Paramount Plus subscriptions are 67 percent off for three months in a Black Friday Deal

Posted on 24/11/2023 by Amy Skorheim

If you've been thinking about checking out Paramount+, but were understandably unenthusiastic about adding another subscription bill to your life, check out this Black Friday deal. For three months, new subscribers can get the ad-supported Essential Plan for $2 per month instead of $6, saving you $12 over the course of the promotion. The ad-free tier, Paramount+ with Showtime, is also on sale, down to $4 monthly instead of $12.

Both tiers let you watch Paramount's library of content, which includes kids stuff like the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, Nickelodeon shows like Paw Patrol and SpongeBob Squarepants. You also get shows from MTV and Comedy Central, along with movies both classic and new like Beverly Hills Cop, Anchorman and the new Scream installment.

But what likely draws a good number of our staffers and readers to pony up for the service is Paramount's ownership of all the Star Trek properties. You can watch Strange New Worlds and Picard and Lower Decks. Or go way back with the Original Star Trek or a little less way back with The Next Generation or Voyager. Wherever you point your remote, you won't run out of Trekkie fare anytime soon. The promotion ends December 3.

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/paramount-plus-subscriptions-are-67-percent-off-for-three-months-in-a-black-friday-deal-140100629.html?src=rss

The best Black Friday speaker deals from Bose, JBL, Sonos and more

Posted on 24/11/2023 by Amy Skorheim

Engadget has tested out a ton of speakers over the years and now Black Friday sales are making many of our favorites much more affordable. It’s perfect timing too: Bluetooth speakers make great gifts for anyone who likes music, and a new smart speaker in your home may help tame the chaos of the holidays by letting you set timers and reminders while playing a chill mix to calm you. We found deals on Bluetooth speakers from Bose and JBL, smart speakers from Amazon and Sonos, and soundbars from Sony — some are even down to their lowest prices ever.

Bose speaker deals

Bose SoundLink Flex

Bose Portable Smart Speaker

JBL speaker deals

JBL Clip 4

JBL Boombox 3

JBL Flip 6

JBL Xtreme 3

Sonos speaker deals

Sonos Era 100

Sonos Beam sound bar

Sonos Roam

Sonos Arc sound bar

Sonos Ray soundbar

Amazon Echo speaker deals

Echo Dot

Echo Pop

Echo

Echo Studio

Marshall speaker deals

Marshall Emberton II

Marshall Acton II

Marshall Willen

Ultimate Ears speaker deals

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3

Ultimate Ears Hyperboom

Ultimate Ears Epicboom

Speaker deals from Anker, Razer, Sony and Tribit

Soundcore Motion 300

Sony HT-A7000 Soundbar

Razer Nommo V2 Pro

Tribit StormBox Micro 2

Anker Soundcore 2

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-black-friday-speaker-deals-from-bose-jbl-sonos-and-more-140033359.html?src=rss

The 29 best Black Friday tech deals under $50, including the Echo Dot with a free smart bulb

Posted on 24/11/2023 by Amy Skorheim

Turns out there are lots of tech devices you can buy for under $50 — and Black Friday means some items above that threshold have now dropped comfortably within reach. These accessories and gadgets make great stocking stuffers too. We've tested plenty of these small and useful devices and found a slew of them seeing sizable discounts with sales at Amazon, Target and Best Buy. Cables, portable chargers, controllers, smart home displays and more are all on sale. Here are the best Black Friday tech deals under $50.

Amazon Echo Dot with a Kasa Smart Bulb

Xbox Wireless Controller

Biolite PD 40 power bank

Moft Sit-Stand Desk

Google Nest Hub

Roku Streaming Stick 4K

Tile Mate

Echo Dot

Echo Dot Kids

Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen, 2023)

Anker Nano power bank (USB-C)

Blink Mini

Amazon Smart Plug

Kasa Smart Plug

Otterbox Fast Charge

Tribit Stormbox Micro 2

JBL Clip 4 Eco

Anker Soundcore 2

Newvanga travel power adapter

HyperX Cloud Stinger 2

EarFun Free 2 wireless earbuds

Amazon Echo Buds

Thermacell E55 Mosquito Repeller

Google Chromecast with Google TV (4K)

Logitech Signature M650 mouse

Kasa Smart Light Bulbs

Sengled WiFi Color Changing Bulb

Anker Bio-Braided USB-C to C cable

Anker 100W 10ft USB-C cable

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-29-best-black-friday-tech-deals-under-50-including-the-echo-dot-with-a-free-smart-bulb-200502037.html?src=rss

Apple deals on AirPods, iPads, Apple Watches and more are still available today with Black Friday discounts

Posted on 24/11/2023 by Amy Skorheim

Most of Apple’s current-generation devices went on sale for Black Friday — and most of those deals look like they’ll carry over through the weekend and into Cyber Monday. That means if you were otherwise occupied on Friday, you can still save on iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, AirPods and more. Some of the prices are new lows and many others match the record prices we’ve seen previously. We’ve tested and reviewed nearly every device below, so check out the links to our full reviews and guides if you need help deciding which deals to snag. These are the best Apple Black Friday deals you can still get today from retailers like Amazon, Target, Best Buy and B&H Photo.

