer Book

Razer

Razer's mainstream notebook, the Razer Book, has fallen to $1,500. The model on sale is specced out: it runs on an 11th-gen Core i7 processor, Iris Xe graphics, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and a 13.4-inch UHD+ touchscreen. This laptop includes a generous array of ports, eGPU compatibility and Chroma keyboard lighting.

Buy Razer Book at Amazon - $1,500

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7+

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

Both the Galaxy S7 and S7+ tablets have been discounted for Black Friday, down to $499 and $699, respectively. Either would be good options for Android lovers looking for a new tablet — we were impressed by their beautiful build, vibrant 120Hz displays, long battery lives and S Pen support.

Buy Tab S7 at Amazon - $499Buy Tab S7 at Samsung - $499Buy Tab S7+ at Amazon - $699Buy Tab S7+ at Samsung - $699

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go

Microsoft

The Surface Laptop Go has dropped to $550, or $150 cheaper than usual. It earned a score of 81 from us for its attractive design, speedy CPU and excellent keyboard and trackpad.

Buy Surface Laptop Go at Best Buy - $550

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Microsoft's Surface Laptop 4 is on sale for $900. We gave it a score of 87 for its fast performance, great keyboard and excellent battery life.

Buy Surface Laptop 4 at Best Buy - $900

Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 is $500 off right now, bringing it down to $900. We gave it a score of 82 for its thin and light design, colorful display and included S Pen.

Buy Galaxy Book Pro 360 at Best Buy - $900

Google Pixelbook Go

Google's Pixelbook Go is on sale for $599, or $50 off its normal price. It earned a score of 84 from us for its excellent keyboard, thin and light design, good performance and solid battery life.

Buy Pixelbook Go at Amazon - $599Buy Pixelbook Go at Best Buy - $599

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

The Galaxy Chromebook 2 is down to $399, or $50 off its normal price. We gave the Chrome OS machine a score of 82 for its impressive screen, powerful performance, surprisingly loud speakers and eye-catching design.

Buy Galaxy Chromebook 2 at Samsung - $399

ASUS Chromebook Flip C436

ASUS

ASUS's capable Chromebook Flip C436 is on sale for $650 today only, which is $150 off its normal price. That gets you a 10th-gen Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a 14-inch FHD touchscreen and a convertible design. With those specs, this Chromebook could easily be a daily driver for Chrome OS diehards.

Buy Chromebook Flip C436 at Amazon - $650

Amazon Fire 7 tablet

The Fire 7 tablet is on sale for $35. If you're looking for a cheap tablet to be a couch device, or to give your kid without worry, this is a good option. While it doesn't have the Google Play Store, you can still use it to check email, watch videos, play music and more.

Buy Fire 7 at Amazon - $35

Amazon Fire HD 8

The Fire HD 8 tablet is on sale for $45, or half off its normal price. We gave it a score of 79 for its decent performance, good battery life, wireless charging capabilities and USB-C port.

Buy Fire HD 8 at Amazon - $45

Amazon Fire HD 10

The biggest of Amazon's tablets, the Fire HD 10, is half off right now, bringing it down to $75. It's the best Fire tablet to get if you care at all about performance. We like its 1080p display, 12-hour battery life and its Show Mode feature.

Buy Fire HD 10 at Amazon - $75

Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro

The 8-inch version of Amazon's kids tablet is half off and down to $70. This comes with a protective case, a two-year warranty and a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+.

Bu Fire HD 8 Kids Pro at Amazon - $70

Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro

The Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is 40 percent off, knocking it down to $120. You're getting the same thing in this bundle — a protective case, a two-year warranty and a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+ — along with a larger tablet.

Buy Fire HD 10 Kids Pro at Amazon - $120

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Here are all of the Apple devices on sale for Black Friday

It's no secret that people are always in the hunt for good deals on Apple devices. While we've seen periodic sales on things like Apple Watches, iPads and AirPods throughout the year, Black Friday presents another good opportunity to pick up Apple gadgets at better-than-usual prices. If you do have an Apple device on your gift list, we recommend grabbing it soon as these are some of the first gadgets to sell out whenever a good sale comes along. Here are the best deals on Apple devices we found for Black Friday.

