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It’s Friday, which means it’s time for another roundup of the week’s best tech deals. Today we’re seeing good prices on Google’s Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro phones, a couple of all-time lows on the 10.2-inch iPad and iPad mini and a sweeping sale on Nintendo Switch games, among other discounts on gadgets and gear we like. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
We gave Google’s Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro review scores of 90 and 92, respectively, last year, calling them “the best bargain in flagship phones” along the way. Both handsets are back on sale this week, with the 6.3-inch Pixel 7 down to $499 and the 6.7-inch Pixel 7 Pro available for $749. We’ve seen the phones hit these prices multiple times over the past year, and neither represents an absolute low, but they’re still roughly $60 and $90 lower than the average street price we’ve seen in recent months.
Either way, you’re getting top-notch cameras, pleasing build quality and a clean version of Android with regular updates, though there are faster flagships out there for more money. If you’re on a tighter budget, the 6.1-inch Pixel 6a is smaller, lacks the Pixel 7’s faster refresh rate and has a lesser camera, but it’s otherwise similar enough to remain a strong value at its current sale price of $349.
For those who aren’t totally overwhelmed by their gaming backlog, Nintendo is running a “New Year Sale” at its online store that includes a number of discounts on digital Switch games we like. Several of these deals are available at third-party retailers like Walmart and Amazon as well, if you’re buying digitally and want to snag a few extra Gold Points toward future Nintendo store purchases. Walmart in particular looks to have a handful of games available for lower than Nintendo itself.
Many Nintendo-published games either aren’t included in the sale or not available for an all-time low — don’t expect any major Mario or Pokémon deals — but the discounts do include a few picks from our guides to the best Nintendo Switch games and best couch co-op games, among others. The 2D platformer Celeste, for one, is down to a new low of $4, while the popular Metroidvania Hollow Knight is available for $7. Elsewhere, the relaxing farming sim Stardew Valley is down to $9, the gentle adventure Chicory: A Colorful Tale is discounted to $13, and the charming puzzler Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is on sale for $25. There are many more deals beyond those, though, so it’s worth perusing through the selection if you’re looking to add to your Switch library.
Apple’s iPad mini is back down to $400 at Best Buy and Amazon, which matches the lowest price we’ve tracked. This is about $30 off the diminutive tablet’s typical price in recent months and $100 off Apple’s MSRP. We gave the mini a review score of 89 back when it launched in late 2021, and it remains the only real option if you specifically want a compact iPad, whether you have smaller hands or just want something easier to throw in a bag. It still looks and feels like a smaller iPad Air, and its A15 Bionic chip remains more than fast enough for streaming, e-book reading and web browsing. Just be aware that this SKU only comes with 64GB of storage, and that stock at Amazon has been dipping in and out for much of the week.
If you don’t want to spend as much cash on a new iPad, though, the entry-level 9th-gen model is also on sale for a new all-time low of $250 at Amazon and Best Buy. That’s $79 off Apple’s MSRP and roughly $40 below the 10.2-inch tablet’s average price on Amazon as of late. This is the budget pick in our guide to the best iPads, and our review gave it a score of 86 at launch. It has a more dated design and older A13 chip than the rest of Apple’s iPad lineup, but it’s still a massive step up over, say, Amazon’s Fire HD tablets. At this price, it’s easy to recommend if you use your tablet casually but don’t want something that feels cheap.
The entry-level version of Apple’s latest and greatest MacBook Air is once again available for $999, which is the lowest price we’ve seen. We gave the M2-powered Air a review score of 96 last year, and it’s currently the top overall pick in our guide to the best laptops. For everyday use, it still ticks nearly all the boxes in terms of design, display, battery life and performance. This specific configuration does have slower storage performance than the higher-capacity models, but that shouldn’t be a serious hindrance unless you plan on doing more involved tasks like media editing (at which point you should probably pony up for a pricier SKU anyway).
For a laptop better suited to gaming, meanwhile, Razer has discounted a number of its Blade 14 and Blade 15 notebooks. These devices come as a significant premium, and if you can wait a few months, it’s worth remembering that Razer introduced new Blade laptops at CES last week. For those with money to burn, though, the current models still pack enough power to play modern games in a slim and stylish design.
We gave the Blade 15 a review score of 86 last year, and we currently recommend it as the “best premium” option in our guide to the best gaming laptops. A configuration with an RTX 3070 Ti GPU, a Core i7-12800H CPU, a 240Hz 1440p display, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD is down to a new “low” of $2,600, for instance, which is about $350 less than usual.
Amazon introduced a refreshed version of its Fire TV Cube back in September, but this week the media streamer received its first discount, dropping by $15 to a sale price of $125. Though it isn’t a recommendation in our guide to best streaming devices — Roku’s Streaming Stick 4K or Google’s Chromecast offer much better value for most — the Fire TV Cube is worth considering if the idea of having hands-free Alexa functionality baked into your 4K streamer sounds appealing. It’s technically the fastest of Amazon’s Fire TV streamers, too, though you still have to deal with the usual glut of ads baked into Amazon’s streaming UI, even with the higher upfront cost.
