Tech / Technology

Best earbuds deal: Beats Fit pro are on sale at Amazon for $40 off

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Get Beats Fit Pro earbuds on sale for $159.95 at Amazon as of Nov. 1. That’s $40 off their normal price, and a savings of 20%.
Beats Fit Pro on light blue and white background

SAVE $40: Beats Fit Pro earbuds are on sale at Amazon for $159.95 as of Nov. 1. That’s a savings of 20%.



Beats Fit Pro earbuds

$159.95 at Amazon (save $40)



There’s no shortage of great earbuds on the market. Some folks prefer Apple AirPods, while others flock to Samsung’s Galaxy Buds. But if you’ve been sleeping on the sporty Beats Fit Pro, you might be missing out on your new favorite buds. And now is a great time to do so, because they’re on sale at Amazon.

Amazon has the Beats Fit Pro earbuds on sale for just $159.95 as of Nov. 1. That’s $40 off their normal price, and a savings of 20%. You can choose from every color available at this price, including Black, White, Coral Pink, Sage Gray, Stone Purple, and others. We saw these buds dip to their lowest price yet in February, but they’re just shy of $10 away from that price, making this discount nothing to sneeze at.

We consider the Beats Fit Pro one of the best wireless earbuds you can buy. Mashable reviewer Alex Perry praised them as “Apple’s best wireless earbuds yet.” You get “magnificent” audio, a long-lasting battery, “elite comfort,” and some of the best active noise cancellation you’ll find in any bud. They also come with a set of flexible wingtips to help you better size them to your ear.

If the stark white of AirPods or the less bassy alternatives to these buds turns you off, these might very well be up your alley. You want to hear Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” with the best audio possible, obviously.

Tech / Technology

What is Best Buy Drops? Here’s why it’s one of the best holiday shopping hacks

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Best Buy Drops is an app feature that alerts shoppers about product releases, limited edition bundles, and deals before they drop. Here’s why it’s one of the best holiday shopping hacks.
Best Buy Drops logo and three smartphones with products from the My Best Buy app on colorful background

UPDATE: Nov. 1, 2023, 11:40 a.m. EDT The new Best Buy Drops tab on the Best Buy app gives you a head’s up about upcoming new product drops, limited edition releases, and major discounts on high-profile items ahead of the holidays. This post has been updated to track the products dropping in the coming week.

When it comes to shopping, a scarcity mindset is just as convincing as that one friend who always enables you to buy something you don’t need. It’s why there’s often a timer breathing down your neck from the corner of the screen during a sitewide sale. It’s why Amazon’s invite-only Prime Day deals popped off (and why they’ll likely be back for Black Friday). It’s probably why Best Buy announced Best Buy Drops right before we hit the full-blown holiday shopping season — and we’re totally falling for it.

Best Buy Drops is a new shopping hack dedicated to giving shoppers a heads-up about upcoming high-profile items and deals in categories like gaming, smartwatches, toys, and more dropping at Best Buy in the next week. As long as you have the Best Buy mobile app, you can preview what’s coming on what day so that you’re ready to click “add to cart” when the item or deal goes live. This kind of preparedness is the name of the game with Drops, as some items are so popular that it’s only a matter of minutes (or seconds) before they sell out.

If a drop is currently live while you’re on the app, a status bar showing the percentage of inventory that has been claimed can give an idea of how fast you need to act. Once inventory for a certain drop is gone, it’s gone.

Drops section of Best Buy app showing deals on gaming controller and GoPro bundle

Drops can include a huge price slash on a popular item or availability of product that wasn’t up for grabs before.
Credit: Screenshot / Mashable

The Drops tab also keeps a list of past drops, which have included a limited-edition PlayStation 5 Marvel’s Spider-Man bundle, Pokémon Squishmallows, a super cheap 50-inch QLED TV, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Even if you missed these, you at least have an idea of what similar items could pop up in the coming weeks. To look ahead, check the upcoming tab.

