Category: Technology

July’s Prime Day sale is here, which means Amazon is offering sharp discounts on some of the best speakers money can buy. Whether you’re after a portable bluetooth speaker, a compact yet powerful soundbar or a smart speaker to help around the house, something probably just dropped into your price range. Our audiophiles have combed through the sales and put together a list of the best Prime Day speaker deals that stand out from the herd, including top brands like Beats, Marshall, Bose and Sonos. So if you’re sick of missing important dialogue in your shows, or you want to listen to music like it’s live, check out the list below.

Best Prime Day Bluetooth speaker deals

Our portable bluetooth speaker picks are some of the best all-around mobile music devices to ever hit the shelves: smaller and lighter than a boombox, better audio than an iPod, and way easier in the long run than learning to play guitar. We’ve sifted through Prime Day offerings to find the best portable speakers in all shapes and sizes.

Anker Soundcore 2 for $29 (35 percent off): The Soundcore 2 is an older bluetooth speaker, but it holds up — fully waterproof, with 24 hours of battery life and bass you can hear on the other side of a pool. It’s on sale for less than $30.

UE Everboom for $200 (25 percent off): If you want something stronger than the Wonderboom but the Hyperboom isn’t portable enough, the Everboom is a great middle ground. Its ideal range is a little narrow, but it makes up for that with 360-degree sound and extreme durability (i.e. so waterproof it literally floats).

JBL Xtreme 2 for $255 (80 percent off): The Xtreme 2 is an older model, dating back to 2018 — but as they say on the internet, it checks out. With a maximum output of 40 watts, it’s actually more powerful than the Xtreme 4. Even better, this deal includes a pair of speakers that can work together through JBL connect+.

JBL Go 3 for $28 (30 percent off): The JBL Go 3 improves on its predecessor with a carabiner-friendly design, five hours of battery life, and IP67-rated waterproofing and dustproofing. It’s not exactly powerful, but it’s way better than a phone speaker for driving, trekking or camping.

JBL Go 3 Eco for $28 (30 percent off): This is the same as the JBL Go 3, but made from mostly recycled materials — 90 percent of the plastic and 100 percent of the fabric is post-consumer.

Bose SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen for $99 (33 percent off): This mini speaker from Bose is one of our favorites on the list for hands-free phone calls. It supports both Google Assistant and Siri and runs up to 12 hours on one charge, all while being smaller than a clutch purse. It also kills as a portable music player, though the sound doesn’t stretch far enough to fill a room.

Bose Soundlink Revolve+ Series II for $179 (40 percent off): The Revolve series was Bose’s first line of 360-degree outdoor speakers, and they’re still a strong choice today. The Revolve+ weighs about two pounds and can run for 17 hours without recharging.

Bose Soundlink Max for $299 (25 percent off): Bose’s Soundlink Max marries a classic carrying-case design with audio that sounds like it’s coming from a much bigger unit. It comes with a 20-hour battery and IP67-rated protection against the elements.

Marshall Emberton II for $95 (47 percent off): Marshall has been making audio equipment for more than 60 years, and still has a thing or two to teach the young’ns. The Emberton II looks like a classic amp, but weighs a quarter of a pound and provides balanced sound for more than 30 hours per charge.

Best Prime Day smart speaker deals

Smart speakers aren’t just about getting a disembodied voice to do your bidding (or at least as much of your bidding as Alexa can do without hands). On top of assistant support, the picks below serve up legitimately great audio quality alongside useful extra features. The only downside is that they’re often overpriced, but that’s what Prime Day is for.

Amazon Echo Pop for $22 (45 percent off): The latest Echo Pop release continues the trend of making Alexa’s best features available on a mini-sized, reasonably priced device. Its half-spherical design fits on any desk or shelf, and its sound output is consistently clear — and gets louder than you might believe.

JBL Authentics 200 for $200 (47 percent off): JBL’s Authentics line is modeled after a product it sold in the 70s. Its old-school bookshelf-friendly design belies its advanced feat of running Google Assistant and Alexa simultaneously (as opposed to other smart speakers where you have to pick just one).

JBL Authentics 300 for $300 (33 percent off): The JBL Authentics 300 can host both Alexa and Google Assistant at the same time, which impressed us enough that we gave it a full review. While we had some issues — namely its tendency to over-emphasize vocals — we can’t quibble with its high-range performance or retro design.

