Joystiq
Joystiq News
Depending on what you buy and where you shop, many online purchases should arrive before December 25th, so if you're still working through your gift list, it might not be too late. Even if you're just looking for deals in general, there are plenty out there. Despite the fact that the official "shopping holidays" have ended, retailers and brands are still discounting many gadgets and devices at prices that meet their Black Friday lows. Right now, you can save on , , Google and , and Amazon's most popular We also found discounts on cards, a and noted that a was still selling for it's Cyber Monday low. Here are the best tech deals from the week that you can still get today.
As part of a , the smart speaker is back down to $199 from the manufacturer's store front. That's $50 of the list price and matches the price we saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. We named it the best midrange smart speaker and gave it an when it debuted earlier this year. It's an improvement over its predecessor, the Sonos One, which was in itself already pretty great.
Upgrades include a new speaker array with two tweeters instead of one plus a woofer that’s 25 percent bigger. That lends the speaker impressive bass, a clear high-end and big volume. It connects via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and now also has a line-in USB-C port to directly connect a player (though you'll need an adapter to hook up a turntable). And the smart assistant duties come courtesy of Alexa or the music-focused Sonos assistant, unfortunately it doesn't support the Google Assistant.
The and the are also part of the with discounts of up to 25 percent off.
Amazon kicked of Black Friday early this year with discounts on their own devices. Many of the deals on bundled with a free smart bulb didn't end with Cyber Week and are still live today. So you can save on an combo — and depending on where you're shipping, it should arrive by Christmas. The Echo Show 5 was refreshed in June and has a list price of $90. The Sengled light is $20 on its own. While both of them go on sale often, the bundle represents a 63 percent discount over buying them at full price. The set makes a nice smart home starter kit, as the Echo Show 5 gives you voice and touchscreen control over smart home devices like the Sengled bulb.
The best ereader, according to is the . It's currently selling for $20 off the list price of $140, a discount it hit for Black Friday. It rarely goes on sale so this is a good chance to save on an ereader with a crisp 300 ppi screen with a waterproof build and warm LED front lights. Setting the device up is easy, even for those new to ereaders and the Kobo store is nearly as vast as Amazon's Kindle store, though without the Kindle Exclusive titles. You can also easily borrow books from your local library and read them on your Kobo for free.
Amazon is selling a for $33, which matches the record low the set hit for Prime Day in October. Or you can grab a directly from the manufacturer for 40 percent off. These handy fobs attach to your keys, backpack, or anything else you don't want to lose. The app works with both iPhone and Android and uses the community of other Tile users to locate items that you misplace out in the world. The smaller is also on sale, currently 33 percent off, making it just $20. Or you can get our top pick for Androids in our is the . It's down to $25, which is just $2 more than the record low it hit for Prime Day in July.
The is our recommendation for a set-top box in our guide to the . Right now it's down to $67 at Amazon and at . That's only about a dollar more than the lowest price it has sold for. It's been on sale for $70 for much of the past few weeks, so this is a chance to save a little more. While it's our favorite set-top streamer, it's not necessarily as good of a value as our top pick for a streamer, the . That model is down to $39, which is a full $10 more than it went for during Black Friday but still $28 less than the Ultra.
The overall pick in our guide to the best budget earbuds is Anker's and right now they're on sale at Amazon for $54. That ties the all time low the buds hit for Black Friday. We like the light, evenly balanced design that's comfortable to wear for long sessions and the sound profile is warm and pleasant. We also think the active noise cancellation is great for the price. Just note that they don't auto pause when you remove a bud and the mic quality for calls could be better.
An unlocked is back down to $549 at Amazon. That's a $150 discount and matches its Black Friday low. You can get the same deal from and at the . For a larger screen, you can get the , which is $200 off at Amazon, and the , bringing the base configuration with 128GB down to $799. We named these phones the you can buy and gave them a 90 in our review, calling them "."
If you know someone who plays games on an Xbox or Switch, these two deals may make great gifts. Right now, Target is selling $50 or gift cards for $45. Both cards are delivered electronically to an email address and can be transferred to the user's balance as soon as they get the message. They can then use the funds to buy games and add-ons through their console.
Switch gamers can also get a digital code for an individual for $18, or a family membership for $31.50. Both are 10 percent off the going rate for a 12-month subscription.