For extra cushion, you can opt-in to Drop Alerts for an extra reminder right before the drop of a product you care about goes live. Joining My Best Buy Plus or My Best Buy Total will unlock even better discounts on drops than what the general public is getting.

What’s dropping at Best Buy Nov. 1 through Nov. 8

Best Buy is only revealing the names of the upcoming products — not their actual drop prices — in the drop preview tab, so any prices listed below are the current price of the said product as it is on Best Buy’s site pre-drop. Drops go live around 11 a.m. ET on the specified day, and inventory is typically fully claimed by 5 p.m. that day.

Dropped: Nov. 1

At a full price of $999.99, MSI’s Codex R desktop was already on the affordable side for a prebuilt PC with components like NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics, an Intel Core i5 CPU, and 1TB of storage, plus an included mouse and RGB mechanical keyboard. At $779.99 with the drop discount, it’s the definition of a bang for your buck — especially if you were originally considering opting for a gaming laptop to stay on a budget. The $220 you’re saving is enough to cover a sick keyboard or condenser microphone.

Dropping: Nov. 2

Speaking of gaming accessories, the drop following the gaming PC is a wireless mini mechanical keyboard. The Corsair K70 Pro Mini features a compact 60 percent layout, skipping buttons like a function row and arrow keys. It doesn’t skip the RGB backlight, however, and still offers a decent amount of customization options and mouse shortcuts for the conservative size.

The white K70 Pro Mini is already on sale for $11 off at Best Buy, so we expect the drop price to be well under $149.99.

Dropping: Nov. 3

The pro-truly wireless earbuds but anti-AirPods crowd may consider a pair like Jabra’s noise-canceling Elite 8 Active. These rugged headphones can last up to 56 hours on a single charge through dust, sweat, and water — they actually passed nine tests in a variety of rigorous environments to meet the US Military Standard for durability. What’s less rugged is the immersive audio experience they provide through Spatial Sound powered by Dolby and Adaptive Hybrid active noise cancellation.

Best Buy has already tacked a $20 discount on the Jabra Elite 8 Active ahead of their drop, so their drop discount could push them from their current $179.99 much closer to the $100 mark.

Dropping: Nov. 8

Put some respect on the names of the original 151 Pokémon with this Trading card game expansion pack. The booster bundle includes six booster packs from TCG: Scarlet and Violet, including Venusaur EX, Charizard EX, and Blastoise EX special cards, plus the possibility of Mew EW floating around.

This expansion pack is currently sold out at Best Buy but was listed for $26.94, so we expect it to be up for grabs for under $20 when its stock is revived during the drop.

Tech / Technology

Best headphones for iPhone in 2023 (UK)

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Find the perfect partner for your iPhone with this selection of top headphones from brands like Apple and Sony.
Apple iPhone and AirBuds

Listen closely: your whole life is packed inside your phone. And if listening to music — not to mention podcasts and audiobooks — is one of life’s true pleasures, you need a good set of headphones or earbuds to connect to your phone.

That’s especially true for iPhone users. As dedicated Apple fans will know, the Apple iOS is a uniquely designed system, built for syncing Apple products together. That means only certain headphones will do (though the best ones aren’t always Apple-produced, by the way). And the ones that come bundled with your iPhone just don’t sound as good as a dedicated set. They also leak sound like crazy.

If you’re serious about your sounds — and you should be — you need a pair that both suit the capabilities of your iPhone and your lifestyle. It’s important to know what you’re looking for, so we’ve gone ahead and done the research for you.

Do you need wireless headphones for your iPhone?

To put it simply, yes. If you have an iPhone, it’s probably time to go wireless. You have to go back several generations to find an iPhone that has a regular 3.5mm audio jack input. Apple has insisted on equipping its phones with a Lightning port for several years now. Apple headphones also use Lightning connections so they can plug straight into your phone. And if you have a pair of wired non-Apple headphones, Apple also sells an adaptor which connects a regular audio jack to the Lightning connection. But these adaptors are unreliable and break all-too easily. The best option is to connect your iPhone to the headphones. It’s much easier and means fewer cables.

What is true wireless?

