The 16-inch MacBook Pro is $2,249. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
If you need something more powerful than the new M2-powered MacBook Air, last year’s 16-inch MacBook Pro is available on Amazon right now for its lowest price to date. Regularly $2,499.00, Amazon is selling the M1-powered model with a 10‑core CPU, 16‑core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD for $2,249 — a price Best Buy is currently matching. We were very impressed with the 16-inch machine, which offers a Mini LED display that the new MacBook Air lacks and fantastic performance that makes it the most powerful laptop we’ve ever tested for content creation and creative work. The laptop also boasts some of the longest battery life we’ve seen. Plus, the port selection is terrific; whereas the MacBook Air only allows for one external display, you can use the 16-inch MacBook Pro with three external displays and a 4K TV at the same time. Read our review.
If you’re interested in an alternative to Spotify, right now new and existing subscribers can get six months of Apple Music free from Best Buy. The individual subscription normally goes for $9.99 per month while the first month is typically free, so that’s a savings of $50. The service offers more than 90 million songs ad-free that you can listen to with spatial audio while also boasting support for Dolby Atmos. There are also some special perks for those already embedded within Apple’s ecosystem. For example, AirPods owners can take advantage of support for dynamic head tracking, meaning the music changes as you turn your head. Plus, Apple Watch owners can download and stream music to their wearable.
Traveling this summer? A portable power bank that can charge your laptop, phone, and other devices while you’re on the go may come in handy. Zendure’s SuperTank Pro is an excellent choice with its 26,800mAh battery, which can quickly charge your devices thanks to a pair of USB-C ports that support a 100W input / output charge rate. Unlike its predecessor, however, the aluminum power bank contains a total of four USB-C ports so you can, for example, charge two 13-inch MacBook Pros and two phones simultaneously. Plus, there’s a helpful OLED screen on the side that displays the remaining battery life and how long it will take to recharge the charger.
The SuperTank Pro is a solid travel charger made even better today now that you can buy it from Wellbots for just $149.99 instead of $229.99. The retailer is even offering free shipping to boot. Read our review.
Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge
The small second-gen Echo Show 5 is a great bedroom smart display.
If you missed out on the record lows we saw on smart displays during Prime Day, you still have another chance at saving big. Both the second-gen Echo Show 5 and the second-gen Google Nest Hub are still nearly half off at certain retailers. While not as low as the $34.99 price tag we saw at Amazon during Prime Day, you can still buy the second-gen Echo Show 5 for $39.99 and $44.99 ($40 off) at Kohl’s and Target, respectively. The second-gen Google Nest Hub, meanwhile, is still on sale for around $54.99 ($45 off) at Target.
If you’re a fan of Amazon Alexa or embedded in Amazon’s ecosystem already, you’ll want to look at the Echo Show 5 deal. The small 5.5-inch Echo Show 5 is the best Alexa-enabled smart display for the bedroom, one that makes for a good smart alarm clock given you’re able to snooze the device with just a tap. That’s in addition to the typical features Alexa-enabled displays offer, like the ability to set alarms with your voice, play music, and control a range of smart home devices. Read our second-gen Echo Show 5 review.
If you prefer Google Assistant over Amazon, you may want to opt for the Nest Hub for $54.99. We think this is the best smart display with Google Assistant, with reliable sleep tracking features and a seven-inch screen that automatically adjusts to ambient lighting. As a result, photos displayed on the screen look as if they’re actual paper prints, making this a great digital photo frame. Read our second-gen Google Nest Hub review.
Google’s Nest Thermostat is even cheaper than it was during Prime Day right now, at least in select colors. Typically $129.99, Amazon is currently selling it for $86.09, which is $2 less than what it was going for during the shopping event. Admittedly, the Google Nest Thermostat is not as great as the older Google Nest Learning Thermostat, and it doesn’t adapt to your habits. However, it’s still a decent smart thermostat if you’re within the Google ecosystem and looking for something relatively affordable. It’s easy to install and set up, you can control it remotely from your smartphone, and the Eco modes could potentially help save you money on your heating and cooling bills. Read our review.
A few more deals to wrap up your week with
You can still pick up a pair of AirPods Pro with a MagSafe charging case for $169.99 instead of $249 on Amazon. Apple’s well-loved earbuds offer excellent active noise cancellation and spatial audio support, a feature that makes select content more immersive. Read our review.
Looking for a relatively affordable soundbar to improve upon your TV’s speakers? Roku’s budget-friendly Streambar combines a soundbar with a 4K streaming device and is currently on sale for $89 instead of $129.99 on Amazon.
Amazon will throw in a free Philips Hue Dimmer Switch V2, which can control up to 10 bulbs using Bluetooth, when you buy a two-pack of BR30 color Hue bulbs for $114.98 ($10 off).