The weekend’s best deals: Apple iPad, MacBook Pro, OLED TVs, and more

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The weekend’s best deals: Apple iPad, MacBook Pro, OLED TVs, and more
Ars Technica

It’s the weekend, which means it’s time for another Dealmaster. Our latest roundup of the best tech deals from around the web includes the lowest price we’ve tracked for Apple’s 10.2-inch iPad, which is currently down to $280 at various retailers. That’s about $50 off Apple’s MSRP and roughly $25 off the average street price we’ve seen online in recent months.

You can read our review from last September for more details, but in short, we consider the 10.2-inch iPad to be the best option for most people in the market for an Apple tablet. Yes, its A13 Bionic chip isn’t as powerful as the M1 SoC found in the iPad Air and iPad Pro, and the device’s older design language means it lacks the USB-C ports, laminated touchscreens, upgraded cameras, and wider accessory support of those higher-end models. The 64GB of storage in this entry-level variant isn’t a ton, either. But as a pleasant-to-use screen for reading, streaming, web browsing, and playing the occasional game, the base iPad is still plenty competent. It’s fast enough for the essentials, it’s still usable for lighter work when paired with a good keyboard case, and it supports all the same apps as any other iPad. It’s a boring device, but it works, and it remains a significant step-up from cheaper Android tablets. Most importantly, it’s far and away the most affordable iPad, particularly at this deal price.
The caveat here is that Apple is expected to introduce a new entry-level iPad by the end of the year. We don’t expect a refreshed model to arrive during the company’s just-announced September 7 event, but if history holds, we could very well see it announced in October. Recent rumors suggest this new model could feature a major redesign that brings the device more in line with the look and feel of the iPad Air, iPad Pro, and iPad Mini. (This could also result in a removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack, though it’s hard to say that for sure just yet.) Either way, if you don’t need a new tablet right now, it’s probably worth waiting. But if you do, this is a new low for a tablet that was already a decent value.

Elsewhere, our deals roundup includes a new low on Apple’s 14-inch MacBook Pro—which, like the iPad, could be refreshed later this fall, but may still have appeal at this deal price for developers and power users who need a new model today. We also have lower-than-usual prices on new well-reviewed OLED TVs from LG and Samsung, Google’s Chromecast, Microsoft’s Xbox Series S, HyperX gaming headsets, Intel CPUs, Surface laptops, and more. You can check out our full curated list of deals below.

Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

Featured deals of the day

The latest 10.2-inch iPad.
Enlarge / The latest 10.2-inch iPad.
Andrew Cunningham

Electronics deals

Android phone we like if you absolutely cannot spend more than $200.” src=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/the-weekends-best-deals-apple-ipad-macbook-pro-oled-tvs-and-more-2.jpg” width=”640″ height=”480″ srcset=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/the-weekends-best-deals-apple-ipad-macbook-pro-oled-tvs-and-more-8.jpg 2x”>
Enlarge / Motorola’s Moto G Stylus isn’t without issues, but it’s an Android phone we like if you absolutely cannot spend more than $200.
Ron Amadeo

Laptop and desktop PC deals

The 2021 14-inch MacBook Pro.
Enlarge / The 2021 14-inch MacBook Pro.
Samuel Axon
continue to fall in the months ahead.”>AMD's Radeon RX 6800 XT (top) is <a href=still a solid GPU for 1440p gaming. The deal above represents a good price relative to what we’ve seen for similar models in recent weeks, though it’s worth noting that GPU prices may continue to fall in the months ahead.” src=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/the-weekends-best-deals-apple-ipad-macbook-pro-oled-tvs-and-more-4.jpg” width=”640″ height=”359″ srcset=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/the-weekends-best-deals-apple-ipad-macbook-pro-oled-tvs-and-more-10.jpg 2x”>
Enlarge / AMD’s Radeon RX 6800 XT (top) is still a solid GPU for 1440p gaming. The deal above represents a good price relative to what we’ve seen for similar models in recent weeks, though it’s worth noting that GPU prices may continue to fall in the months ahead.
Sam Machkovech

TV and home entertainment deals

HyperX's Cloud Alpha Wireless is a gaming headset with a battery that lasts hundreds of hours on a charge.
Enlarge / HyperX’s Cloud Alpha Wireless is a gaming headset with a battery that lasts hundreds of hours on a charge.

Gaming deals

Elden Ring and want to try a more focused (and arguably more difficult) experience from developer From Software, the acclaimed 2019 action game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice might be worth a look.” src=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/the-weekends-best-deals-apple-ipad-macbook-pro-oled-tvs-and-more-6.jpg” width=”640″ height=”360″ srcset=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/the-weekends-best-deals-apple-ipad-macbook-pro-oled-tvs-and-more-12.jpg 2x”>
Enlarge / If you’ve had your fill of Elden Ring and want to try a more focused (and arguably more difficult) experience from developer From Software, the acclaimed 2019 action game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice might be worth a look.
Activision

Video game deals

our review notes that it’s best played on higher-end gaming PCs or Valve’s Steam Deck handheld right now.”>The excellent open-world action game <em>Marvel’s Spider-Man</em> recently made its way to PCs, though <a href=our review notes that it’s best played on higher-end gaming PCs or Valve’s Steam Deck handheld right now.” src=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/the-weekends-best-deals-apple-ipad-macbook-pro-oled-tvs-and-more.png” width=”640″ height=”400″ srcset=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/the-weekends-best-deals-apple-ipad-macbook-pro-oled-tvs-and-more-1.png 2x”>
Enlarge / The excellent open-world action game Marvel’s Spider-Man recently made its way to PCs, though our review notes that it’s best played on higher-end gaming PCs or Valve’s Steam Deck handheld right now.

Accessories and miscellaneous deals

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