Google’s Pixel 7 Pro may not be smarter after eight months, but it’s $200 off

My colleague Allison Johnson just recently revisited the Pixel 7 Pro, and while Google still slightly overhypes its feature drop software updates as “phone gets better with time” hyperbole, an excellent phone at a lower price still goes the longest way. The Pixel 7 Pro is one of the best smartphone cameras on the market, and it’s got great specs like a 120Hz 6.7-inch OLED display as well as handy Pixel-exclusive features like a transcribing Recorder app and aggressive spam call blocking. Any added features that come via software updates are icing on the cake, yes, but getting the cake for $200 less makes it all the sweeter.

Speaking of Pixels, the Google Pixel Watch is on sale for $299.99 ($50 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. Google’s first in-house smartwatch may not be quite as robust an offering as the selection of Apple Watches, but it’s a very good wearable that looks sharp and does the basics well. The Pixel Watch has Fitbit fitness tracking baked in (since Google owns Fitbit) and can also be used for handy health metrics like sleep tracking. Though some of the things that set it apart the most are the round, domed display and its one-size-fits-most 41mm case that works well on even small wrists. It’s got some large bezels that the software UI does its best to hide, but even so, it’s still a looker of a smart timepiece.

If you own a PlayStation 5, you really owe it to yourself to expand its storage, as SSD prices have just plummeted in recent months. You can get the Samsung 980 Pro 1TB NVMe SSD with heatsink for a new low price of $79.99 ($50 off) at Best Buy and Amazon. There may be a newer 990 Pro from Samsung, but the 980 version is more than fast enough for a PS5 or even adding to a compatible laptop or gaming PC. The prices on larger capacities of 2TB and 4TB are continuing to slowly fall as well, but 1TB is now getting borderline dirt cheap enough that no PS5 should be stuck with just the built-in 667GB of usable storage. Also, the 1TB version seems to not suffer from a small issue that was plaguing the 2TB model — though it won’t hurt to check and update the SSD’s firmware before installing in your PS5.

Also for you PlayStation 5 users, one of the best single-player games of the last couple years is on sale for a new low. Returnal on PS5 is now selling for $26.99 ($43 off) at Best Buy and Amazon. The third-person roguelike shooter is a feast for the eyes and fingers thanks to its impeccable graphics and excellent gunplay. The sci-fi setting is also filled with mystery, wonder, and intrigue as you slowly piece together the story through run attempt after run attempt, with a solid progression system that makes failure even a bit fun (if also gutwrenching).

Monday morning deal parade: