Tag Archives: author_name|Matt Brian

Apple’s 2021 iPad mini falls to a new all-time low of $400

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Apple's latest iPad mini has been on sale for a little under a year, but we've seen numerous price reductions on the (almost) pocketable slate. Having hovered around the $459 price point in recent times, Amazon has now discounted the 64GB iPad Mini further, bringing it down to a new all-time low of $400. That's $99 off the original price or a savings of 20 percent.

Buy 2021 Apple iPad Mini (64GB) at Amazon - $400Buy 2021 Apple iPad Mini (256GB) at Amazon - $540

If you're looking for a bit more storage, Amazon has also reduced the 256GB model, which now costs $540. That means you'll save $109 or 17 percent compared to the retailer's list price.

The 2021 iPad mini received a score of 89 in our review, gaining marks for its "all-screen" design without the home button its predecessors have. It has a Liquid Retina 326ppi panel with a 2,266 x 1,488 resolution. The tablet's edges are flat, and also sports a TouchID-capable power button, dropping the Lightning port for USB-C charging.

The slate features a new 12-megapixel ultra-wide front camera with Center Stage support, which like Facebook's Portal devices will automatically pan and zoom to keep you at the center of the screen during video calls. 

Thanks to the A15 Bionic chip powering the tablet, it was also able to handle we threw at it. It typically lasts up to 12 hours between charges and it also supports the second-gen Apple Pencil so you can use it for doodling or note-taking while on the go.

Amazon’s one-day sale offers up to $400 off Samsung foldables

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Although the launch of Samsung's S22 lineup is still fresh in everyone's minds, the Korean smartphone maker still has a number of unique and powerful handsets available to buy. That includes foldables like the Galaxy Z Flip 3, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and mid-range devices like the Galaxy S21 FE, all of which happen to be discounted as part of a one-day Amazon sale. Our pick of the bunch is the Galaxy Z Flip 3, which has fallen to $850 and represents a 15 percent savings on its usual price. It's also the second best price we've seen. 

Buy Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 at Amazon - $850Amazon's one-day Galaxy smartphone sale

The Z Flip 3 is, in our mind, the best Samsung foldable yet. It scored an 82 in our review, which was helped by its improved durability (with better scratch and water resistance), its main 6.7-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rates and Flex Mode, which quickly splits apps like YouTube in half to separate content and controls. When closed, the 1.9-inch external screen will display small snippets of information like the weather and calendar reminders but also provide easy access to features like Samsung Pay.

If you've had your eye on Samsung's other foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 3, then Amazon has you covered there, too. For today only, the 2-in-1 handset is $1,400, which is $400 (or 22 percent) off its normal price. The Z Fold 3 improves on its predecessor in nearly every way, including better durability and displays that are 29 percent brighter while consuming less energy. It also includes the S Pen, letting you scribble down notes while on the go.

Buy Samsung Galaxy ZFold 3 at Amazon - $1,400

Rounding out the sale is the Galaxy S21 FE (Fan Edition), which at $525 has fallen to a new all-time low at the retailer. The Galaxy S21 FE is essentially last year's flagship without the frills, with the same 5-nanometer processors, 120Hz refresh rate in a slightly bigger display and a familiar triple camera system. It actually has a larger battery and comes with Android 12. With it now on sale for 25 percent less than its normal retail price, it might be easier to ignore those minor drawbacks and bag yourself Samsung's affordable no-nonsense handset.

Sony’s WF-1000XM3 wireless ANC earbuds drop to an all-time low of $118

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Ever since their launch in mid-July 2019, Sony's WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds have remained as one of the best in-ear wireless buds you can buy. With impressive sound quality and excellent noise cancellation, the XM3s were great value at their regular $200 price, but right now you can pick up a pair at Amazon for just $118. That's a whopping 40-percent discount and the lowest price we've seen yet.

Buy Sony WF-1000XM3 ANC Earbuds at Amazon - $118

The WF-1000XM3s scored an 89 in our Engadget review and placed number one in our 2019 wireless earbuds buyer's guide. That's down, in part, to the excellent sound quality with bass that's powerful yet clear, bright highs and solid performance for all genres of music. The active noise cancellation is also seriously good, blocking out most background noise, while lasting around six hours on a charge with the feature enabled. The case, however, will provide you with roughly another 18 hours of juice for when you're on the go.

There are some minor downsides, including the blocky design of the buds and case, which Sony did improve with the launch of the $248 WF-1000XM4 model — which have also topped our wireless earphone buyer's guide. Those six hours of battery life are also two less than the eight hours offered by its successor.