AirPods Pro

The updated AirPods Pro with the MagSafe case are on sale for $159 at Walmart and $169 at Amazon. If you're a Sam's Club member, you can grab the Pros for $150 with $70 of Scan & Go Savings starting today. These offer the best sound quality and fit of any of Apple's earbuds, and now they have a magnetic wireless charging case that's compatible with MagSafe accessories.

Buy AirPods Pro at Walmart - $159Buy AirPods Pro at Amazon - $169

AirPods (3rd gen)

Billy Steele/Engadget

Apple's latest AirPods are down to $150 for Black Friday. We gave them a score of 88 for their more comfortable design, much improved audio quality and longer battery life.

Buy AirPods (3rd gen) at Amazon - $150

AirPods (2nd gen)

Chris Velazco / Engadget

The previous-generation AirPods are on sale for $100 right now. While not the latest models, these are still decent earbuds that we liked for their improved wireless performance and good battery life.

Buy AirPods (2nd-gen) at Amazon - $100

AirPods Max

Engadget

Apple's AirPods Max are down to $440 right now. These headphones earned a score of 84 from us for their excellent, balanced sound, solid ANC and good battery life.

Buy AirPods Max at Amazon - $440

MacBook Air M1

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Apple's MacBook Air M1 is down to $850 right now, or $150 off its regular price. We consider this to be the best Apple laptop for most people, giving it a score of 94 for its blazing fast performance, great battery life and lack of fan noise.

Buy MacBook Air M1 at Amazon - $850

MacBook Pro

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

The latest MacBook Pro laptops are $50 cheaper than usual at Amazon. We gave them a score of 92 for their powerful performance, lovely Liquid Retina XDR displays and new bevy of ports.

Buy 14-inch MacBook Pro at Amazon - $1,950

Apple TV 4K

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

The latest Apple TV 4K is down to $160 for Black Friday. It may be one of the more expensive streaming boxes out there, but it's worth it for Apple loyalists. We gave it a score of 90 for its speedy performance, Dolby Vision and Atmos support and much improved Siri remote.

Buy Apple TV 4K at Amazon - $160

Apple Watch Series 7

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

The latest Apple Watch Series 7 is $20 cheaper right now, bringing it down to $380. It's the most comprehensive wearable Apple makes and it earned a score of 90 from us for its larger screen, faster charging and handy features in watchOS 8.

Buy Series 7 at Amazon - $380

Apple Watch Series 6

Valentina Palladino / Engadget

The previous-gen Apple Watch is on sale for $350 right now. While it doesn't have the larger screen that the Series 7 does, this smartwatch is still a good choice thanks to its good performance, improved battery life and faster charging.

Buy Series 6 at Amazon - $350

Apple Watch SE

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

The Apple Watch SE has been knocked down to $219, which is $60 cheaper than usual. This is the best Watch for wearable newbies as well as those with tight budgets. We gave it a score of 88 for its responsive performance, comfortable design and solid feature set for the price.

Buy Apple Watch SE at Amazon - $219

iPad Pro

Apple

The latest iPad Pros are on sale for Black Friday — the 11-inch model is down to $750 while the 12.9-inch tablet is down to $999. We gave the slab a score of 87 for its powerful performance thanks to the M1 chipset, lovely displays and Center Stage cameras.

Buy 11-inch iPad Pro at Amazon - $750Buy 12.9-inch iPad Pro at Amazon - $999

HomePod mini

Apple

Apple's HomePod mini speakers are $5 cheaper at B&H Photo, bringing them down to $95 each. While a modest discount, this is the first time we've seen all of the new colors (along with the classics) discounted. We gave the HomePod mini a score of 84 for its cute, compact design, solid audio quality and Siri smarts.

Buy HomePod mini at B&H - $95

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