Best Buy's President's Day sale ends on Monday, so you have the weekend to check out the deals. The retailer sells everything from fridges to electric scooters, but as usual we've focused on its mobile offerings.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is $50 off. Only 128GB units are available in new condition, although there are unlocked 256GB units available for $565. The FE doesn't match the shiny new Galaxy S24 in terms of performance and lacks the new LTPO display, but the S24 is priced at $800 for an identical 8/128GB unit.
Additionally, you can get the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE alongside the S23 FE for an additional $50. The buds have an MSRP of $100, though they can often be found for $80 or so. Anyway, $50 is a solid deal for TWS headphones with noise cancellation. They promise 21 hours of playtime with the case and have an IPX2 rating.
Next, we'll take a look at a selection of Apple tablets. Starting with the budget option, the iPad 10.2 from 2021 has an Apple A13 chipset (7nm+, iPhone 11 generation) and a 10.2-inch IPS LCD display (60Hz) with first-generation Apple Pencil support. Note that this uses the Lightning port.
The Apple iPad 10.9 from 2022 gets a newer Apple A14 chipset (5nm, iPhone 12 generation) and although the display is slightly larger, it's essentially the same (right down to first-gen stylus support). However, the 2022 slate has a more modern look with no home button on the front (there's a fingerprint reader on top) and a USB-C connector (with DisplayPort video output). The 2022 model is $100 more.
For an additional $100, we're looking at an Apple iPad Air (5th gen) as well from 2022. It has the same screen as the 2022 iPad – 60Hz is slower due to the performance available on tap. And that's Apple's venerable M1 chip, paired with 8GB of RAM (twice as much as the 2022 iPad has). StageManager is also supported on external displays via USB-C. There is one difference with the screen, which is that it supports the second generation Apple Pencil.
The Apple iPad mini hasn't been updated in a while, and the 2021 edition is still the latest model. It launched with a newer chipset, the Apple A15 (5nm, iPhone 13 generation), though it still only has 4GB of RAM. The 8.3-inch IPS LCD screen runs at 60Hz and supports second-generation Pencils. The mini also has USB-C with DisplayPort.
The original 13.3-inch MacBook Air with the Apple M1 chip is available for $750 (this is for an 8/256GB configuration). It has a 2,560 x 1,600-pixel display, a pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports, two USB-A ports, and 30W charging via USB-C and Wi-Fi 6 (ax) connectivity.
For an additional $200, you can upgrade to an Apple M2-powered MacBook Air (also 8/256GB). This device has a slightly larger 13.6-inch screen, but the camera is well placed. Connectivity includes 2x Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB-C, and 67W charging via USB-C, though MagSafe is also supported.
If you want a larger laptop, the 15-inch Apple MacBook Air has the same M2 processor and a larger 15.3-inch display with dimensions of 2880 x 1864 pixels. It has a pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports, two USB-C ports, and 67W charging via USB-C and MagSafe. This larger model is only $50 more than the 13.6-inch model.
If you'll be working in an office, you can get M2 performance for half the price — the Mac mini is $500 with the same 8/256GB configuration. It has two Thunderbolt 4 ports (which can power two displays), HDMI, two USB-A ports, Wi-Fi 6E (ax) and Ethernet (gigabit in this model, although some have 10Gigabit ports).
For better or worse, the smartwatches that work best with iPhones are made by Apple. The second-generation Apple Watch SE from 2022 lacks the ECG and other advanced health tracking features of pricier models, but it has an aluminum frame, a 1.78-inch LTPO OLED display, water resistance to 50 meters, and tight integration with iOS.
Apple Watch Series 9 has an ECG and temperature sensor, as well as a larger 1.9-inch LTPO OLED display with always-on functionality. It also supports UWB 2 for tracking Apple AirTags. On the downside, it's $160 more.
Finally, Apple has upgraded the AirPods Pro 2 with a USB-C port and lossless audio — though that only works with the Apple Vision Pro. The most usable is an IP54 rating (the original Pro 2 model has IPX4, i.e. no dust resistance).
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