Best Prime Day soundbar deals

Flatter, lighter and larger TV screens are nice for visuals, but often sacrifice sound quality to lose weight. If you’ve found yourself turning on the subtitles for your shows more often lately, you might need a soundbar to augment your TV’s built-in speakers. We found a few of the best on sale for Prime Day — Sonos leads this space, but it’s not without competitors.

Bose Smart for $400 (20 percent off): In our full review of the Bose Smart, we noted that two drivers in the center make its sound feel directional without any other speakers needed — simply cranking up those makes any audio more immersive. You can also link it to a pair of Ultra Open Earbuds (not included) for a private surround sound experience.

Bose Smart Ultra for $700 (22 percent off): The Smart Ultra upgrades the Bose Smart with a more sophisticated calibration system which adjusts sound settings to fill whatever room it’s in. If you want the Smart’s personal surround experience for more than one person, the Smart Ultra is for you.

Sonos Beam for $369 (26 percent off): The Sonos Beam is a fantastic choice for a mid-budget soundbar. It’s one of the most accessible Dolby Atmos systems, and uses careful audio alterations to achieve a much more immersive sound than other bars of its size.

Sonos Ray for $169 (15 percent off): If you’re looking to pay a bit less, go with the Sonos Ray to maximize sound quality on a budget. The audio won’t wrap around your room like it might from a more premium model, but it’s still a vast improvement on nearly all built-in TV speakers.

Sony HT-S400 for $178 (41 percent off): Sony built the HT-S400 for everyone who wants a soundbar but not an entire home theater. It’s a 2.1-channel system that still manages immersive surround sound and is easy to integrate with Sony TVs. Right now, it’s 40 percent off, one of the best prices we’ve seen on any soundbar.

VIZIO 2.0 for $80 (20 percent off): Vizio’s budget soundbar makes a worthy alternative to the Sonos Ray. It punches above its weight and gets as close as possible to Dolby Atmos surround sound as a single unit can manage. For less than $100, you’ll never mishear a line of dialogue again.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/best-prime-day-speaker-deals-on-jbl-bose-sonos-and-others-085948443.html?src=rss 

Portable storage devices and external hard drives may not be the sexiest hardware on offer this Prime Day, but anyone who’s used one to boot an operating system or reduce a game’s load times knows what a difference they can make. Anytime you work with massive files — and most of us do, given the size of software these days — a solid-state drive (SSD) can improve on a built-in hard drive in almost every way. The SSDs gathered below can boost processing speeds while keeping computers cool and quiet, and they’re all discounted from the usual price. Check out our list to find your next PS5 SDD deals and more.

Best Prime Day SSD deals

Crucial P310 1TB for $60 (20 percent off): This deal on the Crucial P310 is one of the best we’ve seen so far for a Gen 4 SSD. At the 1TB capacity, it reads up to 7,100MB per second for noticeably faster performance. Just be warned that the deal doesn’t include a heatsink.

WD_BLACK SN850X for $150 (25 percent off): Our current favorite Gen4 NVMe drive is on sale for Prime Day, making a read speed of over 7,000 MB/s more accessible than ever. In our tests, we found the 1TB SN850X significantly boosted our Windows operating speeds without adding much heat.

WD Blue SN5000 for $210 (30 percent off): Here’s a great deal on an internal SSD with 4TB capacity and compatibility with the fast-performing NVMe protocol. Western Digital, the same brand behind the WD_BLACK (see above) claims the Blue model can hit read speeds of 5,500 MB/s.

Sabrent Rocket 2230 for $150 (45 percent off): The Sabrent Rocket 2230 is a thumbnail-sized NVMe card that we found to be perfect for the M.2 slot on a Steam Deck. Thanks to this deal, you can save a lot by buying a lower-end Steam Deck and upgrading it with one of these.

Samsung Fit Plus for $23 (34 percent off): The Fit Plus is our favorite thumb drive, and it’s not close. Running on USB 3.1 with transfer speeds between 300 and 400 MB/s, it even comes with a keychain hook. The current deal takes 34 percent off an already cheap product.

Samsung 990 Pro for $150 (29 percent off): The whole Samsung Pro line of SSDs is excellent for gamers, with PS5s in particular seeming to run much faster with one installed. The 990 Pro can reach read speeds of up to 1,400 KB/s — and yes, that’s kilobytes, not megabytes.

Samsung 9100 Pro for $220 (31 percent off): Samsung’s first NVMe SSD dropped earlier this year, and currently, they’re still a bit faster than most people can use. However, if you want to get a jump on the next console generation with 14,800 MB/s sequential reading speed, this deal is your opportunity.

