Deals on Low-Loss Gadgets and the Way to Make the Most Out of Your Cell Phone (Extended Abstract)
It’s a good time to upgrade gadgets for cheap because we’re hurtling towards the end of the century. If your phone works well, you won’t need a new one. The good news? If you want to swap devices, we’ve found several gadgets on sale for a lot less than you would spend on a new device.
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Source: https://www.wired.com/story/weekend-deals-october-22-2022/
The Lowest Price Guaranteed Android Phone: SAVE50, WIRED 2021, Asus 10 Years, and Other Top Ten Recommendations
This price beats previous discounts we’ve shared—enter SAVE50 at checkout. This is a pretty good phone, especially at this price, even though it was launched in 2021, the year WIRED recommends it. It will receive two more Android version upgrades (up to Android 14) and three more years of security updates. The cameras aren’t as impressive as the performance would suggest. That may not matter at this price. There are more picks in the Best Android phones guide.
There is a deal, but you do not need to be a customer for it to work. Just select the guest checkout option. It’s worth getting new protection with a variety of cases for every phone, and prices starting at $4, as well. There are some Apple-made cases too, which don’t go on sale too often, plus other brands we like such as Spigen and Otterbox.
This is one of the lowest prices we’ve seen on this slate (even better than Cyber Monday!). The iPad Air (8/10, WIRED Recommends) features the M1 chip and USB-C charging, and it supports the second-generation Apple Pencil. This is great for drawing and doodling, but plenty powerful for most other tasks. The latest version of iPad OS makes multitasking a bit simpler but it’s still limited when it comes to using it for work. The lowest price on the Cellular model ever was $650, which is $100 off.
Asus makes some of the best gaming laptops on the market. The G15 has a lot of specifications at a low price, so it’s not on our list anymore. A 512-gigabyte solid state drive, 16 gig of ram, and a Ryzen 9 processor are all in this laptop, that will be good for work.
This is another very solid spec sheet for a very fair price. We generally like Asus TUF hardware. This machine features an Intel Core i5 processor and Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card, plus a big, bright 15.6-inch display and RGB keyboard backlighting. The discount makes it hard to beat this value.
Selected Best Kindle Apps under $25 and the Best Smartwatches for Dogs: Samin Nosrat’s “Pet Tote”
This popular cookbook spawned a TV show of the same name. Chef Samin Nosrat blends techniques and tips with recipes in this book, which made our list of the Best Gifts Under $25. You don’t need a Kindle to read Kindle books—just use one of the free Kindle apps for iOS, Android, MacOS, or PC.
We have a larger version of this LG UltraWide monitor in our Best Monitors guide. The monitors are great for people who can’t stop opening new tabs. We have not tested this exact model but it has a nice refresh rate and other specifications.
The Apple Watch is the best smart watch for the phone. The Series 7 is an attractive option because it is not the newest model on the block.
The pet carrier can be used by the editor of WIRED in order to take his 17-pound pup on long weekend trips away from the city. It’s roomy, and the padding is soft enough that he’s caught his dog catching some z’s. He likes the Out-and-About Pet Tote, which is on sale for $119. It’s the better everyday bag as you can just plop your pup in there and go.
The M10 Plus, M10 III, and A7’s: An All-Solar Phone at the End of Black Friday and Beyond
This price is just slightly higher than we saw during Prime Day over the summer. If you don’t want to spend money on a device that is difficult to find, you shouldn’t look for one that has the full Play Store. The M10 Plus is not very powerful but it will help you keep your kids entertained in the car.
Technically, Black Friday isn’t for a few weeks, but that doesn’t mean retailers like Best Buy aren’t getting a head start on the holiday savings. Check out the best deals on everything from tablets to portable speakers to washing machines, because it is time to upgrade.
A search for the 20 best deals in this sale led us to the best tested products and wish list essentials. Browse our picks below, then be sure to check out the rest of the online savings for the next few weeks.
The Hero11 from GoPro (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of our favorite action cameras. This model adds a taller sensor that’s great for vertical video, if you’re into that sort of thing, and can record up to 5.3-K video—though you’ll need a new-ish phone for the latter.
The Sony A7 cameras are our number one pick for most people and while the A7 IV is our favorite, it is also expensive. The A7 III is also a great choice, and is on sale right now, if you want to skip out on newer features.
The A7 III still has a great camera but it’s another step down. The kit has a 28- to 70-mm variable lens. If this is your first mirrorless and you don’t already have Sony lenses, this is a great place to get started without unloading a ton of cash.
The new standard in wireless headphones: A review of Vizio’s M-series Elevate 5.1.2 and Galaxy Buds2
Canon’s flagship device, the EOS-R is our top choice if you are a fan of the camera. It features a large camera with lots of metal bits, phase detection, and a cover that protects your sensor when you change your lens.
