Apple’s second-gen AirPods Pro with USB-C are matching their all-time low

Apple’s latest pair of AirPods Pro are nearly identical to the last-gen model, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing. | Photo by Chris Welch / The VergeApple’s “Scary Fast” Mac event came and went with little mention of...

Oct 31, 2023 - 21:02

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Apple’s second-gen AirPods Pro with USB-C are matching their all-time low

Apple’s “Scary Fast” Mac event came and went with little mention of the company’s flagship wireless earbuds — or few other products, for that matter. That isn’t all that surprising given Apple introduced a new pair of AirPods Pro just over a month ago. And now, shortly after receiving a steep Prime Day discount, the second-gen AirPods Pro with USB-C support are back down to $189.99 ($60 off) at Amazon and Target.

On the spec front, there’s little separating the new AirPods Pro from the second-gen model Apple launched last year. The latest edition adds dust resistance for some added peace of mind, though their marquee feature is undoubtedly a new MagSafe case that charges via USB-C instead of a Lightning port. The new AirPods Pro, like the previous model, also support Adaptive Audio and all the new software features Apple recently rolled out via iOS 17, which, in my humble opinion, are a far bigger deal than the underlying charging technology on the case (sorry, USB-C stans).

The second-gen AirPods Pro improve upon Apple’s original pair with much better noise cancellation, improved sound quality, and onboard volume controls. The latest refresh also ships with a USB-C charging case, as opposed to Lightning.

Black Friday is still several weeks away, but that hasn’t stopped many retailers from rolling out a deluge of holiday-centric deals in the run-up to the main event. Best Buy, for example, is offering a slate of early Black Friday deals through November 17th, with new discounts dropping on a rolling basis alongside other deals. There’s plenty on offer already, too, including LG’s 48-inch A2 OLED, which is on sale at Best Buy for an all-time low of $549.99 ($750 off) for a limited time.

In terms of pricing, it’s hard to find a cheaper OLED TV than LG’s entry-level A2. It’s not as feature-rich as LG’s pricier models — including both the C3 and G3 panels — but the 4K TV still manages to offer exceptional value if you’re someone who can get away with a smaller 48-inch panel for your living room or bedroom. The main difference between the A2 and LG’s higher-end models is that the A2 is capped at a 60Hz refresh rate and lacks HDMI 2.1 support for gaming, neither of which should be an issue if you’re primarily going to use it to watch movies and TV shows. It still packs the deep black levels and rich contrast we’ve come to expect from OLED technology, regardless of your viewing angle.

If you want an amazing-looking display at a somewhat low price, LG’s A2 OLED is an excellent value. It lacks the high refresh rate panel and brightness of the pricier LG C2 and C3, but the A2 costs less for fantastic picture quality.

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If you could use a smart display for your kitchen or nightstand, Amazon’s latest Echo Show 5 has returned to its all-time low of $39.99 ($50 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. The new model is a pretty iterative update of the second-gen model we reviewed in 2021, save for a faster processor and better-sounding speakers.Fellow’s Corvo EKG Electric Kettle is still available at Amazon for a cool $140.75 (about $24 off), which matches its second-best price to date. The pour-over kettle offers exquisite looks and allows you to easily choose your desired water temp for tea or coffee thanks to a built-in stopwatch, which is why we’ve included it in numerous gift guides and even our ongoing Button of the Month series.We don’t all live and breathe 4K content. Luckily, the Chromecast with Google TV (HD) is matching its all-time low of $19.99 ($10 off) at Best Buy, Walmart, and Target. The inexpensive streaming device supports all the same apps and uses the same content-first interface as the pricier 4K model, though it lacks Dolby Atmos support and is limited to 1080p resolution. Read our review.Lego’s colorful Tales of the Space Age set is down to $42.49 (about $8 off) on Amazon, which marks its first discount to date. The minimalist 688-piece kit consists of four space-themed “postcards,” which depict shooting stars, a space shuttle, and other celestial bodies, all of which can be mounted or displayed standing up.