True wireless — or “truly” wireless as it’s sometimes called — refers to headphones that have no cord connected to your phone or device. True wireless headphones can use different types of wireless technology to transmit the sound into your ears. The most common form is Bluetooth. Wireless sound quality can be affected by factors such as distance and obstructions between your headphones and device, but also the codec software that your headphones support. Codecs are algorithms that encode and decode digital audio signals. Look out for headphones with low latency that support Qaulcomm’s aptX codecs, which are usually rated as the best codecs — particularly for streaming video on your phone and ensuring the picture and audio stay in sync.

Are AirPods the best headphones for the iPhone?

Yes and no. AirPods are great — especially AirPods Pro and AirPods Pro Max (as you’ll see below) — but they’re also expensive. They’re definitely a good one-stop solution as they’re so convenient to set up with your iPhone and they fit the Apple aesthetic perfectly. However, if you’re keen to search around and spend a little longer setting things up (or spend a little less), there are other good options out there.

Should you buy the cheapest pair of headphones?

You can spend a few pounds on the cheapest pair of headphones, but you might as well just use the buds that come free with your iPhone. Going cheap is a false economy and you’ll sacrifice quality and function. If you regularly listen to music, it’s worth investing a little more. The sound quality is going to be much better.

What is noise cancellation?

Noise cancellation blocks out ambient noise, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in your music. It’s usually a mark of the best, most advanced headphones.

There are two kinds of noise cancellation: Passive and active noise cancellation. Passive noise cancellation is achieved by the design and build of the headphones, which physically block out noise by having oversized ear cups that create a seal. Active noise cancellation (ANC) uses a system of small microphones that pick up incoming sounds and create anti-noise sound waves to cancel them out. Also, look out for advanced ANC modes such as “transparency mode”. This allows a certain level of ambient noise to seep in, such as other people’s voices. It’s handy for listening out for train platform announcements or having conversations with pals and colleagues.

What are the best headphones for the iPhone?

Think about the main reasons that you need new headphones: Are you going to be using them while you travel? Will you be listening to music mainly at home? Or while exercising? We’ve looked at a number of different scenarios and figured out the best headphones or earbuds for you and your lifestyle. In other words, we’ve done the hard work for you. There should be something for everyone and every budget in this list. We’ve lined up a selection of impressive options from top brands.

These are the best headphones for your iPhone in 2023.

Tech / Technology

The best Apple deals for October 2023: AirPods, iPads, and more

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Prime Day may have been two weeks ago, but you can still grab second-gen AirPods Pro at their Prime Day price of $189 or the iPad Air for its Prime Day price of $499.99. Plus, check out more of the best Apple deals as of Oct. 31.
Apple iPad Air

UPDATE: Oct. 31, 2023, 12:00 p.m. EDT We’ve updated this post with the best deals from across the Apple universe leading into Black Friday season. Here are our top picks:

Best Apple deals this week:

Best Mac deal

space gray m2 macbook air


Best iPad deal

2021 iPad (WiFi, 64GB)

$249 at Amazon and Walmart
(Save $80)

a silver 2021 10.2 in ipad


Best iPhone deal

iPhone 14 Plus at Verizon

$0 on a new line with select unlimited plans
(Save up to $799)

black iphone 14 plus


Best Apple Watch deal

Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS + cellular)

$269 at Best Buy
(Save $30)

Apple Watch in pink.


Best AirPods deal

AirPods Pro

$189 at Walmart
(Save $60)

second generation airpods pro

Apple may have an iron grasp on the general population, but when it comes down to it, their products look good, work well, and stay cutting-edge — so of course, people love ’em. Whether you build your calendar around Apple events or you just want solid tech no matter the brand, Apple’s got you covered. Sure, they’re a little notorious for their high prices, but we’ve rounded up the best deals on iPads, AirPods, MacBooks, and more to help you save where you can. Check them out below.

Mac and MacBook deals

Why we like it

Check out our full review of the M2 MacBook Air.

