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A few of the gadgets on sale in today's Dealmaster.
Ars Technica
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Today's Dealmaster includes a
sweeping sale
on Amazon's Fire HD Kids Edition tablets, a couple of deals on recommended Fitbit trackers, a wide-ranging preowned games sale at GameFly, and offers on wireless headphones and USB-C chargers we like. You can find our full curated roundup below.
Table of Contents
Featured deals of the day
Laptop and desktop PC deals
Video game deals
Gaming deals
Electronics deals
Smart home device deals
Accessories and miscellaneous deals
Note: Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through
affiliate programs
.
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Featured deals of the day
Further Reading
The Ars Technica ultimate holiday gift guide 2020
Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids
(32GB) 8-inch tablet for $89.99 at Amazon and
Target
(normally $140)
: This is $10 off the lowest price we've tracked for Amazon's kid-friendly 8-inch tablet, which
we recommended in our most recent holiday gift guide
. The only time it dropped lower was around Black Friday last year. The discount comes as part of a wider sale on Fire HD Kids Edition tablets: if you want a bigger screen and slightly better performance, the 10.1-inch
Fire HD 10 Kids Edition
is down to
a new low of $130
. The slimmer "
Kids Pro
" models
are on sale
, too, (as are the entry-level Fire 7 slates, which we don't recommend, given their sluggish performance and lower-resolution displays compared to the 8-inch models that don't cost that much more). Either way, these slates come with drop-friendly bumper cases, two-year warranties, comprehensive parental control options, and a year-long subscription to Amazon's Kids+ service, which houses various books, shows, apps, and games aimed at young ones.
Further Reading
iPad (2020) micro-review: Battle-tested and more than fast enough
Apple's entry-level iPad
still has a far more extensive app store, a much more premium design, and much faster hardware—don't expect
Minecraft
or
Roblox
sessions to run all that smoothly here—but it's also way more expensive, especially after you factor in the cost of a case. The Fire HD experience might not be as tidy, but it's
sturdy and relatively safe
. If you'd like to keep a child entertained, there aren't many better options in this price range.
Further Reading
The best smartwatches for every type of user
Fitbit Versa 3
fitness smartwatch for $198.95 at Amazon,
Walmart
, and
Target
(normally $220)
: A recommendation from
our best smartwatches guide
, the Fitbit Versa 3 is a good, relatively affordable option for those looking for a more fitness-focused smartwatch. The app selection isn't as rich as that of an Apple Watch, but you get six-day battery life, an always-on display, a water-resistant case, built-in GPS, and most of Fitbit's usual activity-tracking package. We've seen this deal a few times over the past several months, but outside of a drop to $180 this past May, it matches the best price we've tracked.
Further Reading
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
review: A Viking quest worth sinking your axe into
GameFly Pre-Played Sale
: Various used Switch, Xbox, PS4, and PS5 games discounted at GameFly
: If you don't mind buying preowned, this fairly wide-ranging used game sale brings lower-than-usual prices on a number of recent games. Highlights include
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
for
$18
,
New Pokémon Snap
for
$40
,
Resident Evil Village
for
$38
, and the PS5-only roguelike
Returnal
for
$45
, among others. The usual caveats with buying used still apply, but GameFly is a fairly reputable reseller, and you don't need a GameFly membership to take part in the sale. The company says each game comes in its typical case with any manuals or DLC inserts that would normally come included.
Further Reading
The best accessories and MagSafe gear for your new iPhone 12
Anker PowerPort III Nano
(2-pack) 20 W USB-C wall charger for $24.79 at Amazon (normally $30)
: We recommend Anker's PowerPort III Nano in our
guide to the best iPhone 12 accessories
for offering a speedy 20 W charge in an ultra-compact design. Its prongs do not fold, and it uses Anker's proprietary PowerIQ charging tech instead of the USB-C Power Delivery standard, though we haven't had any reliability issues in testing. It doesn't supply enough power to charge up laptops or bigger tablets, either, nor does it come with a
capable USB-C to Lightning cable
to enable its fast charging. Still, it can top up a new iPhone 12 at
full speed
, which is nice for a wall charger that can fit in a pants pocket, and if you need spares, it undercuts
Apple's own 20 W charger
on price. This deal comes within a dollar of the lowest price we've tracked for a two-pack.
Jabra Elite 85h
Bluetooth noise-canceling headphones for $149.99 at Amazon,
Best Buy
, and
Walmart
(normally $210): While it
can't touch Sony's WH-1000XM4
in terms of active noise-canceling strength, Jabra's Elite 85h is another set of wireless headphones we like, with a better microphone for calls, an excellent 35 hours of battery life, and a balanced sound that doesn't overdo the bass out of the box. Its large control buttons are easy to use, and its design conveniently powers on as soon as you unfold the headphones. If you don't need ultra-strong ANC or can't afford the step-up to Sony's pair, the Elite 85h is a good alternative at this price, which matches the lowest we've seen.
