Author Archives: Valentina Palladino

The third-gen Apple AirPods are down to $140 in Amazon’s Black Friday sale

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Apple’s third-gen AirPods have dropped back down to a record-low price for the Black Friday shopping season. This $30 discount comes back around every so often, but it remains rare in the world of AirPod discounts. That also means that these buds tend to sell out quickly when they're on sale, so if you've needed a new pair for yourself or want to gift these to someone for the holidays, now's a good time to grab them.

Released in 2021, the third-gen AirPods brought massive improvements to Apple's popular wireless earbuds. The company redesigned them to be more comfortable and fit better in different ear shapes, and those hardware changes also help lift sound quality. A custom driver and a high-dynamic-range amplifier also bring a lot to the table, and the whole revamped package produces noticeably better sound than that of their predecessors. While these buds do not support ANC, they do support spatial audio, dynamic head tracking and Adaptive EQ, all of which contribute to the overall sound improvements.

Battery life has improved here as well: Apple estimates six hours of listening time on a single charge, and up to 30 hours when factoring in the extra juice their charging case provides. When we reviewed these buds, we managed to get around seven hours of life on a single charge (spatial audio on, dynamic head tracking off), and overall, those battery life estimates are pretty decent when it comes to true wireless earbuds.

These AirPods, like every other pair of earbuds Apple makes, has an H1 chip inside that enables features like hands-free Siri and quick pairing and switching between Apple devices. It's one of the reasons the company's earbuds are so popular: if you live within the Apple ecosystem and use an iPhone, iPad or MacBook, using AirPods with any and all of those devices is pretty seamless. Given this sale, the third-gen buds could make a good gift for the Apple obsessive on your list this year, or a good replacement for any aging earbuds you may have.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-third-gen-apple-airpods-are-down-to-140-in-amazons-black-friday-sale-145507691.html?src=rss

The 12 best gifts under $25 for 2023

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The most hyped tech is often also the most expensive: flagship smartphones, ultra-powerful gaming laptops, immersive VR headsets and the like. But it would be wrong to assume that those are the only pieces of technology worth gifting. You don’t have to drain your wallet to get someone a cool gadget that will both be useful and make their lives easier. There are more solid, affordable gadgets out there now more than ever, but that also means you’ll discover some junk along the way. We’ve collected our favorite pieces of tech under $25 that make great gifts and help you to stick to a budget.

Elevation Labs Go Stand

Anker 240W USB-C to C cable

JLab Go Air Pop

Samsung Pro Plus microSD card

PopSockets Phone Wallet

Tile Mate

Anker 313 Wireless Charging Stand

Amazon Smart Plug

Bagsmart electronics organizer

Zulay milk frother

Loop Quiet earplugs

Peak Design Packable Tote

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-gifts-under-25-140042014.html?src=rss

The best gifts under $50 that make great stocking stuffers

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It’s easy to assume that the best tech gifts are the most expensive things. But there are plenty of options out there for the techie in your life that don’t require you to empty your wallet. If you’re struggling to come up with a gift for a coworker, family member or friend who's an early adopter or a tech obsessive, we’ve gathered some of our favorite things that are both small and affordable. The best part: All of these gift ideas come in at $50 or less.

Chromecast with Google TV (4K)

8Bitdo Pro 2

Anker 511 Power Bank

EarFun Free 2S

Tile Mate

PopSocket MagSafe Round Grip

Peak Design Packable Tote

Logitech Signature M650 mouse

Blink Mini

TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug Mini

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-gifts-under-50-holiday-stocking-stuffers-130049028.html?src=rss

Black Friday 2023: The best early deals, what to expect and shopping strategies from our experts

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Most Americans already know what they need to know about Black Friday — it’s a day to use up all of that stored energy from consuming turkey and sides on Thanksgiving by shopping for as many deals as possible. What you might not know is that you can get some pretty good deals in the days and weeks leading up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, thanks to retailers kick-starting the holiday shopping season earlier in recent years. And despite its gross show of consumerism that may make you cringe, Black Friday can be an important day for those who want to buy thoughtful, useful gifts for their loved ones while also sticking to a strict budget. If that sounds like you, or you have just vowed never to pay full price for something when you don’t have to, we’ve got some tips and buying advice that can help you prepare for Black Friday 2023.

