The 9th-gen iPad is cheaper than ever at $199, plus the rest of this week's best tech deals

The 2021 base model iPad was officially discontinued by Apple when the new iPads came out earlier this year. But it’s still a very capable machine for anyone who doesn’t require tech on the cutting edge. Right now, the 64GB model is down to $199 at Amazon, Target and Best Buy. That’s the cheapest it’s ever sold for.  

We gave the ninth-gen iPad a review score of 81, calling it “a fast, lightweight tablet with a nice display and tons of apps.” It also happens to be the last iPad to sport a home button and a headphone jack. 

Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones are our choice for the best pair of wireless headphones you can buy. And now they’re back on sale for $298 — the same price as July’s Prime Day. 

That’s more than $100 off and close to a record low. These have topped our list for a long time now, thanks to their excellent noise cancellation, comfortable fit and ability to deliver clear, balanced sound with punchy bass. 

They also have all the features you’d want in a set of premium cans, like intuitive onboard controls, a long 30-hour battery life and a speak-to-chat function that automatically pauses your music when you start talking. 

Now that our full review on the Pixel 9 is out, you can see for yourself whether it’s a good time to get in on Google’s latest Android phone. Engadget’s Sam Rutherford gave it high praise — and a high score of 91 — saying it “feels like it best represents Google’s vision for what a smartphone should be…”

The phones started shipping on Thursday, August 22, but as of today, Amazon, Best Buy and the Google Store are still offering the pre-order deal of $100 in store credit — and at Best Buy and Google, that’s on top of any trade-in credit you may get. The standard Pixel 9 with 128GB of storage goes for $799 and Google says the promotion will run through August 28. 

Our review of the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL is also out now. The pro models earned a 94 and a 92, respectively, garnering praise for their superb cameras and good integration of Gemini AI’s assistance. You can get a $200 credit from the same retailers (Amazon, Best Buy and Google’s storefront) if you want to go for a pro model. 

The Sonos Roam 2 is on sale as part of a larger promotion at both Amazon and Sonos. The audio brand’s latest Bluetooth speaker is back down $143, which matches its lowest price. 

This is an upgrade to the first Sonos Roam, which we awarded an 87 in our review. And this time around, Sonos fixed some of the original’s disappointing quirks. Do note that Sonos is having some issues with its companion app, and while they have a plan to fix it, there’s no firm timeline. 

If a (hopefully temporarily) buggy app doesn’t bother you, it could be worth checking out some of the other items on sale, such as the Sonos Era 100, which we named the best mid-range smart speaker you can buy. It’s$50 off and down to $199 at both Sonos and Amazon. 

A password manager is a good choice for anyone who could use some help managing their online life. Our recommendation for the best password manager overall is 1Password and right now, new subscribers can get a 25 percent discount to the Families plan. 

A year of coverage usually costs $60, but in honor of back-to-school season, the price is now $45. As with all deals of this kind, the price will go back to normal once the promotion ends and will auto-renew unless you cancel. The sale runs through September 15. 

The 1Password Families plan covers up to five people, and include a password generator, login autofill and sharing, and access across unlimited devices. Mac, iOS, Windows, Android, Chrome OS, and Linux platforms are all supported. 

A slew of Amazon devices are on sale right now as part of a back to school promotion at the site. A few of those devices come bundled with a smart bulb — sort of like a smart home (or smart dorm) starter kit. 

Amazon’s Echo Dot with a Sengled smart bulb is on sale for $30. The smart speaker itself retails for $50 at full price and has gone as low as $25 during Prime Day sales. The bulb sells for as much as $20. They’re both on sale individually right now as well, but this deal takes $40 off the combined list price. 

We named the Echo Dot the best smart speaker you can buy for under $50. It delivers surprisingly big sound for its size and, of course, gives you Alexa’s help with setting timers, adding reminders and controlling smart stuff like your new Sengled bulb. 

Another deal in the Amazon device sale is the Echo Show 5 bundled with a Sengled smart bulb. It’s down to $60 at Amazon. The smart display sells for $90 at full price, but went as low at $50 for the Prime Day sale in July. Amazon is selling the display without the bulb for the same $60 price tag right now, so the deal is a bit like getting a free accessory with your Echo Show. 

The Echo Show 5 is the smallest display Amazon makes and should be the right size for a smaller kitchen or even an bedside alarm clock replacement — just remember it has a built-in camera. 

Amazon redesigned the Echo Show 5 for 2023 and it now has upgraded audio, an additional mic and a faster processor. It can answer your questions, show you your camera feeds and control your smart home devices.The Sengled bulb is one such smart home device. Connect it to your Echo Show and ask Alexa to turn the light on then make it glow green. 

A bundle with the Echo Show 8 and the same bulb is also on sale and down to $105 for the set. That’s not an all-time low (it’s gone as low as $85 previously). 

And finally, the last bulb-and-Echo bundle we’ll point out is the newly re-released Echo Spot. The smart alarm clock is usually $80 on its own, but is now just $55 in the bundle. It went as low as $45 for Prime Day in July but this is the lowest price since then. You can buy it without the bulb for the same $55. 

The Echo Spot first came out in 2017 but was discontinued two years later. The new version has a half-and-half design with a sharper display and better sound compared with the original, according to Amazon.

It looks tailor-made for a bedside clock, particularly since Amazon removed the camera this time around. Once set up, you’ll be able to ask Alexa to wake you up on time, play you a song or tell you the weather. The Sengled bulb makes a fitting companion for the Spot, as controlling smart home devices is one of Alexa’s better uses. 