Kingston Fury Renegade for $420 (33 percent off): Although it sounds like a Jamaican kung fu movie we’d watch the hell out of, the Kingston Fury Renegade is actually a 5th-gen NVMe SSD that can reach hardcore read speeds of up to 14,800 MB/s. It’s expensive, but Prime Day discounts knock off 33 percent.

Best Prime Day portable SSD deals

Samsung T7 for $114 (39 percent off): The T7 spent a long time as our reigning champion portable SSD, and it’s still an amazing deal — being technically outdated means record-low prices on hardware that’s more than fast enough for a Steam Deck or Switch.

Samsung T9 for $170 (43 percent off): We once named the Samsung T7 as our favorite portable SSD, but the T9 handily outdoes it, nearly doubling data transfer speeds. It’s marked down 43 percent from now until the end of Prime Day on the 11th.

Crucial X9 Pro 1TB for $75 (17 percent off): As a Gen 2 USB drive, the Crucial X9 Pro loses out to some newer competitors on speed — but it’s much cheaper, and far more compatible with everyday personal computers. The 1TB model is on sale at 17 percent off its normal price.

Crucial X9 Pro 2TB for $120 (33 percent off): The Crucial X9 Pro with 2TB storage space is marked down 33 percent for Prime Day.

Crucial X9 Pro 4TB $260 (10 percent off): If you’re after the highest-capacity model of the Crucial X9 Pro, you can grab it for 10 percent off through the end of Prime Day.

Crucial X10 1TB for $82 (41 percent off): The Crucial X10 is a portable SSD for power users, only working at full strength on devices that support the latest version of USB 3.2. If that’s what your build needs, you’re not likely to see it much cheaper than this.

Crucial X10 2TB for $135 (18 percent off): A 2TB version of the X10 is almost 20 percent off right now.

Crucial X10 Pro 2TB for $150 (28 percent off): The Crucial X10 Pro is perfect for a fairly small range of users. If your PC build currently works with USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 but isn’t yet handling USB4 or Thunderbolt, you won’t find a faster portable SSD for your needs.

Kingston XS1000 for $80 (15 percent off): We named the Kingston XS1000 the second-best portable SSD in our current roundup, so it’s great to see it going for 15 percent off today. It’s almost as fast as the Crucial X9 Pro, just not quite as tough.

ADATA SE920 for $142 (5 percent off): The piddly 5 percent off is disappointing, but there’s nothing disappointing about the ADATA SE920 itself. This is the ideal model for anyone regularly making huge downloads. The SE920’s maximum read speed of 3,800 MB/s would be impressive for a full-size SSD, but it’s fully portable, weighing less than half a pound.

Best Prime Day microSD card deals

Lexar Professional Silver Plus for $40 (45 percent off): Our tests showed this to be the fastest microSD card on the market, beating out the whole Samsung line. Not only is it fast enough to download and upload 4K files without trying your patience, it’s also waterproof, cheap and squeezes in both USB-A and USB-C ports.

Samsung Pro Plus for $17 (35 percent off): The Samsung Pro Plus is a great microSD card for most needs, so if it’s cheaper than the Lexar option, go for it. We’ve found that it’s particularly good in handheld game systems. Just make sure to get the version rated for 180 MB/s, nothing less (it should say on the package).

SanDisk 128GB microSDXC for $18 (25 percent off): If you’re still rocking the Switch 1 (thanks, Target) and want a cheap storage expander with some fun branding, this deal on a SanDisk 128GB microSD card is for you. It’s going for $18 right now, far less than most of the games you’re likely to store on it.

Best Prime Day external hard drive deals

Seagate Portable for $65 (18 percent off): All the Seagate hard drives we’ve used are refreshingly good at combining thin, light hardware with consistent speeds, and the Portable is no exception. At 4TB, this is a great deal on an external HDD with no tradeoffs.

Seagate Game Drive for $76 (15 percent off): Seagate’s Game Drive is a prime choice for adding extra space to a PS5 or Xbox Series X. Formerly overpriced, it’s now dropped down to $90 for 2 TB, and that’s before Prime Day makes it even cheaper.

WD My Passport for $153 (17 percent off): The Western Digital My Passport line is ancient by computer hardware standards, but it’s been updated as far as USB 3.0 and 3.1, and remains one of the cheaper options for a 6 TB hard drive. This version includes automatic backup software.

