It’s nearly the end of August. If you’re like me, you’re already thinking, where did summer go? It’s still plenty hot, and there might even be time to sneak in another trip to some nearby water, but it also feels like fall is coming on fast. And if you’re headed off to college or back to school, your fall is already here. Luckily for you, we’ve got some good deals to ease the transition. From laptops and tablets to Instant Pots and beeswax wraps, there’s something here for everyone.
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Laptop, Phone, and Tablet Deals
MacBook Air with M1
Photograph: Apple
Back-to-school sales are in full swing, and there are some great laptop deals out there (whether you’re headed back to school or not).
This MacBook deal has been running for a few weeks now, but it’s good enough that we’re including it again this week. You can save a little more and get a free pair of AirPods. All you need is an .edu email address. The M1 Air (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is perfect for school too: It’s light, it has all-day battery life, and it’s plenty powerful enough for most people.
Prefer Windows to macOS? No problem, Microsoft’s Surface Pro 7 (8/10, WIRED Recommends), one of our favorite Windows laptops, is also on sale. It’s also a great choice for college, as it’s lightweight and easy to carry, plus it has great battery life. This deal is on the 10th-generation Intel Core i5 model with 8 gigabytes of RAM and a 128-gigabyte SSD. Several other models are also on sale if you need more storage space.
It’s not a huge discount, but if you’ve been wanting a brand-new iPad Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends), this deal will save you a few bucks on what’s undoubtedly the most powerful iPad on the market. The 12.9-inch model, which has Apple’s brand-new display technology, is also on sale for $999 ($100 off). And if you don’t need the fancy bells and whistles on the Pro models, the new iPad Air is discounted for $500 ($100 off). For more Apple discounts, check here.
This isn’t a huge discount either, but Apple’s Pencil doesn’t go on sale very often. It’s handy if you like to sketch or write on your iPad. Note that this is the second-gen Pencil, which only works on recent iPad Pro models and the 2020 iPad Air. Be sure to check if yours is supported before you buy.
This is a solid deal on a well-equipped laptop. It won’t have the build quality of more expensive machines (in other words, it’s plastic), but if you opt for the Ryzen 7 processor, 256 gigs of storage, and the 1920 x 1080 Brightview screen, you’ll have a powerful machine without breaking the bank.
Android tablets are not our favorite—Android just isn’t optimized for tablets—but if you don’t mind the quirks, the Lenovo P11 Pro is a good deal, especially at this price. Our main gripe is that there’s no headphone jack, but that’s no problem if you have wireless earbuds. This deal is on eBay, but it’s new and it’s sold directly by Lenovo.
The Galaxy S21 is one of our favorite Android phones. It has a great camera system, day-long battery life, heaps of power, and a fantastic 120-Hz AMOLED screen. You’ll even get four years of software and security updates, which is more than almost any other Android phone out there. This is close to the lowest price we’ve seen yet.
Fitness Deals
Apple Watch Series 6
Photograph: Apple
Read our Best Fitness Trackers and Best Smartwatches guides for more.
The Apple Watch Series 6 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) added a blood-oxygen-measuring tool and slightly increased the display size. This is still the best fitness tracker for the iPhone and the best Apple Watch.
The price of this watch fluctuates, but this is one of the lower prices we’ve seen since June. We like the Instinct for its long battery life and its sheer variety when it comes to sports tracking and navigation features. (See our full review of the solar-charged version, which is similar.) It’s cheaper than the Garmin Fenix but does nearly as much. It’s also, as WIRED’s senior associate editor Adrienne So puts it, “attractive, in an ugly way.”
This is a great fitness tracker for runners and triathletes, and it’s rarely this cheap. It comes equipped with apps for running, hiking, climbing, paddling, biking, and skiing, among other activities. Read our Best Fitness Trackers guide for other options.
Home Deals
Nixplay Digital Frame
Photograph: Amazon
Upgrade your home with these deals on gear that simplify and beautify life around the house.
Good digital frames are expensive, so it’s nice to see any kind of discount. Of the Nixplay frames we tried, we prefer the 10.1-inch over the 9.7-inch frame. The resolution is lower, but you wouldn’t know that unless you studied them side by side. Nixplay recently released a touchscreen model we haven’t tested yet, but the non-touch frame is still a good bet.
This is a good deal on one of our favorite routers. It’s future-proof with Wi-Fi 6 support, and it will easily cover most apartments and houses. If you have a large space, you may be better off with a mesh system, but for the rest of us, this one gets the job done. See our complete guide to buying a router for more tips.
This percussive device is frequently discounted, but it’s able to compete with the big guns that sometimes cost several hundred dollars. It combines high pressure and heat to relax sore muscles. It’s not as powerful, but that may be a good thing.
This is a newer Instant Pot, and it has an air fryer, which is probably unnecessary. Still, if you want one device that can do it all, this fits the bill. If you want a smaller Instant Pot (great for dorm rooms if you’re headed to college) the 3-quart model is also on sale for $61.
We love this plastic wrap alternative. It’s made with sustainably sourced beeswax, jojoba oil, and tree resin. It’s easy to clean (use cold water though) and lasts longer than other brands we’ve tested.
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