If it's over-ears you want, we should remind you that our current favorite pair of ANC headphones, Sony's WH-1000XM4, are still discounted to $278 right now. That's $72 off their usual price and close to an all-time low. They earned a score of 94 from us for their powerful ANC, immersive sound quality and multi-device connectivity.

Google’s second-gen Nest Hub falls to just $55

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If you've been looking to add to your Assistant-powered smart home without having to pay full price, a discount has just appeared via multiple retailers that will let you do exactly that. Right now, Best Buy, Walmart and Adorama have the second-generation Nest Hub smart display for $55, which is $45 off the usual price and one of the best deals we've seen since for the device since it launched last year.

Buy Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) at Best Buy - $55Buy Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) at Walmart - $55Buy Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) at Adorama - $55

There's a reason that the Nest Hub is one of our favorite smart home devices. After all, it earned a score of 89 in our review. It has a minimalist design, a bright 7-inch display, clearer and louder audio than its predecessor and faster performance as well. It's just the right size to fit into any room and can act as a second screen for your video doorbell or even track your sleep from your bedside table. While it may not be as accurate as a slumber-focused wearable, the Nest Hub will show you sleep duration, quality, schedules and snoring data (if that's something you're after).

These features make it a great smart display that’s worthy of a spot in your kitchen, bedroom or living room — and with this deal, you won't have to spend much in order to put one there.

Samsung confirms hackers compromised its systems and stole Galaxy source code

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Samsung confirmed Monday that some of its data was stolen as part of a cyberattack that was first reported over the weekend. In a statement to Bloomberg, the Korean electronics giant revealed that a security breach saw "some source code relating to the operation of Galaxy devices" taken but customer and employee credentials were not impacted.

Although Samsung has not revealed the actors behind the compromise, South American hacking group Lapsus$ has claimed responsibility. The organization shared a 190GB torrent file that reportedly includes bootloader source code for all of Samsung's recent devices, as well as code related to the biometric authentication and on-device encryption for Galaxy phones and tablets. Attackers may have also gained access to confidential data related to Qualcomm.

The admission comes less than a week after the same group said it obtained around 1TB of data, including schematics and source code, from chip giant NVIDIA. The company said it became aware of the attack on February 23rd, after which time Lapsus$ had demanded a ransom paid in cryptocurrency to prevent NVIDIA’s files from becoming public. When NVIDIA failed to respond, source code for the company's DLSS technology and information related to as many as six unannounced graphics cards was shared online.

"Currently, we do not anticipate any impact to our business or customers. We have implemented measures to prevent further such incidents and will continue to serve our customers without disruption," Samsung later confirmed in its statement. It is not known whether Lapsus$ issued the same cryptocurrency demands to Samsung, but we've contacted the company for clarification. 

Nintendo’s Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit sets are just $60 at Amazon

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If the announcement of 48 additional Mario Kart 8 courses has you itching for some real-life Nintendo racing, a new deal at Amazon might be right up your street. Right now, both the Mario and LuigiMario Kart Live: Home Circuit sets are down to $60 from $100 (a 40 percent savings), giving you the ability to create and zoom around custom racetracks using Switch controllers in your own home. While not all-time lows, they're still some of the best deals we've seen at the retailer.

Buy Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit Mario Set at Amazon - $60Buy Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit Luigi Set at Amazon - $60

Both Home Circuit sets provide gates that you can place around a room to create a racetrack, plus a camera-equipped kart that is piloted by Mario or Luigi. Each set only offers one car, which can be used in single-player mode, so you'll need more than one set if you fancy some multiplayer action. Courses typically require around a 10 x 12 foot area — but once the track is set, you can use the Joy-Cons of your Switch to control your racer.

Tracks can be moved and the game will make things interesting by setting racers in different worlds, including tricky underwater and 8-bit areas. Like in Mario Kart, in-game items will speed up or slow down your kart, meaning no two races are the same. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

The Xbox Series S is just $250 for today only

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Microsoft's Xbox Series S is a bestseller for a reason: it's a solid next-generation console that is almost always in stock and often enjoys the odd discount between retailers. If you've been waiting for one such price drop, Woot has come in clutch with one of the best deals we've seen. Today, the Xbox Series S is on sale for just $250, which is $50 or almost 17 percent off the regular $300 price.

Buy Xbox Series S at Woot - $250

While the Series S has been more easy to find over the past year or so than both the Xbox Series X and Playstation 5, it hasn't received any notable discounts since its launch in 2020. The matte white console comes with 512GB of onboard storage and ships with a slightly tweaked version of the Xbox controller most know and love. It also has a variety of ports, including an Ethernet connector, an HDMI 2.1 port and two for USB 3.1 ports.