Amazon’s new Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera just came out at the end of May and is seeing its first discount — down to $60 from $80 or 25 percent off. The deal only applies to the black and white models; if you want it in pink, cream or gray, you’ll have to pay full price. 

Ring’s Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera offers 1080p daylight video and color night vision along with two-way talk and motion alerts. That’s pretty standard fare for an indoor security camera, but the motorized base adds a little something extra with the 360-degree side-to-side views and 169-degree Y-axis movement. 

The Ring Video Doorbell is also on sale. It’s currently 40 percent off and down to $60 from $100, which is close to a record low. It runs on batteries or connects to your existing doorbell wires and lets you see, hear and talk to whosoever casts a shadow upon your doorstep.

Amazon’s Kindle Kids ereader is on sale for $95 right now. That’s the lowest price it has hit this year, beating its July Prime Day price by $5. However, that’s about $20 more than the (Prime-member-only) all-time low it hit back in 2023.

The kid version of the Kindle is the same hardware as the standard Kindle (which retails for $100) but comes with a case, a year of access to Amazon Kids+ and an extended warranty. We named the standard Kindle the best budget ereader in our guide. Even if the ereader will ultimately be used by an adult, the deal is a decent way to save $5 while getting a few extra perks. Of course, if history is any predictor, Amazon will host a Prime Day sale in October and will likely give most Kindles healthy discounts. 

As part of a larger sale at Sonos, the company’s first pair of headphones is seeing its first discount, making them $399 instead of $449. 

Our reviewer, Billy Steele, gave the Ace a mostly positive review score of 85. He appreciated the refined design and excellent audio quality but noted that the device switching and compatibility with other Sonos speakers still needs work. Other headphones in its price range are also more feature-rich. Some of those compatibility faults should be fixed in the future, but if you want to grab a pair now, you may as well do so when they’re $50 off. 

The Sonos Arc is the one soundbar that’s already compatible with the Ace and both Sonos and Amazon are selling it for 20 percent off.  

Of course, the sale comes at a time when Sonos (and more than a few frustrated customers) are experiencing issues with the app. The company says solutions are on the way, but just note you may have to deal with some bugs before everything is ironed out. 

Back to school deals have extended to Apple’s 2022 MacBook Air with an M2 chip. The configuration with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM is down to $799, instead of the full $999. It’s dipped to that price many times in the past couple months but is still about $100 under the street price of late.  

The M2 MacBook Air was replaced by the M3 models, but is still part of Apple’s official laptop lineup. It’s our choice for the best budget MacBook thanks to its premium build, bright and clear display and speedy performance. It earned a 96 in our review with our reviewer, Devindra Hardawar, calling it a “near-perfect Mac.”

Streaming prices have been steadily increasing, so we’re always on the lookout for the rare deal in the category. Right now a year-long subscription to Paramount+ is now just $30 per year instead of $60 for the ad-supported tier. If you want the mostly ad-free, Showtime-inclusive plan, that’ll run you $60 for the year, instead of the usual $120. Both deals are only open to new subscribers and will be available through September 6.

As with all subscriptions promotions, the plan will automatically renew after 12 months, so remember to cancel if you don’t want to pay full price. The deal comes hot on the heels of a recent price hike from the streaming service. 

As part of a wider sale at Therabody, the second-generation Theragun Mini is on sale for $60 off the list price, bringing it to $149. The massage gun has dropped to that price a few times in the past three months, and it’s not an all-time low, but still a nice discount if you’re looking for a way to recover after workouts or just relax tight muscles. We recommend the Theragun Mini in our guide to gifts for runners. The three speeds let you adapt the intensity to a given area’s sensitivity and the smaller size is easier to hold and maneuver around your body. 

We talk up the Theragun Prime in our guide to fitness recovery tech, saying nice things about the unique triangle design that makes more comfortable to target awkward areas. It’s now $229 instead of $299.

New subscribers can get a free three-month trial of Apple Music through the app on their iPad, iPhone or Mac. The usual free period is one month (though it used to be three by default). 

Apple Music is our pick for the best music streaming service overall. We appreciate the recommendations, which balance editorial playlists with algorithmic suggestions. Plus, every song is available at CD-quality or better and lossless streaming doesn’t cost extra.

The service will automatically renew at $11 per month unless you cancel, so set a reminder if you don’t want to pay. You’ll also need to sign up through the app on an iPhone, iPad or Mac and have an Apple ID. It’s only open to new subscribers, returning customers and anyone who has had access to Apple Music through a family plan aren’t eligible. You can read all terms of the deal here.

JLab’s Go Air Sport are back down to $20 at Amazon, Best Buy and Target, which is $10 off the pair’s typical price. They are the budget pick in our guide to the best running headphones thanks to their secure, hook-style design that’s both comfortable and secure. There’s no noise cancellation or multi-device pairing but you get some decent sound for sweaty workouts for just $20.

The Fitbit Ace LTE is down to $200 at Amazon, Best Buy and the Google Store. That’s $20 more than the low we saw during Amazon’s Prime Day sale last month but still $30 off the wearable’s typical price. 

The Ace is a fitness-focused smartwatch designed for kids that tries to gamify good habits. Note that it does require a $10-per-month subscription to use all the features. Engadget’s Cheyenne MacDonald tried it out and said it’s comfortable to wear and does a good job of being motivating and fun. The battery life could be longer, however.