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Today’s best deals: Apple AirPods Max, Peacock plans and more

    Today's best deals: Apple AirPods Max, Peacock plans and more

    Ars Technica

    It’s Wednesday and that means it’s time for a new Dealmaster. Our latest roundup of the web’s best tech deals includes a notable discount on Apple’s AirPods Max, which are currently down to $429 in various colors on Amazon. That’s not the absolute lowest price we’ve ever seen for Apple’s noise-cancelling headphones, but it’s still about $45 off its usual price in recent months and $120 off Apple’s suggested retail price.

    These are still an expensive pair of headphones even at the discount, but as we’ve noted in previous guides, the Max still offers excellent sound quality for a wireless pair of headphones and exceptionally effective active noise cancellation. They’re on the heavy side compared to competing pairs like Sony’s WH-1000XM4 and WH-1000XM5, but their aluminum finish feels premium as a result. They also come with all the benefits of any other set of AirPods, including easy pairing with iPhones, Macs, and Apple TVs, and integration with services like Find My Device tracking and Siri.

    The Max still has some odd design features: they don’t fold up for easier storage, and they don’t have a dedicated power button, instead relying on a thin holder that puts them into a power-saving mode. They also can’t connect to multiple devices at the same time, and while their 20-hour battery life is solid, we’ve seen better from other pairs. For most people, the WH-1000XM4 remains a better value that comes close enough in performance at a much lower price. But the audio and noise canceling quality of the Max is a step up, so if you own an iPhone and have a bit more to spend, this would be a Lake palatable price for a quality travel or office headset. Keep in mind that the Max has been available since late 2020 and Apple has a new product event planned next week; we haven’t seen many rumors suggesting a revamped Max is imminent, but there’s still a chance one might arrive before the end of the year.

    If you don’t want new headphones, we also have a nice discount on Peacock memberships, albeit only for new subscribers. If that’s you, the streaming service is running a promotion that gives out a 12-month subscription to its ad-supported “Peacock Premium” tier for $20. Normally, an annual membership costs $50. You must create an account and use the code “ONEYEAR” at checkout to see the discount. Peacock is far from an essential platform and paying to still see ads is always annoying but if you’ve been thinking about taking the plunge anyway be it Premier League football, WWE events or just your 40th run The office– this might be a more acceptable price.

    Beyond that, our roundup also has lower-than-normal prices on Apple’s 10.2-inch iPad and 14-inch MacBook Pro, Google’s Chromecast and Pixel 6 phones, several well-reviewed gaming monitors, Samsung OLED TVs, and the usual array of video games. , ao. You can find our full curated list of deals below.

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

    Featured offers of the day

    Apple's AirPods Max noise canceling headphones.
    enlarge / Apple’s AirPods Max noise canceling headphones.

    Jeff Dunn

    Electronics Deals

    <a href= . van Apple"https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/09/2021-329-ipad-review-the-good-enough-ipad-gets-a-little-better/" doel="_blanco" rel="noopener">10.2-inch iPad</a> with optional Smart Keyboard and first-generation Apple Pencil.” src=”https://cdn.CBNewz.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/DSC00532-640×427.jpeg” width=”640″ height=”427 ” /><figcaption class=
    enlarge / Apple’s 10.2-inch iPad with the optional Smart Keyboard and first-generation Apple Pencil.

    Andrew Cunningham

    • Google Pixel 6a (128GB) smartphone for $399 ($435) at Amazon, Target ($199 with activation at Best Buy)
    • Google Pixel 6 (128 GB) smartphone for $499 ($570) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy (256GB for $599)
    • Google Pixel 6 Pro (128GB) smartphone for $649 ($835) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy (256GB for $749)
    • Motorola Moto G Stylus (2022, 128GB) smartphone for $200 ($250) at Motorola, Amazon, Best Buy
    • Google Nest Hub 7-inch smart display for $55 ($80) at Target, Best Buy
    • iRobot Roomba i3 Evo robotic vacuum cleaner for $249 ($285) at Amazon, Best Buy
    • iRobot Roomba j7+ Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Self-Empty Dock + Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) Smart Speaker for $599 ($730) at Amazon
    The <a href=
    enlarge / The 16-inch (right) and 14-inch (left) MacBook Pro models side by side.

    Samuel Axon

    Laptop and Desktop PC Deals

    • HP Pavilion Aero (13z-be100) 13.3-inch Laptop (Ryzen 5 5625U, 2560×1600, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) for $646 ($825) at HP (use code: LABORDAY5HPConfigure RAM, SSD, show before checkout)
    • Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 12.4-inch laptop (Core i5-1135G7, 1536×1024, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) for $600 ($685) at Amazon, Best Buy
    • Apple MacBook Pro (2021) 14.2-inch laptop (Apple M1 Pro, 3024×1964, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) for $1,599 ($1850) at Best Buy, Amazon
    • Lenovo Legion 5i Pro (Gen 7) 16-inch gaming laptop (Core i7-12700H, 2560×1600, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU) for $1,599 ($1,950) at Walmart
    • SK Hynix Gold P31 (1TB) PCIe 3.0 SSD for $92 ($106) at Amazon (clip 15 percent coupon, 2TB for $169)
    • Intel Core i7-12700KF 12-core/20-thread CPU for $321 ($370) at Amazon, Best Buy
    <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/07/review-microsofts-surface-laptop-go-2-has-a-lot-of-problems-but-i-like-it-anyway/" doel="_blanco" rel="noopener">Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2</a>.” src=”https://cdn.CBNewz.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMG_0249-640×427.jpeg” width=”640″ height=”427″ /><figcaption class=
    enlarge / Surface laptop Go2 from Microsoft.

    Andrew Cunningham

    • MSI Gaming Radeon RX 6800 XT (16GB GDDR6) GPU for $575 with discount ($680) at Newegg (use code: VGAEXCMSJZ284, $600 without discount at Amazon)
    • Corsair Vengeance DDR5 32GB (2x16GB) 5600MHz RAM for $170 ($225) at Amazon, Newegg
    • Gigabyte M34WQ 34-inch gaming monitor (3440×1440, IPS, 144 Hz, VRR) for $400 ($445) at Newegg (use code: GMDBV2548)
    • Gigabyte FI32Q 31.5-inch gaming monitor (2560×1440, IPS, 165 Hz, VRR) for $350 ($430) at Newegg (use code: GMDBV2555)
    • Gigabyte M32QC 31.5-inch gaming monitor (2560×1440, VA, 165 Hz, VRR) for $280 ($310) at Amazon, B&H
    • Dell S2721DGF 27″ Gaming Monitor (2560×1440, IPS, 165HZ, VRR) for $300 ($350) at Dell
    The dark, comic stealth action game <em>Hitman 3</em>.” src=”https://cdn.CBNewz.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/HITMAN3_listing-640×354.jpg” width=”640″ height=”354″ /><figcaption class=
    enlarge / The dark comic stealth action game Hitman 3.

    Video Game Deals

    <em>Untitled Goose Game</em>is a game about being a naughty goose.” src=”https://cdn.CBNewz.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/01-UntitledGooseGame-Screen-1920×1080-640×360.png” width=”640″ height=”360″ /><figcaption class=
    enlarge / Untitled Goose Game is a game about being a naughty goose.
    The Ars-approved <a href=
    enlarge / The Ars Approved Engine Building Board Game wingspan in action.

    Ars Technica

    Accessories and various offers