Jon Bitner | The Verge

One of our favorite smartwatches for Android users is down to $170

2023-10-11T14:00:00-04:00

The crisp OLED display on the Amazfit GTR 4 is easily one of its best features, if not the best. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Looking to add a smartwatch to your wrist but not excited about spending over $300 on an Apple Watch Series 9 or Samsung Galaxy Watch 6? Lucky for you, the Amazfit GTR 4 — a budget wearable that offers many of the same features — is matching its all-time of $169.99 at Amazon ($30 off) as part of the retailer’s fall Prime Day event.

In terms of specs, the GTR 4 offers an abundance of fitness tracking features, including over 150 sports modes and the ability to withstand up to 50 meters of water pressure. It also features multiband GPS — a rarity at this price point — as well as a host of sensors for monitoring your heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and stress levels. It can even last up to two weeks on a single charge, so long as you’re not a power user or rely heavily on the always-on display.

What’s more shocking about the budget smartwatch, however, is its built-in screen. Instead of the dim, low-quality display you often find on Android wearables, the GTR 4 sports a vibrant, 1.4-inch OLED. Toss in Bluetooth, Amazon Alexa support, notifications, and the usual suite of smartwatch features, and you’re getting quite a lot for just $169.99.

Of course, the Amazfit GTR 4 can’t quite keep pace with the latest tech from Apple, Samsung, and Google. In her review, The Verge’s Victoria Song called the wearable the “king of budget smartwatches” but noted that it’s still missing a few compelling features. It doesn’t support NFC for making contactless payments, for one, nor do quick text replies work on iOS. And while the watch does support onboard music, she frequently ran into trouble trying to load her library.

Still, these are somewhat minor caveats on what’s an otherwise stellar watch, especially when you consider the wearable’s latest price cut.

Amazon’s kid-friendly Kindle Paperwhite has hit an all-time low for Prime Day

2023-10-10T17:00:00-04:00

Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite Kids is exactly the same as the base model except it comes with a few welcome add-ons. | Image: Amazon

As far as ebook readers are concerned, it’s hard to do better than the Kindle Paperwhite. Luckily, if you’ve been trying to get your kids into reading or have been waiting to pick up a Kindle for yourself, Amazon is offering a big price cut on the latest Kindle Paperwhite Kids as part of its October Prime Day event, dropping it to just $109.99 ($60 off). Alternatively, you can pick up the standard Paperwhite with ads and 8GB configuration for $94.99 ($45 off), its best price to date.

Boasting a vibrant, 6.8-inch display and adjustable color temperature, Amazon’s mid-tier ebook reader is our top choice for most people. The Kids edition is exactly the same as the ad-free Kindle Paperwhite released in 2021, with the only difference being that you get a kid-friendly protective case, an extended two-year warranty, and an annual subscription to Amazon Kids Plus with your purchase. That means it benefits from all the same specs, including 300ppi resolution, IPX8 waterproofing, USB-C charging, and up to 10 weeks of battery life.

If you’re unfamiliar with Amazon Kids Plus, it’s a subscription service designed for children between the ages of three and 12. It provides access to thousands of classic children’s books — Ramona Quimby, Bridge to Terabithia, etc. — as well a trove of child-appropriate games, videos, and Alexa skills that are available across a range of Amazon devices (including both Echo speakers and Fire tablets).

Just know that your Kids Plus subscription will automatically renew after a year, meaning you’ll want to unsubscribe before your annual membership runs out to avoid paying the standard $4.99 a month.

Belkin’s StandBy-ready charging puck is on sale for just $14 right now

2023-10-10T13:30:00-04:00

Belkin’s MagSafe offering is one of the few charging pucks that lets you make use of Apple’s new StandBy feature. | Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

Wireless charging is nearly ubiquitous, but obtaining true MagSafe speeds when charging your iPhone isn’t always cheap. Apple’s first-party MagSafe Charger clocks in at a hefty $39 when it’s not on sale, while MagSafe-certified 2-in-1 chargers can often cost as much as $100. Thankfully, Belkin’s BoostCharge Pro with MagSafe is on sale for an all-time low of $14.27 (about $36 off) direct from Belkin when you use promo code PBF23 at checkout. If you prefer a different retailer, it’s also matching its previous low at Amazon, where you can snag it for $19.99 ($30 off) thanks to Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days event.

Belkin’s charging puck is better than Apple’s charger in just about every way, though it’s regularly more expensive. What makes the MagSafe-certified magnetic charger so compelling is its support for 15W charging speeds (or 12W for the iPhone 12 / 13 Mini), whereas most Qi wireless chargers cap out at 7.5W. The quicker speeds are exactly what Apple’s MagSafe puck offers, which makes it easy to quickly juice your iPhone and get it ready for whatever comes next.

Belkin made a few great design choices with the BoostCharge Pro, too. It’s outfitted with a built-in kickstand, for one, letting you comfortably watch videos while your iPhone is charging or make use of the new StandBy mode in iOS 17. It also features a lengthy 6.5-foot (two-meter) braided cable, which makes the one-meter cable Apple offers with its charging puck seem entirely inadequate. You shouldn’t run into any compatibility issues if you’re using a newer iPhone, either, as the BoostCharge Pro supports iPhone 12 models and newer (including the iPhone 15).

Apple’s MagSafe Charger isn’t a terrible product. In fact, its cable is a bit thinner than Belkin’s, and it frequently sees generous discounts. But most folks will benefit more from a longer cable and kickstand than a thinner cable. And at just $14.27, Belkin’s offering is hard to pass up.

Apple’s second-gen AirPods Pro have fallen to their best price ever

2023-10-10T12:51:33-04:00

Apple products can be shockingly resistant to price drops — something that’s especially true of the company’s ever-popular AirPods lineup. Fortunately, that does not seem to be the case right now, given you can pick up the latest AirPods and the new AirPods Pro with USB-C on Amazon for $89 ($40 off) and $189 ($60 off), respectively. That’s the best price we’ve seen for the new AirPods Pro, making Amazon’s fall Prime Day event the ideal time to upgrade.

Although the AirPods deal isn’t for the fancier third-gen model, the second-gen earbuds are still plenty compelling despite having launched in 2019. Not only do they get 24 hours of battery life with the included case, but they’re powered by Apple’s H1 chip, which allows for hands-free Siri access, low latency while gaming, and surprisingly crisp audio. Pairing them with an iPhone is relatively easy, too, thanks to their one-tap setup process and deep integration with Apple’s ecosystem.

If you prefer something with actual noise-canceling chops, there’s also the second-gen AirPods Pro. Apple’s higher-end earbuds include the newer H2 chip for enhanced audio and better ANC, along with personalized spatial audio, which is a fancy way to say that you can optimize their sound profile based on your surroundings. They also feature swipe-based controls and up to 30 hours of playback with the included case. The latest model, which received a refresh just last month, also boasts a USB-C charging case and dust resistance.

As you might expect, AirPods work best with Apple devices, meaning you may want to pick up some Galaxy Buds, Pixel Buds, or another pair of earbuds that are designed to play a bit nicer with Android if you’re not an iPhone user. Thankfully, there are plenty of earbud deals on offer, whether you want a feature-rich pair or something basic.