Google’s terrific Pixel 6A smartphone is on sale for $299 at Amazon

Want an excellent phone but don’t want to fork out close to $1,000 on the latest and greatest flagships? Depending on your needs, the Google Pixel 6A could be a good alternative. Right now, the unlocked phone is on sale at Amazon in the white colorway with 128GB of storage for $299 ($150 off), matching its lowest price to date.

The 6A, our favorite Android phone for under $500, shares a few features typically reserved for flagship devices, including a 6.1-inch 1080p screen, a good camera array, and stellar performance that’s on par with the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. Plus, you can rest easy knowing the phone’s due to receive five years of security updates, making it a good investment you can use for many years to come. You won’t get wireless charging or a fast refresh rate — the 6A maxes out at 60Hz — but you can’t go wrong with the midrange Pixel 6A for the price. Read our review.

For those who care about the latest and greatest tech, you’ll be happy to hear that Apple’s M2 Pro-equipped MacBook Pro has dropped to a new low in the 14-inch configuration. Right now, it’s on sale at B&H Photo with a 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, and 512GB of storage for $1,799 ($200 off), the first sizable discount we’ve seen on the new macOS machine.

The new MacBook Pro is very similar to its lightning-fast predecessor, with the same Mini LED display, port selection, and 1080p webcam. What’s new is Apple’s M2 Pro chip, which can deliver more power and speed than the prior M1 chipset, rendering the laptop a good option for creative professionals or developers who work a lot with apps such as Adobe Photoshop and Xcode. Just note that there are reports the base 14-inch M2 MacBook Pro allegedly has slower storage than its predecessor, though it should still be faster than the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro.

Shifting from laptops to smart home devices, you can currently buy the third-gen Echo Dot for $19.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. While not an all-time low, that’s a 50 percent discount and the best price we’ve seen on the compact smart speaker so far this year.

The third-gen Echo Dot is a good option if you simply want to add an Alexa-enabled smart speaker to your home for as cheap as possible. Like the newer fifth-gen model, you can use it to control various smart home devices, set timers, get news reports, and perform a range of other Alexa-enabled tasks. While it doesn’t sound as great as the fifth-gen version or work as an Eero mesh Wi-Fi extender like the more recent models, the puck-shaped device still offers plenty of functionality and surprisingly robust sound for its size, especially at $20. Read our review.

Whether you’d like to speed through your spring cleaning or spoil your cat with their own kitty Uber, today’s deal on iRobot’s Roomba j7 and Roomba j7 Plus can help. Right now, the standard j7 is on sale at Amazon and Wellbots for $399 ($200 off), while the j7 Plus (and its auto-empty dock) is going for $599 ($200 off) at the same retailers (Amazon / Wellbots).

The Roomba j7 is our favorite robot vacuum, one that offers a variety of features that make cleaning faster and more efficient. The robovac features simple operation and scheduling, for instance, and can learn your home’s layout so it only cleans certain areas. It’s also outfitted with AI obstacle avoidance, which means it won’t run into power cables, shoes, or pet waste. If it does end up dragging the latter everywhere in your home within the first year, iRobot will even send you a new one. Combine those features with support for Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri, and you have a feature-rich robot vacuum that’s essentially unmatched in its cleaning prowess. Read our Roomba J7 Plus review.

• Anker’s Soundcore Liberty 4 are currently on sale for around $129.99 ($20 off) at Amazon and direct from Soundcore (with offer code WS24A3953PED). The noise-canceling earbuds sport a few features not typically on earbuds in this price range, like heart rate tracking and spatial audio support as well as multipoint connectivity. While we have yet to test them, we were fans of both the Liberty Air 2 Pro and Liberty 3 Pro.
• If you don’t need noise cancellation, you can still buy Jabra’s Elite 3 — our favorite pair of wireless earbuds for under $100 — for just $59.99 ($20 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. The Elite 3 sound terrific and offer impressive perks for the price, like the ability to use either earbud independently and an IP55 water resistance rating. Read our review.
• For those who prefer a desktop over a laptop, B&H Photo is selling Apple’s M2-powered Mac Mini for $549 ($50 off) with an eight-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. It’s also on sale with 512GB of storage for $749 ($50 off). The latest Mini is faster than its predecessor and features a wide selection of ports, including an upgraded HDMI 2.0 port. Read our review.