Apple’s latest iPad Mini features some nice internal upgrades and support for Apple Intelligence.
If you know where to look, it’s surprisingly easy to save on an iPad — even outside of major sales events like Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday. Here’s an insider tip: Skip the Apple Store, where discounts are almost nonexistent. Instead, your best bet is to check third-party retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy, which frequently offer deals on everything from the entry-level iPad to the powerhouse iPad Pro, making it possible to snag a bargain any time of the year.
Apple’s tablet lineup now includes six different iPads, which makes tracking deals across each configuration a full-time job. Fortunately, that’s exactly what we’re here for. Below, you’ll find the best discounts on every current model. Want something for basic web browsing? The entry-level iPad is currently down to $299 ($50 off). Looking for more power to play games and edit videos? The iPad Pro with M4 chip is going for $899 ($100 off). No matter which one you choose, rest assured that every model below is set to receive iPadOS 26 in the fall, which is the most significant update the iPad has seen in 15 years.
The 11th-generation iPad remains the most affordable tablet in Apple’s lineup. While the newest model isn’t drastically different from its 10th-gen predecessor, it does offer a few key differences. One notable change is the increase to 128GB of base storage, up from 64GB. Additionally, the new model features Apple’s A16 Bionic chip, providing better overall performance when browsing the web, opening apps, and watching videos. That being said, the base iPad still doesn’t support Apple Intelligence despite the faster chip, meaning you can’t take advantage of features like the ability to generate images and text. It will, however, support iPadOS 26’s windowed multitasking feature when the update arrives later this year.
Currently, the 11th-gen iPad starts at $349 with Wi-Fi and 128GB of storage. Upgrading to 256GB or 512GB of storage will run you an extra $100 or $200, respectively, while the LTE model starts at $499. The base model recently dropped to $279 ($70 off) during Amazon’s most recent Prime Day event, proving that, if you’re patient, it’s possible to save a good chunk on the MSRP. That said, there are great deals to be had throughout the year. For example, the aforementioned base configuration is currently down to $299 ($50 off) — its second-best price to date — at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy. Alternatively, the 256GB model is $399 ($50 off) at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy, while the 512GB variant is available for around $598 ($51 off) at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy.
While the seventh-gen iPad Mini looks nearly identical to its predecessor, it offers a few notable upgrades, including compatibility with the Apple Pencil Pro. The Pencil Pro brings features like squeeze controls for quick tool switching and a so-called “barrel roll” function, which lets you change the orientation of your stroke by rotating the stylus. The Mini also includes a newer A17 Pro processor with 8GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, and the base storage has increased to 128GB, up from 64GB. Otherwise, it retains many of the hallmarks found on its last-gen predecessor, including an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, a Touch ID sensor, and an estimated 10 hours of battery life when browsing on Wi-Fi.
The 2024 iPad Mini starts at $499 with 128GB of storage — the same price as the previous generation’s 64GB model. If you need more room for all your photos and apps, the 256GB and 512GB versions will set you back $599 and $799, respectively. Want to add cellular? That starts at $649. These are hefty price tags for such a small device, which might have you eyeing the larger iPad Air if you’re after more screen for your buck. But if you’re loyal to the compact form factor for tasks like reading, the iPad Mini is still the one to beat.
The iPad Mini dropped to just $379, an all-time low, during Prime Day; however, the current discounts aren’t nearly as dramatic, with the 128GB base model going for $474 ($25 off) at Amazon. You can also pick up the 256GB variant at Amazon and Walmart starting around $569 ($30 off), or the 512GB model at Amazon and B&H Photo for $779 ($20 off).
The seventh-gen iPad Air sits between the entry-level iPad and the more powerful iPad Pro. It’s available in 11-inch and 13-inch configurations, both of which are powered by Apple’s speedy M3 chip and compatible with the latest Apple Intelligence features. The Air also works with the updated Magic Keyboard, which now includes a full row of function keys for controlling volume and screen brightness. There’s not a ton that’s new with the latest Air compared to the prior model, but the bump in power should allow it to last longer.
The 11-inch iPad Air starts at $599, and the 13-inch version comes in at $799. While the starting prices are high, the tablet regularly goes on sale, with the 11-inch Air dipping to as low as $479 during events like Prime Day. Right now, for instance, the 11-inch Air with Wi-Fi and 128GB of storage is on sale at Amazon and Walmart starting at $547.27 (about $52 off). The 256GB version is on sale for $629 ($70 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo, while the 512GB model is down to $811.47 (about $88 off) at B&H Photo.
If you’re after the larger configuration, the 13-inch model with Wi-Fi and 128GB of storage is currently on sale at Amazon and Walmart for around $725 ($75 off). Meanwhile, Amazon and Walmart are offering the configuration with Wi-Fi and 256GB of storage for $815.73 (about $84 off), while the 512GB variant with Wi-Fi is down to $1,000.88 (about $100 off) at Amazon and Walmart.
The seventh-gen iPad Pro is the most impressive tablet in Apple’s lineup, one that features the company’s latest M4 chip and a crisp “Tandem OLED” display. It has dedicated hardware for Apple Intelligence processing, a four-speaker setup for richer sound, and a repositioned front-facing camera along the horizontal edge, so you can keep the device in landscape during video calls. The more advanced tech, however, comes at a high price. The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $999 — the same price as the latest 13-inch MacBook Air — while the larger 13-inch model starts at $1,200.
