Posts with «technology & electronics» label

The 10 best Amazon Prime Day SSD deals we recommend for upgrading your storage

We're nearing the end of Amazon's October Prime Day event, but if you need a new microSD card for your camera or Nintendo Switch, a PS5 storage boost or an external drive for your travels, there are still numerous deals on offer. Yes, Black Friday is right around the corner, but Amazon has been using its October sales event to kick off the holiday shopping season since last year. The prices we're seeing on storage gear may come back around for everyone in a month's time — but if you're a Prime member who wants to ensure they're getting a good deal today, now's a good time to shop. We've combed through the plethora of storage deals available for Amazon's October Prime Day sale and highlighted the best we could find below, including discounts on some of the best SSDs and microSD cards we've tested.

Samsung Evo Select microSD

The Samsung Evo Select microSD card is on sale for $10 for October Prime Day. It's not quite as good as our top pick in our microSD card guide, mostly due to its slower sequential write speeds, but it's arguably the best value microSD card you can get right now. If you need more space, the 512GB model is down to an all-time low of $28 as well.

Lexar Professional 1066x microSD

The 256GB Lexar Professional 1066x microSD card has dropped to $18 for Prime Day. It's a good alternative to our top pick in our microSD card guide, even if its overall speeds are a bit slower.

Samsung T7 Shield

The 2TB Samsung T7 Shield has stayed at a low price of $100 for October Prime Day. Samsung makes some of our favorite SSDs available right now, and the T7 Shield is the most durable of the company's offerings. This portable drive has an IP65 rating for water and dust resistance, and it can withstand drops from up to 10 feet high. On top of that, its 1,050/1,000 MB/s read/write speeds should be enough for most people's needs.

Crucial P3 Plus

The Crucial P3 Plus SSD with 4TB of storage is down to $180 — but only for Prime members. If you do subscribe to Amazon's service, you'll pay 20 percent less than the $225 starting price. It claims sequential read speeds of up to 5000MB/s and Crucial says it performs up to 43% faster than Gen3 NVMe SSDs.

Crucial X8

Crucial X8 portable drive is on sale for $48 right now. It supports read speeds up to 1,050 MB/s and drop protection from up to 7.5 feet. It also comes with a USB-A adapter for its included USB-C cable, so you can use it with a variety of devices.

Corsair MP600 Pro LPX

The jumbo-sized, 4TB version of the pick in our best PS5 SSDs guide, Corsair's MP600 Pro LPX drive, is now on sale for $280. It checks all the boxes you'd want in a good drive for your console: it's fast, with read speeds of up to 7,100MB/s, it comes with a pre-installed heatsink and it's protected by a five-year warranty. Plus, it's not the most expensive drive to begin with, which makes it a great value — especially when on sale like this.

Crucial MX500

The Crucial MX500 internal drive is on sale for $46 right now. It's been a longtime favorite of ours for its sequential read speeds of 560MB/s and standard 2.5-inch design that should make it easy to swamp in for your desktop's or laptop's used-up drive. If you want something more spacious, the 4TB model is also on sale for $165.

Crucial P5 Plus

The Crucial P5 Plus SSD has stayed low at $54 for October Prime Day. It's already our favorite affordable SSD for the PS5, so it's an even better buy when you can get it at a discount. It has read speeds rated up to 6,600MB/s and the main downside to it is that you'd need to provide and install your own heatsink with this model to get it to work with Sony's console. However, Crucial also makes a version with a heatsink integrated, and the 2TB version of that drive is down to $98 for Amazon's sale.

Samsung 980 Pro

The Samsung 980 Pro SSD has been discounted to $50 for Prime Day. It's a good option for the PS5, but keep in mind that it doesn't come with a heatsink by default — but you can buy a version of it with an included one, or spring for your own. The 980 Pro has read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s and reliable thermal controls.

WD Black SN850X

WD Black's 1TB SN850X is on sale for $60 right now. It has the right read/write speeds to be a good option for the PS5, plus you can get it (or it's slightly slower counterpart, the SN850) with a heatsink included.

Your Fall Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s car experts on must-shop auto-related Prime Day deals and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-ssd-storage-deals-prime-day-october-2023-201934920.html?src=rss

The 50+ Best Prime Day deals to shop while you still can — from portable tech to smart home gear

We're now deeply into day two of Amazon's second Prime Day sale event for 2023. Most of the deals we're tracking are still live, making this a great opportunity to shop early for the holidays — or to buy something for yourself. If you missed out on the deals from the company's Prime Day event in July, this year's "Prime Big Deal Days" sale has brought back many of the all-time low prices. Amazon even added a few brand new deals, just for October. We're finding strong sales on our recommended headphones, tablets, TVs, video games and many other gadgets. We've rounded up the highlights below, and we've been adding new offers to our list every hour or two today. We'll continue to do so until the sale closes, so keep checking back. For some (but not all) of the deals, you'll need a Prime membership, but if you want to shop some great Prime Day tech deals ahead of Black Friday, here's the best of what we've found.

Apple AirPods Pro

The second-generation AirPods Pro have dropped to $189 for Prime Day. Apple made a ton of small but noticeable improvements to these models, so now they have better sound quality, noise cancelation and Transparency Mode. There remains no competition if you have an iPhone and live within the Apple ecosystem — these are the best earbuds to get if you fall into that category.

Apple Watch SE

The Apple Watch SE is on sale for $199 right now. It's the best smartwatch to get if you're new to the wearable world, or you just want a basic, relatively affordable watch that has all of the basic features you'd need. On top of comprehensive health and fitness tracking, iPhone notifications and dozens of fun watch faces, you'll get features like crash and fall detection, noise monitoring and Emergency SOS.

Apple 10.2-inch iPad

Apple's most affordable tablet, the 10.2-inch iPad, is on sale for $249 right now. It may have an old-school design, but it's certainly the best iPad for people on a budget and it has most crucial features you'd expect in an Apple tablet. It earned a score of 86 from us for its solid performance, sharp screen, TouchID-capable Home button and good battery life. The only major downside to this model right now is that it still sports Apple's old Lightning port rather than USB-C.

Apple iPad Air

The iPad Air is on sale for $500, which is $99 off the MSRP. Apple may refresh the Air at some point soon, but for now, we think the existing iPad Air is the best blend of price and performance in Apple’s tablet lineup. This model only has 64GB of storage, however, and its display is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate. We gave the iPad Air a review score of 90 last year. And it's our top overall iPad pick for most people 

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

The new Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is down to $270 for October Prime Day, which is the lowest price we've seen since it came out a few months ago. You can't get a better smartwatch than this one if you have an Android phone (bonus points if you have a Samsung phone), and it's smaller and lighter than previous versions. Samsung brought back the spinning bezel on the Classic version, which is which makes the software's UI easier to navigate, plus it has improved performance and updated health and fitness tracking tools.

Kindle Kids

If you're looking for a good gift for a kid, the Kindle Kids edition is a great idea. It's basically the same as the standard Kindle (which we named the best budget ereader you can buy) with a few extras. You also get a colorful protective case, a two-year warranty, and a year of Amazon Kids+, which grants access to thousands of kid-appropriate titles and hundreds of audiobooks. Even more helpful for parents, the kids edition syncs up with a parent dashboard that lets the grownups set time limits, add books and track their kid’s reading progress. The Kindle Kids usually goes for $120, but now it’s $80 instead. That's $5 more than last Prime Day, but the lowest price we've seen outside of that sale.

Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids and Kids Pro

The previous generation of the Fire HD 10 Kids and Kids Pro are on sale for $120 each, which matches their all-time lows. Amazon recently launched new versions of these devices, so the company is likely offloading old stock here. Still, this is the version we recommend as the best pick for kids in our guide to the best tablets. It comes with a protective case that doubles as a stand as well as a two-year warranty and a free year of subscription to Amazon Kids+, which includes kid-appropriate games, shows and songs.  

Apple MacBook Air M2 (15-inch)

The 15.3-inch version of Apple’s MacBook Air is down to $1,049 for an entry-level model with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. That matches the best price we’ve seen and takes $250 off Apple’s list price. The MacBook Air is the top pick in our guide to the best laptops, and we gave the 15-inch model a review score of 96 earlier this year, as it covers just about all of the things we look for in a quality mainstream notebook. Compared to the 13.6-inch version, it also includes a more powerful speaker system and a slightly upgraded GPU. The SSD in this base configuration is technically slower than the one in higher-capacity SKUs, but that shouldn’t be a major problem unless you’re looking to do more complex work. In general, you wouldn’t buy the Air for things like high-res media editing, though its M2 chip is still plenty powerful for everyday tasks.

If you do need more storage space, the 512GB model with 8GB of RAM is on sale for a low of $1,249. Variants with double the RAM are up to $250 off as well. Meanwhile, the 13.6-inch MacBook Air isn’t discounted on Amazon, but it’s down to $899 at Best Buy. That’s $200 off the notebook’s list price.

MacBook Air (M1)

If you want to spend the least amount possible on a new MacBook, go for the MacBook Air with the M1 chip. It's still part of Apple's official lineup of laptops, and we named it the best buy for students and anyone on a budget The base, 256GB base model is just $750 right now. That deal has been around for a while, but is continuing to hold strong during the October Prime sale. We gave it a high score of 94 in our review and called it "stunningly fast" at the time — keep in mind that the M2 chip is on the scene and the advent of the even faster M3 chip is imminent. But still if you need a laptop that will do the basics for a number of years to come, this is a decent buy.

Here are all the best laptop deals we found for Prime Day in October. 

Apple iPad mini

The Apple iPad mini has dropped to $400 for October Prime Day. It's the best small tablet on the market right now and really your only option if you want a true one-hand-friendly iPad. It's powered by Apple's A15 Bionic chip and sports a Touch ID-toting power button, solid cameras, a good battery life and a USB-C port for charging.

Sony WF-1000XM5

Sony's WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds are on sale for $278 for Prime Day, which is their best price yet. These are the best wireless earbuds on the market right now, and Sony improved upon it's already remarkable buds with a more comfortable fit, better sound quality and features likes adaptive sound and Speak-to-Chat.

Anker Soundcore Space A40

The Anker Soundcore Space A40 is on sale for $54, which matches its all-time low and comes in $25 less than usual. The Space A40 is the top pick in our guide to the best budget wireless earbuds, as it includes a host of features that belie its price: adaptive ANC, multi-device pairing, wireless charging, a transparency mode and up to 10 hours of battery life. Its audio quality and ANC aren’t quite as powerful as more expensive pairs, but both are more than effective enough for the money. Unlike many budget wireless headphones, its default sound doesn’t completely blow out the bass. Just note that its call quality is mediocre, and it lacks wear detection, so it won’t auto-pause when you remove an earbud.