AirPod Black Friday deals

AirPods Pro (2nd gen, USB-C)

When Apple announced the new iPhone 15 and its conversion to USB-C charging, the company also revealed the second generation AirPods Pro with the same connector. That version has dropped to $190 at Amazon, Target, Best Buy. They’ve gone or as low as $189 recently, so this is within a dollar of that price. Other than the port, the hardware hasn’t changed so you’re still getting the earbuds we named the best pick for iPhone users in our guide. In addition to pairing well with Apple’s handsets, the buds also offer one of the best transparency modes on the market along with solid ANC and richer fuller sound than the previous generation Pros. The Lightning version is on sale for $169 at Walmart and $185 at Verizon.

Read our full review of the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)

AirPods Max

The over-ear AirPods Max are normally far too expensive for us to recommend. But now they're down to $450, which is a new low price and $30 cheaper than Prime Day in October. Get the deal at Amazon or Best Buy. They're $519 at B&H Photo. They are well-designed, comfortable, and implement all of the helpful Siri integrations. We also like the great noise cancellation and Spatial Audio. While they’re a little heavy, the fit is still comfortable and the on-device controls, while unique, are simple and “a joy to use.”

AirPods (3rd gen)

The third generation AirPods with the Lightning charging case are down to $140 at Amazon, Target and Best Buy. They carry a list price of $169 but often sell for closer to $150, so this is $10 off the usual. These non-Pro AirPods came out in 2021 and got a review score of 88 from us. They pair quickly with iPhones and are a good complement to Siri’s helpfulness. They don’t have ANC however — you’ll need to go for the AirPods Pro for that feature — but they do have Adaptive EQ which monitors and adapts sound in real time. The fit is comfortable and they’re water-resistant so they can handle workouts or the weather.

MacBook Black Friday Day deals

MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2023, M3)

The base model, 14-inch MacBook Pro with the new M3 chip just came out in October but is already$150 off for Black Friday. After testing the new chip, we think the base model with 8GB of RAM may quickly get bogged down. If it's within your budget, we recommend the model with 16GB of RAM, which is $150 off at B&H photo. And if you upgrade to a model with the M3 Pro chip for an even speedier experience — you'll get a $200 discount as it's down to $2,199 at B&H Photo. We gave the new M3 MacBook Pros an appreciative review and named them the best option for creatives in our buyer’s guide.

Read our review of the new MacBook Pros with the M3 chip

MacBook Air (15-inch, 2023, M2)

The 15-inch MacBook Air arrived in June and added a little more screen real estate to an already great machine. It’s down to $1,049 for Black Friday at Amazon and Best Buy. That’s the same as the all-time low it’s hit a few times these past couple of months. It's $200 off at B&H Photo. We gave it a 96 in our review and liked how the bigger screen let you get the most out of the M2 processor.

Now that the M3 MacBook Pros have arrived, we’re guessing Apple will come out with M3-enabled Air models in 2024. Still the M2 has plenty of processing power and will serve you well as both a casual machine for playing games and watching shows, but can also hold its own with productivity tasks.

MacBook Air (13-inch, 2022, M2)

The M2-powered, 13-inch MacBook Air is on sale for $929 at B&H Photo. It’s our top recommendation for a MacBook and beat out all brands in our laptop guide. The M2 chip is impressively fast and capable, the design is solid and the display is lovely. It’s more than capable for both work and play and should give you years of dependable use. But, again, the M3-enabled Airs are likely on their way in 2024. So if you know you’re drawn to the newest thing, you might want to wait.

MacBook Air (13-inch, 2020, M1)

The MacBook Air with the M1 chip is a couple years old at this point, but still officially part of Apple’s laptop lineup. It dropped to an all-time low of $750 for October’s Prime Day at Amazon and now Amazon and Best Buy are selling it for the same price. It’s the budget pick in our guide to MacBooks and the top pick in our guide to budget laptops. Check out our review from when it first came out in which we praised its quick speeds, excellent screen and good battery life.