Right now at Amazon, and directly from , you can get the latest Google Pixel Tablet for $100 off the list price. That brings it to $399, which is a discount we've seen a few times previously and matches the low it went for during Black Friday sales. The standout feature for the slate is its ability to function as a smart display, as it comes complete with a stand that doubles (triples?) as a charging base and a much fuller speaker than any tablet can muster on its own. We gave the Pixel Tablet a when it debuted back in June and mention it as an alternative in our — noting that it's a good pick if you think you'll make use of the smart display option.
is offering two annual memberships — one for yourself and one to give away as a gift — for the price of one. If you're unfamiliar, MasterClass offers courses taught by famous people — like Spike Lee teaching directing, Aaron Sorkin teaching screenwriting and Alicia Keys teaching songwriting. Memberships start at $120 per year, which lets you watch on one device at a time and go up to $240 per year for download permissions and access on six devices simultaneously. The free membership will be at the same level you buy for yourself. The deal ends December 12th.
Google's just came out in October but we're already seeing a substantial discount of $50 off, making the Wi-Fi model just $300 at Amazon and from the . The is also $50 off and down to $350. The Pixel Watch 2 is an over the previous model, with a longer-lasting battery that goes for 24 hours between charges. The Fitbit integration is even deeper this time, with a focus on stress levels using a new body-response sensor. We did find some flaws, however, such as the Fitbit branding throughout that felt like a disconnect from the Pixel brand. There were also software quirks and confusing data presentation that prevented us from giving it a glowing review.
The is on sale for $349 at Amazon, which is $100 off the list price and the same price it hit for Black Friday. It often sells for $399, so this is and additional $50 off the going rate. In we didn't call it a wild improvement over the previous generation, but we did appreciate that it orients the camera to the landscape edge, which is much better for video calls. The USB-C charging is more modern than the Lightning connector on the 9th gen iPad, but for some reason this model still works with the first generation Apple Pencil (even though the slate came out after the second-gen stylus).
The is 25 percent off and down to $134, which is price it went for during Black Friday and has remained there since. It happens to be our top pick for a thanks to its versatility as an indoor or outdoor smart speaker you can plonk down anywhere. You can control it with Alexa or the Google Assistant it and works on Wi-Fi or via Bluetooth. The sound isn’t as big as from larger speakers, but it still packs a surprising amount of bass and distinct highs
Amazon's best selling speaker — and for a smart speaker under $50 — is the and it is still down to $23, the low price it hit for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The sound is surprisingly good for the size and price and it brings Alexa's weather-forecasting, timer-setting, joke-telling abilities into whatever room you set it in. I use it to control our smart plugs and my kid uses it to play "The Wellerman" for the 900th time.
Last week, Wellbots sold the earbuds for $120 with a code. This week you can get the same $80 discount, no special letters and numbers required. That makes the buds just than their all-time low. We called these earbuds the company’s best effort to date praising the deep and punchy bass, the useful touch controls, wireless charging options and more. They're currently our top pick for Android users in our guide to the .
has been on sale for a few weeks now. It pairs the $500 PS5 console with the new Spider-Man 2 game for no extra cost. We named the latest PlayStation one of the you can get right now. We also liked the game, and called it better than its predecessor .
The Meta Quest 2 bundled with a $50 store credit at the Meta Quest store is now $249 from Walmart. The headset by itself retails at $300 so this is essentially a $100 discount and matches similar discount-and-gift card combos we saw for Black Friday. Now that the improved is out in the world, this is harder sell. The new headset goes for $500 and isn't on sale at the moment, but if you can swing it, you'll get a better VR experience along with mixed reality improvements. That said, we're still impressed with the bargain the Quest 2 provides and named it our pick for those on a budget in our .
If you're willing to transport your actual human body to a GameStop and walk in the door like it's 2009, you can save $25 on the with a download code for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and three months of Nintendo Switch Online. Place your order online then select in-store pickup to get the deal. The bundle is going for $349 at most outlets across the internet, but if you bought the () game at full price along with the console and subscription, you'd pay $68 more. Combined with the $25 it's a good way to get the console if you somehow don't have it already. Keep in mind that an updated Switch is likely on the horizon, but as for now, the Switch is our favorite console for .
Samsung's Evo Select MicroSD is which is a 25 percent discount and matches its Black Friday pricing. This is the value pick in our to MicroSD cards, partly because it's often on sale. It doesn't match the sequential write speeds of our top picks, so you may not want to use it for your camera, but if you just need more space for your Switch games, this will work well.
Follow on Twitter and for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at
Console Bang News!
