Apple’s 2022 MacBook Air is down to $999, plus the rest of this week’s best tech deals | Engadget

The cut-off dates for holiday shopping have mostly passed, but that doesn’t mean the deals have disappeared. We’re seeing prices that match Black Friday, like the Beats Fit Pro for just $160 and Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II for $249. Some items have even dipped below their Cyber Week prices, like GoPro’s Hero 11 Black Mini, the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro and Eufy’s RoboVac X8 Hybrid. While these items may not ship out in time to wrap them up as gifts, this is still a great opportunity to grab devices and tech you’ve had your eye on, and save a little in the process. Here are the best deals from the week that you can still get today. 

Apple MacBook Air M2

Amazon and B&H Photo are both selling the base MacBook Air M2 with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage at an all-time low of $999. The 512GB model is discounted at B&H, too with $180 savings. We think Apple’s latest ultra-thin portable is the definition of a well-rounded laptop. It’s fast for day-to-day productivity or even more intensive work on like media editing. The screen feels more expansive than its 13.6-inch size might suggest and the speakers are surprisingly strong. There’s no SD card slot or a 120Hz screen, and the Air probably isn’t what you want for intensive gaming or heavy video and audio editing, but it’s a well rounded daily drive. For more intense use, you’ll likely want to go for the 2021 MacBook Pro models. Right now the 16-inch MacBook Pro is $450 off at B&H, bringing it down to $3,049.

Buy MacBook Air at Amazon – $999
Buy MacBook Air at B&H Photo – $999

Apple Pencil 

The second generation Apple Pencil is the best stylus you can get for your iPad Pro or Air and one of the our top-recommended accessories. At $130, the Pencil isn’t cheap and doesn’t often go on sale, but right now it’s down to $89 at Amazon. That’s a 31 percent discount and matches its all-time low price. It’s great for drawing and sketching using a wide range of drawing apps, and with the Scribble setting enabled, you can convert your handwriting into typed text in virtually any text field. 

The second-generation improves upon the prior iteration with the addition of on-board tap controls and wireless charging while magnetically snapped to the edge of your iPad Pro or iPad Air. The second-generation stylus is compatible with the latest iPad Pro, Mini and Air models, but not with the 2022 standard iPad. To go with that tablet, you’ll want the first-generation Apple Pencil, currently $95 at Amazon. 

Buy Apple Pencil (2nd gen) at Amazon – $89

Google Pixel 

If you missed the Black Friday deals on Google’s Pixel devices, here’s a second chance at grabbing one at a discount. Right now a Pixel 6a smartphone is up to 33 percent off while Pixel 7 smartphones are up to 17 percent off. That brings an unlocked 5G Pixel 6a down to just $299 and an unlocked 5G Google Pixel 7 down to $499. If you want a Pixel 7 Pro, that’s seeing a $150 discount, bringing it to $749. We called the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro “the best bargain in flagship phones” in our review back in October, praising their smarter software and upgraded cameras.  

The sale also extends to the Pixel Watch which is $50 off during the sale. That brings Google’s new smartwatch down to $300, which is its lowest price yet. We admired the gorgeous design and the integration of Fitbit health and fitness features in our review.  

Google’s Pixel Buds A-Series are also on sale, down to just $69 after a 30 percent discount. The A-Series are the more affordable of Google’s two earbud offerings, and we were impressed by the sound quality, seamless integration of the Google Assistant and large number of features they offer for the price. Which is even more impressive after this latest discount.  

Shop the Google Pixel sale at Amazon

Google Nest smart home devices

The same sale that’s discounting the Pixel products above also extends to devices from Google’s smart home brand, Nest. Right now the Nest Thermostat, Nest Security Cam and Nest Doorbell have dropped to some of the lowest prices we’ve seen. The Nest Thermostat helps you program an energy efficient schedule and lets you control your temp from anywhere via the Google Home app. During the sale, its down just just $90, which is $40 off the usual price. 

Also compatible with the Google Home app, Nest Security cameras are 30 percent off, making it a good time to act if you wanted an extra set of “eyes” keeping tabs on your home. The smart cameras can tell the difference between people, pets and vehicles and sends you relevant alerts so you can check in with your phone at any time. The Google Nest Doorbell packs many of the same features as the security cams, but this version keeps an eye on your front door. The wireless, battery-powered version of the doorbell is 33 percent off during the sale, bringing the price down from $180 to just $120.

Shop Google Nest smart home sale at Amazon

Apple Beats Fit Pro 

As part of a larger sale on Beats earbuds, Amazon is offering the Beats Fit Pro for just $160, which is $40 off the list price and the same as it was for Black Friday. All four colorways are discounted, including white, black, purple and green. You can also snag the Beats Studio Buds for just $90 in black, red, white, blue or gray — that’s a steep 40 percent discount off the usual price.   

In our review of the Beats Fit Pro, we admired the balanced sound quality and comfortable fit. We also liked how the buds come with nearly all of the features you’ll get with the AirPods Pro, like Siri’s assistance and spacial audio support. They’re also workout-ready with an IPX4 sweat-resistant rating and have a decent six-hour battery life. There’s no wireless charging though, a drawback you may be able to overlook when the buds are $40 cheaper than usual. 

Buy Beat Fit Pro at Amazon – $160

Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones

If you want your personal audio delivered in an over-the-ear package, you may be pleased to hear that Bose’s QuietComfort 45 is on sale for $229 at Amazon, B&H Photo, and Bose. This is close to the lowest price so far for these headphones which is $100 below Bose’s list price, and the same price they went for on Cyber Monday. According to Bose, the deal is only scheduled to run through Monday.