Further Reading
Google’s Nest Hub is the best bedside smart display—and sleep tracking helps
Google Nest Hub
(2nd gen) 7-inch smart display + Google Nest Audio smart home speaker for $139 at eBay (normally $200)
: Our
recent review
called the Google Nest Hub the best bedside smart display, and as of this writing, eBay has a few nicely discounted bundles that pair the device with other Google Nest smart home gadgets. This one packs in
Google's Nest Audio speaker
, but others
include the
company's entry-level
Nest smart thermostat
and
diminutive
Nest Mini smart speaker
. All of these come from BuyDig, a trusted retailer we've linked to in the past.
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The 2020, M1-equipped Apple Mac mini.
Samuel Axon
Laptop and desktop PC deals
Apple Mac Mini
(2020) mini desktop PC—Apple M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD for
$599.99
at Amazon (discount seen at checkout—normally $665).
Apple MacBook Air
(2020) laptop—Apple M1, 13.3-inch 2560x1600, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD for
$899.99
at Amazon (discount seen at checkout—normally $960).
Apple MacBook Air
(2020) laptop—Apple M1, 13.3-inch 2560x1600, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD for
$1,099
at Amazon (discount seen at checkout—normally $1,165).
Dell Inspiron 14
(5410) laptop—Intel Core i7-11370H, 14-inch 1080p, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD for
$685.99
at Dell (use code:
50OFF699
—normally $950).
Dell G15 Ryzen Edition
(5515) gaming laptop—AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, 15.6-inch 1080p 165 Hz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, GeForce RTX 3060 6GB for
$1,077.99
at Dell (normally $1,450).
Acer Chromebook Spin 713
(2021) 2-in-1 laptop—Intel Core-i5-1135G7, 13.5-inch 2256x1504, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD + SteelSeries Stratus Duo wireless game controller for
$619
at Best Buy (normally $700).
Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5
2-in-1 laptop—Intel Core i3-10110U, 13.3-inch 1080p, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC for
$329.99
at Amazon (normally $390).
Lenovo Chromebook Duet
2-in-1 Chrome OS tablet—MediaTek Helio 60T, 10.1-inch 1920x1200, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC for
$229.99
at Staples (normally $280).
32-inch Dell S3221QS
curved monitor—3840x2160, VA, 60 Hz, FreeSync for
$349.99
at Dell (normally $390).
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Monster Hunter Rise
has you fighting lots of beasts like Magnamalo here.
Capcom
Video game deals
GameFly Pre-Played Sale
: Various used Switch, Xbox, PS4, and PS5 games discounted at GameFly.
GameStop Deal of the Day
: Buy 3
PS4 games
$29.99 and under, get 2 free sale at GameStop.
Monster Hunter Rise
(Switch) for
$49.49
at Amazon (normally $58).
Bravely Default II
(Switch) for
$49.99
at Amazon (normally $60).
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
(Switch) for
$14.99
at Nintendo eShop (normally $30).
Immortals Fenyx Rising
(Switch,
PS5
,
PS4
,
Xbox
) for
$24.99
at Amazon and
GameStop
(normally $33).
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Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
is a tidy remake of an underrated gem of an RPG.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
(Xbox) for
$14.99
at Amazon,
Best Buy
, and
GameStop
(
Switch version for
$20
—normally $23).
Sega Genesis Classics
(Xbox) for
$8.99
at Microsoft (
PS4 version for
$12
—normally $30).
Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection
(Xbox) for
$19.49
at Microsoft (normally $30).
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The hardcore roguelike
Returnal
includes waves of attacks that look like the stuff of '90s shmup classics.
Sony Interactive Entertainment / Housemarque
Nier Replicant Ver.1.22474487139...
(PS4, Xbox) for
$39.99
at Amazon,
Best Buy
, and
GameStop
(normally $60).
Overcooked! All You Can Eat
(PS4,
Xbox
) for
$19.99
at Target (
Switch version for
$30
—normally $40).
Demon's Souls
(PS5) for
$49.94
at Walmart and
GameStop
(normally $70).
Scarlet Nexus
(PS5,
PS4
,
Xbox
) for
$49.94
at Amazon and
GameStop
(normally $60).
Metro Exodus: Complete Edition
(PS5) for
$29.99
at Amazon (normally $40).
Subnautica: Below Zero
(PS5,
PS4
) for
$24.99
at Amazon and
GameStop
(normally $30).
Shadow of the Colossus
(PS4) for
$9.99
at PlayStation Store (normally $20).
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt—Complete Edition
(PS4) for
$9.99
at PlayStation Store (normally $35).
Returnal
(PS5, used) for
$44.99
at GameFly (normally $70).
Hitman 3
(PS4,
Xbox
, used) for
$21.99
at GameFly (normally $50).
Control
, a third-person shooter with strange magic and physics from
Alan Wake
and
Max Payne
developer Remedy, and our 2019 Game of the Year.
Nathan Mattise
Control: Ultimate Edition
(PC) for
$15.99
at Humble (base game on Game Pass—normally $40).
Max Payne 3
(PC) for
$6.99
at Steam (normally $20).