Sonos Era 100
As part of a , the smart speaker is back down to $199 from the manufacturer's store front. That's $50 of the list price and matches the price we saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. We named it the best midrange smart speaker and gave it an when it debuted earlier this year. It's an improvement over its predecessor, the Sonos One, which was in itself already pretty great.
Upgrades include a new speaker array with two tweeters instead of one plus a woofer that’s 25 percent bigger. That lends the speaker impressive bass, a clear high-end and big volume. It connects via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and now also has a line-in USB-C port to directly connect a player (though you'll need an adapter to hook up a turntable). And the smart assistant duties come courtesy of Alexa or the music-focused Sonos assistant, unfortunately it doesn't support the Google Assistant.
The and the are also part of the with discounts of up to 25 percent off.
Echo Show 5 + smart bulb
Amazon kicked of Black Friday early this year with discounts on their own devices. Many of the deals on bundled with a free smart bulb didn't end with Cyber Week and are still live today. So you can save on an combo — and depending on where you're shipping, it should arrive by Christmas. The Echo Show 5 was refreshed in June and has a list price of $90. The Sengled light is $20 on its own. While both of them go on sale often, the bundle represents a 63 percent discount over buying them at full price. The set makes a nice smart home starter kit, as the Echo Show 5 gives you voice and touchscreen control over smart home devices like the Sengled bulb.
Kobo Clara 2e
The best ereader, according to is the . It's currently selling for $20 off the list price of $140, a discount it hit for Black Friday. It rarely goes on sale so this is a good chance to save on an ereader with a crisp 300 ppi screen with a waterproof build and warm LED front lights. Setting the device up is easy, even for those new to ereaders and the Kobo store is nearly as vast as Amazon's Kindle store, though without the Kindle Exclusive titles. You can also easily borrow books from your local library and read them on your Kobo for free.
Tile Tracker Sale
Amazon is selling a for $33, which matches the record low the set hit for Prime Day in October. Or you can grab a directly from the manufacturer for 40 percent off. These handy fobs attach to your keys, backpack, or anything else you don't want to lose. The app works with both iPhone and Android and uses the community of other Tile users to locate items that you misplace out in the world. The smaller is also on sale, currently 33 percent off, making it just $20. Or you can get our top pick for Androids in our is the . It's down to $25, which is just $2 more than the record low it hit for Prime Day in July.
Roku Ultra
The is our recommendation for a set-top box in our guide to the . Right now it's down to $67 at Amazon and at . That's only about a dollar more than the lowest price it has sold for. It's been on sale for $70 for much of the past few weeks, so this is a chance to save a little more. While it's our favorite set-top streamer, it's not necessarily as good of a value as our top pick for a streamer, the . That model is down to $39, which is a full $10 more than it went for during Black Friday but still $28 less than the Ultra.
Anker Soundcore Space A40
The overall pick in our guide to the best budget earbuds is Anker's and right now they're on sale at Amazon for $54. That ties the all time low the buds hit for Black Friday. We like the light, evenly balanced design that's comfortable to wear for long sessions and the sound profile is warm and pleasant. We also think the active noise cancellation is great for the price. Just note that they don't auto pause when you remove a bud and the mic quality for calls could be better.
Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro
An unlocked is back down to $549 at Amazon. That's a $150 discount and matches its Black Friday low. You can get the same deal from and at the . For a larger screen, you can get the , which is $200 off at Amazon, and the , bringing the base configuration with 128GB down to $799. We named these phones the you can buy and gave them a 90 in our review, calling them "."
Xbox and Nintendo gift cards
If you know someone who plays games on an Xbox or Switch, these two deals may make great gifts. Right now, Target is selling $50 or gift cards for $45. Both cards are delivered electronically to an email address and can be transferred to the user's balance as soon as they get the message. They can then use the funds to buy games and add-ons through their console.
Switch gamers can also get a digital code for an individual for $18, or a family membership for $31.50. Both are 10 percent off the going rate for a 12-month subscription.
Google Pixel Tablet
Right now at Amazon, and directly from , you can get the latest Google Pixel Tablet for $100 off the list price. That brings it to $399, which is a discount we've seen a few times previously and matches the low it went for during Black Friday sales. The standout feature for the slate is its ability to function as a smart display, as it comes complete with a stand that doubles (triples?) as a charging base and a much fuller speaker than any tablet can muster on its own. We gave the Pixel Tablet a when it debuted back in June and mention it as an alternative in our — noting that it's a good pick if you think you'll make use of the smart display option.