WD Elements for $149 (15 percent off): The Elements HDD from Western Digital has gotten consistently positive feedback from our staff over the years, and as an older model, it’s now wildly cheap for 6 TB of storage. It’s compatible with both PC and Mac out of the box.

WD_BLACK P10 Game Drive for $161 (15 percent off): We’re big fans of the WD_BLACK SSD, and the gaming-focused external P10 is a worthy companion. It comes with 6 TB of storage for your PC, PS5, or Xbox gaming library.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-prime-day-ssd-and-external-hard-drive-deals-on-samsung-crucial-and-more-090355162.html?src=rss 

The 2025 edition of Prime Day is upon us and, as expected, Amazon is offering Prime members an extra batch of games at no additional cost. Four more PC titles are now available to Prime Gaming subscribers, namely Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Marvel’s Midnight Suns and Football Manager 2024. All of these are redeemable via the Epic Games Store save for Dark Forces II, which you can snag via GOG.

The highly acclaimed Dark Forces II carries on the story of Kyle Katarn, a young mercenary who has infiltrated the Empire and learns he has a connection to the Force. Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a first-person survival horror title from 2010. Critics praised its novel “sanity” gameplay feature, smart writing and immersive nature, and it is regarded as one of the most influential games in its genre.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a much more recent game. This is a 2022 turn-based tactical RPG from Firaxis, which is also known for the Civilization and XCOM series. Although the game struggled commercially, it was broadly critically acclaimed.

As for Football Manager 2024, that remains the most recent entry in the long-running (and time-absorbing) soccer management sim series. Sports Interactive cancelled the 2025 edition in February after months of delays due to development issues. The next instalment should arrive later this year, including the major technical and visual upgrades that were promised for FM25.

In the meantime, you can scoop up the previous edition for zilch if you’re a Prime member. However, you’ll only have until 11:59PM PT on July 11 to do so. The other three titles will remain in the Prime Gaming lineup for the rest of the month.

Along with these freebies, Amazon is offering various discounts on the Luna Controller during Prime Day in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Belgium. In the US, Amazon has slashed the price of the Luna Controller by 43 percent to $40. A bundle that includes one month of Luna+ access is the same price (also 43 percent off). Meanwhile, a bundle of the controller and the Fire TV Stick 4K will currently run you $60, which is half off. Remember that you’ll need to be a Prime member to take advantage of these deals.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/amazon-offers-four-more-free-games-for-prime-day-including-marvels-midnight-suns-093708420.html?src=rss 

If you want to read more and stare at your phone less, an ereader can help. And Amazon’s Prime Day sale can help you get one for less. For this guide, we found the best Prime Day Kindle deals — plus an introductory deal on Kindle Unlimited. Engadget editors and reporters have tested nearly every current-model Kindle and our reviews are linked below. You can also check out our buying guide to ereaders for background on how to get the most out of your device. Currently every Kindle model is on sale — and, unlike everything else on Amazon’s site, they don’t go on sale often. Here are the best Prime Day Kindle deals we could find.

Best Prime Day deals on Kindle ereaders

Amazon Kindle for $85 ($25 off with Prime): The base model Kindle is our recommendation for the best budget ereader. Even when it’s not on sale, it’s the most affordable e-book device from a major manufacturer. It’s compact and durable making it easy to carry. It doesn’t have warm LEDs and it’s not waterproof but it’s the most affordable way to access Amazon’s vast e-book ecosystem.

Kindle Colorsoft for $180 ($100 off with Prime): Amazon didn’t introduce color to its ereader lineup until early this year — long after Kobo and Boox. The list price of $280 makes it more expensive than other color display ereaders, but this discount helps with that. We appreciate the fast page turns, pinch to zoom feature and auto-adjusting warm front light.

Kindle Scribe 2 for $260 ($140 off with Prime): If you want a Kindle that lets you write as well as read, this is the one to get. We gave the Kindle Scribe 2 a score of 86 in our review and it’s our pick for the best e-reader E Ink tablet. It has a smooth reading and writing experience with low latency. It also lets you create multiple notebooks, add pages and change the templates easily.

Kindle Paperwhite for $125 ($35 off with Prime): The Paperwhite is an elevated version of the Kindle, with a larger, seven-inch, flush-front screen and an adjustable warm front light. A faster processor gives it quicker page turns than its predecessor and the device itself is waterproof.

Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition for $150 ($50 off with Prime): The Signature Edition adds few more premium features to the Kindle Paperwhite with wireless charging, an auto-adjusting front light and more storage (32GB). We gave it an 85 in our review praising the premium build, remarkably clear text and fast page turns. We just wish the power button wasn’t on the bottom.