Bose QuietComfort 45

The Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones have dropped to $230 for October Prime Day, which is about $80 cheaper than their usual selling price. These cans earned a spot in our best wireless headphone guide thanks to their comfortable, if a little dated, design, excellent ANC and balanced audio.

Google Pixel Buds Pro

The Google Pixel Buds Pro have dropped to $120 for Prime Day. The company got a lot of things right after years of making pretty standard earbuds; the Pixel Buds Pro are Google's best wireless earbuds yet. These will be great for Android users who want buds with punchy bass, good ANC, reliable touch controls and wireless charging.

Amazon Echo Dot

Amazon has knocked the price of the latest Echo Dot down to $23 right now. It’s one of the best smart speakers you can get thanks to its orb-like design, surprisingly good sound quality for its size and handy Alexa integration. The Dots can also act as Eero WiFi boosters, adding up to 1,000 square feet of coverage to your existing Eero system.

Amazon Echo Show 5

The latest Echo Show 5 is on sale for a record low of $40. The Show 5 has been one of the best smart displays available for quite some time, and it’ll be particularly good for anyone who wants an Alexa-capable smart display that won’t take up a lot of space. It also makes for a good alarm clock thanks to its sunrise alarm and tap-to-snooze features.

Tile Pro (2-pack)

The Tile Pro has a replaceable battery and taps into a decent finding network to locate lost items. Right now, Prime members can get a two pack for $42, which is about $2 more than it's gone for on Amazon previously. It's our pick for the best Bluetooth tracker for Android users. While the Tile finding network isn't as vast as Apple's (and likely not as large as Google's upcoming network), the Pro still reliably allowed us to track down our missing backpack in a crowded pub for our guide.

Chipolo ONE

The Chipolo One is our pick for the best overall Bluetooth tracking device. It's currently down to $25 for the single tag, or you can get a 4-pack for $60. In our guide, we found the Chipolo to reliably and consistently inform us when we'd left our keys behind. It also has the loudest ring of the trackers we tried, which makes it easier to find lost keys and other items when they're nearby.  

Amazon Kindle

The standard Kindle has dropped to $75 for October Prime Day. This model saw a lot of improvements when it was updated in 2022. Capacity was doubled to 16GB and the screen resolution jumped up to 300 ppi for much clearer text. We named it the best budget option in our ereader guide because its perfect entry point to reading and borrowing ebooks and audiobooks.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

The Kindle Paperwhite, meanwhile, is down to $95 for an 8GB model. That's $5 more than it went for during July's Prime Day event but still $45 off its MSRP. The Paperwhite gets you a few extra perks over the standard Kindle, including a larger 6.8-inch screen, a more comprehensive front light and IPX8-rated waterproofing. This deal applies to the ad-supported version (which displays ads for Kindle books and services on your lock screen); it you want no ads on your device, you’ll need to pay $20 more.

$100 PlayStation Store Gift Card + $10 Amazon credit

Here's a simple one: If you buy a $100 PlayStation Store digital gift card and use the code PSN100 at checkout, you can get an extra $10 Amazon credit to use on future purchases. If you often use Amazon and plan on picking up new PS5 games, renewing a PlayStation Plus subscription or buying any other content through the PlayStation Store anyway, it's effectively a bit of free money.

Samsung Smart Monitor M8

The Samsung Smart Monitor M8 is down to just $500, which is $200 off its starting price and the lowest price we've seen thus far. This 32-inch display has built-in apps and allows you to access streaming services, just like you would on a smart TV. It can also act as a smart home hub, showing you your smart camera feeds and more. This discounted model is the updated 2023 version of the monitor that launched at CES 2022.

Blink Mini (2-pack)

A two-pack of Blink Mini security cameras has dropped to $40 for Prime Day. That's about $10 more than they went for last Prime Day, but still a decent 38 percent discount. While these cameras are wired, they have most of the same features as the standard wireless Blink cameras including 1080p video recordings and support for two-way talk and motion alerts.

Google Indoor Nest Security Cam

A slew of Google Nest home security devices are on sale, including the battery-powered Nest Cam that can go inside or outside your home. Typically priced at $180, the security cam is down to $120 for Amazon's October Prime Day event. The Nest Cam works with smart speakers and displays enabled with Alexa or the Google Assistant and can last up to seven months depending on how much activity it picks up. Its weather-resistant build and magnetic mount should make it easy to install on most surfaces. It sends live alerts to your phone and will even allow for on-demand check-ins without a subscription, though it only stores the last three hours for free. For six months of stored footage, you'll need a Nest Aware membership.

Google Nest Thermostat

In other Google deals, the Nest Thermostat is on sale for just $90, which is only about $10 more than the lowest price we've tracked and $40 off Google's MSRP. This is Google's entry-level smart thermostat, but it still lets you control your heating and cooling from anywhere, suggests tweaks to help you save money, and in some cases, can entitle you to rebates from your utility provider. It's all relatively easy to program, and it works with Google's Nest Hub and other smart displays like the Echo Show.

Amazon Fire HD 8

Amazon’s Fire HD 8 is down to $60 for the Prime Big Deal Days event, which is $5 more than the tablet’s all-time low but still $40 off its list price. This discount applies to the model with 32GB of storage; if you need more space, the 64GB version is on sale for $75. Either way, the Fire HD 8 is likely the cheapest competent tablet for most people: It’s slower than the Fire HD 10 and its display is limited to a 1,280 x 800 resolution, but it’s lightweight, it can last more than 10 hours on a charge and it’s still quick enough for basic streaming and reading. It’s not the best value at its standard going rate, but for $60, it’s hard to do better.

Amazon Fire 11 Max

The Fire Max 11 is Amazon’s largest and most performant tablet, with an 11-inch 2,000 x 1,200 resolution display, an aluminum frame, a respectable octa-core processor and 4GB of RAM. It has the same software limitations and lock-screen ads as any other Fire slate, so it’s a tough sell at its usual $230, but now it’s on sale for $150, which matches its all-time low. If you already use a bunch of Amazon services and don’t want to shell out for an entry-level iPad, it's a big upgrade over the Fire HD 8 — just don’t expect to get any real work done with it.

Google Pixel Tablet

The 128GB Google Pixel Tablet is down to $409, which is $90 off and a new low. The 256GB model is also on sale for $509. While we think Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 works better purely as a tablet, Google’s 11-inch slate still gets you a sharp LCD display, a speedy Tensor G2 chip and an easy-to-hold design that weighs just over a pound. Its big hook, however, is that it can attach to an included charging speaker dock and double as a Nest Hub Max-style smart display. Android still isn’t as optimized for large screens as iPadOS, but if that extra functionality sounds useful to you, the Pixel Tablet is worth a look. We gave it a score of 85 in June. (The Galaxy Tab S9, meanwhile, isn’t on sale as of this writing.)

Google Pixel 7a

The Google Pixel 7a is down to a new low of $399 for this sale event. It's the best midrange phone you can get right now thanks to its speedy Tensor G2 chip, smooth 90Hz display and support for wireless charging. The 7a also has solid cameras and an IP67 water-resistant design.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

The entire Samsung Galaxy S23 series is on sale for Prime Day, including the S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra. These are some of the best Android phones you can buy right now, and we recommend springing for the S23 Ultra if you want all of the latest features from Samsung. The Ultra runs on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and has a big, bold 120Hz display, built-in S Pen and an excellent main camera.

Nano Power Bank with built-in USB-C

Anker's Nano Power Bank is a handy way to give your smartphone a little extra juice when you're out and about and confronted with a dead battery. And it's 25 percent off for Prime day, bringing it to $23, though only for Prime members. We're testing this one now for inclusion in our power bank guide and so far, so good. Anker made this one with a built-in USB-C connector, which means you can use it with your Android phone or the new iPhone 15. If you've got a previous model iPhone, there's a model with a built-in Lightning connector too. That model is 38 percent off, or $20. 

Sony WH-CH720N headphones

Sony's WH-CH720N headphones are on sale for $98 for Prime Day. That's a $52 discount and the lowest price ever, but it's a Prime only deal. These cans didn't get the best review from us, only earning a mild score of 79 as we didn't love the overall plastic build that felt a bit cheap and the active noise cancelation wasn't the best. But the fit is comfortable and the sound quality is pretty good, if you're willing to put up with those drawbacks. Which may be easier to take at this new and improved price.  

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have dropped to $199 for October Prime Day, which is the best price we've ever seen, though you'll need to be a Prime member to get the deal. Though they're a generation old now, they remain one of the best wireless earbuds you can buy if active noise cancellation is your main priority. On top of that, these buds have a relatively comfortable fit and pleasing audio quality.

Beats Studio Pro

The Beats Studio Pro headphones are on sale for $179 right now. That's a sizable $170 discount. We reviewed these back in July when they came out and gave them a decent review score of 81. Unfortunately they didn't push any of the top picks from our our best headphones list off their pedestals. They aren't bad, however, offering pleasant, even-handed sound and good noise cancellation. Though Beats is now owned by Apple, these headphones still play nice with Android. There's no wear detection and the mostly plastic design isn’t super premium, but at this price, you may not care.

Sony SRS-XB13

The four-inch tall SRS-XB13 is back down to $35 for Prime Big Deal Days, which matches its sale price from July’s Prime Day sale. You'll need a Prime membership to see the deal, however. This is an older but still worthwhile model of the tiny portable speaker; Sony replaced it with the SRS-XB100 earlier this year, which is also currently seeing a 20 percent discount. Both devices are IP67-rated for water and dust resistance, and each can pair with another speaker for stereo sound.

Tribit StormBox Micro 2

The Tribit StormBox Micro 2 is another small speaker we like that puts out decent volume for its size, and right now it’s down to $48, which is $12 off its usual going rate. This device has a strap on its back that works well on belts, backpacks, or even bike handlebars, so it’s easy to take on the road. And "on the go" is where the StormBox Micro 2 performs best, as it’s more about portable volume than pure fidelity.

Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro 6E

The Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro 6E is on sale for $300 right now for a pack of three routers. That's within a dollar of the lowest price it's sold for on Amazon. It's one of the best Wi-Fi 6 router systems you can get at the moment thanks to its easy setup process, convenient Google Assistant integrations and Matter and Thread support. If you're looking for a not-too expensive way to upgrade your home Wi-Fi system, and one that will take little time to set up, Google's is the one to get.

Roku Streaming Stick 4K

Our favorite streaming stick, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, has dropped to $37 for this sale. It packs a ton of features into an affordable package, including 4K HDR streaming capabilities, Dolby Vision, AirPlay 2 and private listening when you have a pair of headphones. And since it's so small, it makes for a great travel entertainment device too.

LG B2

The LG B2 OLED TV is down to $847 for a 55-inch model. That’s a new low and roughly $150 off its average street price in recent months. The B2 is the step-down model from the C2 — which is also on sale at $1,097 for a 55-inch set — as it’s not as bright or color-rich with HDR content, it runs on a slower processor and it has two fewer HDMI 2.1 ports. That said, its contrast, colors and motion performance will still be a significant upgrade if you’re upgrading from a more basic LED TV. LG’s new B3 TV promises a cleaner webOS interface, but it’s priced a good way higher as of this writing. If you want an OLED TV for less than $1,000, the B2 should be a better value.

Hisense U6K

If you want a more affordable TV, the Hisense U6K is also on sale, with the 55- and 65-inch models down to $400 and $548, respectively. We’ve seen these deals before, but each matches an all-time low. The U6K is has received generally positive reviews around the web, as it's one of the few budget-level sets with quantum dots, full-array local dimming and a mini-LED backlight. All of that should help it deliver better contrast and color volume than most TVs in its price range. It’s not ideal for gaming though, as it’s limited to a 60Hz refresh rate and lacks HDMI 2.1 ports. In general, it can’t match the brightness or viewing angles of a more expensive set, but it looks to be a good buy if you’re on a tighter budget.

For a well-reviewed midrange model, the Hisense U8K provides much better contrast and peak brightness, plus more gaming-friendly features like ability to play 4K content at up to a 144Hz refresh rate. That one is down to $748 for a 55-inch model and $998 for a 65-inch set.

Samsung The Frame smart TV

Samsung’s The Frame TV is down to $998 for the 55-inch set with an included bezel cover to further the illusion that the set is art when it's off. The discount is a hefty $550 less than this bundle’s average street price. Other sizes are discounted too, including 32-inch model for $548 to the 85-inch set for $3,498. The bundle deals are just for Prime members, but if you don't need the bezel, even non-members can snag the Frame TV alone for the same $998. The expensive sets don't have things you may expect like local dimming and mini-LED backlighting, so their picture quality isn’t as premium as you'd expect. But the realistic art-when-it's-off effect is convincing.

iRobot Roomba 694

iRobot's Roomba 694 has dropped to $199 for Prime Day. It's our favorite cheap robot vacuum thanks to its strong suction power, attractive design and easy to use app. It'll be a good option for robo-vac novices, or anyone that doesn't want to fuss too much with an automatic dirt sucker. It clears hard and carpeted floors well, and it automatically returns to its base once a cleaning job is finished so it can recharge.

Razer Basilisk V3

The Razer Basilisk V3 is down to $44 for Prime members, which is a few bucks more than its all-time low but still $6 less than its usual street price. This is the “best for most” pick in our guide to the best gaming mouse, as its sturdy shape should be comfortable for each grip type and all but the smallest hands. (Provided you’re a righty.) It has 11 customizable buttons, including a “sensitivity clutch” for more precise aiming, and its thumb wheel supports both left-right tilt and a faster free-spin mode. That wheel is somewhat noisy, and the whole thing is too heavy for competitive-minded players, but it still tracks accurately and glides smoothly.

Dell G15 5530 Gaming Laptop

A configuration of Dell’s G15 5530 Gaming Laptop with an Intel Core i7-13650HX processor, 16GB of RAM, an upgradeable 1TB SSD and an 8GB GeForce RTX 4060 GPU is down to $1,130 for Prime Big Deal Days. That’s roughly $270 below its usual going rate. This is an updated version of the “best budget” pick in our guide to the best gaming laptops: It’s heavy, and it can run warm, but this configuration is more than capable of playing modern games at high-ish settings, and its 15.6-inch, 165Hz, 1080p display is sufficiently bright. It is stuck with a 720p webcam though. The slightly larger Dell G16 7630 is also on sale at $1,500 for a model with a Core i9-13900HX and RTX 4070.

Samsung Pro Plus microSD

The Samsung Pro Plus microSD card is on sale for $20 right now. It's our top pick in our best microSD card guide because it was the most consistent of the ones we tested, with some of the best overall speeds and all of the important ratings that a good card should have: U3, V30 and A2. It'll be a great pick for your tablet, smartphone or Nintendo Switch, and it comes with a full-sized adapter in case you need to use it with a camera or connect it to your computer.

Backbone One

The Backbone One is a well-built gamepad that snaps around the sides of your phone and works immediately with just about any game that supports controller input. It’s also convenient for cloud streaming games from a console or PC. Right now both its USB-C and Lightning models are down to $70, which is $30 off. That’s not an all-time low, but discounts on the device are relatively uncommon. We gave the One a positive review last year, and we currently highlight it in our guide to the best handheld gaming systems. Backbone says the USB-C models will work with Apple’s new iPhone 15 lineup as well.

WD and Seagate Storage Expansion Cards for Xbox Series X/S

It’s unfortunate, but the only way to fully expand the storage of an Xbox Series X/S console is to buy a proprietary expansion card. If your Xbox is hurting for space, the 1TB version of WD’s Black C50 card is at least a little cheaper than usual at $125. That’s a $25 discount and a new low. If you need more room, the 2TB model of Seagate’s Storage Expansion Card is also on sale for an all-time low at $230. That’s $50 off. (The 1TB Seagate card is available for $130, but there’s little reason to buy that when the WD model is cheaper.) Both of these are still pricier than a comparable SSD, but any bit of savings should be welcome.

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless

The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless is down to $175, which is within a dollar of its all-time low and $75 off its list price. This is the top wireless pick in our gaming keyboard buying guide, mainly due to its magnetic OmniPoint switches, which enable a range of helpful gaming features. For instance, you can raise or lower the actuation point of individual keys — setting a high point to make typing more comfortable or a low one to make presses more responsive — and use a rapid trigger mode to repeat inputs faster.

The rest of the keyboard is satisfactory as well, with multiple connection options and a useful OLED display for adjusting settings, though you’d buy this for its gaming features more than its typing experience. In general, we think the Wooting 60HE is a better option for gaming enthusiasts, but that one isn’t on sale; the Apex Pro is a close-enough substitute if you need to go wireless. The smaller Apex Pro Mini Wireless is also discounted for $15 less.

Echo Pop

The Echo Pop is Amazon’s smallest Echo smart speaker and it's down to just $18 for Amazon's October Prime sale, which is a 55 percent discount and the lowest price we've tracked. Amazon announced a Kids version of the Pop at their latest devices event, but that version won't be out until the Prime sale is over.

Crucial MX500

The Crucial MX500 internal drive is on sale for $46 right now. It's been an Engadget favorite for a while thanks to its sequential read speeds of 560MB/s and a standard 2.5-inch design that should make it easy to swap in for your desktop's or laptop's used-up drive.

August Smart Lock (4th gen)

August Home Smart Lock, one we've tried and liked, is down to $158 for Prime members right now, which is a $72 percent discount. It's easy to install and won't take up too much space it's even slimmer than prior iterations. This isn't an all-time low, as this model has dropped to $139 in the past — but this is still a solid discount. The lock should work with most existing deadbolts and it directly connects to your Wi-Fi without the need for a separate bridge. 

Here are all the deals we've rounded up so far:

Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-50-best-prime-day-deals-to-shop-while-you-still-can-from-portable-tech-to-smart-home-gear-194854033.html?src=rss

Beats Studio Pro headphones are $170 off on Amazon right now for Prime Day

Headphones are one of the hottest categories in any major sale and the October Prime Day event is no exception. There are discounts available all over the shop for true wireless earbuds and overear headphones alike. We reckon it's worth drawing attention to the Beats Studio Pro headset, which has dropped to $180. That's nearly half off, given that it regularly sells for $350. It's the lowest price we've seen for these headphones to date.

Over the summer, we gave the Beats Studio Pro a score of 81 in our review. So, they're not exactly the best wireless headphones you can buy. But the conversation changes significantly now that they're down to $180.

A second-generation Beats audio chip helps to deliver better active noise cancellation, spatial audio and dynamic head tracking than previous models from the brand. We found that voice performance was above average and we appreciated the inclusion of a transparency mode and USB-C wired audio for higher-resolution playback.

There are several reasons why the Beats Studio Pro didn't score higher than an 81, however. They're not the most comfortable headphones around and there's no automatic pause feature that kicks in when you take them off. Even though the Beats Studio Pro are from an Apple subsidiary, there's no iOS multipoint connectivity option. So, you can't connect them to, say, your iPhone and Mac at the same time for seamless switching.

Even so, this is an excellent deal, particularly for Beats fans. The sound quality is far better than you'll find on previous Beats models, so if you've been clinging onto an older set for several years, it might be time to upgrade.

Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/beats-studio-pro-headphones-are-170-off-on-amazon-right-now-for-prime-day-194316696.html?src=rss

Anker charging accessories get discounts up to 57% from Prime Day deals

Amazon's October Prime Day sale is discounting many of Anker's best accessories. So if you're in the market for cables, portable chargers or power adapters, you can get a those devices for a lot less money right now. While most of these deals are just for Prime members, one or two are open to anyone. One notable deal is on the new Nano power bank with a built-in USB-C connector. Now that the iPhone 15 has USB-C charging, you can handle iPhone charging with the same accessories Android phones use. We've tested and recommended Anker products in plenty of our buying guides as they tend to be reliable, well-designed and reasonably priced buys. Here's the best of what's on offer for Anker's Prime Day sale. 

Nano Power Bank with built-in USB-C

Anker's Nano Power Bank comes with either a built-in USB-C connector, for iPhone 15 and Android phones or a built-in Lightning connector for iPhone 14 and earlier. They're both on sale for Prime Day, but only for Prime Members. You'll save 38 percent on the Lightning version and 25 percent on the USB-C version. Both will give your phone a partial charge whenever you need it.

Anker Prime 67W USB C Charger

The Prime 67W USB-C Charger comes with two USB-C ports and one USB-A and it's 37 percent off, bringing its price from $60 to $38. Though keep in mind, you'll need to be a Prime member to take advantage of the sale. 