Apple Watch Black Friday deals

Apple Watch Ultra 2

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is now $730 with an attached coupon, which is $69 off and a new low price. Get the deal at Amazon or without the coupon at Best Buy for $739. The Ultra 2 has the same new chip as the Apple Watch Series 9 so it can perform the new Double Tap trick, but also sports a more robust build and outdoor-specific features that make it suited to adventurers. There’s a siren to alert people to your presence as well as a dive meter, waypoint setting capabilities and night mode to preserve your low-light vision. It's our recommended Apple Watch for adventurers.

Check out our guide to the best Apple Watches for 2023

Apple Watch Series 9

The new Apple Watch Series 9 is seeing a $70 discount that brings it to $330 at Amazon, Target and Walmart. That's a new low for the wearable. It debuted alongside the iPhone 15 back in September and the big change this time around is a new SiP (system in package) chip that allows for a Double Tap feature that lets you tap your thumb and forefinger together to answer calls and more. It also allows for the onboard processing of Siri requests, making simple demands (like starting a timer or a workout) happen faster.

The Series 9 has an always-on display and when paired with the Sport Loop is a carbon neutral product. As has been the case for many years now, the Apple Watch is an excellent fitness companion, offering comprehensive health and activity data. It also happens to be our favorite smartwatch for most people.

Read our full review of the Apple Watch Series 9

Apple Watch SE

The most affordable smartwatch in the lineup is the Apple Watch SE, which is now down to $179. It has a list price of $249 but has regularly sold for $220 lately. We called it the best smartwatch money can buy in our review when it came out in 2022. It lacks an always-on display and a few of the more specialized health sensors, like the blood oxygen app, but the fitness features and tracking data are well-rounded, plus the notifications and integrations are particularly convenient for iPhone users.

Apple iPad Black Friday deals

iPad (9th generation)

Apple’s ninth generation standard iPad dropped to a new all-time low of $249 during Amazon’s October Prime Day sale and then hovered at the price for the next few weeks. Now it’s down to $230 at Amazon and Target. It’s not the newest slate, but it’s the recommended budget pick in our guide to the best Apple Tablets because it’s powerful enough for couch surfing, playing Apple Arcade games and watching Netflix — plus it's the most affordable way to get an iPad.

iPad (10th generation)

The tenth generation iPad is on sale for $349 at Amazon and Target, which is $100 off the list price. It has often sold for $399 lately so this is still $50 off the typical street price. We don’t think it’s a wild improvement over the previous generation, though it does orient the camera to the landscape edge, which is much better for video calling. 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).

iPad Air

The base model of the latest generation of the iPad Air has an MSRP of $599 and is now down to $499, a price its hit quite a few times in 2023. This is the iPad we recommend for most people because it’s speedy, has a great screen and works with current-generation accessories. It can act as a rather powerful entertainment option for games and streaming, but is powerful enough to serve as a productivity device when paired up with a stylus or mouse and a keyboard. Now that the M3 chip has been loosed upon the world, the iPad Air, which houses the M1 chip, is primed for an update, which will likely come next year (along with a potential price increase).

iPad mini

For a more portable iPad experience, the iPad mini offers a bigger screen than your phone, but is barely as easy to carry around with you. It’s listed at $499, but has dropped as low as $400 many times this year. Now it’s back down to that low at Amazon, Target and Best Buy. The smaller iPad got a refresh last year, adding a new Liquid Retina screen, a Touch-ID top button instead of a Home button, and a USB-C charging. The performance is snappy and the integration with the second-generation Apple Pencil makes it excel as a digital notebook. As we said in our review, with the mini, Apple “quashes notion that ‘smaller’ means ‘lesser.’”

Apple accessories Black Friday deals

$100 Apple Gift Card + $15 Amazon credit

If you purchase an Apple gift card totaling $100 or more from the retailer, you can get $15 in Amazon store credit for no extra cost. Just use the code APPLET5USA at checkout to see the offer. The deal applies to the digital version of the card; as of this writing, you can get the credit with a physical Apple gift card as well by using the code APPLET5USAP, though you may not want to clip the coupon on those cards' product page, as Amazon's listing says that will only give you a $10 credit. As a reminder, you can use an Apple gift card for App Store credit, subscription services like Apple Music or iCloud, and/or purchases made at a physical Apple store.

Magic Keyboard

Apple's Magic Keyboard is our pick for one of the best iPad accessories you can buy. It's a pretty pricey add-on but now that it's down to $215 at Amazon, it's a little easier to justify. It magnetically attaches to the latest iPad Pros and keeps them “floating” above the keyboard (which also has a trackpad). We found it comfortable for typing and like that it acts as a cover when closed.

Check out our guide to the best iPad accessories for 2023

Apple AirTags

A four-pack of Apple AirTags is $80 right now at Amazon, thanks to a 19 percent discount. They go for $29 each at full price, so the deal will save you $9 a pop. AirTags are our top picks for Bluetooth trackers for iPhone users as they tap into Apple’s disturbingly vast FindMy network, using other Apple mobiles to find your lost stuff. If you want just a single AirTag, you can grab one for $24 (a $5 discount) at Walmart and Target.