Kindle Kids for $95 ($35 off with Prime): The Kindle Kids edition is the same hardware as the standard Kindle, but you get a few added perks that are fitting for younger users. To start, a case comes standard. The warranty is extended to two years. And the purchase price includes a six month subscription to Amazon Kids+ for thousands of kid-friendly ebooks and more.

Kindle Paperwhite Kids for $130 ($50 off with Prime): Again, the kids version is the same as the Paperwhite but with a cover, extended warranty and access to Amazon Kids+ for six months. Just remember to cancel at the end of the trial or keep it and pay $6 per month.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-prime-day-kindle-deals-and-ereader-sales-080957865.html?src=rss 

If you’re on the market for a Kindle, Fire TV device or Echo speaker, Amazon Prime Day is basically Black Friday for you. Prime Day deals on those devices are typically the same (or very close to) the prices we see at the end of the year near the holidays. That means now is a great time to pick up a new Kindle ereader ahead of the new semester in the fall, a Fire TV Stick for streaming while traveling or an Echo Dot for your home office. As expected, almost all of Amazon’s hardware is on sale for Prime Day; these are the best Prime Day deals on Amazon gear that you can get this year.

Prime Day Echo deals

Echo Pop speaker for $22 (45 percent off): One of the newer Echo devices available, the Pop it sports a 1.95-inch front-facing speaker and a physical mic mute switch for extra privacy. The Pop also has built-in eero compatibility, so it can extend the area of your home Wi-Fi network if you already have an eero router system.

Echo Dot speaker for $32 (36 percent off): Amazon’s smallest smart speaker is one of the best smart speakers you can get right now thanks to its compact design, physical button controls that compliment voice commands and its solid sound quality for its size.

Echo Buds for $45 (68 percent off): Amazon’s main earbud offering, the Echo Buds are one of our top picks for the best budget wireless earbuds you can get right now. Their design allows some outside sound in, which some will prefer over total noise cancellation, and they have a comfortable design with a pocket-friendly case, automatic wear detection, multi-device connectivity and, of course, built-in Alexa voice controls.

Echo Show 5 for $60 (33 percent off): This model is one of our favorite smart displays thanks to its compact design, ambient light sensor and sunrise alarm feature, all of which make it an excellent smart alarm clock. Amazon improved the speaker quality on this latest model, which gives sound deeper bass and clearer vocals.

Echo Show 8 for $110 (27 percent off): This is our current top pick for the best smart display with Amazon’s Alexa thanks in part to its 8-inch touchscreen, 13MP camera that supports auto-framing for better video chats and its built-in Zigbee smart home hub. The 2023 model supports Visual ID, which will show personalized information on the device’s display depending on who’s using it, and video streaming from Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video and other services.

Prime Day Kindle deals

Kindle Kids for $95 ($35 off): This is the same device as the base Kindle, but it becomes more kid-friendly thanks to the included cover, two-year warranty and the included year of Amazon Kids+, which gives children ages 3-12 access to hundreds of appropriate ebooks and audiobooks. Just be sure to take note when you activate that subscription because it will renew after one year at the standard $6/month rate.

Kindle Paperwhite for $125 ($35 off): The latest version of the Paperwhite has a seven-inch display, thinner bezels, an adjustable warm light, speedier page turns and a battery that can last up to 12 weeks on a single charge. This model is also IPX8 waterproof and has built-in Audible integration.

Kindle Colorsoft for $180 ($100 off): Amazon’s only color e-reader has a seven-inch, high-contrast display, an auto-adjusting front light, a color highlighting feature and an eight-week battery life.

Kindle Scribe for $260 ($140 off): The Scribe is one of the best E-Ink tablets you can buy at the moment, and certainly the top pick if you want a writable table that also excels as an ereader. It provides a great reading and writing experience, thanks in part to its ability to access the entire Kindle ebook library, and it has handy Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox integration.

Prime Day Fire TV deals

Fire TV Stick 4K for $25 (50 percent off): This is the cheapest Fire TV Stick you can get to stream 4K content, plus it has support for Wi-Fi 6 and Dolby Vision and Atmos. With its live picture-in-picture feature, you can view security camera feeds right on your TV while you’re watching your favorite show or movie.

Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $35 (42 percent off): In addition to 4K HDR streaming with Dolby Vision and Atmos support, the 4K Max dongle includes Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, 16GB of built-in storage and live picture-in-picture capabilities. It also supports the Fire TV “ambient experience,” which lets you display photos and images on your TV screen when you’re not actively watching something.

Fire TV Cube streaming box for $90 (36 percent off): This model will provide the best performance of any Fire TV streaming device, and it supports 4K HDR content, Dolby Vision and Atmos and an enhanced version of the Alexa Voice Remote. Along with live picture-in-picture view and the Fire TV ambient experience, you can also hardware other devices to the Fire TV Cube including a cable box or a game console.

Prime Day Fire tablet deals

Fire HD 8 tablet for $55 (45 percent off): This is Amazon’s most bare-bones tablet, featuring an eight-inch HD touchscreen, hexa-core processor and 13 hours of battery life. The improvements in the screen quality alone from the old-school Fire 7 tablet make it a better buy for most people, and this slab would make a good couch device for general web browsing, email checking, online shopping and more.

Fire Max 11 tablet for $140 (39 percent off): Amazon’s most powerful tablet, the Fire Max 11 sports an 11-inch 2,000 x 1,200 touchscreen, an octa-core processor, up to 128GB of storage and 14 hours of battery life. It also works with a number of optional accessories, including a stylus and keyboard case.

Fire HD 10 Kids tablet for $105 (45 percent off): This slab is designed for kids aged three to seven, with full parental controls plus one year of Amazon Kids+ for free with the tablet purchase. This model has a 10-inch FHD touchscreen, an octa-core processor and 13 hours of battery life, plus it comes with a two-year warranty and a protective case.

Fire HD 10 Kids Pro tablet for $105 (45 percent off): This model is designed for kids aged six to 12 and comes with a slimmer protective case, a two-year warranty and one year of access to Amazon Kids+. Otherwise, you get a very similar experience here that you would with the non-Pro version, including parental controls, a 10-inch touchscreen, solid performance and a 13-hour battery life.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-prime-day-deals-on-amazon-devices-save-on-kindle-ereaders-echo-speakers-and-more-082012377.html?src=rss 

Prime Day is here, and now is an excellent time to upgrade your personal audio gear. Whether you’re into headphones or earbuds, and whether you prefer Sony, Bose or Beats, there’s a range of options to choose from at various prices. We’ve tested everything on this list of deals, so we can provide additional guidance beyond just browsing the spec sheets. Plus, we know if the company’s performance claims actually hold water. Here are the best Prime Day deals on headphones and earbuds you can get right now, and why any of them would improve your daily listening experience.

Prime Day Sony deals

Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones for $430 ($20 off): Sony’s latest flagship headphones have only been out a few months and we’re already seeing a small discount on them. These are my top pick in our headphones guide for the combination of advanced features, comfy fit, great sound and improved active noise cancellation (ANC). 

Sony ULT Wear headphones for $130 ($70 off): If you’re after a solid set of Sony cans but don’t want to splurge for the 1000X line, the ULT Wear is a good option. There are a bunch of handy features and robust sound with ULT bass boost.

Sony WH-CH720N headphones for $80 ($70 off): The cheapest Sony headphones we’d recommend for Prime Day are no slouch. They’re lightweight and comfy with respectable sound for the price. You also get Adaptive Sound Control, 360 Reality Audio and multipoint Bluetooth on this budget model. 

Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds for $200 ($100 off): My top pick for best earbuds is also on sale for Prime Day. No other company comes close to the list of features Sony offers here, and that’s on top of excellent sound, improved fit and effective ANC. 

Sony LinkBud Fit earbuds for $130 ($70 off): Sony’s much smaller earbuds offer big sound and a lot of features for less than the 1000X model. These are a big improvement over the company’s LinkBuds S, which were already a low-key hit for affordable earbuds.

Sony WF-CH710N earbuds for $80 ($40 off): The CH710N is still quite new, but the earbuds are a steal at $80 for Prime Day. The compact, comfy design is a highlight, as are all the features Sony managed to pack in. Plus, they’re available in a lovely transparent blue that allows you to see all of the internal components. 

Sonos Prime Day deals

Prime Day Bose deals (also available at Bose.com)

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds for $129 (28 percent off): The best Bose earbuds for most people are getting a decent discount this week. This model gives you the company’s powerful ANC and great sound for less than flagship prices. You also get spatial audio and dependable battery life in this affordable option.

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds for $239 (20 percent off): If you thought Bose’s clip-on open earbuds were a bit too pricey to splurge on, now’s your chance to get them for less. Plus, this model works with the company’s soundbars for an enhanced living room listening experience. 

