The second-gen Apple Pencil is $40 off today

Right now, you can buy the second-gen Apple Pencil for $89.99 instead of $129.99. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The VergeThe holidays are quickly approaching, and if you haven’t started shopping for gifts yet, you should probably...

The second-gen Apple Pencil is $40 off today

The holidays are quickly approaching, and if you haven’t started shopping for gifts yet, you should probably stop procrastinating ASAP. That’s not necessarily because you’re running out of time — though you certainly are — but because we’re seeing some great deals on popular presents, some of which are even featured in our holiday gift guides.

One of these is the second-gen Apple Pencil, which makes a great gift for someone using an iPad Pro or newer iPad Mini and iPad Air models. Creatives can use the stylus to sketch on their tablet, while students can use it to jot down notes during class. Plus, it comes with a few perks that make it better than its predecessor, including customizable gesture controls and the ability to recharge while magnetically attached to the side of the tablet. It’s a bit of a pricey present at $129, but thankfully, it’s available right now at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart for $89 ($40 off), matching its lowest price to date.

$89

The second-gen Apple Pencil ditches the awkward Lightning port charging, adopting a magnetic mechanism that attaches to the side of the latest iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad Mini models. It can also recharge while magnetically attached and supports tap gestures.

Another popular gift is also on sale once more today: Amazon's latest Kindle Paperwhite. Right now, a few retailers are offering sales on various Kindles, which may be one of the last times we’ll be able to score a good deal on them before the holidays. The ad-supported base Kindle Paperwhite, for instance, is on sale for $109.99 ($30 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, while the ad-free model is down to $129.99 ($30 off) at Amazon. This discount makes the Paperwhite just $15 shy of its price during Black Friday. Read our review.

The Paperwhite is a terrific e-reader, one your giftee can use for hours on end thanks to its marathon battery life and sharp 300ppi display. If you want something more portable, you can also buy the latest Kindle starting at $89.99 ($10 off) at Amazon and Best Buy or without ads at Amazon for $109.99 ($10 off). The new base model is similar to the Paperwhite, but it lacks waterproofing and doesn’t feature the same adjustable color temperature for its front light. Read our review.

The Kindle Paperwhite e-reader turned on resting on a bunch of analog books.

$110

Amazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite has a 6.8-inch, E Ink display with adjustable color temperature for nighttime reading. It also boasts a faster processor, additional battery life, IPX8 waterproofing, and — finally — a USB-C port.

$90

Amazon’s new entry-level Kindle comes with a host of much-needed upgrades, including a better display, longer battery life, and — most importantly — USB-C charging.

The holidays are a busy time of year, which can make it tough to carve out some peace and quiet. That’s where a good pair of noise-canceling headphones like Bose’s QuietComfort 45 come in. They’re some of the most comfortable noise-canceling headphones we’ve ever tested, making them perfect for long flights or any time you want to lower ambient sounds. You won’t have to worry about them running out of battery, either, as they can last 24 hours on a single charge. Regularly $329, you can buy them right now in white at Amazon for $229 or in other colors at either Amazon or Best Buy for $249. That $229 for the white smoke color matches the all-time low on the QuietComfort 45 headphones. Read our review.

$229

Bose’s QuietComfort 45 headphones update the company’s popular supremely comfortable design with USB-C, improved noise cancellation, and longer battery life.

Looking for some a bit more budget-friendly? Google’s new Chromecast with Google TV (HD) is down to just $19.99 at Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. The no-frills streaming device includes a remote with its own button for Google Assistant, along with support for HDR video, casting, and all your popular streaming apps. If you can look beyond the fact it’s limited to 1080p resolution, it’s a solid streaming device that makes for a good stocking stuffer. Read our review.

An image of the Chromecast with Google TV HD streaming player on a coffee table.

$20

The Chromecast with Google TV now comes in a version that tops out at 1080p instead of 4K. It’s more affordable as a result, though it retains the same design and feature set aside from UHD content and Dolby Atmos support.

Hold on — we’re not done just yet

TCL’s 65-inch 6-Series QLED TV with Google TV is still on sale for $699.99 ($300 off) at Best Buy. That’s a good deal on a 4K TV that offers a fast 120Hz refresh rate, a built-in Google Chromecast, and support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10 Plus, and Google Assistant.Anker’s 20W 511 Charger may be small, but it can juice up your smartphone and tablet pretty quickly when you’re running low on battery. Regularly $17.99, you can currently buy it for $12.75 at Amazon when you clip the on-page coupon. It’s also available for the same price from Anker when you use promo code WSCPL7JVZS.Logitech’s wired G203 mouse is 50 percent off today, selling for around $20 at Amazon and Best Buy. The inexpensive gaming mouse is pretty basic, but it’s comfortable and comes with some customizable RGB lighting zones.Amazon is selling Polaroid’s Now Plus instant camera with a lens filter set for $120.99 instead of $149.99, which is a new all-time low. If you’re into capturing vintage-looking shots rather than true-to-life images, this is a good instant camera to buy, one that also offers Bluetooth support, a companion app, and other modern features.

Verge Deals

/ Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox daily.