MasterClass BOGO
is offering two annual memberships — one for yourself and one to give away as a gift — for the price of one. If you're unfamiliar, MasterClass offers courses taught by famous people — like Spike Lee teaching directing, Aaron Sorkin teaching screenwriting and Alicia Keys teaching songwriting. Memberships start at $120 per year, which lets you watch on one device at a time and go up to $240 per year for download permissions and access on six devices simultaneously. The free membership will be at the same level you buy for yourself. The deal ends December 12th.
Google Pixel Watch 2
Google's just came out in October but we're already seeing a substantial discount of $50 off, making the Wi-Fi model just $300 at Amazon and from the . The is also $50 off and down to $350. The Pixel Watch 2 is an over the previous model, with a longer-lasting battery that goes for 24 hours between charges. The Fitbit integration is even deeper this time, with a focus on stress levels using a new body-response sensor. We did find some flaws, however, such as the Fitbit branding throughout that felt like a disconnect from the Pixel brand. There were also software quirks and confusing data presentation that prevented us from giving it a glowing review.
Apple iPad (10th gen)
The is on sale for $349 at Amazon, which is $100 off the list price and the same price it hit for Black Friday. It often sells for $399, so this is and additional $50 off the going rate. In we didn't call it a wild improvement over the previous generation, but we did appreciate that it orients the camera to the landscape edge, which is much better for video calls. The USB-C charging is more modern than the Lightning connector on the 9th gen iPad, but for some reason this model still works with the first generation Apple Pencil (even though the slate came out after the second-gen stylus).
Sonos Roam
The is 25 percent off and down to $134, which is price it went for during Black Friday and has remained there since. It happens to be our top pick for a thanks to its versatility as an indoor or outdoor smart speaker you can plonk down anywhere. You can control it with Alexa or the Google Assistant it and works on Wi-Fi or via Bluetooth. The sound isn’t as big as from larger speakers, but it still packs a surprising amount of bass and distinct highs
Amazon Echo Dot
Amazon's best selling speaker — and for a smart speaker under $50 — is the and it is still down to $23, the low price it hit for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The sound is surprisingly good for the size and price and it brings Alexa's weather-forecasting, timer-setting, joke-telling abilities into whatever room you set it in. I use it to control our smart plugs and my kid uses it to play "The Wellerman" for the 900th time.
Google Pixel Buds
Last week, Wellbots sold the earbuds for $120 with a code. This week you can get the same $80 discount, no special letters and numbers required. That makes the buds just than their all-time low. We called these earbuds the company’s best effort to date praising the deep and punchy bass, the useful touch controls, wireless charging options and more. They're currently our top pick for Android users in our guide to the .
PS5
has been on sale for a few weeks now. It pairs the $500 PS5 console with the new Spider-Man 2 game for no extra cost. We named the latest PlayStation one of the you can get right now. We also liked the game, and called it better than its predecessor .
Meta Quest 2
The Meta Quest 2 bundled with a $50 store credit at the Meta Quest store is now $249 from Walmart. The headset by itself retails at $300 so this is essentially a $100 discount and matches similar discount-and-gift card combos we saw for Black Friday. Now that the improved is out in the world, this is harder sell. The new headset goes for $500 and isn't on sale at the moment, but if you can swing it, you'll get a better VR experience along with mixed reality improvements. That said, we're still impressed with the bargain the Quest 2 provides and named it our pick for those on a budget in our .
16-inch macbook pro (m3 pro, 18gb ram, 512gb ssd) for —> ties BF price iirc
Nintendo Switch OLED + Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
If you're willing to transport your actual human body to a GameStop and walk in the door like it's 2009, you can save $25 on the with a download code for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and three months of Nintendo Switch Online. Place your order online then select in-store pickup to get the deal. The bundle is going for $349 at most outlets across the internet, but if you bought the () game at full price along with the console and subscription, you'd pay $68 more. Combined with the $25 it's a good way to get the console if you somehow don't have it already. Keep in mind that an updated Switch is likely on the horizon, but as for now, the Switch is our favorite console for .
Samsung Evo Select 256GB Micro SD card
Samsung's Evo Select MicroSD is which is a 25 percent discount and matches its Black Friday pricing. This is the value pick in our to MicroSD cards, partly because it's often on sale. It doesn't match the sequential write speeds of our top picks, so you may not want to use it for your camera, but if you just need more space for your Switch games, this will work well.
Follow on Twitter and for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at
Console Bang News!