Apple Pencil

Apple now makes three different Apple Pencils. The original recharges via Lightning. The second generation recharges wirelessly and the new USB-C looks a lot like the first generation, but charges via USB-C instead of lighting. Each one has different iPad compatibility with iPads. While that part is confusing, the pencil itself is rather elegant and one of the best accessories for your iPad. The 1st gen pencil is on sale for $73 at Amazon, while the 2nd generation stylus is down to $89. The USB-C model has an MSRP of $79 but is down to $71 at Amazon.

Apple TV 4K

The Apple TV 4K is our favorite premium streaming device and is currently $125 at B&H Photo. That's not a huge discount, but the streaming box rarely goes on sale. We gave it a 94 in our review because it’s fast, has an excellent Siri remote and integrates seamlessly with Apple’s overall ecosystem. Navigation is clean and easy to use, plus the device can stream in 4K, HDR and Dolby Vision.

Mac Mini M2

The base model of Apple diminutive desktop computer, the Mac mini, is currently on sale for $100 off for Black Friday at Amazon, B&H Photo, Best Buy. It earned an 86 in our review because it packs a lot of processing power, using the same M2 chip as the two current-model MacBook Airs — but it’s much cheaper than either laptop. If you need a little more storage, you can get it with 512GB of SSD for $699 at B&H Photo.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-deals-on-airpods-ipads-apple-watches-and-more-are-still-available-today-with-black-friday-discounts-212202218.html?src=rss

The best Cyber Monday deals on Amazon devices that are still live today

Posted on 24/11/2023 by Amy Skorheim

Cyber Monday might be over, but you can still get discounts on many Amazon devices. The online retailer seems to reserve its best deals for three events: its two Prime Day sales and Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Today, Echo speakers, Fire TV devices and other gadgets remain on sale in the post-Cyber Monday haze, and the good thing is that anyone can grab these discounts — you don't have to be a Prime member like you do for Amazon's own shopping events. Here are the best Cyber Monday deals on Amazon devices that are still available now.

Amazon Echo and Echo Show Cyber Monday deals

Echo Dot

Amazon’s most popular smart speaker is the baseball-sized Echo Dot. It’s now down to $23 which matches the all-time low it hit for the last two Prime Days. It’s one of our favorite smart speakers because it pumps out good sound and volume for its size and adds Alexa’s helpful AI assistance to your home. Use it to set timers, tell you the weather and remind you about stuff you need to do and when to do it. It’s also a convenient way to control your other smart home devices, from light bulbs in the ceiling to robot vacs on the floor.

Echo Dot Kids

The Echo Dot for kids has the same general design as the regular Dot, but has a cute owl or dragon exterior. It also comes with a free year of Amazon Kids+, which lets young folk access age-appropriate audio books, morning routines and Alexa’s educational skills. The speaker is currently 53 percent off and down to $28. That matches the low it hit for both Amazon Prime sales this year.

Echo Pop

Amazon’s smallest smart speaker is the Echo Pop, which came out earlier this year. It’s currently down to $18, which matches its all-time low. The colorful half-sphere is perfect for stashing in a corner of a room where you don’t have much space. It’ll let you ask Alexa the time, weather news and more, while also directing the voice assistant to remind you when it’s time to leave for an appointment or shut off the holiday lights. It can also play music, but the sound won’t be as good as it would be with a larger Echo speaker.

Echo Pop with free Sengled smart bulb

The Echo Pop is a great candidate for a voice-operated smart home controller, which is probably why Amazon is bundling it with a Sengled Smart Bulb. The set costs $18, which is 70 percent off their full prices. The Sengled bulb earned an honorable mention in our guide to smart bulbs for its easy, if slightly unpolished app, and the fact that it outputs millions of colors on any schedule you’d like.

Echo

The Echo is the original Amazon smart speaker and has been refreshed four times since its launch. The latest model updated the shape from a puck to a globe, which makes room for a three-inch woofer and two 0.8-inch tweeters. The result is quality audio with plenty of bass. The highs could be more crisp but overall it’s noticeably louder than its two closest competitors, the Nest Audio or HomePod mini and can fill a room with sound. The Echo is now down to $60, which $5 more than what it went for during both 2023 Prime sales and about $10 more than its all-time low. It’s currently our favorite smart speaker under $100 because it combines great sound with all that Alexa can do.

Echo Show 5

The Echo Show 5 is Amazon’s smallest smart display and was completely refreshed back in May of this year. The processor and audio quality were improved, but the device is largely the same, acting as a screen-enabled bedside alarm clock or a handy kitchen display for recipe videos and the like. It’s currently down to $40 which is $50 off and a discount it has hit twice in the past couple months.

