Many of us are using laptops and other devices more than ever while working from home. If you're looking to upgrade or replace some equipment, here are some recommendations from Louis Ramirez, deals editor for product review website Tom’s Guide.
Tablets
2018 11-inch Apple iPad Pro
Amazon
“Tablet deals, particularly for the iPad, have been sporadic,” Ramirez said. But if you’re interested in an iPad Pro, you can find price cuts of about $100 to $150 on previous-generation models that came out in 2018.
Check Amazon, Best Buy, Target and B&H Photo Video for deals. B&H, for example, recently sold an 11-inch, 256GB, Wi-Fi-only 2018 model for $800, a $150 savings.
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For less than $600, stores such as Amazon, Best Buy, the Microsoft Store and Walmart are selling laptops with up-to-date hardware — look for one with a current, 10th-generation Intel processor, at least 8 gigabytes of RAM, and a minimum 256GB solid state drive (SSD).
Amazon was recently selling an Acer Aspire 5 Slim laptop that fills the bill for $580 — and sometimes the price drops to near $540, Ramirez said.
Apple’s new iPhone SE has a standard starting price of $399 — far lower than other current-generation iPhone models. It’s hard to take good photos at night with the phone, but “that’s really the only drawback” for most people, Ramirez said. And recently, you could buy it from Walmart for as little as $199 if you activated it with AT&T or Verizon Wireless.
Android devotees should check out the OnePlus 8, which has a starting price of $699. “You get a top-of-the-line processor, a gorgeous display, 128GB of storage and 5G capability,” Ramirez said.
Smart speakers
Google Nest Mini (pedestal sold separately)
Amazon
Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart have been selling smart speakers at prices near the lows they hit on Black Friday last year. The Amazon Echo Dot and Google Nest Mini have both dipped to $29 (regular price $50). “I think those prices will easily last through the summer,” Ramirez said.
The company announced four new iPhones in a virtual event on Tuesday — the iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 Pro, the iPhone 12 Pro Max and a new, smaller, iPhone 12 mini.
Apple is rolling out Mac computers powered by the same kind of chips that run iPhones and iPads, aiming to make it easier for the products to work together.