Amazon Prime Day is big. It’s humongous. It’s preposterously huge. You get the picture: There’s a bajillion deals out there, and even if you follow our very, very in-depth coverage (check our live blog here, and our super-duper mega-list of deals here), you may end up feeling lost as there’s just too many deals to cover.
While you’re sitting there and pondering whether you really need that bonsai tree trimmer, let me offer a different approach: Here are five deals that are really worth it.
Wait, why would you listen to me? Good question. Well, I kinda look at tech each day, every day. I buy tons of gadgets, and companies often send me even more gadgets to look at. And yeah, I’m aware that everyone has different needs and wants when it comes to electronic devices, gizmos, and gadgets of all kinds. But sometimes, just sometimes, there just happens to be a moment in which you find a really good thingamajig at a really good price and go to yourself: Damn, this is probably worth buying.
So when the Shopping team at Mashable asked me to dig into their giant bag of deals and pick the best five, that’s what I was looking for.
Without further ado, here’s what I found.
Apple AirPods Max
Credit: Apple
Look, I don’t even need the AirPods Max. I’ve got at least five pairs of headphones at home, and probably another pair or two that I’ve lost. And honestly, I don’t like the look of that Smart Case the AirPods Max comes with. It looks weird. What’s up with that, Apple?
However, the AirPods Max are stupidly comfy, they sound amazing, look good, and play nice with Apple gadgetry, which is a big deal as not all of my other wireless headphones are as easy to connect with (or switch between) my Apple devices.
This year, you can get the AirPods Max for $394.99, a full 28% off the regular, $550 price. I don’t remember seeing them this cheap, ever. Even better, they’re available at this price in all of the five different colors they come in: Green, Pink, Silver, Sky Blue, and Space Gray.
Most of all, I think this is a good deal because the AirPods Max are something that I wouldn’t normally buy. The AirPods Pro deal ($168.99 right now, down from $249) is nice, but I already have a pair and honestly, if I lost them, I’d buy a new pair no matter what. But purchasing the AirPods Max, at a big discount, is something that would raise my dopamine to levels unseen since…my last impulse online purchase. That means in years. Yes, years. OK, months. Weeks? Please don’t judge me.
Amazon Kindle Scribe
Credit: Amazon
When people ask me which Kindle they should get, I say: Just get the Kindle Paperwhite. And I do mean it: As an e-book reader, it’s a no-nonsense buy with all the features you need and Amazon’s massive library behind it.
This year, however, the deals on Kindles are…not great (the Paperwhite is $15 off, and can be had for $134.99). Except for one: the Kindle Scribe.
The Kindle Scribe, if you’re not familiar with it, is the Kindle that lets you take notes with a digital pen (included), and convert handwritten notes to text. Does everyone need one? Absolutely not. But if you’re eager to try it out to see if it fits, this is the moment, as Amazon has reduced its price from $339.99 down to $234.99, a 31% discount.
For your money, you get the device itself, in all its 10.2-inch glory (the display is a 300 ppi Paperwhite), with 16GB of storage, and a Basic Pen. More than enough to start you on your reading/note-taking journey.
Samsung 75-inch QN85C QLED 4K TV
Credit: Samsung
You know what they say about TVs: They’re never too big. No, seriously. Never. Even if it doesn’t fit on your living room wall. Get a bigger living room wall. But I digress. Say you want to go big this year, and finally get that 75-inch TV to wow your friends and neighbors, and possibly annoy your significant other who wants your living room wall to be something else than just a giant TV.
The one to get this Prime Day is Samsung’s 75-inch QN85C QLED monster. It’s a clean $1,000 off, and costs $1,497.99 right now. That’s manageable territory at under 20 bucks per inch.
I’ll admit this much: I have not tried this particular TV out for myself. But it’s got good reviews, and the “QN85C” marking places it roughly in the middle of Samsung’s QLED TV range, and the N in particular means it’s a NEO QLED, which has a brighter, more vibrant image than regular QLEDs. Are there better TVs out there? Yeah, but it’ll be hard to find one at this price.
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Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3
Credit: Ultimate Ears
Aside from phones, people most often ask me which portable speaker to buy. There’s something about the portable speaker that makes it the perfect gadget to own even if you’re not into gadgets. Going camping? Grab a speaker. Travelling basically anywhere? You might need a speaker. Pool party? Waterproof speaker.
A long time ago I bought an Ultimate Ears Megaboom, and it was perfect. It’s waterproof, sounds great wherever you put it, and the battery lasts long enough for any party.
Then I sold it and got a different portable speaker. Then another one, and another one. And you know what? I still wish I had that old Megaboom. These other speakers may sound better in certain scenarios, or perhaps they look flashier, or have more features. But the Megaboom is just perfectly sized and so darn simple to use, that it remains my recommended portable speaker to this day.
You can get the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 for $129.99 (a $70 discount) during Prime Day. Alternatively, get the Boom 3 — it’s not as loud, but it’s easier to lug around while still sounding pretty great. It can be had for $100.99 this Prime Day (a $49 discount).
Apple Watch SE (40mm)
Credit: Apple
What can I say, I’m a sucker for Apple gear. But this is an entirely different type of purchase than the aforementioned AirPods Max. Just like the AirPods Max, the Apple Watch SE (40mm) can be had at an all-time-low price of $169.99 this Prime Day (that’s down from $249).
But this is not something you buy to satisfy your urge for owning shiny objects. This is a “is this for me?” type of purchase. Sitting at the bottom of Apple’s Watch lineup, the SE is the entry-level smartwatch, an ideal buy for someone who’s not really sure they need one, and also someone who doesn’t want to spend a ton of money on it.
Frankly, the regular asking price is (in typical Apple fashion) just slightly over what I feel most people would give for a device like that. Now that it’s discounted all the way down $169.99, though, perhaps it’s time to go for it.
For the price, you get a surprisingly capable smartwatch with a fitness and sleep tracker, a heart rate monitor, voice control, and a few Apple specials like Crash Detection and Emergency SOS. You won’t be able to get it in all colors at this price, and it seems to be selling out fast, so don’t @ us if it’s no longer available by the time you get to it.
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