Echo Show 5 with Blink Mini

The Echo Show 5 is the perfect size for keeping an eye on your Alexa-enabled smart cameras and doorbells, so this Blink Mini bundle makes sense. For $60, you get the 5-inch Echo Show and the wired indoor security cam from Blink. Separately and at full price, you’d pay $125.

Echo Show 8

The mid-sized Amazon smart display, the Echo Show 8 is on sale for $105 instead of $150 and represents its first discount. We did a hands-on with the new Echo Show 8 during Amazon’s devices event this September and were impressed by the new Adaptive Content feature. Depending on how far away from the display you are, the information changes, with simple time and weather info when you’re across the room and more detailed and personalized info, like a playlist or news articles when you’re closer.

Echo Show 10

Do you want a smart display that can track you as you move around the room? The Echo Show 10 with a pivoting base can do just that. The ability should keep you in frame for video calls and make sure you can always see your recipe as you move around the kitchen. The 10-inch screen will keep tabs on your connected cameras and doorbells and the large base housing two one-inch tweeters and a three-inch subwoofer, will deliver quality sound.

Echo Buds

Another entry in our affordable earbuds guide are the Echo Buds made by Amazon. They’re down to $35, which matches their all-time low. If you don’t like the style of buds that go into your ear canal, and would prefer the type that rest on the concha (the bowl next to the canal) these are a worthy compromise to Apple’s more expensive AirPods.

Amazon Cyber Monday Fire TV deals

Fire TV Stick 4K Max

The new Fire TV Stick 4K Max is on sale for $40, which is a 33 percent discount and its lowest price since its debut in September. This new model has a faster processor than the previous 4K Max dongle, and is the first stick to support Amazon’s Ambient Experience, which was previously limited to the Fire TV sets. When you’re not watching, the screen can display art, along with widgets for weather, calendar and smart home devices. The Alexa remote lets you search for and play shows and movies just by talking, and also supports Wi-Fi 6E, letting those who’ve upgraded to take advantage of that tri-band connection.

Fire TV Stick Lite

We found Amazon's Fire TV Stick Lite to be the best budget streaming device you can buy — which goes double now that it has dropped to $16. The deal represents a 46 percent discount off the $30 list price (though it often sells for $20). It’s also just a dollar more than its all-time low. The Fire TV Stick Lite doesn't stream content in 4K and can't control a TV's volume or on/off functions, but lets you use all the streaming platforms you subscribe to, presenting them in an interface that’s easy enough to navigate, but we do wish that it didn’t favor and promote Amazon content quite as much as it does.

Fire TV Stick

The standard Fire TV Stick is down to $20, which is 50 percent off the $40 list price (though it's often on sale for $25). The standard stick offers HD content and, unlike the Lite, has the ability to control your TV’s volume and power.

Fire TV Cube

The Amazon Fire TV Cube has dropped to $110 for Cyber Monday, which is $30 off and 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 the unit.

Fire TV 40-inch 2-Series

Many of Amazon’s Fire TVs are discounted, including models from Toshiba and Insignia, but the arguably better sets are the “Amazon-built” ones the company manufactures. The Fire TV 65" Omni QLED Series 4K TV is now $200 off and down to $600, the same price it hit in October for Prime Day. It supports 4K content with Dolby Vision, adaptive brightness and includes hands-free Alexa both through built-in speakers on the TV itself, no remote required (though it does come with one).

Amazon Kindle Cyber Monday deals

Kindle Unlimited

Amazon is also offering Prime members three months of Kindle Unlimited for 99 cents. It’s usually $12 per month and will auto-renew once the trial is over (so set a reminder if you don't want that to happen). A subscription lets you read as many ebooks as you want from a selection of around four million ebooks. Bigger new releases and some of the more popular bestsellers aren’t included. It also includes a few thousand audiobooks, which all models of Kindle support via Bluetooth and headphones.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/36-of-the-best-cyber-monday-deals-on-amazon-devices-221855702.html?src=rss

Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite drops to $120 for Black Friday

Posted on 23/11/2023 by Amy Skorheim

Ereaders like the Kindle Paperwhite make great gifts — especially when they're on sale. The Paperwhite adds a few perks over the standard Kindle, including a warm backlight, a waterproof build and a larger screen. As part of Amazon's Black Friday sale, it's now $20 off the list price, bringing it down to $120. This is the 8GB model with lockscreen ads, which usually promote Kindle books.

