Apple’s second-gen AirPods are just $89.99 right now at Amazon. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Apple’s AirPods are always a popular gift, but they can be expensive, regardless of which model you opt for. Thankfully, you can currently nab the entry-level model for less than $100, making them a great present for friends and family if you don’t mind waiting until after the holidays.
Right now, Amazon is selling Apple’s second-gen AirPods with delayed shipping for $89.99, matching their lowest price to date. It’s also less than what we saw them for on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when they were selling for around $110. The last-gen earbuds may be older and lack the wireless charging case found on the more expensive configuration, but they still offer great wireless performance, reliable battery life, and excellent ease of use, making them a terrific pick for Apple users shopping on a budget. Read our full review.
Of course, if you prefer the newer third-gen buds, which offer IPX4 water resistance and MagSafe charging compatibility, they’ve also plunged to their lowest price to date. Normally $179, Apple’s third-gen AirPods are currently on sale at Amazon for $139.99, which is the price we saw them going for on Black Friday. Just keep in mind that they may not ship until after Christmas, meaning they’d likely make for a belated gift. Read our full review.
Speaking of all-time lows, if you’re on the hunt for a great, lightweight laptop that’s under $1,000, Amazon is currently selling Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 4 at its lowest price ever. Regularly $999.99, right now you can pick up the 13.5-inch configuration for $877.79, a $122 discount. To get this deal, you need to select the model that comes with a 256GB SSD, an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 6-core CPU, and 8GB of RAM.
Note this is the smaller, less powerful version of the 15-inch model that comes with the Ryzen 7 4980U chip we tested, which we praised for its excellent battery life and performance. Nonetheless, it’s still a good laptop with a mid-tier processor that’s fine for streaming shows, using social media, and carrying out other everyday tasks. Read our full review.
Shifting away from laptops to e-readers, Amazon’s kid-friendly Kindle Paperwhite makes for a great holiday gift both children and parents will love. It’s a fun way to get a child into reading that’s ad-free and comes with parental controls, and right now it’s selling at its second-best price to date.
Typically $159.99, Amazon is currently selling the new Kindle Paperwhite Kids, which comes with a bigger display and a USB-C port, for $119.99 in all colorways and designs. That’s just $5 more than the price we saw on Black Friday. The waterproof e-reader, released only a few months ago, also comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids Plus, which provides access to thousands of kid-friendly books as well as hundreds of Audible audiobooks. Amazon is also throwing in a two-year warranty, so if it breaks, you can return it and the company will replace it for free. Read our full 2021 Kindle Paperwhite review.
As we get closer to the holidays, several retailers are selling discounted gaming-related gift cards that can come in handy whether you’re looking for a present or you just want to save some money. Now through December 17th, Costco members can buy a $50 digital Nintendo eShop gift card for $39.99 or a $100 digital Xbox gift card for $79.99, the latter of which can be applied toward both current and next-gen titles.
If you’re on the hunt for budget-friendly gifts you can still get before the holidays, today’s discount on the new Roku Express 4K Plus may be worth a look. Typically $39.99, the streaming stick is going for $24 at Amazon, which is an all-time low and $5 less than the Black Friday price. In comparison to its predecessor, the Roku Premiere, the entry-level 4K streamer comes with a faster processor and increased internal storage. It also offers support for HDR10 Plus and AirPlay 2, while sporting features like dual-band Wi-Fi and the ability to attach a Micro-USB-to-ethernet adapter if you’d prefer a wired connection.
Some other great deals worth checking out
As a part of its holiday sale, B&H Photo is offering a rare discount on Apple’s HomePod Mini, selling the smart speaker in various colors for $94.99 instead of $99.99. Read our full review.
In the market for an affordable TV? Amazon is currently discounting its lineup of 4-Series Fire TVs, selling the 55-inch model for $379.99 instead of $519.99. The retailer is also throwing in a third-gen Echo Dot when you use promo code FTVDOT21.
Amazon Prime members can enjoy 10 percent off of all deals available in the Woot! app today, December 16th. Prime subscribers can also take advantage of free two-day shipping on select items between now and December 19th.
You can get a free $10 Best Buy gift card when you buy a $100 digital Google Play gift card at Best Buy. And if you buy a $100 digital Apple gift card from Target, the retailer will throw in a digital $10 gift card to Target.