These Beats headphones (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are particularly great if you’re in the Apple ecosystem. They are compatible with all Apple devices, and they get a great range and battery life. The battery life may not be the same for Android users.
The resident audio engineer is called theGalaxy Buds2. (9/10, WIRED Recommends) The new standard in earbuds. They have enough water resistance and noise canceling to survive your workouts.
Our favorite headphones for workouts are the Jabra Elite 7, which are great for taking on the treadmill or lifting weights. You get an IP57 rating for water and dust resistance, smooth silicone on the buds themselves, and superb sound. You can change the listening experience with the Jabra app.
The Pixel Buds Pro impressed us with seven hours of playtime, intuitive touch controls and the ability to easily switch between devices, despite being latecomer to the world of earbuds. Some features are missing if you use them with an apple device.
We haven’t tested this model yet, but Sony’s WH-1000XM4 is our top choice for wireless headphones. This model is usually cheaper than other options, but today it is downright affordable with Sony’s headphone design and expertise.
The Vizio M- Series Elevate 5.1.2 is a better version of our favorite soundbar for less than $500. The Elevate is Vizio’s version of the sleek Sonos design, with more rounded edges and a darker charcoal color. You’ll get all the benefits of Dolby Atmos surround sound at a lower price.
Smart Home Accessories for the Google Assistant Ecosystem: the Nest Hub, Echo, and Alarm Clocks in the Nest and Amazon Ecosystems
Despite Google getting back into the smart watch game lately, Samsung is still making the best smart watch for Android users right now. The Galaxy Watch5 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) has a lot of fitness features that are comparable to those on the Apple Watch, though some—like electrocardiogram measurements—only work if you pair the Watch5 with a Samsung phone.
If you prefer your smart display without a camera (and there are plenty of reasons you might), the smaller 7-inch Nest Hub does most of what the Max can, in a cheaper package. It supports gesture control so you can pause videos with a hand movement, making it great in the kitchen.
The same thing is done by the Dot in the Amazon ecosystem. It offers a basic set of voice commands for playing music, organizing your calendar, and setting timers. It’s close, but not the cheapest we have ever seen.
A nice upgrade over the basics is what the fourth-gen echo provides. It comes with room-filling sound, 3.5-mm output and a bigger sound system.
Lenovo makes some pretty great smart home accessories for the Google Assistant ecosystem (sometimes even nicer than those from Google itself.) This alarm clock is a great example. It has an alarm clock with features that help you wake up, as well as a spot to charge your phone at night.
The Apple iPad Slate Update: A Very Low-Fractional Update and How Good a Deal It Has Been for December 2022
The most basic iPad recently received an update with a slimmer design and Apple’s A14 chip and a USB-C port. Like on the iPad Air, the Touch ID sensor is integrated into the power button that sits on the top edge of the slate. The rear camera now has twelve mponics instead of eight. But, perhaps most importantly, the 12-MP selfie camera has been moved to the center of the iPad (in landscape mode), so you’ll no longer have to uncomfortably stare to the side during video calls. The good news is Apple jacked the price of the new models. This deal is better than what we saw on Cyber Monday and makes the slate more approachable.
The iPad Mini is an excellent travel companion. It’s small enough to slip into my tote or backpack, and the 8.3-inch display is great for reading ebooks or watching movies. It has the same A15 Bionic processor as last year’s iPhone 13 and can deal with both taxing apps and games. You can use the Apple Pencil as a notebook or sketchpad, with the second- generation support. This is still a very good deal, even though its price dropped for Cyber Monday.
The M1 processor is in this model of the iPad Pro. The new sixth generation iPad pro is a very small update and should be taken with a grain of salt.
During Black Friday and Cyber Mondays, Apple’s stylus was on sale, but it was only for $89. This is the next best discount we have seen, and it is small. It works with every iPad in Apple’s current lineup except the 9th-gen iPad.
Source: https://www.wired.com/story/apple-deals-december-2022/
The Second-Generation Apple Watch SE, the Best Wireless Earbuds, and the Best Laptops for the Early 21st Century
The idea of having plenty of ports in laptops was reintroduced by Apple in the form of the 14-inch MacBook Pro. It also has a 14.2 inch display with ProMotion that can be refreshed at a 120 percent refresh rate. The M1 Pro under the hood offers excellent performance and can handle almost any demanding project you toss at it. The M1 Pro is more powerful than the M2.
The 16-inch MacBook Pro is similar to the 14-inch model, but with a bigger screen. It’s difficult to travel with, but the extra screen room for apps is perfect for video editors. This model was $100 cheaper for Cyber Monday, but if you missed that this is still a decent deal.
We recommend the second-generation Apple Watch SE to most people—especially if you don’t need the complex capabilities of the Series 8 like the ECG sensor, temperature sensor, or the ability to check your blood oxygen. It can track your health and fitness, and with the new S8 chip you can get Crash Detection and a new app. All of the latest software features will be compatible with it, so you won’t miss out. The larger 44-mm version is also on sale for $269 ($20 off).
