The last-gen Apple Watch Series 8 is on sale for as low as $279 today

The Apple Watch Series 9 has officially landed, bringing with it a few minor improvements under the hood, watchOS 10, and a new Millennial pink(!) color. The new smartwatch is technically the best Apple has ever made, though the updates are all pretty iterative. Thankfully, if you’re looking to pick up an Apple Watch for the first time or make the jump from an earlier model, the last-gen Series 8 is on sale at Best Buy in select styles starting at $279 ($120) or at Amazon for $20 more.

So, what exactly do you lose out on opting for the Series 8 over the Series 9? Well, for starters, the Series 9 packs a new S9 SiP chip, which allows for quicker performance, onboard Siri processing, and Apple’s handy double-tap feature. It also features a second-gen ultra wideband chip for more precise tracking, which could be a godsend if you’re someone who finds yourself constantly misplacing your phone.

Other than that, though, the two models are nearly identical. The Series 8 still offers fast performance, all the same fitness tracking capabilities, and supports newer features like Crash Detection and watchOS 10. Not bad for a watch that’s currently going for more than $100 less.

Apple’s last-gen smartwatch features Crash Detection and temperature sensors that enable menstrual cycle tracking — something you won’t find on any prior model.

Apparently, iteration is the name of the game this year for Apple. The company also announced a newer version of the second-gen AirPods Pro during its iPhone 15 event earlier this month, one that ships with dust resistance and a charging case that (finally) supports USB-C instead of Apple’s propriety Lightning connector. And now, less than a day after they became available, they’re on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for $199.99 ($50 off) — the typical sale price of the prior model.

Unsurprisingly, the second-gen AirPods Pro remain the best pair of earbuds you can get if you’re an iPhone user. They offer a bevy of software tricks if you’re locked into the Apple ecosystem — including spatial audio, automatic device switching, and robust Find My support — along with top-tier noise cancellation and sound. What’s more, the latest model supports Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, and other notable improvements as a result of iOS 17, some of which are a bigger deal than the actual jump to USB-C (sorry, not sorry).

Apple’s new AirPods Pro take after the original model but include swipe controls and an H2 chip that allows for improved noise cancellation. They also offer support for USB-C charging, making them the first Apple earbuds to do so.

• The Nintendo Switch OLED is still on sale at Monoprice for $289.99 ($60 off) with either white or red and blue Joy-Con controllers. Yes, there is most certainly a so-called “Nintendo Switch 2” in development, but given the jam-packed release schedule Nintendo laid out during its most recent Direct event, it appears the current model has some life left in it. Read our review.
• Epomaker’s wireless TH80 Pro is still sitting at $71.99 ($18 off) on Amazon. The hot-swappable, 75 percent keyboard — which is on sale with clicky, linear, or tactile switches — is basically a longer-lasting version of one of our favorite models. It features the same PBT keycaps, the same per-key RGB lighting, and the same comfortable typing experience, rendering it a great entry-level model if you’re new to the mechanical keyboard world.
• LG’s 55-inch C3 OLED is on sale at BuyDig for $1,696.99 ($900 off) with a $150 Visa gift card and an extended four-year warranty. This year’s model is pretty similar to the last-gen C2, and as such, the TV offers great contrast and the sublime viewing angles for which OLED panels are known. It also continues to offer comprehensive HDMI 2.1a support and a speedy 120Hz refresh rate, though that’s now paired with a faster α9 AI Processor Gen6 chip.
• Lego’s 1,508-piece Optimus Prime set is on sale at Amazon and Walmart for $152.99 ($27 off), its best price to date. It can’t walk or talk like the self-transforming Optimus Prime our own Sean Hollister played with a couple of years back, but it does feature a solid 19 points of articulation and fold down into a slick-looking semi truck with your help.
• The Apple Watch Series 9 is here, sure, but there are inexpensive alternatives if all you’re looking to do is track the basics. The ultra-affordable Amazfit Band 7 — which is still on sale at Amazon for a mere $39.99 ($10 off) — is a great example, one that packs a nice OLED display, support for Amazon Alexa, and a host of premium features for literally a tenth of the price. Read our review.