Other Amazon ereaders are also on sale, including the standard Kindle, which is down to $80. That's $15 more than the members-only price during Prime Day in July, but the lowest it's sold for since. We tested a number of ereaders for our guide and named the standard Kindle the best budget pick. It doesn't have a warm backlight and isn't waterproof, but it the 300ppi screen is crisp and clear and it grants access to local library books, audiobooks and Kindle's own ebook trove, which is the largest out there thanks to Kindle Exclusive titles that you can't find elsewhere.

The read/write Kindle Scribe is also discounted, down to $240 for the 16GB model with the Basic Pen. That's $100 discount and the lowest price ever, beating it's members-only Prime Day price by $15. We gave the Scribe an 85 review score, praising the roomy, 10.2-inch screen and premium build. It's also our favorite E-Ink tablet that's does double duty as an ereader. We particularly liked how low the latency is between the pen and the tablet.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-kindle-paperwhite-drops-to-120-for-black-friday-140004428.html?src=rss

The 7 best Black Friday streaming deals for 2023

Posted on 21/11/2023 by Amy Skorheim

With all of the price hikes streaming services have undergone lately, Engadget recently asked whether streaming was still worth it. Ultimately our answer is yes, but we can't help but notice how much more expensive these services are now than they once were. But Black Friday deals this year have discounted a number of the top streaming services available, which means you can save a decent amount of money on the monthly (and sometimes yearly) cost of access.

Max, Hulu and Peacock are just a few of the services with Black Friday promotions going on right now, with savings up to 85 percent. The only catch is that most of the deals require you to be a new subscriber, or at least a non-subscriber for a certain period of time. Here are the best Black Friday streaming service deals we could find for 2023.

Peacock

Max

Hulu

Paramount+

Fubo

SlingTV

Philo

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-7-best-black-friday-streaming-deals-for-2023-230004194.html?src=rss

The best Apple Watch in 2026

Posted on 20/11/2023 by Amy Skorheim

There are just three models of Apple Watch — and $500 separates the most affordable from the premium model, with the flagship landing somewhere in between. Before the launch of the overhauled Apple Watch SE 3 in late 2025, it was pretty easy to direct most people to the Apple Watch Series 11. But with its new display and faster charging, the budget model makes a lot more sense now. There’s also a case for recommending the refreshed Apple Watch Ultra 3 to diehard adventurers and outdoor enthusiasts. Here, we spell out just what differentiates the models as well as what you get when you buy any Apple Watch. Using insights gleaned from Engadget’s own reviews, this guide will help you pick the best Apple Watch for you.

Best Apple Watch in 2026

What to look for in an Apple Watch

Like all Apple products, Apple Watches will only work with other devices from the brand's ecosystem. You won't be able to pair any Apple Watch to your Android phone. Note that you can pair other wearables (like a Garmin tracker or a Fitbit band) with your iPhone. There are some more features that are specific to Apple Watches and that set each of the three models apart from one another.

Chips and sensors

All three models in the current lineup have the same S10 SiP (system in a package) chip with a four-core Neural Engine. The chip allows for on-device processing of Siri requests as well as dictation, translation, automatic workout detection and the double tap and wrist flick gestures that let you control your watch hands-free.

You get an optical heart rate sensor, temperature sensor, compass, altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope and light sensor in every Apple Watch model, but the Series 11 and Ultra 3 have a more advanced heart monitor that in part enables the new hypertension detection feature. The two higher-end watches also have sensors that can generate an ECG and detect blood oxygen, water temperature and water depth. They also include an Ultra Wideband chip that works in conjunction with the latest AirTags to precisely find Apple’s trackers.

Fall and crash detection come standard no matter which Apple wearable you pick and all support near field communication (NFC) for Apple Pay. If you opt for the cellular versions of the Series 11 or SE 3, your watch will have access to 5G networks. Cell connectivity comes standard on the Ultra 3 and the watch now also has satellite-enabled SOS, messaging and Find My abilities.

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 on a person's wrist, showing the Modular watch face on its screen.

Displays and case options

Every Apple Watch model now has an always-on display. The wide-angle OLED display on the Apple Watch 11 and Ultra 3 lets you see the always-on display from more angles. The SE can reach a maximum brightness of 1,000 nits, the Series 11 can get as bright as 2,000 and the Ultra 3 hits 3,000 nits. Both higher-end screens can dim to a single nit, making them less distracting in the dark. And the Ultra model has the added night mode feature on certain watch faces that turns the dial red to preserve your night vision.

As for case sizes, the SE 3 is available in 40 or 44mm. The Series 11 has a choice of a 42 or 46mm case. The Ultra 3 comes in just one size measuring 49mm. The SE 3 has an aluminum case in two colors (Starlight or Midnight). The Series 11 lets you pick from aluminum (in Rose Gold, Silver, Space Gray or Jet Black) or titanium (in Natural, Gold or Slate). And the Ultra 3 only comes in titanium (either Natural or Black).