When is Black Friday 2023?

Black Friday 2023 lands on November 24 this year, with Cyber Monday 2023 following up a few days later on November 27. However, the early deals have already begun. If you’re organized, you can shop some decent pre-Black Friday sales as soon as mid-October. The entire month of November might as well be renamed Holiday Shopping Month as that’s when companies really start to get serious with their discounts.

Black Friday shopping strategies

Use a price history tracker

This is just good shopping advice, period — especially when it comes to consumer electronics. Price history trackers like CamelCamelCamel and Keepa monitor price changes and can show you things like the lowest price an item has ever been and when it was last discounted that much. The main catch here is that both Camel and Keepa only work on Amazon listings. That’s extra convenient if you shop on Amazon often because both have pretty handy Chrome extensions you can install to make price monitoring super easy.

But even if you’re not an Amazon aficionado, you can still reference those price history charts when shopping elsewhere on the internet — that way you’ll know if one retailer’s “hot deal” is precisely that, lukewarm or ice cold. Another similarly handy tool is Honey, a browser extension that lets you compare product prices across many retailers, apply digital coupons easily and more.

Sign up for company newsletters

Listen, we wouldn’t tell you to intentionally clutter your inbox if we didn’t think it would be seriously beneficial. Now more than ever, companies offer things like exclusive and early-access sales, special discount codes, free expedited shipping and other perks to their inner circles of customers — namely, those that sign up for newsletters, text alerts and the like. If there’s a particular item you want to snag on sale, like a pair of Sony headphones or a Razer laptop, we recommend signing up for the company’s newsletter just for the duration of the holiday shopping season. That increases your chances of being among the first to know about exclusive deals and other offers, or, in the case of early-access sales, among the first to actually buy what you want before sales diminish or things sell out. Don’t immediately trash those emailed sale alerts either. Once you get the goods you want, you can go back to that message and immediately unsubscribe from the newsletter if you wish.

Use any membership or credit card perks you already have

There’s a good chance you have perks and benefits from services you already use that you’re not taking full advantage of. Amazon Prime and Walmart+, for example, both offer early access to specific sales and deals throughout the year and we expect there to be similar exclusive sales at both retailers ahead of Black Friday. You may have a credit card that gives you additional cash back on certain product categories, or integrates seamlessly with retailers so you can use your accumulated cash back immediately when placing orders. Take stock of the services you use regularly and check to see if they’re offering anything additional during the holiday shopping season, or if there are benefits you may not have needed to use until now.

Shop early

As mentioned previously, retailers have already started throwing deals and sales online in the lead-up to Black Friday. As we get closer to the actual day, we expect to see even more early Black Friday deals pop up across the web. If you have items on your list that are absolute must-haves — maybe you thought of the perfect gift for your hard-to-shop-for parent — don’t wait to buy those things. We estimate that you have the best chance of getting a truly good deal within two weeks of Black Friday, so start looking in earnest then. There’s always a chance an item is marginally cheaper on Black Friday than it is one or two weeks prior, but with all of the early deals we’ve seen over the past few years, there’s less of a chance that the Black Friday price drop will be so significant that you’ll regret your early purchase.

Our advice: make a list of all the gifts and other items you want to pick up during the holiday shopping season and then designate each of those items as “high” or “low” priority. High-priority items should be the ones you buy first as soon as you see them go on sale, while low-priority things can wait until closer to Black Friday.

The best early Black Friday deals to look out for

While some sales have already begun, we believe the best early Black Friday deals will begin in November. The bigger the retailer, the more likely it is that they will have early Black Friday deals going on throughout the entire month of November. We expect to see companies like Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy and others roll out early deals once November hits, with an uptick occurring within a week or two of Black Friday proper.

As far as the types of items that will go on sale before Black Friday, it’ll be a bit of a mixed bag. Since we focus on tech here at Engadget, we can confidently presume that most of the big, flagship items you may be itching to buy — a pricey smartphone, a new OLED TV or a high-end pair of headphones — will probably not be significantly discounted until, at the earliest, a week before Black Friday. Sure, gadgets will be peppered among the early holiday sales at the start of November, but the best deals on (what we consider to be) the best tech will likely come closer to Black Friday. In the past, we’ve seen some of the best Black Friday deals drop on Thanksgiving — with some selling out before Black Friday proper even began.

We’d also be remiss if we didn’t mention Cyber Monday. Over the past few years, Cyber Monday has almost become “Black Friday 2.0,” with most of the best Black Friday deals carrying over through the end of Cyber Monday (if they don’t sell out first). There are always a few Cyber Monday exclusives, particularly in the tech space, so the shopping event is not without its own unique offers. But make no mistake: most of the best deals will be available on Black Friday, with a couple of extras thrown in on Cyber Monday.

Engadget will be covering the entirety of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping period. That means you can come back to Engadget over the next few weeks to find the best early Black Friday deals on headphones, laptops, gaming gear and more as we inch closer to the actual sale dates. On Black Friday and Cyber Monday, expect us to surface only the best tech deals that the internet has to offer — that means the lowest prices we can find on the tech we think is actually worth your money.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/black-friday-2023-the-best-early-deals-what-to-expect-and-shopping-strategies-from-our-experts-150013315.html?src=rss

Black Friday 2023: The best early deals, what to expect and shopping strategies from our experts

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Most Americans already know what they need to know about Black Friday — it’s a day to use up all of that stored energy from consuming turkey and sides on Thanksgiving by shopping for as many deals as possible. What you might not know is that you can get some pretty good deals in the days and weeks leading up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, thanks to retailers kick-starting the holiday shopping season earlier in recent years. And despite its gross show of consumerism that may make you cringe, Black Friday can be an important day for those who want to buy thoughtful, useful gifts for their loved ones while also sticking to a strict budget. If that sounds like you, or you have just vowed never to pay full price for something when you don’t have to, we’ve got some tips and buying advice that can help you prepare for Black Friday 2023.

When is Black Friday 2023?

Black Friday 2023 lands on November 24 this year, with Cyber Monday 2023 following up a few days later on November 27. However, the early deals have already begun. If you’re organized, you can shop some decent pre-Black Friday sales as soon as mid-October. The entire month of November might as well be renamed Holiday Shopping Month as that’s when companies really start to get serious with their discounts.

Black Friday shopping strategies

Use a price history tracker

This is just good shopping advice, period — especially when it comes to consumer electronics. Price history trackers like CamelCamelCamel and Keepa monitor price changes and can show you things like the lowest price an item has ever been and when it was last discounted that much. The main catch here is that both Camel and Keepa only work on Amazon listings. That’s extra convenient if you shop on Amazon often because both have pretty handy Chrome extensions you can install to make price monitoring super easy.

But even if you’re not an Amazon aficionado, you can still reference those price history charts when shopping elsewhere on the internet — that way you’ll know if one retailer’s “hot deal” is precisely that, lukewarm or ice cold. Another similarly handy tool is Honey, a browser extension that lets you compare product prices across many retailers, apply digital coupons easily and more.

Sign up for company newsletters

Listen, we wouldn’t tell you to intentionally clutter your inbox if we didn’t think it would be seriously beneficial. Now more than ever, companies offer things like exclusive and early-access sales, special discount codes, free expedited shipping and other perks to their inner circles of customers — namely, those that sign up for newsletters, text alerts and the like. If there’s a particular item you want to snag on sale, like a pair of Sony headphones or a Razer laptop, we recommend signing up for the company’s newsletter just for the duration of the holiday shopping season. That increases your chances of being among the first to know about exclusive deals and other offers, or, in the case of early-access sales, among the first to actually buy what you want before sales diminish or things sell out. Don’t immediately trash those emailed sale alerts either. Once you get the goods you want, you can go back to that message and immediately unsubscribe from the newsletter if you wish.

Use any membership or credit card perks you already have

There’s a good chance you have perks and benefits from services you already use that you’re not taking full advantage of. Amazon Prime and Walmart+, for example, both offer early access to specific sales and deals throughout the year and we expect there to be similar exclusive sales at both retailers ahead of Black Friday. You may have a credit card that gives you additional cash back on certain product categories, or integrates seamlessly with retailers so you can use your accumulated cash back immediately when placing orders. Take stock of the services you use regularly and check to see if they’re offering anything additional during the holiday shopping season, or if there are benefits you may not have needed to use until now.

Shop early

As mentioned previously, retailers have already started throwing deals and sales online in the lead-up to Black Friday. As we get closer to the actual day, we expect to see even more early Black Friday deals pop up across the web. If you have items on your list that are absolute must-haves — maybe you thought of the perfect gift for your hard-to-shop-for parent — don’t wait to buy those things. We estimate that you have the best chance of getting a truly good deal within two weeks of Black Friday, so start looking in earnest then. There’s always a chance an item is marginally cheaper on Black Friday than it is one or two weeks prior, but with all of the early deals we’ve seen over the past few years, there’s less of a chance that the Black Friday price drop will be so significant that you’ll regret your early purchase.

Our advice: make a list of all the gifts and other items you want to pick up during the holiday shopping season and then designate each of those items as “high” or “low” priority. High-priority items should be the ones you buy first as soon as you see them go on sale, while low-priority things can wait until closer to Black Friday.

The best early Black Friday deals to look out for

While some sales have already begun, we believe the best early Black Friday deals will begin in November. The bigger the retailer, the more likely it is that they will have early Black Friday deals going on throughout the entire month of November. We expect to see companies like Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy and others roll out early deals once November hits, with an uptick occurring within a week or two of Black Friday proper.

As far as the types of items that will go on sale before Black Friday, it’ll be a bit of a mixed bag. Since we focus on tech here at Engadget, we can confidently presume that most of the big, flagship items you may be itching to buy — a pricey smartphone, a new OLED TV or a high-end pair of headphones — will probably not be significantly discounted until, at the earliest, a week before Black Friday. Sure, gadgets will be peppered among the early holiday sales at the start of November, but the best deals on (what we consider to be) the best tech will likely come closer to Black Friday. In the past, we’ve seen some of the best Black Friday deals drop on Thanksgiving — with some selling out before Black Friday proper even began.

We’d also be remiss if we didn’t mention Cyber Monday. Over the past few years, Cyber Monday has almost become “Black Friday 2.0,” with most of the best Black Friday deals carrying over through the end of Cyber Monday (if they don’t sell out first). There are always a few Cyber Monday exclusives, particularly in the tech space, so the shopping event is not without its own unique offers. But make no mistake: most of the best deals will be available on Black Friday, with a couple of extras thrown in on Cyber Monday.

Engadget will be covering the entirety of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping period. That means you can come back to Engadget over the next few weeks to find the best early Black Friday deals on headphones, laptops, gaming gear and more as we inch closer to the actual sale dates. On Black Friday and Cyber Monday, expect us to surface only the best tech deals that the internet has to offer — that means the lowest prices we can find on the tech we think is actually worth your money.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/black-friday-2023-the-best-early-deals-what-to-expect-and-shopping-strategies-from-our-experts-150013315.html?src=rss

The best Prime Day deals on Amazon Fire TV Sticks for every budget

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As with most other Amazon devices, Fire TV gadgets have been deeply discounted for the company's October Prime Day event. We're into day two of the Prime Big Deal Days sale, and whether you're looking to upgrade an old TV or pick up a holiday gift, now is a good time to grab one of Amazon's devices. Fire TV gadgets can hold their own against the Rokus and Chromecasts of the world, especially if you regularly use Amazon services like Prime Video, and one even makes an appearance on our list of best streaming devices. But arguably one of the best things about the lineup is that it includes an option for every budget — and many are down to lower-than-usual prices for this sales event. Here are the best deals on Amazon Fire TV Sticks (and more) that we could find.

Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite

The entry-level Fire TV Stick Lite has dropped to $18 for this sale, which is close to its record-low price. It's a barebones dongle that provides 1080p streaming, Wi-Fi 5 connectivity and access to all of the apps you'd want like Netflix, Disney+, Max and, of course, Prime Video. It comes with a basic Alexa remote but still lets you search for content using voice commands.

Amazon Fire TV Stick

The Amazon Fire TV Stick is down to $20 for Prime Day. It includes all of the same features that the Lite dongle has, but it adds Dolby Atmos into the mix for better audio. The Alexa Voice Remote that comes with this model lets you control your TV with voice commands, and it has power and volume buttons as well.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

The Fire TV Stick 4K has dropped to $23 for this sale. It has the same processor, RAM and storage as the standard Fire TV Stick, but it can stream 4K HDR content in all its glory. It also supports Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos, while a picture-in-picture live view feature can show you feeds from compatible security cameras right on your TV screen. 

Do note, though, that this is the previous model of the streaming stick — if you can wait for the newly refreshed Fire TV Stick 4K to go on sale, do that instead, but right now it's not discounted.

Amazon Fire TV Cube

The Amazon Fire TV Cube has dropped to $110 for October Prime Day, which ties its all-time low. It's the most powerful streaming device in Amazon's lineup, with a 2.2GHz octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. It streams 4K HDR content with Dolby Vision and Atmos, works with picture-in-picture live view, and supports hands-free Alexa commands. You can also connect other devices like your cable box or game console directly to it and supply them with an Alexa overlay.

Amazon Fire TVs

Most of Amazon's Fire smart TVs are discounted for Prime Big Deal Days. You'll find a number of different sized TVs in this sale from brands like Toshiba, TCL and Insignia, so you should be able to find a model that's the size you need and also within your budget. Arguably the best of the bunch are Amazon's own Omni OLED Fire smart TVs, which support 4K HDR content with Dolby Vision IQ, hands-free Alexa and the Fire TV Ambient experience. The latter lets you display artwork, photos and more on the TV screen when you're not actively using it. For more TV deals, be sure to check out our dedicated roundup.

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/october-amazon-prime-day-fire-stick-deals-182130379.html?src=rss

The best Echo Dot Prime Day deals for October 2023

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It's no secret that Amazon Prime Day is one of the best times of the year to pick up an Echo speaker. That was true for the main sales event in July, and it's true again for October. Most of Amazon's smart speakers and smart displays are down to record-low prices, or close to them, so Prime members can pick them up for some of the best prices we've seen all year. If you've wanted to add to your smart home setup, or build one from scratch, now's a great time to get an Alexa-enabled device. Here are all of the best Prime Day deals on Echo Dots, Echo Show displays and more.

Echo Dot

The Amazon Echo Dot has dropped to $23 for October Prime Day. The latest model has improved sound quality with deeper base and a built-in temperature sensor that could help with home automations if you have a smart setup. And if you have an Eero router, the Echo Dot can act as an extender, adding 1,000 square feet to your home's network coverage.

Echo Pop

The Amazon Echo Pop is on sale for $18 right now. One of the newest additions to the Echo lineup, the Pop is a compact smart speaker that provides decent audio quality and basic Alexa skills. And, like the Echo Dot, it has Eero functionality built in.

Echo

The full-sized Echo smart speaker has been discounted to $55 for Prime Day. The latest model of Amazon's flagship smart speaker has great sound quality, good voice-assistant chops and a built-in smart home hub as well. If you have multiple Echos, or even Fire TV devices, you can connect them all together for home-filling sound.

Echo Show 5

Amazon's Echo Show 5 has dropped to a new record low of $40 for this sale. It's one of our favorite smart displays thanks to its compact size, good audio quality and it's capabilities as a smart alarm clock. The latest model has a faster processor, an additional mic for better Alexa responsiveness and an improved screen.

Echo Show 8 (2nd gen)

Amazon's Echo Show 8 is on sale for $60 right now, which is more than half off its normal price. This is the previous model of the smart display — Amazon announced the latest version a few weeks ago at a hardware event, and you can still pre-order it now before it comes out at the end of the month. The second-gen display is one of our favorite smart displays and it sports an 8-inch touchscreen, a 13MP camera for video calls and all of the Alexa chops you'd expect.

Echo Show 10

Amazon's Echo Show 10 has dropped to $160 for October Prime Day. This model has a 10.1-inch screen and a 13MP camera to make video chat experiences better. The screen will auto-rotate to follow you when you're video chatting, ensuring you're always in frame. On top of that, the Show 10 has solid audio quality and a built-in smart home hub.

Echo Show 15

The Amazon Echo Show 15 has been discounted to $185 for Prime Day. It's the biggest of all of the company's smart displays, and it can be mounted on a wall for easier viewing. Custom widgets like calendars and sticky notes allow you to display family schedules, reminders and more, plus it can be used as a mini TV as well. And when you're not actively using it, the display can show pictures from your Amazon Photos collections.

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-echo-dot-prime-day-deals-180036240.html?src=rss

AirPods Pro hit all-time low prices with Amazon Prime Day deals

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The newest Apple earbuds are the AirPods Pro with the new USB-C charging case, which were announced during Apple's Wonderlust iPhone event last month. Thanks to Amazon's Prime day sale for October 2023, those buds are down to an all-time low price of $189. The original version with the Lightning charging case are down to the same price. Of course other AirPods are on sale now too, including earlier generations of the AirPods and the over-ear AirPods Max. Whichever AirPods you pick, they'll make great gifts for the iPhone users in your life. Or if you need to replace an older pair of earbuds, now is a good time to do so. And if you've just snagged your first iPhone and are looking for a pair of earbuds that will seamlessly pair up with it, the AirPods Pros are the best option out there. These are the best AirPod deals we could find for Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event.

Apple AirPods Pro

The second-generation AirPods Pro with USB-C have dropped to $189 for Prime Day, which is a new record low. Apple made a ton of small but noticeable improvements to these models, so now they have better sound quality, noise cancelation and Transparecy 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.

The latest Pro earbuds have the same design as the previous version, and that's because most of the changes are on the inside. Like other AirPods, the AirPods Pro have Apple's H1 chip, which enables most of the iOS and macOS-specific features.

If you're interested in the version with the original Lightning charging case, you can save on those bud too. They're also down to $189 and have the same, excellent Transparency mode and helpful iPhone syncing ability. 

Read our full review of Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro.

Apple AirPods (3rd gen)

Apple's third-gen AirPods are on sale for $150 right now. These buds are leaps and bounds better than their predecessor, with big improvements in sound quality, battery life and overall comfort. While they lack ANC, they are a good option for any Apple lover who just wants a reliable pair of wireless earbuds.

These AirPods also have Apple's H1 chip inside, which enables features like hands-free Siri access. Apple also brought down features like spatial audio and Adaptive EQ here, so they do have a more advanced edge than some other earbuds in the same price range.

Read our full review of Apple's AirPods (3rd generation, 2021)

Apple AirPods (2nd gen)

The second-generation AirPods have dropped to $89 for Prime Day, which is close to their record-low price. These earbuds are a bit old at this point, but if you have less than $100 to send and want a pair that work seamlessly with iPhones and other Apple devices, they fit the bill. They fit similarly to Apple's basic wired EarPods and they have decent wireless range, but we ultimately recommend spending a tad bit more and getting the 3rd-gen AirPods if you can afford them.

Apple AirPods Max

Apple's high-end AirPod Max headphones are on sale for $479 right now, which is a $50 discount. While there are better wireless headphones out there at prices that won't empty your wallet, the AirPods Max are good for Apple lovers and those who want a comfortable yet unique design, excellent sound quality and good battery life. And since they cost $550 normally, it's always better to wait until they're on discount like they are now to buy them.

Read our full review of the AirPods Max. 

Other headphone deals

A white pair of wireless earbuds, the Sony WF-1000XM5, sit on a wooden table, with one earbud inside its charging case.
Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget

If you're looking for headphones and earbud deals that aren't necessarily AirPods, check out our Prime Day headphones roundup for October 2023.

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/october-prime-day-airpods-deals-181657149.html?src=rss

Amazon’s Echo Dot drops to $23 ahead of October Prime Day

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With Prime Big Deal Days being a little more than one week away, Amazon has kicked things off early by discounting most of its Echo smart speakers. You can get up to 69 percent off Echo devices and bundles right now, and that goes for any Amazon shopping — not just Prime members. Of note is the Echo Dot for $23, a record low that matches its July Prime Day price, and the Echo Dot bundled with a Kasa Smart Plug Mini for just about $1 more. Considering the Echo Dot is one of our favorite smart speakers and the Kasa accessory earned a spot on our list of best smart plugs, that bundle is an affordable way to get your smart home started.

