The waterproof speaker is small enough to throw in a beach bag. | Image: JBL
It’s been a busy week here at The Verge, with the recent reviews of the new M2 MacBook Air and Nothing Phone 1 as well as non-stop coverage of Amazon Prime Day. I’m sure all of us are ready for a relaxing weekend to rest and recoup. But first, more deals!
This first one is actually perfect for R&R time, as it’s a Bluetooth speaker you can take with you to the beach or poolside for some sunbathing. The JBL Flip 5 is on sale for $84.99 at Woot. This discount of about $45 on the waterproof speaker is the best we’ve seen in quite a while, and lower than anything offered during Prime Day. The Flip 5 comes in a variety of colors and offers good sound, with enough volume to fill a room or really annoy the couple sitting under the umbrella next to you on the beach. It’s got an IPX7 waterproof rating, too, so you don’t have to worry about it getting wet, and it’s easy to tote around anywhere. Just, don’t actually be that person with the booming music while everyone is trying to chill.
One of the biggest discounts we saw during Prime Day was the $100 discount on Google’s base version of its flagship phone, the Pixel 6. That deal may have ended, but there’s still a bigger $200 discount on the larger Pixel 6 Pro, which offers an excellent telephoto lens and beautiful (yet gigantic) 6.7-inch OLED display. The Pixel 6 Pro can be purchased right now for $699 until July 17th at Amazon, Best Buy, and direct from Google. Read our review.
While I know many may choose Amazon out of convenience, I’d suggest checking out Google’s own store if you have a phone to trade in. I can speak from the personal experience, having just bought the Pixel 6 Pro, that Google is offering higher trade-in values when you exchange your old phone for the pricier Pixel 6 Pro. Case in point, at the time of this writing, trading in an older Pixel 3A XL will net you $68 of trade-in value from Google toward a Pixel 6, but toward a Pixel 6 Pro, it’s good for $100. Try your luck, and see if you get an extra-special value to help take advantage of the current discount on the Pixel 6 Pro.
If you’re feeling like it’s high time to get outside and get active, a wearable can be a great motivator for tracking your steps, activities, and heart rate. Thankfully, the Fitbit Versa 3 is currently on sale on Amazon for $161.49 in the pink-gold color combo (or in purple for about $1 more). This is about as cheap as the smartwatch gets, and a 30 percent discount on its regular price of $229.95.
The excellent Versa 3 is our pick for the best Fitbit for most people, since it hits a sweet spot that balances price, features, and design. It’s even sweeter at this lower price, and it goes beyond fitness band duties with its ability to make NFC payments and call up a voice assistant from your phone. But the star of the show is its fitness capabilities — with GPS for tracking runs, cycling, and other activities — as well as battery life that can last all week.
Nomad Goods is having its 10th-anniversary sale, discounting some of its top sellers by 30 percent. The premium accessory-maker is known for making fancy leather goods for the iPhone and Apple Watch, including cases made from Horween leather. Nomad also makes some sleek wireless chargers, including the MagSafe-compatible Base One. The multi-charger version of that, the Base One Max, is on sale for $104.95 — a discount of $45. It’s a hefty metal charging pad for charging an Apple Watch and MagSafe-compatible iPhone. It charges an iPhone 12 or 13 at the full 15W and won’t slide around when you pick up either device.
If you prefer more charging bang for your buck, or you don’t have MagSafe, the Apple Watch compatible Nomad Base Station is also on sale for $104.95 (regularly $149.95). It wirelessly charges an Apple Watch, a Qi-compatible phone, and a third device simultaneously. It even has USB ports for plugging in two extra wired devices.
Some more sweet sweet Saturday deals:
The MagSafe-compatible Apple AirPods Pro are still available for their Prime Day price of $169.99 (about $79 off) at Amazon and Walmart. It’s the best price in a while on these excellent noise-canceling earbuds, which are ideal for those already tapped into the Apple ecosystem. Read our review.
The Samsung 512GB EVO Select microSD card is on sale for $54.99 (about $11 off) at Amazon and Samsung. A microSD card such as this is an easy way to expand the storage capacity of your Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck without spending a ton.
A two-pack of Anker’s 20W 511 Chargers is $23.99 ($7 off) on Amazon. These little USB-C chargers are so small, yet they’ll charge an iPhone (and other models) as fast as possible.
Joby’s GorillaPod 1K kit, which includes a flexible tabletop tripod and ball head, is $24.17 (60 percent off) on Amazon. These are very helpful when packing light for travel photography.
Sony Alpha full-frame mirrorless system cameras and lenses have instant rebates running until July 17th. This includes $200 off the last-gen A7 III body or kit, and $500 off the A7R IVA at retailers like B&H Photo and Amazon.