Anker X Transformers USB-C 65W Charger, 735

The Anker 65W USB-C Charger 735 is 20 percent off right now for Prime members. We named this the best 65W fast charger you can buy after putting it through a slew of tests on five different devices. Of course, we didn't test the one branded with the Transformers, but that can only make it faster, right?

Anker Lightning Cable (3-pack)

If you're still rocking an iPhone 12, 13 or 14 and your cords are breaking at the seams, pick up Anker's lightning cable three-pack for 20 percent off, dropping from $25 to $20.

Anker 765 USB C to USB C Cable

One of the best deals in the sale comes courtesy of Anker's fast charging 765 USB-C to USB-C cable, which is down from $35 to $15 — a 57 percent discount for Prime members. It's compatible with the new iPhone 15 models, along with the MacBook Pro 2021, iPad Pro, iPad Air 4th and Samsung's Galaxy S23+ and Ultra.

Other notable deals

Then there's Anker's portable chargers currently on sale for every time you stay out later than expected or drain your battery playing games. The Prime 20K Power Bank is down to $22.40 from $28 and can juice up an iPhone 12 halfway in 30 minutes using USB and USB-C chargers. For $30 (down from $60), you can pick up Anker's Magnetic Portable Charger 5K for wireless charging. Plus, the Prime Power Bank with 200W Output and a smart display has fallen from $130 to $90 for Prime Day — giving you high-speed charging with enough money left over to buy quality cables.

If you're a Prime Member, you can also save on our pick for the best budget wireless charging stand, Anker's 313 Wireless Charger. Don't expect fast charging here — this tops out at 10W (and just 5W for iPhones). But you can position your phone in landscape orientation to take advantage of StandBy mode on iPhones. 

Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/anker-charging-accessories-get-discounts-up-to-57-from-prime-day-deals-184324221.html?src=rss

Amazon Prime Day deals on Apple Watch and smartwatches hit their lowest prices yet

This is the last day of Amazon's Prime Day sale of 2023 and all three models of the Apple Watch lineup are still seeing discounts as of right now. Apple just announced the Apple Watch Ultra 2 at its iPhone event last month, but it's already $50 off for Prime, which is its lowest price yet. The other new wearable from Cupertino is the Apple Watch Series 9. That one is seeing a modest, $9 discount, but that's not surprising for as new as it is. The budget model, the Apple Watch SE, wasn't given a new iteration this time around, so the newest is still the second generation SE, which is down to $199 instead of its $250 MSRP. We've also included smartwatch deals from Samsung, Google and Withings, just in case you're not an iPhone user (or have an Android user on your holiday gift list). Here are the best Prime Day deals on Apple Watches and smartwatches we could find this Prime Big Deal Days.

Apple Watch Ultra 2

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the brand’s newest high-end watch and has the same list price as last year’s model, which is $799. For Amazon’s sale, it’s down to $749 or $50 off, which is a new low. The new Ultra has the same S9 SiP (system-in-package) as the Series 9, which allows for on-board processing of Siri requests and will help offer more intuitive answers to questions about your health and activity data. The Ultra 2 comes with GPS and cellular connectivity and has a large 49mm case to accommodate its always-on Retina display and battery with a claimed 36-hour lifespan. Engadget's Cherlynn Low particularly liked the new Modular Ultra watchface, which manages to make the most of the watch’s vast screen real estate.

Oddly, Apples first generation Apple Watch Ultra is not on sale for Prime Day. It's still full price at $799 at Amazon right now, which means there's very little reason not to go for the newest model if you've been thinking about getting Apple's most premium wearable. 

Read our thoughts from our hands-on with the Apple Watch Ultra 2. 

Apple Watch Series 9

It only arrived last month, but the new Apple Watch 9 has already handily beaten out other contenders for the top spot in our guide to the best smartwatches. And now it’s on sale for $9 off the list price, thanks to Amazon’s second Prime Day. It's a modest discount, but likely the largest you'll find on a Apple's brand new flagship wearable. That makes the 41mm case $390 and the 45mm size $420 instead of $429 on Apple's site. One of the most notable updates to this model is the upcoming Double Tap feature that will let you answer calls or dismiss an alarm just by tapping your thumb and forefinger together.

Now that the Apple Watch Series 8 is no longer the brand’s most recent model, it’s seeing a significant discount. The list price is $399 for the 41mm GPS model, but the sale brings it down to $300 which is nearly $100 off.

Read Engadget's full review of the Apple Watch 9 and the usefulness of Double Tap. 

Apple Watch SE

Apple didn’t release a new version of the Apple Watch SE, which makes the second generation the current budget watch in the brand’s official lineup. It’s usually $250 for the GPS-only model and 40mm case but October’s Prime sale brings that base model down to $199. If you want more room on the screen, you can grab the 44mm version, which is usually $270 but down to $229 during the sale.

In our Engadget review, we called the SE “the best smartwatch $250 can buy." It doesn’t have the new Double Tap and on-board Siri features of the new watches, and it's missing a few of the sensors you get with the higher-end models, such as blood oxygen, temperature sensing and EKG readings. You also don’t get an always-on-display.

Here's our review of the Apple Watch SE (second gen). 

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

For those who don’t carry an iPhone, the Galaxy Watch 6 is our favorite Android smartwatch. Samsung’s latest wearable was released a few months ago and typically goes for $300, but is down to $269 during Amazon’s sale. It’s lighter than the previous model with a brighter display, better battery life and a processor upgrade. The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic returns the spinning bezel which Samsung removed on the Watch 5. That model usually sells for $400, but the sale brings it down to $369 instead.

Engadget’s Malak Saleh gave the Galaxy Watch 6 an 84 in her review, noting the expansion of the wellness and health features — though many of those updates simply bring the Galaxy Watch 6 up to the standards of its competitors like Apple Watch and Google’s Pixel wearables. Still it's a comfortable, well-designed wearable with customizable workout routines that will give you a good amount of health data.

Here's our full review of the Galaxy Watch 6.

Google Pixel Watch

The Google Pixel Watch 2 was announced last week and will ship this Thursday. That's probably why the first generation of the Google Pixel Watch is 40 percent off. That brings it to $210 and an all-time low. While we liked the overall design, we found the rather short battery life concerning. Since the newer generation promises a slightly larger battery and more efficient use of it, you may want to go with the Google Pixel Watch 2, which we had a moment to try out during Google's event. But it looks like that one isn't discounted for Amazon's sale and is currently selling for the full $350.

Here's our review of the first generation Google Pixel Watch.  

Withings Steel

You can get the look of a classic analog watch combined with the health tracking features of a smartwatch by opting for Withings Steel HR Sport. The hybrid watch is usually $200, but the Prime sale brings it down to $160. Instead of displaying your health and workout stats on the watchface, the Steel HR Sport sends everything to the companion app on your phone. It can track heart rate, activities and workouts as well as monitor your sleep. Since it has no screen, Withings claims the battery can go for up to 25 days on a charge.

Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-prime-day-deals-on-apple-watch-and-smartwatches-hit-their-lowest-prices-yet-182507971.html?src=rss

The best Prime Day laptop deals: Save on MacBooks, gaming laptops and more

We're rounding the corner on Amazon's October Prime Day event, but if you're hoping to grab a new laptop, you can still take advantage of a few worthwhile discounts. While major Amazon sales like this week's Prime Big Deal Days aren’t quite a haven for deals on the best laptops, we've managed to find a handful of noteworthy price drops on MacBooks, gaming laptops and more. Just remember that you'll need to be a Prime member to access some, but not all, of the deals available, and that there's always a chance we see lower prices on Black Friday. 

Apple MacBook Air M2 (15-inch)

The 15.3-inch version of Apple’s MacBook Air is down to $1,049 for an entry-level model with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. That matches the best price we’ve seen and takes $250 off Apple’s list price. The MacBook Air is the top pick in our guide to the best laptops, and we gave the 15-inch model a review score of 96 earlier this year, as it covers just about all of the things we look for in a quality mainstream notebook. Compared to the 13.6-inch version, it also includes a more powerful speaker system and a slightly upgraded GPU. The SSD in this base configuration is technically slower than the one in higher-capacity SKUs, but that shouldn’t be a major problem unless you’re looking to do more complex work. In general, you wouldn’t buy the Air for things like high-res media editing, though its M2 chip is still plenty powerful for everyday tasks.

If you do need more storage space, the 512GB model with 8GB of RAM is on sale for a low of $1,249. Variants with double the RAM are up to $250 off as well. Meanwhile, the 13.6-inch MacBook Air isn’t discounted on Amazon, but it’s down to $899 at Best Buy. That’s $200 off the notebook’s list price. It's worth noting that there’s a chance we see new Macs by the end of the year, but that doesn't appear to be a certainty as of this writing.

Apple MacBook Air M1

The previous-generation MacBook Air with Apple’s M1 chip is back down to $750, matching the lowest price we’ve seen. Apple sells this entry-level config with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for $999, though we’ve often seen it go for $800 or less in recent months. This notebook arrived back in 2020, so it’s harder to recommend these days when the M2 models offer a faster chip, sharper webcam, slimmer bezels and improved speakers. If you only need a laptop for more basic tasks though, it’s not a bad value at this specific deal price. It’s still quieter and more solidly built than many mid-priced laptops, and its keyboard, trackpad and battery life remain excellent. We gave the M1 Air a review score of 94 at launch.

Dell G15 5530 Gaming Laptop

A configuration of Dell’s G15 5530 Gaming Laptop with an Intel Core i7-13650HX processor, 16GB of RAM, an upgradeable 1TB SSD and an 8GB GeForce RTX 4060 GPU is down to $1,130 for Prime Big Deal Days. That’s roughly $270 below its usual going rate. This is an updated version of the “best budget” pick in our guide to the best gaming laptops: It’s heavy, and it can run warm, but this configuration is more than capable of playing modern games at high-ish settings, and its 15.6-inch, 165Hz, 1080p display is sufficiently bright. It is stuck with a 720p webcam though. The slightly larger Dell G16 7630 is also on sale at $1,500 for a model with a Core i9-13900HX and RTX 4070.