Beats Prime Day deals

Beats Solo 4 headphones for $100 (50 percent off): Beats’ popular on-ear headphones are half off for Prime Day, which makes them a great deal for fans of that wear style. While they may look similar to their predecessor, the Solo 4 have improved sound and longer battery life compared to that older model.

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds for $180 (28 percent off): Apple’s first earbuds with heart rate tracking are slightly discounted for Prime Day. This your chance to try the tech without paying full price. What’s more, the Powerbeats Pro 2 have an improved design, the smarts of Apple’s H2 chip and powerful bass. 

Prime Day Samsung deals

Samsung Galaxy Buds FE for $55 (45 percent off): Samsung’s budget earbuds are solid option if you’re looking to spend less than $60. Like the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, these are best-suited for Samsung devices where you’ll find features like live translation and automatic switching.

Apple and Google Prime Day deals

Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $149 (40 percent off): The best AirPods you can buy are at their lowest price this year during Prime Day. In addition to hands-free Siri, this model supports advanced features like Apple’s hearing test and hearing aid tool, in addition to hearing protection and more. 

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 for $170 (25 percent off): The best earbuds for Pixel phone users are down to $170, which makes them a great purchase right now. Live translate and hands-free access to Gemini might be the highlight, but these earbuds have great sound and capable ANC too. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-2025-the-best-headphone-and-earbud-deals-available-right-now-082347495.html?src=rss 

Amazon Prime Day is usually met with competing sales from other retailers, and this year is no different. Walmart’s summer sale is back this year, competing with Prime Day and running for an extra two days. You can shop the sale at Walmart from July 8 through July 13, snagging discounts on all sorts of things including tech.

While Engadget covers all of the best Prime Day deals we can find, we also recognize that not everyone has a Prime membership — and many simply do not want to shop at Amazon. If you fall into either of those camps, you will be able to find some of the best Prime Day deals matched at Walmart. Most of these deals are available to everyone, too — no Walmart Plus membership required as of July 8. Here, we’ve collected the best Walmart Deals savings we could find, and we’ll continue to update this post throughout the event as we discover new discounts.

Also, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the Nintendo Switch 2. Not because it’s discounted at Walmart (that’s too good to be true, unfortunately), but Walmart+ members get exclusive access to a new drop of Switch 2 consoles for purchase at 7pm ET on July 7.

Best Walmart Deals 2025 discounts

Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M1) for $599 ($50 off): The M1 Air has been long gone from Apple’s own site, but it’s still a more than capable laptop for anyone looking for a solid, all-purpose machine. We still recommend springing for an M3 or M4 machine instead, but if you’re on a budget, this deal will be hard to beat.

Roku Express HD streaming device for $17 ($12 off): If you’re simply looking for an affordable streamer to upgrade an aging TV, the Roku Express HD could fit the bill. It plays HD-quality content and gives you access to every major streaming platform including HBO Max, Disney+, Prime Video and others. It’ll tuck away behind your set nicely and it supports headphone mode, which lets you connect headphones to the Roku mobile app for private listening and viewing from your TV.

Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for $298 ($101 off): While the XM6 headphones are the latest and greatest, they only make small changes to the already stellar XM5. These were our top pick for the best wireless headphones for a long time before the XM6 launched earlier this year, and we still like them for their excellent sound quality, strong ANC, multi-device connectivity and good battery life.

Google TV Streamer 4K for $84 ($16 off): Our top favorite streaming device, the Google TV Streamer 4K is basically a souped-up Chromecast with 4K content support, an easy to use interface and a great remote control.

Hisense 75-inch U6H ULED 4K smart TV for $448 (36 percent off): This Quantum Dot TV can reach 600 nits at peak brightness across its 48 local dimming zones. It supports Dolby Vision and Atmos, HDMI 2.1 inputs for a better gaming experience and it has the Google Assistant built in for voice control.

Samsung 32-inch Smart Monitor M5 for $199 ($100 off): Not only will this be a good monitor for your home office setup, but it also acts as a full smart TV, too. Its interface gives you access to platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube and others, and it also comes with a SmartThings IoT hub built in so you can connect and control things like smart lights directly from the monitor.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 for $129 (47 percent off): While it’s an older model, we generally like Samsung Galaxy Watches and they’re arguably the best smartwatches for Samsung phone users. The Galaxy Watch 6 has good all-day activity tracking and sleep monitoring, plus heart rate tracking, personalized health insights and more.