$899 is no longer a particularly uncommon price to see this M2 MacBook Air at, yet we’re no less excited when we see it return to this all-time low price. That’s because for under $1,000 you get impressive M2 power, a 13.6-inch display (trust us, you’ll notice the difference from a 13.3-inch display), and a keyboard that Mashable’s Alex Perry described as “kingly.” Whether you’re a student, looking for a work-from-home workhorse, or looking for an everyday laptop to replace your old, dusty MacBook, we’re willing to bet you’ll be more than happy with the M2 Air.

More Mac and MacBook deals

MacBook Air

MacBook Pro

iPad deals

Why we like it

Prime Day brought the ninth-generation iPad back down to its $249 low, and Amazon and Walmart have kept it there for two weeks after the sale’s conclusion. Though this isn’t the iPad for you if you’re planning on doing a bunch of gaming or art, for many people this budget-friendly tablet will be more than enough for note-taking and video streaming.

More iPad deals

iPad (10th gen)

iPad (9th gen)

iPad Air

iPhone deals


Our pick: iPhone 14 Plus at Verizon

$0 when you open a new line on select unlimited plans (save $799)



Why we like it

The iPhone 15 may be the shiniest new Apple toy, and while the deals on the phone certainly aren’t bad, they are contingent upon you having a decent trade-in. If you feel any doubt in your trade-in power, going for this Verizon deal on the 14 Plus requires none — only that you open a new line on select unlimited plans. Still some hoops, but far fewer to get an $800 phone basically for free.

More iPhone deals

Apple Watch deals

Why we like it

The Apple Watch SE is a great option for those who don’t necessarily need all of the pricey bells and whistles that come with other Apple Watch models. You’ll get all the must-have features you need like health tracking, crash detection, Smart Stack, and emergency SOS options. Also, it’s $30 off at Best Buy, and we’ll never turn down a discount on the already-most-affordable Apple Watch.

More Apple Watch deals

Series 9

Series 8

Ultra

More Apple Watch deals

Apple accessories deals

Why we like it

Read our full review of the second-generation AirPods Pro.

The AirPods Pro are some of the best noise-canceling buds in the business, and Walmart’s randomly decided to bring them back to their Prime Day (and record-low) pricing this week. At the time of writing, these buds are sold out at Amazon. Mashable Senior Editor Stan Schroeder wrote in his review that these AirPods are “the first pair of earbuds I’d actually consider taking on an airplane (instead of my much larger and clunkier over-ear headphones).”

More deals on Apple accessories

Tech / Technology

Target Black Friday deals are rolling in — shop deals and gift card promos

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Target’s Black Friday sale is live. New deals will drop every week, including a $259.99 50-inch QLED TV and over 50% off Sony headphones.
Chromebook in tent mode, Keurig, Beats headphones, and QLED TV on orange and pink abstract background

UPDATE: Oct. 30, 2023, 2:17 p.m. EDT Target’s Black Friday sale, which contains its biggest savings of the season, kicked off Oct. 29 and will span four weeks leading up to Black Friday. This story has been updated with the deals that are live so far.

Best early Target Black Friday deals:

Best Apple deal

9th generation Apple iPad (WiFi, 64GB)

$269.99 at Target
(save $60)

Apple iPad with colorful blobs as screensaver


Best TV deal

Philips 50-inch QLED Roku TV

$259.99 at Target
(Special Purchase pricing plus save $20)

Philips TV with neon light abstract screensaver


Best headphones deal

Black Sony wireless headphones


It’s news to no one that the “Black Friday” — singular day — nomenclature isn’t even close to an accurate depiction of how long Black Friday season actually spans. What’s still taking some getting used to, however, is Black Friday starting so early that we’re seeing the deals arranged alongside last-minute Halloween candy deals on a retailer’s home page.

Take Target, for example: It officially began releasing early Black Friday deals on Oct. 29, with new ones materializing in the following four weeks leading up to Thanksgiving weekend. All of this is part of what Target says are its best savings of the year. Best Buy is similarly ahead of the game.