Acer Nitro 5

The Acer Nitro 5 is the runner up to the Dell G15 in our guide to the best budget gaming laptops, and right now a model with a Core i5-12500H, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD and GeForce RTX 3050 GPU is down to $700 for Prime members. That’s about $100 off its usual street price. These are not the latest specs, so you’ll need to crank down the settings in more demanding games to reach a respectable frame rate. The chassis itself is chunky and made of plastic too. But there’s enough power to at least keep up with recent titles, and getting a 144Hz display at this price is nice. For those on a super tight budget, it’s competent.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3

If you’re looking to spend less than that, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 could be worth a look. A 2022 model with a Ryzen 5 6600H CPU, 15.6-inch 120Hz 1080p display, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD and GeForce RTX 3050 GPU is currently down to $600 for Amazon’s sale. Outside of a brief dip to $550 last Black Friday, that’s the lowest price yet for this configuration. If the specs didn’t give it away, this is very much an entry-level model. The RAM and storage count are low, and some reviews suggest that its display isn’t all that great, so it’s worth stepping up to the Nitro 5 above if you can. But if you’re determined to spend as little as possible on a gaming laptop, this should be enough for basic 1080p gaming with less strenuous titles. There are spare slots to upgrade the RAM and storage down the road as well.

Razer Blade 14

A config of the Razer Blade 14 with an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU, 165Hz 1440p display, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU is on sale for $1,950. That’s certainly not cheap, but you’d buy the Blade 14 if you’re willing to pay extra for a gaming laptop with a more slender, portable and premium-feeling design. This is a 2022 model, but the newer editions cost several hundred dollars more, and the last-gen CPU and GPU here are still powerful enough to play most modern games at high settings. Its keyboard is also great, though the whole thing can run hot. We recommend the slightly larger Blade 15 in our guide to the best gaming laptops, but that one isn’t discounted. And if you’re not into the Blade aesthetic, consider our top overall pick, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, instead.

Microsoft Surface Pro 9

The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is down to $1,800 for a model with a Core i7-1265U chip, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. That’s about $100 off its usual going rate. Chances are you know where you stand on the Surface Pro at this point: It’s still not especially comfortable to use on your lap, but it remains the gold standard for 2-in-1s that behave and perform like a laptop more than a traditional tablet. While this version isn’t a huge shake-up, it'll be a nice bump for those upgrading from a three- to five-year-old model. Just note that this deal doesn’t include a keyboard or stylus. We're reaching the time of year where Microsoft would usually introduce a new model, but as of this writing it’s not clear when a potential Surface Pro 10 might arrive. For now, the Pro 9 is the top Windows pick in our guide to the best tablets.

Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-laptop-deals-prime-day-october-2023-180937257.html?src=rss

PS Plus Premium subscribers can soon stream PS5 games on their console

Hot on the heels of Sony granting PlayStation Plus Premium members access to a library of movies to stream at no extra cost, the company will start offering them another handy feature in the coming weeks. You'll soon be able to play a selection of PlayStation 5 games via cloud streaming, so you won't need to wait for a title to download before you start playing it.

Sony plans to support hundreds of PS5 titles through this new offering, which beta testers have been trying over the last couple of months. The options will include "top PS5 hits" from the PS Plus Game Catalog, including the likes of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Horizon Forbidden West, Ghost of Tsushima, Mortal Kombat 11 and Saints Row IV. Timed game trials for the likes of Hogwarts Legacy, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and The Calisto Protocol will be available to stream.

Not only that, you'll be able to stream some games that you've purchased, as well as select free-to-play titles. Sony mentions Resident Evil 4, Dead Island 2, Genshin Impact, Fall Guys and Fortnite as purchased or free games that PS Plus Premium members will be able to play via the cloud.

For nearly four years, Microsoft has been promising the ability for folks to play Xbox games they've purchased via the cloud. That still hasn't come to fruition. Now Sony, which just unveiled slimmer versions of the PS5, looks set to beat Microsoft to the punch.

Sony says in-game purchases and downloadable content including expansions and add-ons will be available in PS5 game streaming. You'll be able to stream PS5 games in up to 4K resolution and there's support for 60 fps and SDR or HDR output — you'll need an internet connection of at least 38 Mbps for the highest quality, Sony says.

Sony Interactive Entertainment

The company is promising enhanced sound with support for functions such as 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound, along with Tempest 3D Audiotech. You'll be able to take screenshots and capture up to three minutes of video, which you can find in the Media Gallery on your console and the PS App.

Sony notes that PS5 game streaming will only be available on the PS5 console "at launch." That implies the option will be available on other devices in the future. Sony's upcoming remote play handheld, the PlayStation Portal, seems like a prime candidate for cloud gaming. For the time being, the device will only support the ability to stream games from your own PS5 console.

Here's hoping that PS5 game streaming will be available on PC in the future, as well as on phones and tablets. It remains odd that Sony teamed up with Backbone for a PlayStation-branded version of the Backbone One controller without offering a cloud gaming option on mobile devices.

It is worth noting that Sony is adding PS5 game streaming not long after it bumped up the annual cost of a PS Plus Premium membership. The subscription now costs $160 for 12 months, up from $120.

Sony says that PS5 cloud gaming is "a large undertaking for our teams to roll out," so it's staging a phased rollout. It's planning to make the feature available in Japan on October 17, Europe on October 23 and North America on October 30. As it stands, cloud gaming on PS Plus Premium is available in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US.

Meanwhile, Sony has revealed the next titles that PS Plus Extra and Premium members will be able to play through the Game Catalog, including a bunch of horror titles, given that Halloween is on the horizon. Gotham Knights, Disco Elysium – The Final Cut, The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes, Alien: Isolation, Dead Island Definitive Edition, Outlast 2, Elite Dangerous, Far: Changing Tides, Gungrave G.O.R.E. and Röki will be available to members on both tiers on October 17. Premium members will also gain access to Tekken 6, Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny, Ape Escape Academy and IQ Final on the same day.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ps-plus-premium-subscribers-can-soon-stream-ps5-games-on-their-console-180658150.html?src=rss

The 40+ best Prime Day deals to shop for right now — from portable tech to smart home gear

We're into day two of Amazon's second Prime Day sale event for 2023, and it's still a great opportunity to shop for your holiday gifts early — or get something for yourself. If you missed out on any of the deals from the company's Prime Day event in July, this year's "Prime Big Deal Days" sale has brought back many of the all-time low prices we saw a few months ago, plus some new sales on recommended headphones, tablets, TVs, video games and many other gadgets. We've rounded up the highlights below, and we've been adding new offers to our list every hour or two today, and will continue to do so until the sale closes. You'll need to be a Prime member to see some (but not all) of the offers, but if you want to shop some great Prime Day tech deals ahead of Black Friday, here's the best of what we've found.

Apple AirPods Pro

The second-generation AirPods Pro have dropped to $189 for Prime Day. Apple made a ton of small but noticeable improvements to these models, so now they have better sound quality, noise cancelation and Transparency Mode. There remains no competition if you have an iPhone and live within the Apple ecosystem — these are the best earbuds to get if you fall into that category.

Apple Watch SE

The Apple Watch SE is on sale for $199 right now. It's the best smartwatch to get if you're new to the wearable world, or you just want a basic, relatively affordable watch that has all of the basic features you'd need. On top of comprehensive health and fitness tracking, iPhone notifications and dozens of fun watch faces, you'll get features like crash and fall detection, noise monitoring and Emergency SOS.

Apple 10.2-inch iPad

Apple's most affordable tablet, the 10.2-inch iPad, is on sale for $249 right now. It may have an old-school design, but it's certainly the best iPad for people on a budget and it has most crucial features you'd expect in an Apple tablet. It earned a score of 86 from us for its solid performance, sharp screen, TouchID-capable Home button and good battery life. The only major downside to this model right now is that it still sports Apple's old Lightning port rather than USB-C.

Apple iPad Air

The iPad Air is on sale for $500, which is $99 off the MSRP. Apple may refresh the Air at some point soon, but for now, we think the existing iPad Air is the best blend of price and performance in Apple’s tablet lineup. This model only has 64GB of storage, however, and its display is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate. We gave the iPad Air a review score of 90 last year. And it's our top overall iPad pick for most people 

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

The new Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is down to $270 for October Prime Day, which is the lowest price we've seen since it came out a few months ago. You can't get a better smartwatch than this one if you have an Android phone (bonus points if you have a Samsung phone), and it's smaller and lighter than previous versions. Samsung brought back the spinning bezel on the Classic version, which is which makes the software's UI easier to navigate, plus it has improved performance and updated health and fitness tracking tools.

Kindle Kids

If you're looking for a good gift for a kid, the Kindle Kids edition is a great idea. It's basically the same as the standard Kindle (which we named the best budget ereader you can buy) with a few extras. You also get a colorful protective case, a two-year warranty, and a year of Amazon Kids+, which grants access to thousands of kid-appropriate titles and hundreds of audiobooks. Even more helpful for parents, the kids edition syncs up with a parent dashboard that lets the grownups set time limits, add books and track their kid’s reading progress. The Kindle Kids usually goes for $120, but now it’s $80 instead. That's $5 more than last Prime Day, but the lowest price we've seen outside of that sale.

Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids and Kids Pro

The previous generation of the Fire HD 10 Kids and Kids Pro are on sale for $120 each, which matches their all-time lows. Amazon recently launched new versions of these devices, so the company is likely offloading old stock here. Still, this is the version we recommend as the best pick for kids in our guide to the best tablets. It comes with a protective case that doubles as a stand as well as a two-year warranty and a free year of subscription to Amazon Kids+, which includes kid-appropriate games, shows and songs.  

Apple MacBook Air M2 (15-inch)

The 15.3-inch version of Apple’s MacBook Air is down to $1,049 for an entry-level model with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. That matches the best price we’ve seen and takes $250 off Apple’s list price. The MacBook Air is the top pick in our guide to the best laptops, and we gave the 15-inch model a review score of 96 earlier this year, as it covers just about all of the things we look for in a quality mainstream notebook. Compared to the 13.6-inch version, it also includes a more powerful speaker system and a slightly upgraded GPU. The SSD in this base configuration is technically slower than the one in higher-capacity SKUs, but that shouldn’t be a major problem unless you’re looking to do more complex work. In general, you wouldn’t buy the Air for things like high-res media editing, though its M2 chip is still plenty powerful for everyday tasks.

If you do need more storage space, the 512GB model with 8GB of RAM is on sale for a low of $1,249. Variants with double the RAM are up to $250 off as well. Meanwhile, the 13.6-inch MacBook Air isn’t discounted on Amazon, but it’s down to $899 at Best Buy. That’s $200 off the notebook’s list price.

Apple iPad mini

The Apple iPad mini has dropped to $400 for October Prime Day. It's the best small tablet on the market right now and really your only option if you want a true one-hand-friendly iPad. It's powered by Apple's A15 Bionic chip and sports a Touch ID-toting power button, solid cameras, a good battery life and a USB-C port for charging.

