The Google Pixel 7A at $125 off is all treat, no trick

It’s nearly Halloween, and there are some scary-good deals on Google Pixel products as well as other great devices and tech accessories.

Starting off, the unlocked Google Pixel 7A is $125 off at Best Buy and direct from Google, dropping it to a new low price of $374. Google’s midrange phone was already a very good value at its full price of $499 when it debuted in the spring, but it’s becoming a better and better value as it continues getting bigger discounts. The Pixel 7A sports a 6.1-inch OLED screen with moderately fast 90Hz refresh, the same Tensor G2 processor found in last year’s Pixel 7 flagships, and wireless charging (which was left out of previous A-model Pixel phones). It’s a great, affordable all-rounder with a very good dual-camera system that puts it hot on the heels of the best smartphone cameras from Google, Apple, and Samsung.

The Pixel 7A includes several features that are hard to find for around $500, including wireless charging and an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. It’s not the cheapest phone in the class, but it’s the one that’s best suited to go the distance.

Speaking of Pixel deals and all-time low prices: Google’s Pixel Tablet is now selling for $399 ($100 off) at both Best Buy and Amazon. The 11-inch slate uses the same Tensor G2 chip as the Pixel 7A above, and it’s a fine device, with a nice build and quality 2560 x 1600 resolution screen. Android apps on a tablet can still leave a bit to be desired in the performance or making-good-use-of-screen-real-estate departments, but the Pixel Tablet is great for watching videos and listening to music.

In fact, its biggest and best trick is using its included charging dock to act as a pseudo-smart speaker. Just drop the tablet onto its charger, and it simultaneously begins to charge while transferring any audio to its bigger and much more capable speakers. It’s a neat trick that also prevents you from dealing with a dead tablet if you let it sit idle for a few days — which I’d wager many of us with tablets frequently deal with.

Google’s 11-inch Pixel Tablet uses the same Tensor G2 chip found in the Pixel 7 lineup. It also comes with a magnetic charging dock so you can use it as a de facto smart display.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds, the current reigning champs of the wireless earbud world, are selling for a new low price of $249.99 ($50 off) at Amazon. Sony’s latest WF-1000 model are its comfiest to date, with a smaller and lighter design that’s easier on the ears for longer play sessions. They also have a great balance of very good noise cancellation, rich sound reproduction, and up to eight hours of battery life while using ANC. Plus, if you use your earbuds a lot for calls on the go, the XM5 have clear voice quality and a small case that’s easy to throw into your bag or keep in your pocket.

Sony’s flagship WF-1000XM5 noise-canceling earbuds improve upon the previous model with richer sound quality, slightly more powerful ANC, and vastly improved comfort thanks to their reduced size and weight.

• If you own an Xbox Series X / S console and want more fast storage, the Western Digital WD_Black C50 1TB Expansion Card is selling for $124.99 ($25 off) at Amazon. The plug-and-play card is just as fast as the onboard storage, allowing you to load current and last-gen games onto it and play them directly from there.
• While the Western Digital deal above is a good deal for adding fast storage to your Xbox, the PlayStation 5 is over here just feasting with affordable M.2 SSDs all over the place. One very affordable example is the Nextorage 2TB NVMe SSD for just $99.99 ($150 off) at Newegg. It’s PS5-ready with a built-in heatsink and max read speeds of 7,300MBps, which is well above the PS5’s required 5,500MBps.
• The Lego version of Luke Skywalker’s Red Five rebel pilot helmet is on sale for $43.19 (about $11 off) at Target. These series of Star Wars Lego-ified helmets are really nifty as home decor, and at 675 pieces, it’s not a set that’s going to take a major time investment.