Battery life

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 sports the biggest battery and can last for a claimed 42 hours on a charge. The Apple Watch 11 is rated to go for 24 hours and the SE 3 gets an estimated 18 hours before it needs a visit to the charger. Low power mode will get you many more hours, going for as long as 72 hours for the Ultra 3, 38 hours on the Series 11 and 32 hours on the SE 3. All three are now capable of fast charging and Apple states an 80 percent charge in 45 minutes for the SE 3 and Ultra 3 and 80 percent in 30 minutes for the Series 11.

The Apple Watch Series 11 on a wrist, showing the watchOS 26 activity rings page.

Fitness and wellness features

All three Apple Watches have similar fitness tracking chops. The Activity app uses three “rings” to keep tabs on how much you’re moving in a day: The Move ring tracks your active calories; the Exercise ring monitors the minutes you’ve spent walking, running, doing yoga and so on; and the Stand ring tells you how many hours in a day you’ve stood up and moved around for at least one minute.

Different internal sensors detect those activities, for example the accelerometer senses when you’re moving versus sitting still, and the optical heart rate sensor judges how hard you're working out and how many calories you’ve burned. You can set your goals for each ring and you’ll earn badges and animations when you hit them.

The Workout Buddy will work with all three watches, but you’ll need to have an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone nearby as well as Bluetooth headphones to use it. All three can access offline maps, which could prove useful when hiking far from cellular coverage. But if going off-grid is something you plan to do often, you may appreciate the satellite connectivity of the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Siri

You can get the weather, start a workout, identify a song and dictate a text just by asking Siri. All Apple Watch models support the Raise to Speak feature that bypasses the need to say “Hey Siri” and will instead listen for your request when you lift your wrist near your mouth.

Every Apple Watch model utilizes onboard processing of Siri requests now, too. That means executing simple requests like starting workouts and timers are quicker, as they won’t need to access external networks. However, requests like sending texts or getting weather forecasts still need to communicate with Wi-Fi or cellular, so you’ll need to have your phone nearby if you have a GPS-only model.

The Apple Watch Series 11 on a person's wrist, showing a ring with three segmented arcs encircling a Sleep Score of 53 and the description

Carbon neutral claims

Apple declared the Series 9 with the aluminum case its first carbon neutral product. But has since dropped those claims, possibly due to legal challenges in a German court. Instead, Apple states that all three watches have been designed to “reduce environmental impact” and the company still maintains its commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

Price

Perhaps the most surprising thing about the three new wearables was the lack of price increase from previous models. The Apple Watch SE still starts at $249, the Series 11 goes for $399 and up, and the Ultra 3 begins at $799. That puts a $550 difference between entry prices for the cheapest and most expensive Apple Watches.

For $250 you can get the 40mm Apple Watch SE 3 with GPS-only connectivity; adding cellular connectivity ups the price by $50. The Apple Watch Series 11 starts at $399 for the 42mm, non-cellular model in aluminum and goes as high as $749 for the 46mm titanium case (which comes with cellular). The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is $799 for a titanium 49mm case with both GPS and cellular, but the price goes up with different bands. You may also need a few Apple Watch accessories, if so, you can factor that into your purchasing decision.

The Apple Watch Series 11 on a person's wrist, showing the home screen.

How we tested Apple Watches

Engadget has been reviewing Apple Watches since the first one came out in 2015. Since then, we’ve tested every subsequent model Apple has released, including the Ultra and SE models, spending at least a few days or even a couple weeks with one strapped to our wrists. During that time, we run, hit the gym, go on hikes and wear it while sleeping, all the while gauging how it tracks various metrics, integrates with the iPhone and performs every other trick Apple claims its smartwatches can do.

Since we also review smartwatches from other companies, such as Samsung's Galaxy Watches and Google Pixels, our editors can compare Apple Watches not just to previous generations, but also to other wearables on the market. Our buying guides and recommendations rely on first-hand testing by Engadget staff.

Apple Watch comparison chart

Product	Apple Watch Series 11	Apple Watch Ultra 3	Apple Watch SE 3
Release date	September 2025	September 2025	September 2025
Case sizes	42mm or 46mm	49mm	40mm or 44mm
Case material	Aluminum or titanium	Titanium	Aluminum
Display	LTPO3 OLED Always-On	LTPO3 OLED Always-On	LTPO OLED Always-on
Max brightness	2,000 nits	3,000 nits	1,000 nits
Chip	S10 SiP	S10 SiP	S10 SiP
Max battery life	24 h./38 h. low power	42 h./72 h. low power	18 h./32 h. low power
Water resistance	50 m.	100 m.	50 m.
Featured sensors	Electrical heart, optical heart (3rd gen), blood oxygen, temperature, compass, altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope, light, depth gauge, water temp	Electrical heart, optical heart (3rd gen), blood oxygen, temperature, compass, altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope, light, depth gauge, water temp	Optical heart (2nd gen), temperature, compass, altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope, light

Apple Watch FAQs

What are the best Apple Watch apps for fitness tracking?

