The M1 MacBook Air may be approaching its second birthday, but it’s still a worthwhile laptop — especially with a good deal. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Look, it’s understandable to be a little thrown off by Apple’s latest announcements. The new Apple TV 4K seems interesting, the 2022 iPad Pro seems a little humdrum (save for the addition of the M2 chip), and the redesigned base iPad looks great, though it might cause some confusion with some accessories. But you know what’s still great and is down to its lowest price ever? The M1 MacBook Air from late 2020.
You can get the base model of the M1-equipped MacBook Air for just $799 at Amazon with a 256GB SSD and 8GB of RAM in any of its three available colors. This $200 discount matches its all-time low that started during Prime Day last week. While this laptop has been with us for a little while now (it’s turning two years old next month) it’s still a very capable machine for everyday computing needs. It’s got excellent battery life and can even fare well with some light creative work in Adobe’s Creative Suite or similar software. The newer M2 version is a little faster and has conveniences like MagSafe charging and a slightly bigger screen, but it costs $400 more than this laptop. Read our review.
While we’re on the topic of slightly older tech getting deep discounts, the original Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds are on sale for $119.99 ($80 off) in all color options at Amazon and Best Buy. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro may be a worthwhile successor with all-around improvements and a lighter design, but at $229.99, they cost nearly double the cost of the Buds Pro. The original Pros still offer good noise cancellation and very good audio quality. They also pair with any Android phones, though the experience is best and most seamless with a Samsung smartphone. Read our review.
Best Buy’s site lists this deal as expiring tonight at 1AM ET, which may mean the matching Amazon price will also go away around that time or shortly after.
We don’t often cover deals on tools for creators because that tech doesn’t typically get discounts very often. However, if you’re a musician or podcaster, you should check out the current deal on the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 USB audio interface, which is on sale for $158.84 (about $41 off) at Amazon. This third-gen model of the Scarlett 2i2 allows you to plug two XLR or quarter-inch line-in sources into your computer via USB-C. You can then simultaneously record or play back from those two channels and get live monitoring via its headphone output.
The Scarlett is a staple among musicians and also makes an excellent interface for podcast recording. It’s even fairly portable so it can easily travel with a couple of mics for on-site recording. While The Verge uses a wide variety of recording gear for the Vergecast and Decoder, a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is often trusted by remote hosts and their guests.
You can get a refurbished 10th-generation Fire HD 8 tablet for just $39.99 at Amazon. That’s $50 cheaper than the price of a new one. It’s also a whole lot cheaper than the $119.99 Fire HD 8 tablet that’s just been released. The Fire HD 8 of 2020 is a great value for consuming content like Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Kindle books, and more if you’re on a tight budget. The eight-inch tablet comes with 32GB of storage and comes with a 90-day warranty from Amazon. This is an ad-supported version, which is part of why it’s so cheap, though if the ads bother you, they can be removed manually through the software for an additional $15.
Some more Wednesday deals for your perusal:
It may not be the $89 flash sale price during the recent Prime Day fervor, but Walmart has $20 off the third-generation Apple AirPods, dropping them to a respectable everyday deal of $149.99. Read our review.
The PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller for Xbox and PC in royal purple is on sale for $25.99 ($12 off) at Best Buy. This is one of the best prices for this very affordable controller that’s also very good. It’s also very purple, which is always a plus. Read our buying guide.
Amazon has the JBL Charge 5 Bluetooth speaker on sale for $149 (about $31 off) in a handful of vibrant colors. This IP67-rated waterproof speaker is great for taking to outdoor parties or filling a room with some bass-heavy sound.
Logitech’s wireless low-profile G915 TKL mechanical keyboard is on sale for $180 ($49.99 off) at Amazon. It uses Logitech’s GL Linear black switches and features RGB lighting.
B&H is offering a $45 discount on the Pelican 1500 hard case with foam inserts when you add one in yellow, silver, or orange to your cart — knocking the price down to $129.95 These cases are great for storing and safely transporting delicate equipment like cameras, lenses, or drones.