Razer Kraken Hello Kitty & Friends Bluetooth headset for $47 (47 percent off): Razer makes excellent gaming accessories and this Hello Kitty & Friends version of the popular Kraken headset might be just what you were looking for to add more personality into your Twitch stream outfits. Aside from the cute design, it supports Bluetooth 5.0, comes with 40mm drivers and sports a beamforming microphone.

MSI Thin A15 gaming laptop (15.6-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) for $649 (37 percent off): Along with a Ryzen processor, this MSI gaming laptop sports a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU and a 144Hz screen, and it comes in at just about 4 pounds in weight.

PlayStation 5 Slim Astro Bot bundle for $453 ($106 off): This version of the console has a disc drive and comes with 1TB of storage, plus the ever-popular Astro Bot game.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/walmart-deals-2025-are-live-with-a-bunch-of-anti-prime-day-sales-to-shop-now-230146548.html?src=rss 

Epic Games has dropped its suit against Samsung. “We’re dismissing our court case against Samsung following the parties’ discussions,” Epic CEO and founder Tim Sweeney posted on X. “We are grateful that Samsung will address Epic’s concerns.” The company filed the action in September.

The lawsuit centered on the company’s Auto Blocker feature, which only allows apps to be installed from the Google Play Store and Samsung Galaxy Store. Epic claimed this made it difficult for potential customers to use its own Epic Games Store and was a united effort by Google and Samsung to block that platform. Sweeney did not elaborate on what actions Samsung would take as a result of the negotiations.

Epic Games has been quick to take its rivals to court. This suit followed a successful one it filed against Google on claims that the tech giant’s operation of the Google Play Store violated US antitrust laws. The gaming company wasn’t as fortunate when it pursued similar charges against Apple, but after several appeals Epic did force Apple to reverse course on transaction fees and it got Fortnite back in the App Store.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/epic-games-ends-its-antitrust-lawsuit-against-samsung-215806962.html?src=rss 

It appeared that Romero Games might have shuttered as a consequence of the sweeping job cuts at Microsoft last week, but the studio is still alive and kicking. In to a post on Bluesky, the company clarified that its latest project is currently canceled after its funding was pulled. The post doesn’t name the publisher due to confidentiality agreements, but it sure seems like Microsoft was the purse behind the new game. Losing the money hasn’t also meant that Romero Games is closing its doors, but the next steps will be difficult ones for the team.

“We now have to reassess the entire staffing of our studio,” the post reads.

The canceled project was billed on Romero Games’ website as a first-person shooter with a brand new, original intellectual property. It may eventually find new life with a new backer. “We’ve been contacted by several publishers interested in helping us bring the game across the finish line, and we’re currently evaluating those opportunities,” the company said.

Romero Games was founded in 2014 by storied game designers John and Brenda Romero. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/romero-games-says-reports-of-its-death-are-greatly-exaggerated-210905833.html?src=rss 

Apple is making another attempt to appeal the trade ban that forced it to remove the blood oxygen sensor from its smartwatches, Reuters reports. The company was forced to remove the feature in 2024, following a decision from the International Trade Commission (ITC) in 2023 that banned sales of the Apple Watch for violating health tech startup Masimo’s patents.

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit heard new arguments from Apple and Masimo’s lawyers on Monday over the legality of the original ITC ban. Apple’s argument is that the fact Masimo was developing its own smartwatch when Apple released the Apple Watch Series 6 in 2020 — the first of the company’s wearables with a blood oxygen sensor — shouldn’t be enough to justify the ban. Masimo disagrees.

The appeals court has heard the company’s arguments before, and even briefly paused the trade ban in December 2023 while the ITC considered Apple’s request for a longer pause. Ultimately, the ITC ruled in Masimo’s favor and denied Apple’s request. Apple removed the blood oxygen sensor in 2024 so it could restart sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the US.

The companies’ fight goes beyond just the blood oxygen sensor — Masimo’s smartwatches were, ironically, found to infringe on Apple patents — but clearly Apple is hung up on the feature. The company’s blood oxygen sensor was never as accurate as the pulse oximeters used in a doctor’s office, but it was part of a fairly comprehensive suite of heart health features on the smartwatch. It’s entirely possible Apple wants to reintroduce it in its watches as part of an even more ambitious health feature down the road.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-is-still-trying-to-overturn-the-ban-on-the-apple-watch-blood-oxygen-sensor-200135856.html?src=rss