If you’re partial to Amazon services and want something more affordable, note that the Fire TV Stick 4K Max streamer is also on sale for $40, while the 1080p Fire TV Stick Lite is down to $25. We’ve seen better deals for both of those in the past, but they’re still decent values if you need a streamer today.
A couple of wallet-friendly Bluetooth speakers we like from audio brand Tribit are even further discounted this week. The ultra-portable StormBox Micro 2, for one, is down to $51 with a 15 percent on-page coupon, while the XSound Go is available for $30 with a 20 percent coupon. Neither of these deals are all-time lows, and you shouldn’t expect any miracles in terms of audio performance either way. Still, these are good buys if you just need a travel (or shower) speaker for less than $50. The StormBox Micro 2 is a pick in our best Bluetooth speakers guide due to its fuller-than-expected sound and built-in strap that helps it connect to backpacks or bike handlebars. The XSound Go offers generally similar performance and IPX7 waterproofing, just in a more traditional pill-shaped design.
The Beats Fit Pro is still on sale for an all-time low of $160, which is a discount we saw for much of the holiday season but still comes in about $20 below the wireless earbuds’ average street price of late.
We gave the Fit Pro a review score of 87 last year, and it’s currently the “best for workouts” pick in our guide to the best wireless earbuds. It has an enjoyably bass-forward sound, and it brings many of the benefits you’d get from a set of AirPods — “Find My” tracking, hands-free Siri, simple pairing with other Apple devices, etc. — just in a smaller and sportier design. It doesn’t totally sacrifice its features when paired with an Android phone, either. That said, its ANC is merely average compared to the AirPods Pro, there’s no wireless charging and the included case is a bit chunky. Still, for those interested in new wireless workout earbuds, the Fit Pro is a fine option at this deal price.
Fitbit’s Charge 5 is back down to $100, which is within a dollar of the wearable’s all-time low. Again, this is the sale price we saw during the holidays, but it remains about $20 below the wearable’s usual street price over the last few months. The Charge 5 is the top recommendation in our guide to the best fitness trackers, and it earned a review score of 82 at launch for its reliable activity tracking, built-in GPS and full-color OLED display. Just don’t expect it to match an Apple Watch in terms of features and app support.
Sony is running a sale on the higher tier of its PlayStation Plus service, discounting 3- and 12-month subscriptions to its “Extra” and “Premium” memberships between 30 and 40 percent, depending on which subscription you choose. The catch, unfortunately, is that the deal is only available to new PS Plus subscribers. Still, if you haven’t signed up, you can get a year of PlayStation Plus Extra — which adds an on-demand library of a few hundred games to the standard Essential tier — for $60, which is a $40 discount. Given that a 12-month Essential plan normally goes for the same price, you’re effectively getting access to the game library for no extra cost.
The 12-month Premium plan, meanwhile, is on sale for $80; that tier probably isn’t worth it to most, but if you want cloud streaming and a further selection of older games, it’s an option. Either way, Sony says this sale is set to end on Friday.
While it’s not a formal pick in any of our buying guides, Logitech’s G305 Lightspeed is a worthy choice for those in need of a quality wireless gaming mouse for less than $50. It’s on the smaller side, lacks Bluetooth and requires a AA battery for power, but its performance is smooth and consistent, and Logitech says it can get up to 250 hours of battery life per charge. It’s on sale this week for $30, which is only about $7 below its typical street price but still within $2 of its all-time low.
If you can afford to take a step up or just want something more accommodating to larger hands, Razer’s Basilisk Ultimate is also worth a shout at its current deal price of $70, which is about $30 below its usual going rate. It’s technically been replaced, and its design is for righties only, but it has a wider range of customizable buttons and RGB lighting zones, as well as a comfy thumb rest. Its performance should still yield few complaints, and it can work over an included cable in a pinch. It also comes with a charging dock.
Garmin’s Index S2 is the “best for athletes” pick in our guide to the best smart scales, and right now it’s on sale for $130 at Amazon and Garmin’s own online store. That’s a $20 discount and tied for the lowest price we’ve tracked. To be clear, most people interested in a more advanced scale do not need to spend quite this much. We wish the display on this model was a bit faster, too. But for those who train consistently, we found the Index S2 to provide a wealth of useful data without being overly complicated to use. We also enjoy its sturdy and stylish design. If you want a more affordable scale, meanwhile, Fitbit’s Aria Air is the budget pick in our guide and currently on sale for $40.
LG’s C2 OLED TV is steeply discounted as part of a wider sale at eBay, with the 48-, 55-, and 65-inch models available for $838, $1,118 and $1,438, respectively, when you use the code NEWYEARTWENTY at checkout. Depending on which size you want, this is about $180 to $200 below the sets’ typical selling price in recent months. Each listing here comes via Electronic Express, which LG lists as an authorized dealer.
LG unveiled its 2023 OLED TV lineup at CES, promising improvements to OLED’s longstanding issues with maximum brightness along the way. If you don’t place your TV in a particular bright room, though, the C2 still provides the kind of high contrast, vivid colors and wide viewing angles you’d expect from a high-end OLED panel. Do note, though, that we’re likely to see steeper discounts on other still-decent sets from last year in the coming weeks as manufacturers look to clear out inventory before launching their newest models. Sony’s well-reviewed X95K LED TV, for instance, is on sale for $200 less than usual.
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