The key thing to remember about the Series S is its lack of disk drive. This shouldn't be too much of an issue if you get most of your games from Xbox Game Pass, but it's good to keep in mind as you decide how to use the console's built-in storage. If you want to expand it, you'll need a compatible card like this one from Seagate. For backwards-compatible titles, of which there are plenty for the Series S, you can save those on an external HDD.

Given the Xbox Series S is smaller and cheaper than the Series X, it lacks some of the advanced features of the latter console. Aside from the lack of disc drive, key among them are no support for 4K game and less storage overall. But if you can live with those trade-offs, Woot's deal for Prime members is the best for the new console.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Apple’s 2021 iPad drops back to $299 at Amazon

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Update 12/27 - 4:11am ET: Amazon has reverted the discount and Apple's 64GB 10.2-inch iPad has returned to its original price. The 256GB model, however, remains at an all-time low.

Don't worry if you missed out on an earlier deal for Apple's 2021 iPad. Amazon is selling the 64GB entry-level iPad for $299, or $30 off the usual price. The 256GB variant recently dropped a similar amount to $449. That matches a previous discount at Walmart and Amazon, and is currently the lowest price we've seen for Apple's latest 10.2-inch slate. Just don't fret over color choices or shipping times — only Space Gray models appear to be in stock, and you'll have to wait around three weeks for it to be delivered.

Buy iPad (64GB WiFi) at Amazon - $299Buy iPad (256GB WiFi) at Amazon - $449

The basic design of the iPad hasn't changed much in recent years, but the under-the-hood upgrades are particularly notable this year. The tablet now uses an A13 Bionic chip that's reportedly 20 percent faster than in the previous iPad, making it a better fit for gaming or creative tasks. This may also be a good pick for an era of remote work and virtual friend visits, as an ultra-wide 12MP front camera offers Center Stage to keep you in view as you move around.

Just don't expect a revamp on par with the new iPad mini or 2020's iPad Air. You won't find an all-screen design, USB-C, second-generation Pencil support or an improved rear camera. This is for anyone who wants a no-frills tablet that should still last a long while — if that's all you're looking for, you'll probably be happy.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Apple’s 2021 iPad drops back to $299 at Amazon

Posted on by

Update 12/27 - 4:11am ET: Amazon has reverted the discount and Apple's 64GB 10.2-inch iPad has returned to its original price. The 256GB model, however, remains at an all-time low.

Don't worry if you missed out on an earlier deal for Apple's 2021 iPad. Amazon is selling the 64GB entry-level iPad for $299, or $30 off the usual price. The 256GB variant recently dropped a similar amount to $449. That matches a previous discount at Walmart and Amazon, and is currently the lowest price we've seen for Apple's latest 10.2-inch slate. Just don't fret over color choices or shipping times — only Space Gray models appear to be in stock, and you'll have to wait around three weeks for it to be delivered.

Buy iPad (64GB WiFi) at Amazon - $299Buy iPad (256GB WiFi) at Amazon - $449

The basic design of the iPad hasn't changed much in recent years, but the under-the-hood upgrades are particularly notable this year. The tablet now uses an A13 Bionic chip that's reportedly 20 percent faster than in the previous iPad, making it a better fit for gaming or creative tasks. This may also be a good pick for an era of remote work and virtual friend visits, as an ultra-wide 12MP front camera offers Center Stage to keep you in view as you move around.

Just don't expect a revamp on par with the new iPad mini or 2020's iPad Air. You won't find an all-screen design, USB-C, second-generation Pencil support or an improved rear camera. This is for anyone who wants a no-frills tablet that should still last a long while — if that's all you're looking for, you'll probably be happy.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Microsoft’s Xbox Elite Series 2 controller is just $135 for today only

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If you're an Xbox or PC gamer, there's a pretty high probability that you've taken a peek at Microsoft's Xbox Elite Series 2 controller. The customizable peripheral comes in its own case, offers interchangeable thumbsticks and paddles, and delivers up to 40 hours of gaming thanks to its integrated battery pack. 

The only problem is that the controller can often retail for $180 and rarely gets a significant price cut. With Black Friday gaming sales starting to ramp up, Woot is hoping to tempt those looking to upgrade their controller experience by offering the Elite Series 2 for just $135, one of the lowest prices we've seen.

Buy Xbox Elite Series 2 controller at Woot - $135

The Elite Series 2 comes complete with a USB-C port, Bluetooth connectivity and can charge inside its carrying case. It also supports programmable profiles, allowing you to select between three stored configurations using the Profiles button on its front. 

If you're looking for a solid controller upgrade during the holidays, you may have just found it. However, you'll need to move quickly as the Elite Series 2 will only remain at $135 for 24 hours or until it sells out, whichever comes first. 

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

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