Sony WF-1000XM5

Sony's WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds are on sale for $278 for Prime Day, which is their best price yet. These are the best wireless earbuds on the market right now, and Sony improved upon it's already remarkable buds with a more comfortable fit, better sound quality and features likes adaptive sound and Speak-to-Chat.

Anker Soundcore Space A40

The Anker Soundcore Space A40 is on sale for $54, which matches its all-time low and comes in $25 less than usual. The Space A40 is the top pick in our guide to the best budget wireless earbuds, as it includes a host of features that belie its price: adaptive ANC, multi-device pairing, wireless charging, a transparency mode and up to 10 hours of battery life. Its audio quality and ANC aren’t quite as powerful as more expensive pairs, but both are more than effective enough for the money. Unlike many budget wireless headphones, its default sound doesn’t completely blow out the bass. Just note that its call quality is mediocre, and it lacks wear detection, so it won’t auto-pause when you remove an earbud.

Bose QuietComfort 45

The Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones have dropped to $230 for October Prime Day, which is about $80 cheaper than their usual selling price. These cans earned a spot in our best wireless headphone guide thanks to their comfortable, if a little dated, design, excellent ANC and balanced audio.

Google Pixel Buds Pro

The Google Pixel Buds Pro have dropped to $120 for Prime Day. The company got a lot of things right after years of making pretty standard earbuds; the Pixel Buds Pro are Google's best wireless earbuds yet. These will be great for Android users who want buds with punchy bass, good ANC, reliable touch controls and wireless charging.

Amazon Echo Dot

Amazon has knocked the price of the latest Echo Dot down to $23 right now. It’s one of the best smart speakers you can get thanks to its orb-like design, surprisingly good sound quality for its size and handy Alexa integration. The Dots can also act as Eero WiFi boosters, adding up to 1,000 square feet of coverage to your existing Eero system.

Amazon Echo Show 5

The latest Echo Show 5 is on sale for a record low of $40. The Show 5 has been one of the best smart displays available for quite some time, and it’ll be particularly good for anyone who wants an Alexa-capable smart display that won’t take up a lot of space. It also makes for a good alarm clock thanks to its sunrise alarm and tap-to-snooze features.

Tile Pro (2-pack)

The Tile Pro has a replaceable battery and taps into a decent finding network to locate lost items. Right now, Prime members can get a two pack for $42, which is about $2 more than it's gone for on Amazon previously. It's our pick for the best Bluetooth tracker for Android users. While the Tile finding network isn't as vast as Apple's (and likely not as large as Google's upcoming network), the Pro still reliably allowed us to track down our missing backpack in a crowded pub for our guide.

Chipolo ONE

The Chipolo One is our pick for the best overall Bluetooth tracking device. It's currently down to $25 for the single tag, or you can get a 4-pack for $60. In our guide, we found the Chipolo to reliably and consistently inform us when we'd left our keys behind. It also has the loudest ring of the trackers we tried, which makes it easier to find lost keys and other items when they're nearby.  

Amazon Kindle

The standard Kindle has dropped to $75 for October Prime Day. This model saw a lot of improvements when it was updated in 2022. Capacity was doubled to 16GB and the screen resolution jumped up to 300 ppi for much clearer text. We named it the best budget option in our ereader guide because its perfect entry point to reading and borrowing ebooks and audiobooks.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

The Kindle Paperwhite, meanwhile, is down to $95 for an 8GB model. That's $5 more than it went for during July's Prime Day event but still $45 off its MSRP. The Paperwhite gets you a few extra perks over the standard Kindle, including a larger 6.8-inch screen, a more comprehensive front light and IPX8-rated waterproofing. This deal applies to the ad-supported version (which displays ads for Kindle books and services on your lock screen); it you want no ads on your device, you’ll need to pay $20 more.

$100 PlayStation Store Gift Card + $10 Amazon credit

Here's a simple one: If you buy a $100 PlayStation Store digital gift card and use the code PSN100 at checkout, you can get an extra $10 Amazon credit to use on future purchases. If you often use Amazon and plan on picking up new PS5 games, renewing a PlayStation Plus subscription or buying any other content through the PlayStation Store anyway, it's effectively a bit of free money.

Samsung Smart Monitor M8

The Samsung Smart Monitor M8 is down to just $500, which is $200 off its starting price and the lowest price we've seen thus far. This 32-inch display has built-in apps and allows you to access streaming services, just like you would on a smart TV. It can also act as a smart home hub, showing you your smart camera feeds and more. This discounted model is the updated 2023 version of the monitor that launched at CES 2022.

Blink Mini (2-pack)

A two-pack of Blink Mini security cameras has dropped to $40 for Prime Day. That's about $10 more than they went for last Prime Day, but still a decent 38 percent discount. While these cameras are wired, they have most of the same features as the standard wireless Blink cameras including 1080p video recordings and support for two-way talk and motion alerts.

Google Indoor Nest Security Cam

A slew of Google Nest home security devices are on sale, including the battery-powered Nest Cam that can go inside or outside your home. Typically priced at $180, the security cam is down to $120 for Amazon's October Prime Day event. The Nest Cam works with smart speakers and displays enabled with Alexa or the Google Assistant and can last up to seven months depending on how much activity it picks up. Its weather-resistant build and magnetic mount should make it easy to install on most surfaces. It sends live alerts to your phone and will even allow for on-demand check-ins without a subscription, though it only stores the last three hours for free. For six months of stored footage, you'll need a Nest Aware membership.

Google Nest Thermostat

In other Google deals, the Nest Thermostat is on sale for just $90, which is only about $10 more than the lowest price we've tracked and $40 off Google's MSRP. This is Google's entry-level smart thermostat, but it still lets you control your heating and cooling from anywhere, suggests tweaks to help you save money, and in some cases, can entitle you to rebates from your utility provider. It's all relatively easy to program, and it works with Google's Nest Hub and other smart displays like the Echo Show.

Amazon Fire HD 8

Amazon’s Fire HD 8 is down to $60 for the Prime Big Deal Days event, which is $5 more than the tablet’s all-time low but still $40 off its list price. This discount applies to the model with 32GB of storage; if you need more space, the 64GB version is on sale for $75. Either way, the Fire HD 8 is likely the cheapest competent tablet for most people: It’s slower than the Fire HD 10 and its display is limited to a 1,280 x 800 resolution, but it’s lightweight, it can last more than 10 hours on a charge and it’s still quick enough for basic streaming and reading. It’s not the best value at its standard going rate, but for $60, it’s hard to do better.

Amazon Fire 11 Max

The Fire Max 11 is Amazon’s largest and most performant tablet, with an 11-inch 2,000 x 1,200 resolution display, an aluminum frame, a respectable octa-core processor and 4GB of RAM. It has the same software limitations and lock-screen ads as any other Fire slate, so it’s a tough sell at its usual $230, but now it’s on sale for $150, which matches its all-time low. If you already use a bunch of Amazon services and don’t want to shell out for an entry-level iPad, it's a big upgrade over the Fire HD 8 — just don’t expect to get any real work done with it.

Google Pixel Tablet

The 128GB Google Pixel Tablet is down to $409, which is $90 off and a new low. The 256GB model is also on sale for $509. While we think Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 works better purely as a tablet, Google’s 11-inch slate still gets you a sharp LCD display, a speedy Tensor G2 chip and an easy-to-hold design that weighs just over a pound. Its big hook, however, is that it can attach to an included charging speaker dock and double as a Nest Hub Max-style smart display. Android still isn’t as optimized for large screens as iPadOS, but if that extra functionality sounds useful to you, the Pixel Tablet is worth a look. We gave it a score of 85 in June. (The Galaxy Tab S9, meanwhile, isn’t on sale as of this writing.)

Google Pixel 7a

The Google Pixel 7a is down to a new low of $399 for this sale event. It's the best midrange phone you can get right now thanks to its speedy Tensor G2 chip, smooth 90Hz display and support for wireless charging. The 7a also has solid cameras and an IP67 water-resistant design.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

The entire Samsung Galaxy S23 series is on sale for Prime Day, including the S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra. These are some of the best Android phones you can buy right now, and we recommend springing for the S23 Ultra if you want all of the latest features from Samsung. The Ultra runs on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and has a big, bold 120Hz display, built-in S Pen and an excellent main camera.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have dropped to $199 for October Prime Day, which is the best price we've ever seen, though you'll need to be a Prime member to get the deal. Though they're a generation old now, they remain one of the best wireless earbuds you can buy if active noise cancellation is your main priority. On top of that, these buds have a relatively comfortable fit and pleasing audio quality.

Beats Studio Pro

The Beats Studio Pro headphones are on sale for $179 right now. That's a sizable $170 discount. We reviewed these back in July when they came out and gave them a decent review score of 81. Unfortunately they didn't push any of the top picks from our our best headphones list off their pedestals. They aren't bad, however, offering pleasant, even-handed sound and good noise cancellation. Though Beats is now owned by Apple, these headphones still play nice with Android. There's no wear detection and the mostly plastic design isn’t super premium, but at this price, you may not care.

Sony SRS-XB13

The four-inch tall SRS-XB13 is back down to $35 for Prime Big Deal Days, which matches its sale price from July’s Prime Day sale. You'll need a Prime membership to see the deal, however. This is an older but still worthwhile model of the tiny portable speaker; Sony replaced it with the SRS-XB100 earlier this year, which is also currently seeing a 20 percent discount. Both devices are IP67-rated for water and dust resistance, and each can pair with another speaker for stereo sound.

Tribit StormBox Micro 2

The Tribit StormBox Micro 2 is another small speaker we like that puts out decent volume for its size, and right now it’s down to $48, which is $12 off its usual going rate. This device has a strap on its back that works well on belts, backpacks, or even bike handlebars, so it’s easy to take on the road. And "on the go" is where the StormBox Micro 2 performs best, as it’s more about portable volume than pure fidelity.

Roku Streaming Stick 4K

Our favorite streaming stick, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, has dropped to $37 for this sale. It packs a ton of features into an affordable package, including 4K HDR streaming capabilities, Dolby Vision, AirPlay 2 and private listening when you have a pair of headphones. And since it's so small, it makes for a great travel entertainment device too.

LG B2

The LG B2 OLED TV is down to $847 for a 55-inch model. That’s a new low and roughly $150 off its average street price in recent months. The B2 is the step-down model from the C2 — which is also on sale at $1,097 for a 55-inch set — as it’s not as bright or color-rich with HDR content, it runs on a slower processor and it has two fewer HDMI 2.1 ports. That said, its contrast, colors and motion performance will still be a significant upgrade if you’re upgrading from a more basic LED TV. LG’s new B3 TV promises a cleaner webOS interface, but it’s priced a good way higher as of this writing. If you want an OLED TV for less than $1,000, the B2 should be a better value.