In our guide to the best wireless headphones, we called the headphones a solid option and gave them a score of 86 in our review. The cans are lightweight and extremely comfortable, like the name suggests. The noise cancellation is smooth and capable and the sound quality is balanced and pleasant. To get and even more precise sound, you can use the graphic equalizer settings in Bose’s companion app. 

The sale is part of a larger Bose sale, many of which are gathered here on Amazon’s sale page, so if you’re looking for Bose speakers or earbuds too, now’s a good time to grab them. 

Buy Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones at Amazon – $229

GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini 

The newest GoPro is the Hero 11 Black Mini, a smaller version of GoPro’s top-end action camera. Right now you can get it for 42 percent off at GoPro’s website when you bundle it with a GoPro subscription. The camera is usually $400, but when you add a year of the GoPro subscription for $50, GoPro will knock $150 off the price. Then, after you add the camera to your cart, you’ll get an additional 15 percent discount as part of GoPro’s holiday sale. If that sounds like a lot of numbers, the bottom line is you can get the Mini for just $262.50, and it includes a year of a GoPro subscription. That’s a good discount considering the Hero 11 Mini by itself is $400 right now at Amazon.

In our hands-on test of the Mini we noted a few drawbacks like a status-only display instead of a touchscreen and no photo mode. That means you’ll need to control the camera with the companion app and pull stills your video. But as a helmet- or body-mounted camera, we think this device excels. It has horizon lock and Hyperview mode like the larger Hero 11, plus it offers a second pair of mounting fingers to get the camera oriented exactly the direction you want.  

Buy Hero 11 Black Mini at GoPro – $262.50

Apple MacBook Pro M2 

The 13.3-inch MacBook Pro is on sale at B&H Photo right now for just $1,099. That’s the lowest price the laptop has seen since its release back in June and is even below what it went for during Black Friday sales. The 13-inch model is the only one of Apple’s Pro laptops that got an update this year, receiving Apple’s latest M2 processor chip. When we reviewed the laptop after its debut, we praised it’s faster speeds (thanks to that new chip), excellent build and long battery life. While we prefer the older model 14-inch MacBook Pro and called the M2-enabled MacBook Air “near perfect,” this is still a good time to buy if you’ve had your eye on a Pro Apple laptop with their latest processor. 

Buy 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 at B&H Photo – $1,099

Bose QuietComfort II

In addition to the sale on Bose’s QuietComfort 45 headphones above, you can also save on their QuietComfort Earbuds II. The wireless earbuds are now on sale for $249 at Amazon, Bose and B&H Photo, matching the all-time low we saw for Black Friday. These usually go for $299 and Bose says the deal will run through the end of the year. 

We gave the earbuds a score of 87 in our review, they’re our favorite earbuds for active noise cancellation (ANC) in our wireless earbuds guide as they’re impressively good at muting both low- and high-frequency sounds so you can focus on whatever you’re listening to. if you do want to keep tabs on what’s going on, the Aware Mode is an improved transparency option over the last model (but still doesn’t beat the AirPods Pro). The audio quality is smooth with a richer high-end than the previous QC earbud from Bose. Note that these are on the larger size for in-ear buds, which may start to feel heavy after a while. You’ll get around six to seven hours of battery life, but keep in mind there’s no wireless charging, but the case holds three additional charges. 

Buy Bose QuietComfort earbuds at Amazon – $249

Apple Watch Ultra

The new Apple Watch Ultra is quickly becoming a strong option for divers, explorers and athletes, but it’s not cheap. The rugged wearable usually goes for $800, but we’re seeing a $60 discount right now at Adorama. The deal only applies to the green strap option, but if you plan to swap out the band anyway, that’s probably not an issue. 

We gave it an 85 in our review, admiring the bright screen and durability of the build, calling it a “monster truck of a watch.” The battery is great, giving around three days of usage on a charge, and the hiking capabilities like GPS, Backtrack and waypoint kept our team safely on track on the New Jersey’s South Mountain reservation. 

Buy Apple Watch Ultra at Adorama – $739

Eufy RoboVac X8

Robot vacuums are a true time saver, but they’re not cheap. Right now Amazon is discounting many models of Eufy vacs, with savings of up to 51 percent. That puts many vacs below the discounts we saw for Black Friday. The RoboVac X8 Hybrid made the cut as one of our recommended robot vacuums in our guide. Right now it’s going for $280 instead of its usual $550, which is a 49 percent discount and $40 cheaper than it was for Cyber Week. If you don’t need the mopping function, you can grab the RoboVac X8 for $260. 

We also recommend the Eufy RoboVac 11S for its thin profile and good suction. We named it the best “bang for your buck option” in our budget smart vac guide and right now it’s just $200. For a little more suction power, you might go for the RoboVac 11S Max. It’s down to $150 for Prime members. If you’re not a member, it’s $250. The RoboVac G30 Edge and RoboVac G30 Hybrid are also on sale, priced at $160 and $180, respectively. There’s a total of six vacs on sale, so you’ve been thinking about getting a little help with the floors, there’s sure to be a model that’ll fit your needs. 

Shop the Eufy robot vacuum sale at Amazon

Xbox Series S

Microsoft’s Xbox Series S is down to $230 at Verizon, which is $70 less than the compact game console’s MSRP. While this discount isn’t as steep as some of the offers we saw around Black Friday, it’s still $10 below the typical sale price that’s been available in the time since. 

We gave the Series S a review score of 85 when it launched in late 2020: It’s not powerful enough to play games in 4K like the brawnier Xbox Series X, but it’s a much more affordable entry point into the exact same library. It’s a fine choice for a secondary console hooked up to a monitor or bedroom TV. Do note, though, that it’s a digital-only affair, with no disc drive and only 512GB of built-in storage. 

Buy Xbox Series S at Verizon – $230

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