If it feels like you were just reading about all of these deals Target was dropping, you were — Target Circle Week was just a few weeks ago. While the product categories seeing price slashes for Circle Week and Black Friday (TVs, video games, headphones, kitchen and cleaning appliances) are similar, you don’t need to be a Target Circle member to access a majority of Target’s early Black Friday deals as you did with Circle Week deals.

We’re keeping tabs on the best early Black Friday deals at Target as they show up:

Apple deals

Why we like it

The 9th generation iPad is already generally cheaper than its successor, the 10th generation — but to really rub it in, the 9th generation model is also seeing a better discount ($60 or 18% off versus just $50 or 11% off the 10th generation). This isn’t the iPad to choose if you plan on using your tablet for feature-intensive work like video editing or gaming, but for way less than $300, you’re still getting a solid device for casual everyday use. We’d recommend putting your savings toward the Logitech Crayon stylus, which is 15% off with this iPad purchase.

More Apple deals

TV and gaming deals

Why we like it

A 50-inch 4K TV in the $259.99 realm is already a pretty dang good deal, let alone a QLED model. This Philips model is labeled as a special purchase, which means this is an item that may not be on Target’s website year-round and was listed at an already-low price just for the early Black Friday event. So while the 7% discount is hardly a Black Friday-level chunk off, the price is stellar to begin with.

QLED TVs feature quantum dots, which produce a much wider, brighter array of colors than non-QLED models, making colors noticably more vibrant. Because of their brightness, QLED TVs are particularly great for watching TV (especially sports) in the daylight. This particular Philips model is Dolby Vision compatible and has the Roku platform built in.

More TV and gaming deals

TVs and sound bars

Gaming

Headphone deals

Why we like it

Sony’s Extra Bass headphones aren’t for everyone — but anyone in the EDM or bass-heavy hip-hop crowd is going to be psyched to find them for over 50% off. Though these headphones specialize in low-end frequencies, they’re not so thumpy that the rest of the notes get completely drowned out, and tweaking the sound with EQ is an option. What does get drowned out, however, is background noise when ANC is on. You can also turn on Ambient Sound Mode to let background sound, like announcements at the airport, squeeze through.

More headphone deals

Toy deals

Why we like it

Cross gifts for several kiddos off of your list with Target’s BOGO offer on a ton of toys spanning several age ranges. Shop learning, motor skills building, and problem-solving toys from B. toys and VTech, action figures from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Jurassic World, Our Generation dolls and accessories, and all things Play-Doh.

More toy deals

More miscellaneous deals

Tech / Technology

Best charger deal: 3-in-1 Apple charger 2-pack for $25

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Get a pair of Apple chargers that charge your iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch for $25.
3-in-1 charger on desk

TL;DR: As of October 29, get this 3-in-1 Apple Watch, AirPods & iPhone Charging Cable 2-pack for only $24.99 — that’s 64% off.


Staying connected is super important these days, and that isn’t possible without charged devices. Sometimes, keeping up with the battery status of your electronics can be a hassle. If you’re a proud owner of Apple devices, you likely rely on them often and understand the importance of keeping them charged and ready to go.

Many experts say that desk clutter can affect our mental health and productivity. This 3-in-1 charging cable can help you cut the cable clutter and maintain healthy charges across your iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch. And a two-pack of the cables is just $24.99 (reg. $69).

The Apple Watch charger claims to give you a fast charge (under 2.5 hours), so your go-to electronic assistant can be ready to take on the day with you in a flash. The other connectors can charge two Lightning devices, such as AirPods, iPads, or iPhones.

Because these charging cables are lightweight and compact, throwing one in your bag for your commute or when you travel is easy. And since you get two, you could keep one at home and one at work.

Certified by CE/ROSH, these cables offer peace of mind because they come outfitted with overcurrent, over-heat, and short-circuit protection to keep your devices safe.

Simplify your charging experience and elevate your connectivity with this two-pack of 3-in-1 Apple Watch, AirPods, and iPhone charging cables. You can even use one or both as a practical stocking stuffer for the Apple lover in your life.