Hisense U6K

If you want a more affordable TV, the Hisense U6K is also on sale, with the 55- and 65-inch models down to $400 and $548, respectively. We’ve seen these deals before, but each matches an all-time low. The U6K is has received generally positive reviews around the web, as it's one of the few budget-level sets with quantum dots, full-array local dimming and a mini-LED backlight. All of that should help it deliver better contrast and color volume than most TVs in its price range. It’s not ideal for gaming though, as it’s limited to a 60Hz refresh rate and lacks HDMI 2.1 ports. In general, it can’t match the brightness or viewing angles of a more expensive set, but it looks to be a good buy if you’re on a tighter budget.

For a well-reviewed midrange model, the Hisense U8K provides much better contrast and peak brightness, plus more gaming-friendly features like ability to play 4K content at up to a 144Hz refresh rate. That one is down to $748 for a 55-inch model and $998 for a 65-inch set.

Samsung The Frame smart TV

Samsung’s The Frame TV is down to $998 for the 55-inch set with an included bezel cover to further the illusion that the set is art when it's off. The discount is a hefty $550 less than this bundle’s average street price. Other sizes are discounted too, including 32-inch model for $548 to the 85-inch set for $3,498. The bundle deals are just for Prime members, but if you don't need the bezel, even non-members can snag the Frame TV alone for the same $998. The expensive sets don't have things you may expect like local dimming and mini-LED backlighting, so their picture quality isn’t as premium as you'd expect. But the realistic art-when-it's-off effect is convincing.

iRobot Roomba 694

iRobot's Roomba 694 has dropped to $199 for Prime Day. It's our favorite cheap robot vacuum thanks to its strong suction power, attractive design and easy to use app. It'll be a good option for robo-vac novices, or anyone that doesn't want to fuss too much with an automatic dirt sucker. It clears hard and carpeted floors well, and it automatically returns to its base once a cleaning job is finished so it can recharge.

Razer Basilisk V3

The Razer Basilisk V3 is down to $44 for Prime members, which is a few bucks more than its all-time low but still $6 less than its usual street price. This is the “best for most” pick in our guide to the best gaming mouse, as its sturdy shape should be comfortable for each grip type and all but the smallest hands. (Provided you’re a righty.) It has 11 customizable buttons, including a “sensitivity clutch” for more precise aiming, and its thumb wheel supports both left-right tilt and a faster free-spin mode. That wheel is somewhat noisy, and the whole thing is too heavy for competitive-minded players, but it still tracks accurately and glides smoothly.

Dell G15 5530 Gaming Laptop

A configuration of Dell’s G15 5530 Gaming Laptop with an Intel Core i7-13650HX processor, 16GB of RAM, an upgradeable 1TB SSD and an 8GB GeForce RTX 4060 GPU is down to $1,130 for Prime Big Deal Days. That’s roughly $270 below its usual going rate. This is an updated version of the “best budget” pick in our guide to the best gaming laptops: It’s heavy, and it can run warm, but this configuration is more than capable of playing modern games at high-ish settings, and its 15.6-inch, 165Hz, 1080p display is sufficiently bright. It is stuck with a 720p webcam though. The slightly larger Dell G16 7630 is also on sale at $1,500 for a model with a Core i9-13900HX and RTX 4070.

Samsung Pro Plus microSD

The Samsung Pro Plus microSD card is on sale for $20 right now. It's our top pick in our best microSD card guide because it was the most consistent of the ones we tested, with some of the best overall speeds and all of the important ratings that a good card should have: U3, V30 and A2. It'll be a great pick for your tablet, smartphone or Nintendo Switch, and it comes with a full-sized adapter in case you need to use it with a camera or connect it to your computer.

Backbone One

The Backbone One is a well-built gamepad that snaps around the sides of your phone and works immediately with just about any game that supports controller input. It’s also convenient for cloud streaming games from a console or PC. Right now both its USB-C and Lightning models are down to $70, which is $30 off. That’s not an all-time low, but discounts on the device are relatively uncommon. We gave the One a positive review last year, and we currently highlight it in our guide to the best handheld gaming systems. Backbone says the USB-C models will work with Apple’s new iPhone 15 lineup as well.

WD and Seagate Storage Expansion Cards for Xbox Series X/S

It’s unfortunate, but the only way to fully expand the storage of an Xbox Series X/S console is to buy a proprietary expansion card. If your Xbox is hurting for space, the 1TB version of WD’s Black C50 card is at least a little cheaper than usual at $125. That’s a $25 discount and a new low. If you need more room, the 2TB model of Seagate’s Storage Expansion Card is also on sale for an all-time low at $230. That’s $50 off. (The 1TB Seagate card is available for $130, but there’s little reason to buy that when the WD model is cheaper.) Both of these are still pricier than a comparable SSD, but any bit of savings should be welcome.

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless

The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless is down to $175, which is within a dollar of its all-time low and $75 off its list price. This is the top wireless pick in our gaming keyboard buying guide, mainly due to its magnetic OmniPoint switches, which enable a range of helpful gaming features. For instance, you can raise or lower the actuation point of individual keys — setting a high point to make typing more comfortable or a low one to make presses more responsive — and use a rapid trigger mode to repeat inputs faster.

The rest of the keyboard is satisfactory as well, with multiple connection options and a useful OLED display for adjusting settings, though you’d buy this for its gaming features more than its typing experience. In general, we think the Wooting 60HE is a better option for gaming enthusiasts, but that one isn’t on sale; the Apex Pro is a close-enough substitute if you need to go wireless. The smaller Apex Pro Mini Wireless is also discounted for $15 less.

Echo Pop

The Echo Pop is Amazon’s smallest Echo smart speaker and it's down to just $18 for Amazon's October Prime sale, which is a 55 percent discount and the lowest price we've tracked. Amazon announced a Kids version of the Pop at their latest devices event, but that version won't be out until the Prime sale is over.

Crucial MX500

The Crucial MX500 internal drive is on sale for $46 right now. It's been an Engadget favorite for a while thanks to its sequential read speeds of 560MB/s and a standard 2.5-inch design that should make it easy to swap in for your desktop's or laptop's used-up drive.

August Smart Lock (4th gen)

August Home Smart Lock, one we've tried and liked, is down to $158 for Prime members right now, which is a $72 percent discount. It's easy to install and won't take up too much space it's even slimmer than prior iterations. This isn't an all-time low, as this model has dropped to $139 in the past — but this is still a solid discount. The lock should work with most existing deadbolts and it directly connects to your Wi-Fi without the need for a separate bridge. 

Here are all the deals we've rounded up so far:

Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-prime-day-deals-to-shop-for-right-now-from-portable-tech-to-smart-home-gear-174356031.html?src=rss

The new Apple Watch Ultra 2 just received a rare $50 discount for Prime Day

Apple’s flagship high-end smartwatch, the just-released Apple Watch Ultra 2, is on sale as part of Amazon’s Prime Day shopapalooza thingamajig. You can snag the durable and functional timepiece for $750 instead of the typical price of $800, a savings of $50. While this deal won’t set the world on fire, the watch is only a couple of weeks old, so any savings at this point is worth noting.

The deal nets you an Apple Watch Ultra 2, complete with GPS and cellular connection options. You get the typical rugged titanium case and can choose from eight colored band options and six band-size options to suit different wrist shapes. Certain colors may not be available in every size, however, so read the fine print.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the company’s most premium wearable, with specs to boot. The form factor matches the OG Ultra smartwatch, but the display is now extra bright, at 3,000 nits vs 2,000 nits from last year’s release. This makes the screen easier to read in varied light conditions. There’s an ambient light sensor on board that automatically adjusts the brightness to suit your environment.

The Ultra 2 also features the company’s new S9 chip, which powers upgraded Siri functionality and the same double-tap feature found with the Series 9. This allows users to double tap the area in front of the watch to answer calls, snooze alarms and perform a variety of other tasks, all by pinching the thumb and forefinger together.

The watch has fantastic battery life, which comes in handy when you’re trekking through the wilderness, with up to 36 hours per charge. However, there’s also a low-power mode that brings this number up to 72 hours per charge. The depth-tracker has been upgraded to further assist divers, with the ability to save past dives and track depth history straight from the watch, with more details available in the iPhone app.

The Ultra 2 boasts new widgets, an upgraded compass app, new workout-tracking features and much more. Apple also noted that it was manufactured using 95 percent recycled materials as part of a broader push to lessen the environmental impact of its product line. Amazon’s sale will only last for the next day or so, so if you have money to burn and a naked wrist, have at it. This isn't the only Apple smartwatch deal to be found as part of Prime Day, so peruse the other deals before settling on a final purchase choice. 

Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-new-apple-watch-ultra-2-just-received-a-rare-50-discount-for-prime-day-173853584.html?src=rss

Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro review: Google's most compelling phones in years

Since the original Pixel, the special sauce for all of Google’s phones has been its software. We’ve seen this throughout the years in its cameras with things like HDR+ processing and Google’s potent Night Sight mode. And more generally with features like Call Screen, Live Translate and the Recorder app. But on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, thanks to the new Tensor G3 chip and focus on machine learning, it feels like Google’s latest flagship phones are taking some of the buzz from the recent AI hype cycle and turning it into tools you’ll actually want to use.

Design and display

The Pixel 8 and 8 Pro don’t look terribly different from last year’s phones, but you’ll notice a number of small tweaks and improvements on closer inspection. Their corners are a touch more rounded and Google deleted the small chin below the screen by making its bezels a uniform size all around. One notable change is that the Pixel 8 has shrunk a bit to a 6.2-inch screen (down from 6.3 inches on the Pixel 7). This is something I can get on board with because the phone is now more compact and easier to hold, without straying too far into tiny handset territory like on the iPhone Mini 13 (which was canceled for its sins – RIP).

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Meanwhile, the 6.7-inch Pixel 8 Pro has received other tweaks including a new matte finish on its back and an almost completely flat display instead of the curvy sides on previous models. The camera bar has also been streamlined to feature a single lens cover for all of its cameras and its new temperature sensor. But regardless of which model you’re looking at, both phones sport a solid build made from Gorilla Glass Victus with IP68 ratings for dust and water resistance and in-screen fingerprint readers.