All three watches use the same Fitness and Workout apps to track your progress, and they all have sensors to track speed, cadence, distance and heart rate. But the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the Apple Watch Series 11 have more sensors than the Apple Watch SE 3.

Additional tech includes an electrical heart rate sensor and a depth gauge. The two pricier watches also have a blood oxygen app and an ECG app, all of which may give you a better picture of your overall health. All three models are compatible with the AI-powered Workout Buddy from watchOS 26 (the feature also requires an AI-compatible iPhone).

Are any of the Apple Watch series waterproof?

All three models are water resistant. But they can all handle immersion in water, including a swim. The Apple Watch SE 3 and Series 11 can handle a depth of up to 50 meters while the Ultra 3 can be submerged up to 100 meters.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/best-apple-watch-160005462.html?src=rss

These Anker Black Friday deals will save you up to 37 percent on some of our favorite charging gear

Posted on 17/11/2023 by Amy Skorheim

A number of Anker chargers, cables, power adapters and other accessories are on sale for Black Friday at Amazon, with discounts of up to 37 percent. One key callout is on our favorite premium power bank, Anker's Prime 20,000 mAH battery with charging base. It's currently down to $130 for the set and the lowest price ever. At full price, we've seen the set go for as high as $200. The base is what makes it really stand apart from other power banks — simply drop the brick on the platform and it starts recharging.

The screen on the Prime bank is impressive as well, detailing just how much charge the pack has left and how much is heading out of each of the three ports (one USB-A and two USB-C). In our tests, it revived a dead iPhone back to 100 percent in just over an hour and 45 minutes, with enough left over for another three-quarters charge. It brought a spent iPad Air back to full in a little under two hours. Not only is the base an easy way to recharge the battery, it also acts as a charging hub with three ports of its own for powering up other stuff.

Other Anker accessories we like are seeing big discounts too, including the 67W USB-C charger for 37 percent off, bringing it to $38, matching its all-time low. It has two USB-C ports and one USB-A port, so you can charge your phone, tablet and even a battery pack at one time.

Our top 65W fast wall charger is Anker's 735 GaN Prime, which is down to a new low price after a 38 percent discount. It's got the same three ports as the above wall adapter and outperformed other contenders in our tests.

Finally, the diminutive and handy Anker Nano Power Bank is seeing one of its first discounts since coming on the market a couple months ago. It's down to $21 and would make a great stocking stuffer — particularly for those who always seem to have a phone hovering around 5 percent. The small brick has a built-in foldable USB-C connector and in my experience, it got a Galaxy S23 Ultra to 62 percent in about an hour. Plus its easy to use the phone while the bank is pugged in.

Check out the larger Black Friday Anker sale here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ankers-black-friday-deals-will-save-you-up-to-37-percent-on-some-of-our-favorite-charging-gear-183048555.html?src=rss

Amazon Black Friday Deal: Elgato’s Stream Deck+ is down to its lowest price ever

Posted on 17/11/2023 by Amy Skorheim

The Elgato Stream Deck+ is down to $170 ahead of Black Friday at Amazon and directly from Elgato. That's a $30 discount and its lowest price ever — a full $10 cheaper than it was for Prime Day in July. Game streamers, podcasters and other creators are likely to find the production console endlessly useful, with its programmable buttons, touch bar and dials for incremental adjustments to app settings.

This is the newest streaming controller from Elgato and we recommend its 15-key sibling, the MK.2 in our guide to game streaming gear. This one has fewer buttons (8 instead of 15) but it adds in dials and a touch bar that let you make minute adjustments to volume and image levels, light brightness, camera zoom or whatever else you set them to control. The buttons themselves are programmable with icons so you can quickly tell each button apart.

Stream decks are game changers (no pun intended) for live streamers with a single button press controlling actions that usually take a few steps. Program a button to mute your mic, activate canned audio snippets, trigger on-screen effects, switch cameras or set off lighting schemes. The deck is also useful for non-game streamers too, allowing for shortcuts in Photoshop for graphic designers, enabling controls for an audio producer's DAW or handling functions in Premiere or other video editing programs.

If you know someone getting into game streaming, this could make a great gift, especially now that it's more affordable than ever.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-black-friday-deal-elgatos-stream-deck-is-down-to-its-lowest-price-ever-163136379.html?src=rss