Grab this two-pack of 3-in-1 Apple Watch, AirPods, and iPhone charging cables for just $24.99 (reg. $69) ahead of the holiday rush.

Prices subject to change.

Tech / Technology

Apple Watch imports to the U.S. may get banned — 3 reasons why

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Apple’s signature smart watch may face some hurdles in getting imported to the U.S. soon.
Apple Watches on display

Not even Apple is immune to international trade regulations.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) issued an order that could prohibit Apple from importing Apple Watches to the United States, according to Reuters. The devices have been manufactured in China and Vietnam in recent years.

Why Apple Watch imports may be banned in the U.S.

You may be wondering how could Apple, arguably the most prominent tech company in the U.S., could find itself in such a sticky situation? Allow us to break down why the popular wearable from the Cupertino-based tech giant is potentially in jeopardy.

1. Infringement of a medical tech company

At the root of all this is a medical tech company called Masimo. In January, a U.S. judge ruled in Masimo’s favor regarding Apple’s infringement on a Masimo patent for “light-based pulse oximetry functionality and components,” according to a Reuters report. The layman’s terms, this feature is blood-oxygen tracking, which was introduced alongside the Apple Watch Series 6 launch.

This actually isn’t the first time Apple has been found in violation of another company’s patents, specifically with Apple Watch. Last December, the ITC ruled that Apple infringed upon patents held by a company called AliveCor with the Apple Watch’s electrocardiogram (ECG) tech, though that particular ban order is currently on hold.

2. Failure of a presidential veto

Obviously, Apple’s alleged wrongdoing is the chief reason why Apple Watch imports may be banned. There is a way out for Apple, though it’s not a dependable one.

According to Reuters, the Biden administration has 60 days to issue a veto to the import ban order. However, this rarely happens, and so far, there’s no indication that it will occur this time. Apple can only cross its fingers and hope for the best on that front.

3. A rejection of Apple’s appeal

That said, there is one more potential out for Apple in this case. Once that 60-day review period is over, Apple is free to file an appeal, as is the norm with legal cases like this.

But obviously, it’s way too early to tell if Apple’s appeal (and the company said it will continue efforts to appeal in a statement to Reuters) will work. It’s also impossible to know, at this moment, which Apple Watch models would be impacted by this ban order if it does go through. These things take time.

In the meantime, Apple should maybe find a way to implement new features without allegedly infringing on other company’s patents.

Tech / Technology

Save $100 on Apple AirPods Max at Best Buy with your My Best Buy membership.

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Take $100 off Apple AirPods Max over-ear headphones when you shop with your My Best Buy membership at Best Buy today, Oct. 27.
A man wears Apple AitPods Max while using a laptop

SAVE $100: Today at Best Buy, Apple AirPods Max headphones are on sale for $449.99 in an exclusive deal for My Best Buy members. This takes the price down from $549.99, for 18% in savings.



Apple AirPods Max

$449.99 at Best Buy (save $100)



Rumor has it that the Apple AirPods Max headphones are getting an upgrade in 2024.

While we’re eagerly anticipating the launch of speculated new features such as new colors and a USB-C charging port, we also know that these headphones have never been known for being cheap, especially when it comes to launch time. That’s why it’s worth considering scooping up the 2020 model while it’s on sale. As of Oct. 27, Apple AirPods Max headphones are on sale for $449.99 in a My Best Buy members-only deal. This takes $100 off the list price, bringing the cost down 18% from $549.99.

If you’re not already a My Best Buy member, you can sign up today in order to take advantage of the deal. There are different membership tiers to choose from: My Best Buy Plus or My Best Buy Total. A yearly Plus membership will cost you $49.99, while a yearly Total membership will cost $179.99. Both plans give shoppers access to members-only deals, and one plan does not receive more savings than the other. Instead, the Total plan offers members 24/7 tech support, VIP member support, and 20% off all repairs. If you signed up for a Plus membership at checkout with your Apple AirPods Max purchase, you would still save $50.

Whether you’re already a My Best Buy member or you’re just signing up, score a pair of Apple AirPods Max at this low price today before the savings ends.