Greetings, Arsians! It’s Independence Day in the United States, which is why the Dealmaster returns with a July 4 special edition of his usual roundup of tech deals. While today’s vacation isn’t well known for offering huge technology discounts (the biggest price drops will still occur on Black Friday and Cyber Monday), we’ve found a handful of genuine deals worth considering in video games, tablets. , speakers and more. Below are the best tech deals from July 4 that we were able to find this year.
Sam Machkovech
This is tied to the biggest discount we’ve seen on the Sega retro console, which we positively reviewed when it launched late last year. Like the previous NES Classic and Super NES Classic, the Genesis Mini packs a few dozen hits into an adorable little replica of the console it’s based on.
Here, you get 42 pre-loaded and well-emulated games, including favorites like Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of anger 2, Gunstar heroesand Ecco the dolphin“Along with two controllers.” Those gamepads aren’t the six-button models that Sega released later in the life of the original console, unfortunately, and there’s no way to “rewind” your progress if you’re wrong in the game. But at half the original suggested price, this is a good value for nostalgics or anyone who has missed the Genesis experience in the past.
Sony
If you don’t mind buying, GameStop’s Independence Day sale lets you buy three used games for the price of two. The discount will appear at the end of the purchase and will be applied to the cheapest title in your cart.
We wish some of these second-hand prices were lower – some games have shrunk by less as new copies, so you should check other retailers before buying. The deal also doesn’t cover Nintendo Switch games. Still, the sale applies to several high-profile titles on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, including Final Fantasy VII Remake, God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, Stranded deathand Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, among others.
Apple Watch Series 3 (38mm) for $ 169 at Amazon (typically $ 185)
This is the lowest price on the Apple Watch Series 3, Apple’s entry-level smartwatch. It has a smaller screen than the new Apple Watch Series 5, cannot stay “always on”, is slightly slower, and does not come with more advanced features like drop detection and ECG measurements. But it provides the same core experience for a couple of hundred dollars less, making it ideal for iPhone users interested in upgrading to a smartwatch for the first time.
Series 3 is also slated to get the Apple watchOS 7 update later this fall. Just be aware that it’s likely to be the next watch in Apple’s cut block; We don’t know exactly when it will be removed, but Apple plans to cut Series 2 of major OS updates starting this year. However, for now, this is the least expensive way to access the most comprehensive smartwatch platform on the market.
EU Wonderboom 2 for $ 70 at Best Buy (normally $ 85)
Jeff Dunn
Best Buy has the lowest price we’ve seen on this recommended portable Bluetooth speaker, which we highlight in our guide on Best Travel Technology.
The UE Wonderboom 2 is only slightly larger than a can of soda, but it sounds loud and clean for its ultra-portable size. Its giant control buttons make it easy to operate, it has approximately nine hours of battery life per charge, and its design is resistant and waterproof. Don’t expect any deep bass from such a small speaker, but for tight spaces or music on the go, the Wonderboom is worth a look. Just be aware that this agreement only applies to the “Concrete” model.
Apple HomePod for $ 200 at Best Buy (usually $ 300)
Jeff Dunn
While Apple’s HomePod is far below the Amazon Echo or Google Home as intelligent speaker, demolishes much of its competition in terms of audio quality. Seen solely as a wireless home speaker, it’s much easier to sell at this discounted price of $ 200, which is tied to the lowest we’ve seen, especially for those already using Apple Music and an iOS device.
To be clear though, you to have Be locked in the Apple world to get the most out of HomePod – you can’t even set it up with an Android phone, and while you can AirPlay anything from an iOS device, Apple Music is always set as the default music service (for now). However, if you can live with its restrictions, the rich, full-bodied sound of the HomePod is impressive.
Steam summer offer continues
Valve
While not an explicit July 4 sale, Steam’s Summer Sale is the year’s most prominent PC game sale, and will run through July 9. While those who are not PC bound can find many of the advertised deals for less at other retailers, there are still plenty of great prices for those who only use the Valve storefront.
Some recommendations here include those approved by Ars (and VR only) Half-Life: Alyx for a new minimum of $ 45, the “masterful” Doom Eternal for a new minimum of $ 30, the adventure game in time Outdoor wilds for $ 17, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain for $ 6, Halo: The Master Chief Collection for $ 32 and Light blue, our game of the year 2018, for half discount.
Some other notable
Jeff Dunn
Finally, here are some more notable 4th of July deals we’re seeing this weekend, in quick format:
- Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition (32GB) tablet for $ 99.99 on Amazon (normally $ 140).
- Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition (32GB) tablet for $ 149.99 on Amazon (usually $ 200).
- Anker PowerLine III (6 ft.) USB-C to USB-C 2.0 Cable for $ 9.99 on Amazon (use code: AKCTCPL353 – normally $ 18).
- Power strip Mini USB Anker PowerPort Strip PD 2 – 2x AC, 2x USB-A, 18W USB-C PD, 30W total USB for $ 24.89 on Amazon ($ 4 coupon clip – normally $ 34).
- 20% discount on various laptops, desktops and monitors at Acer (use code: JULY 2020)
- Lenovo Yoga C940 Laptop – Intel Core i7-1065G7, 14-inch 1080p, 12GB RAM, 512GB SSD for $ 999.99 at Best Buy (normally $ 1,300).
- Various The Jackbox Party Package games for sale on Amazon, Steam and PlayStation Store.
- Nintendo Switch Pro controller for $ 59 at Walmart (usually $ 69).
- Razer Viper gaming mouse for $ 49.99 at Best Buy (usually $ 65).