Chrono Trigger
(PC) for
$7.49
at Green Man Gaming (normally $15).
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered
(PC) for
$10
at Green Man Gaming (normally $20).
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Nintendo's Switch Pro Controller.
Gaming deals
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
for
$59
at Amazon and
GameStop
(discount seen in cart—normally $65).
Hori Split Pad Pro
handheld game controller for Nintendo Switch for
$39.99
at Amazon and
Walmart
(normally $50).
AtGames Legends Ultimate
arcade cabinet—24-inch display, includes
300 pre-installed games
for
$499.98
at Sam's Club (normally $600).
HyperX Cloud Alpha
gaming headset for
$69.99
at Amazon and
GameStop
(normally $87).
Razer DeathAdder Essential
gaming mouse for
$24.99
at Amazon (normally $29).
Wingspan
board game for
$43.16
at Amazon (normally $53).
Pandemic
board game for
$19
at Amazon (normally $30).
Codenames
board game for
$10.89
at Amazon (normally $14).
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Amazon's Fire HD 8 Kids Edition.
Jeff Dunn
Electronics deals
Apple TV 4K
(32GB) 4K HDR media streamer for
$169
at Amazon,
Walmart
, and
Sam's Club
(normally $179).
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
HDR media streamer for
$37.99
at Amazon and
Target
(normally $45).
Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids
(32GB) 8-inch tablet for
$89.99
at Amazon and
Target
(normally $140).
Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro
(32GB) 8-inch tablet for
$89.99
at Amazon and
Target
(normally $140).
Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids
(32GB) 10.1-inch tablet for
$129.99
at Amazon and
Target
(normally $200).
Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro
(32GB) 10.1-inch tablet for
$129.99
at Amazon and
Target
(normally $200).
Fitbit Charge 4
activity tracker for
$98.95
at Amazon,
Walmart
, and
Target
(normally $115).
Fitbit Versa 3
fitness smartwatch for
$198.95
at Amazon,
Walmart
, and
Target
(normally $220).
Garmin Forerunner 245
GPS running smartwatch for
$249.99
at Amazon (normally $270).
Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee
wired open-back headphones for
$129
at Drop (normally $170).
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The Fitbit Versa 3 is a smartwatch that covers most of its bases in fitness tracking and smarts, delivering strong value.
Fitbit
Jabra Elite 85h
Bluetooth noise-canceling headphones for
$149.99
at Amazon,
Best Buy
, and
Walmart
(normally $210).
Jabra Elite 85t
true wireless noise-canceling earbuds for
$179.99
at Amazon and
Best Buy
(normally $215).
Apple AirPods Max
Bluetooth noise-canceling headphones for
$477.81
at Amazon and
Best Buy
(normally $549).
Beats Flex
Bluetooth in-ear headphones for
$39
at Amazon and
Walmart
(normally $45).
SanDisk Extreme
(500GB) portable external SSD for
$84.99
at Amazon,
Best Buy
, and
Adorama
(normally $90).
Logitech MX Master 3
wireless office mouse for
$79.99
at Staples (use code:
74638
—normally $100).
Logitech MX Keys for Mac
wireless keyboard for
$79.99
at Staples (use code:
74638
—normally $100).
Logitech MX Master 2S
wireless mouse for
$49.99
at Lenovo (use code:
MXMASTER50
—normally $60).
Sony Alpha 7 II
(body only) full-frame mirrorless camera for
$898
at Amazon (normally $1,355).
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Google's second-generation Nest Hub smart display.
Corey Gaskin
Smart home device deals
Google Nest Hub
(2nd gen) 7-inch smart display + Google Nest Audio smart home speaker for
$139
at eBay (normally $200).
Google Nest Hub
(2nd gen) 7-inch smart display + Google Nest Thermostat smart thermostat for
$166.99
at eBay (normally $225).
Amazon Echo Glow
multicolor smart lamp for
$19.99
at Amazon (normally $30).
Eufy Smart Scale P1
wireless digital scale for
$29.98
at Amazon (
clip 25% coupon
—normally $40).
TP-Link Kasa HS210
3-way smart Wi-Fi light switch for
$16.61
at Amazon (normally $21).
TP-Link Kasa KP303
smart Wi-Fi 3-outlet power strip for
$22.79
at Amazon (normally $26).
TP-Link Kasa HS300
smart Wi-Fi 6-outlet power strip for
$49.99
at Amazon (normally $54).
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Anker's PowerPort III Nano is super-compact and can charge recent iPhones at full speed.
Corey Gaskin
Accessories and miscellaneous deals
Anker PowerPort III Nano
(2-pack) 20W USB-C wall charger for
$24.79
at Amazon (normally $30).
DJI Osmo Mobile 3
handheld smartphone gimbal for
$79
at Amazon and
Walmart
(normally $99).
Amazon Kindle Unlimited
6-month membership for
$47.86
at Amazon (24-month for
$143.80
, 12-month for
$80.30
—normally $60).
Dyson Cyclone V10 Allergy
cordless stick vacuum for
$349.99
at Newegg (normally $450).