The Apple Watch is our favorite watch in the lineup. The device offers a blood oxygen level sensor, and a heart rate monitor. A wrist-based feature that tracks skin temperature was introduced by Apple. This can be super useful for tracking your period and fertility. If you missed the Cyber Monday deal, you can still save a few bucks.
This deal was $29 cheaper during Cyber Monday. The second-gen AirPods Pro will give you six hours with buds and 24 hours of battery life, which will allow you to work a full workday. The charging case also comes with new features too, like the ability to sync it with Apple’s Find My app (which will emit a beeping sound to help you locate them), and the option to charge it on an Apple Watch puck. The guide for the Best Wireless Earbuds.
This is a small discount on Apple’s official wireless charging for the iPhone, but it is still a better deal than what it was a few months ago. It is fast because it is in the right place that allows for the best power transfer. You can’t use your phone while it’s charging unless you’re next to where it’s plugged in.
The MagSafe Duo is a great choice if you have both an iPhone and an Apple Watch, with respective spots for both. It folds in half too, which makes it really easy to travel with. It is too expensive for what it does and this deal makes it easier on the wallet.
Source: https://www.wired.com/story/apple-deals-december-2022/
A Super-Affordable TV for the 10 inch Penta-Like Corsey Keyboard: Introducing the 2021 Model
It is possible to use this keyboard for the 11-inch iPad Pro and iPad Air. This slim keyboard doesn’t offer any tactile feedback on the keys, but many people love this keyboard for the fact that it’s silent.
It makes sense for the television to look nice since it’s often the centerpiece of the living room. Right now, the prettiest TV we’ve seen is on sale. The A90J has a beautiful panel and a user-friendly interface. Unless you have a long TV stand, it’s best to wall-mount it.
Need a super-affordable TV? Whether your budget is low or you want a screen in the bedroom, this one will do the trick, and it’s an even better value right now. This 2021 model has full-array local dimming for deep contrast, 4K resolution, and built-in Roku support, so you can start streaming immediately.
Source: https://www.wired.com/story/weekend-deals-december-10-2022/
Windows Updates: a Minimal Upgrade to our Favorite Windows PC and the Galaxy Tab 7 SE, the Lenovo Tab P11 Plus, and the Fire HD 8
I grew up in a computer room so I like to reminisce about that classic window design. The Dell XPS 13 Plus (7/10, WIRED Recommends) isn’t the Windows of yesteryear, though. This upgrade to our frequent favorite has a futuristic invisible trackpad, a gapless keyboard, and a high-performing processor.
At 12.4 inches, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 SE is one of the largest Android tablets you can buy at this price. The LCD screen looks great, and even the speakers sound good, so it’s great for streaming your favorite series. Just know there’s no headphone jack, and the performance can be stuttery now and then.
The lowest price we’ve ever seen is the one on the Tab S8 Ultra. We only tested the smaller Tab S8, but the Ultra model has a bigger screen with a nicer display. It’s powerful, comes with the S Pen stylus, and has cameras in the center when in landscape mode so that you’re centered during video calls.
The Fire HD 8 is a great budget tablets with the same features as the Fire HD 10, it’s more portable. The 8-inch screen is good for traveling, but you have to compromise on the quality of the picture.
Out of all the Android tablets out there, the Lenovo Tab P11 Plus is among our favorites. It works great for playing games, putting on a movie, or even boosting your productivity, it’s fast for the money and it has a decent 11-inch screen. If you want a more desktop-like interface, this tablet has a Productivity Mode, which connects a keyboard to a similar interface on the desktop. Just know that it won’t receive Android 12L.
Source: https://www.wired.com/story/weekend-deals-december-10-2022/
Lily Sport: A Super Small Smartwatch for Running and Playing in the Wild with a Bose-Einstein Condensate
This Garmin is really, really cute. The Vivomove Sport has a lot of features including accurate fitness tracking, and up to a week’s worth of battery. That doesn’t mean it can’t solve anything you need, but it isn’t the gps tracker that other Garmins have.
I have tiny little hands, so some smartwatches look bulky and oversized on me. The Lily Sport is our favorite small Garmin smartwatch, and it’s perfect for smaller wrists like mine. The screen on thelily sport looks cute as well as tracking your fitness data, and you can be certain that it’s not small.
Runners rejoice: The Sony LinkBuds (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are awesome for safely listening to music without drowning the rest of the world out. These buds have a unique design with a hole in the center so natural sounds can seep through, while still playing your preferred playlist. Just know there’s no wireless charging embedded into the case, so you’ll have to plug it in to juice ’em back up.
These headphones are just as good as they look. The Apple Airpods Max have a great noise cancellation, booming bass, and crisp sound as an accessory of the season. It is one of the cool features. They can track your head movement while watching on streaming apps like HBOMax, giving you a surround sound experience.