As for the screens themselves, Google is using Actua and Super Actua branding to describe the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro’s displays and I kind of hate it. Don’t get me wrong, they look great and with peak brightness of 2,000 or 2,400 nits depending on the model, they’re even better looking and more viewable outdoors than before. My issue is that I don’t want to live in a world where every component on a device needs to have a catchy name with nebulous definitions. We have Retina displays on iPhones, PixelSense screens on Surfaces and now Actua panels on Pixels. It’s too much.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

That said, I have noticed that in Google’s quest for precise, realistic colors–which is what its Actua branding is meant to suggest–some hues and tones appear more muted on the Pixel 8 than on rival devices. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just may result in things like food looking a bit more appetizing on competing devices. The Pixel 8 also has a slightly lower resolution (2,400 x 1,080 vs 2,992 x 1,33) than the 8 Pro and a narrower range for its variable refresh rate (60-120Hz vs 1-120Hz).

Performance

Packing a new Tensor G3 chip and either 8GB or 12GB of RAM depending on the model, the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro’s performance feels like it has gotten a noticeable boost compared to the previous generation. Unfortunately, because I’ve been testing devices prior to their official release, apps like Geekbench 6 don’t work yet so I don’t have a ton of numbers to work with. But I have noticed that loading games happens faster and the phone is generally more responsive, though still not quite on the same level as a device with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. The Pixel 8 Pro has also gotten a big boost in the storage department with support for up to 1TB. Sadly, the same can’t be said for the Pixel 8 which still tops about at 256GB.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Of course, horsepower is more than just clock speeds and benchmarks. Google claims the Tensor G3 runs more than twice as many machine learning models on-device compared to the Pixel 6’s G1 processor. Now that figure is difficult to put into perspective, but with the arrival of features like Magic Editor that uses generative AI to manipulate photos, now I actually care about how powerful a chip’s NPU is. Currently, when tweaking a photo or using AI to create a new wallpaper in Android 14, there’s a solid two or three Mississippi before I can see results. That’s understandable considering the novelty of the software, but given how often I've been using the features, I’m already dreaming about making them work faster.

Cameras

Nowhere on the phone is Google’s improved software and AI more evident than when shooting photos and videos. In addition to new sensors that include a 50-MP main camera and a 12-MP ultra-wide (or a 48-MP ultra-wide and 48-MP telephoto with a 5x optical zoom on the 8 Pro), the Pixel 8 delivers a fresh suite of tools for making everything your capture look better.

The most impressive new feature is Magic Editor, which combines lasso and content-aware fill capabilities, similar to Photoshop, in a single place. All you have to do is highlight something with your finger and then you can choose to delete it (like in the case of a distracting element) or move it somewhere else, at which point the Pixel uses AI to fill in any holes. It sounds simple in theory, but anyone who‘s ever tried to crudely cover up a blemish with the clone stamp tool knows it’s not quite that easy. But the Pixel makes it seem like it is and the results are surprisingly good. The caveat is that in order to use Magic Editor, you first need to back your pic up in Google Photos. So if you run out of storage space or don’t have a good data connection, you might be in for a minor headache.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

For example, check out this picture I recently took at a wedding. Even before editing, it looks great, which is a testament to Google’s excellent image processing. Then, thanks to the Magic Editor, I had no trouble removing small distractions like a neon exit sign. This results in a photo that draws your attention back to the bride and groom (where it should be).

And for anyone who’s ever been annoyed by a group pic that was ruined because one person was frowning when it happened, there’s Best Take. Instead of shooting a single group shot and calling it a day, Best Take can look at a series of images, recognize people’s faces and then give you the option of putting whichever reaction you want on each person’s head. Granted, it’s not perfect and, depending on the composition of the photo, you might notice some small bumps around people’s necks and shoulders or some misplaced hair. But it’s good enough that people might not notice unless they’re actively looking for flaws. You just have to remember to shoot more than just one photo, but you already do that anyway right?

Note: The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro use the same 50-MP sensor for their main camera. In this review, I primarily used the Pixel 8 Pro for camera testing. 

However, the Pixel 8 Pro takes things even further with the addition of pro camera controls. This is something I’ve personally been hoping to get for a while and, even though Google certainly took its time making it happen, the results are solid. You can activate Pro controls by tapping the settings icon and switching over to the new Pro tab. Then you can tap the button in the bottom right to adjust things like file type (JPEG or RAW), shutter speed, white balance and more. There’s even a manual focus option that includes focus peaking to show you what’s sharp and what isn’t.

Video is getting some big improvements too. Audio Magic Eraser does an impressive job of eliminating distracting ambient noises from your clips. It’s not as good as having dedicated mics and a full-time sound editor. But if all you want to do is make things easier to hear, this is a big help and it fits in a pocket.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The downside to a software-first approach is that things take a bit more time. So not only do you have to wait for images or clips to get processed, some of the Pixel 8 Pro’s most promising features like Zoom Enhance and Video Boost with Night Sight won’t be available at launch and aren’t scheduled to arrive until a feature drop sometime in December. Now while it's possible that this a result of a longer pipelines for software development, I hope this doesn't become a trend. It’s a bit of a shame that everything isn’t ready on day one

More generally, Google’s HDR+ and low-light modes are as good as it gets. Shots taken with Night Sight were routinely, sharper, brighter and more detailed than what I got from an S23 Ultra. And while its 5x optical zoom isn’t quite as long as the S23's 10x, it often feels more usable, especially when you’re shooting indoor events. Regardless, between its upgraded sensors, Google’s excellent image processing, the new pro controls and a fresh kit of AI-powered tools, the Pixel 8 Pro feels like the most powerful smartphone camera on the market. And despite having one fewer lens and fewer features, the regular Pixel 8 isn’t far behind.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

My one question is that I’m not sure why Google is restricting pro camera controls solely to the more expensive model. Even without a telephoto camera, having access to advanced settings would be a welcome addition to the base model. Heck, some folks have already figured out a way to hack pro controls onto the Pixel 6, Pixel 7 and the Pixel 8 by messing around with the Google Camera APK. So hey Google, how about just officially porting over Pro controls to as many devices as possible?

Other new features

The AI-powered functions don’t stop there though. If you feel like creating a custom wallpaper, you can simply generate one based on a few adjustable parameters. It’s an interesting way to create a unique backdrop, but as evidenced by the awkward-looking hands on the one I created, it still succumbs to a lot of the pitfalls that often plague AI art.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

When you want to save some time, you can ask the Google Assistant to summarize an article from the web. Or you can ask it to read the story aloud, which creates a new audio popup so you can listen while you multitask. It’s like having the ability to turn every article into an audiobook, which is just really convenient. The entire internet is now a podcast. And if that’s not enough, you can even have the assistant translate stories into another language at the same time too.

Thanks to the Tensor G3 chip, Google also says that Pixel 8 supports more natural voice and text recognition, which powers features like a proofreading tool in Gboard and improved Assistant voice typing across multiple languages (English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish). Unfortunately, the only other language I speak is Mandarin, which isn’t supported yet, so I’ll have to check in again on this when that gets added.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Lastly, Google says that by using a new algorithm alongside upgraded hardware, Face Unlock is significantly faster and more secure than before. In my testing, that increased speed definitely checks out. And a few times when I set the phone down on a wireless charging pad, it automatically unlocked from six feet away when I walked in the room, so facial recognition seems to have been improved as well. The one issue is that during setup, I found you need to be in a rather bright room, otherwise you’ll run into errors and a message asking you to try again.

Lastly, while it doesn’t have anything to do with AI, there’s a new temperature sensor on the Pixel 8 Pro that at launch can be used to measure drinks and whatnot. And in the future, if granted permission by the FDA, Google is hoping you’ll be able to use the sensors as a thermometer for people. It’s a nice but not essential added feature, though I imagine it will come in handy for parents of small children like me who are constantly in fear that their kid is coming down with something.

Battery Life and support

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

While the Tensor G3 has given the Pixel 8 a big boost to its AI capabilities, it’s provided a bump in longevity too. On our standard video rundown test, the Pixel 8 lasted 20 hours and 16 minutes, which is a two-hour increase over last year’s phone. The Pixel 8 Pro fared even better, as it lasted 21 hours and 9 minutes versus 16:42 for the P7 Pro. Additionally, wired charging is now slightly faster at 27 watts for the Pixel 8 and 30 watts for the Pixel 8 Pro. However because you don’t get a power adapter in the box, you’ll need to buy an appropriate charging brick separately.

The biggest upgrade across the entire device, though, might be Google’s pledge to give the Pixel 8 line seven years of software and hardware support. That includes Android updates, monthly security patches and regular feature drops from now until 2030. And while it remains to be seen how these phones are going to hold up after all the time, it’s hard to be salty about having the longest support commitment of any Android phone not named the Fairphone 5.

Wrap-up

Back in 2018 when the Pixel 3 came out, that was the first time it felt like Google’s software-first approach to phone design really came together. And now on the Pixel 8, between the Tensor G3 and compelling new tools that chip is powering, Google is using AI to level up its playbook. More importantly, it’s doing so in a more tangible and practical way than services like ChatGPT or Midjourney. The Pixel 8 delivers AI to the palm of your hand that makes your photos look better, videos sound better, news easier to digest and your drunk texts easier to understand. And with even longer software support, there’s a pathway for the Pixel 8 to get better down the line.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

It is a bit of a shame that both the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro now cost $100 more than before. But just like everything else, phones aren't immune to inflation. And that price is even higher for people on Verizon who want support for mmWave 5G, as Big Red’s version of the Pixel 8 starts at $799 instead of $699. Still, the less expensive new Pixel comes with an upgraded main camera, better battery life and a more refined design, not to mention Magic Editor, Best Take and a bunch of other AI tools. But despite the price hike, the Pixel 8 feels like a great deal and I consider its slightly smaller screen an upgrade in general wieldability. It’s a nearly ideal small Android phone.

Then we come to the Pixel 8 Pro, which is even more impressive. Google’s phones already took some of the best photos you could capture with a pocket-sized device. And with the power of AI and a full suite of upgraded sensors, the Pixel 8 Pro is basically unmatched when it comes to overall photography prowess. For the past three years, I’ve been using some kind of big foldable as my daily driver. But the Pixel 8 Pro is the first handset that has me wanting to go back to a traditional glass brick. The real magic of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro though is that even if you don’t know or care how AI is impacting its software, Google’s latest tricks are too enticing to pass up.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/pixel-8-and-pixel-8-pro-review-googles-most-compelling-phones-in-years-specs-price-170022742.html?src=rss