The Echo Dot was not one of the many Amazon devices to receive an upgrade last month during Amazon's hardware event, which means you're getting the latest model of the speaker in this sale. Its orb-like design is quite attractive and it's small enough to fit on a nightstand or at the end of a desk, making it a good option if you have little space to spare. The Echo Dot impressed us with its solid audio quality, producing louder and clearer audio than we initially expected from such a small speaker. It has physical volume and mute bottoms on its top, but you can control it hands-free by using Alexa commands.

That's also where the Kasa Smart Plug Mini will come in handy. Since it works with Alexa, you could ask the voice assistant to turn on the coffee maker that's connected to the smart plug, kick-starting your morning routine without extra effort from you. Plugging a regular lamp into the Kasa accessory will let you turn on and off your lights without getting up from the couch, just by asking Alexa to do so. If you've been looking to add some IoT devices to your home, this could be a good place to start — it's a cheap way to introduce Alexa into the mix, and you can start off by turning one of your most used household devices into a smart one with the Kasa adapter.

The rest of Amazon's smart speaker lineups is also included in this early Prime Day deal. The even more affordable Echo Pop is on sale for $18, while the standard Echo has dropped to $55. There are also other bundles available, like the the Echo Dot with Clock plus a Philips Hue Color Smart Light Bulb for $47. All of these smart speakers have the same Alexa chops, and most of them have good audio quality given their size and price. But if you're looking for the speaker with the best audio quality possible, the Echo Studio has dropped to $155. That price is a record low and it matches the July Prime Day price we saw, as is the case for most of these Echo deals.

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/amazons-echo-dot-drops-to-23-ahead-of-october-prime-day-150502937.html?src=rss

Amazon’s Echo Dot drops to $23 ahead of October Prime Day

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With Prime Big Deal Days being a little more than one week away, Amazon has kicked things off early by discounting most of its Echo smart speakers. You can get up to 69 percent off Echo devices and bundles right now, and that goes for any Amazon shopping — not just Prime members. Of note is the Echo Dot for $23, a record low that matches its July Prime Day price, and the Echo Dot bundled with a Kasa Smart Plug Mini for just about $1 more. Considering the Echo Dot is one of our favorite smart speakers and the Kasa accessory earned a spot on our list of best smart plugs, that bundle is an affordable way to get your smart home started.

The Echo Dot was not one of the many Amazon devices to receive an upgrade last month during Amazon's hardware event, which means you're getting the latest model of the speaker in this sale. Its orb-like design is quite attractive and it's small enough to fit on a nightstand or at the end of a desk, making it a good option if you have little space to spare. The Echo Dot impressed us with its solid audio quality, producing louder and clearer audio than we initially expected from such a small speaker. It has physical volume and mute bottoms on its top, but you can control it hands-free by using Alexa commands.

That's also where the Kasa Smart Plug Mini will come in handy. Since it works with Alexa, you could ask the voice assistant to turn on the coffee maker that's connected to the smart plug, kick-starting your morning routine without extra effort from you. Plugging a regular lamp into the Kasa accessory will let you turn on and off your lights without getting up from the couch, just by asking Alexa to do so. If you've been looking to add some IoT devices to your home, this could be a good place to start — it's a cheap way to introduce Alexa into the mix, and you can start off by turning one of your most used household devices into a smart one with the Kasa adapter.

The rest of Amazon's smart speaker lineups is also included in this early Prime Day deal. The even more affordable Echo Pop is on sale for $18, while the standard Echo has dropped to $55. There are also other bundles available, like the the Echo Dot with Clock plus a Philips Hue Color Smart Light Bulb for $47. All of these smart speakers have the same Alexa chops, and most of them have good audio quality given their size and price. But if you're looking for the speaker with the best audio quality possible, the Echo Studio has dropped to $155. That price is a record low and it matches the July Prime Day price we saw, as is the case for most of these Echo deals.

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/amazons-echo-dot-drops-to-23-ahead-of-october-prime-day-150502937.html?src=rss