The good news is that the iPad Pro regularly goes on sale. The 11-inch iPad Pro with 256GB of storage is currently down to $899 ($100 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo, while the 512GB model is down to $1,089.90 (about $109 off) at Amazon. Stepping up to the 1TB model — which will provide you with even more room for apps, photos, and videos — will run you $1,459 ($140 off) at Amazon and Walmart.
If you want more screen real estate, the 13-inch model with 256GB is around $1,179 ($120 off) at Amazon and Walmart. Meanwhile, the 512GB model is down to $1,359.86 (about $140 off) at Amazon and Walmart, while the 1TB model is available at Amazon and Walmart for $1,631 ($268 off). You can also grab the 2TB model for $2,084 ($215 off) at Amazon and Walmart.
Apple is suing the owner of the Apple Cinemas theater chain, Sand Media, over alleged trademark infringement, as reported by Reuters. In the lawsuit, Apple alleges that Apple Cinemas and Sand Media have made efforts to “capitalize on the highly-regarded Apple brand in connection with the aggressive nationwide expansion” and that they have “refused to engage with Apple’s repeated efforts to resolve the matter amicably.”
“Consumers should not go to an ‘Apple Cinemas’ theater thinking it is connected to the famous Apple brand, with all its goodwill and brand equity, when Apple Cinemas has no relation whatsoever to Apple,” Apple says.
Apple Cinemas didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
Apple Cinemas has operated “outside a few suburbs and city outskirts in New England,” Apple says. However, Apple Cinemas recently opened a theater in the San Francisco Bay Area within 50 miles of Apple’s Cupertino headquarters and plans to open another soon.
“Already, Defendants’ actions have confused customers and diluted Apple’s brand,” Apple says. The lawsuit includes screenshots of social media posts asking if Apple Cinemas is related to Apple. Apple also notes that “media coverage of the theater openings on both coasts found it necessary to explain that Apple Cinemas was not affiliated with Apple Inc.” and includes examples. Apple Cinemas is planning an “aggressive national expansion to 100 theaters,” according to the lawsuit.
Apple’s latest MacBook Air is one of the best laptops on sale. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
If you want a great laptop, you’re going to have to fork over a ton of money, right? Not necessarily. There are dozens of good laptops on the market at various price points. However, it can feel overwhelming to find the right one for your needs (some are better suited for, say, college students, whereas others are ideal for gamers).
That’s why we’ve come up with this list of some of the best laptop deals available right now. In addition to the latest discounts, we’ll share each discounted model’s best features (and downsides) to give you more clarity during your shopping journey. And if you need to do more research, you can also check out our guides to the best laptops on the market and the top gaming laptops.
The 2020 MacBook Air has been discontinued but remains a great value. It comes outfitted with the company’s original M1 chip in one of three different colors (silver, space gray, and gold).
Apple itself no longer sells the 13-inch MacBook Air with M1 — and hasn’t for years — but you can still get this solid laptop for $599.99 ($50 off) at Walmart. The 2020 model is available in one configuration, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, but it’s still capable at handling basic tasks like a champ, including streaming video, browsing, and dealing with documents. You can also use the M1 MacBook Air for creative work in Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, Logic, and Pixelmator, though you may experience slowdown due to its low 8GB of memory.
The laptop’s battery lasted between eight and ten hours when we originally reviewed it, and those figures should be mostly accurate, barring some differences likely caused by operating system updates. In addition to offering great performance for its price, the laptop also comes with other nice-to-have features, including a comfortable keyboard and an excellent trackpad. Just note its 720p webcam isn’t particularly good, so if a high-resolution webcam matters a lot to you, you may want to buy one separately. Also, be aware that, due to the limitations of the M1 chip, you can only use one external display at a time and port selection is also more limited than newer models.
The 2022 MacBook Air is a thin, lightweight device powered by Apple’s M2 chip. The M2 model touts an improved 1080p webcam and a better display than its predecessor while retaining features like long battery life and MagSafe charging.
Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip is a significant leap above the M1 model it succeeded, both in terms of design and performance. The old wedge-shaped look was replaced for a more squared-off design that’s still used by the current-generation MacBook Air. It has a 1080p webcam, which was a welcome improvement given the disappointing camera on the 2020 M1 model. It’s also much lighter and thus more portable as well, yet it retains features like MagSafe charging and Touch ID, as well as a nice display.
Despite its age, the M2 processor inside of this machine is still powerful enough to handle many tasks, from common ones such as browsing to more complex and creative projects. Compared to newer, pricier models, this one unsurprisingly struggles with gaming. That being said, it’s capable of runningCyberpunk 2077. The entry-level 13-inch MacBook Air with M2 launched with 8GB of RAM, but that configuration became unavailable last year when Apple made 16GB the new standard.
While a well-rounded laptop overall, there is one key area where Apple’s M1 model is better: storage. The base M2 MacBook Air with 256GB of storage is actually slower than its predecessor because it’s stored in a single NAND chip. This was corrected in subsequent MacBook Air models, so the slowdown is unique to M2 machines with 256GB of storage. Also, be aware as well that port selection isn’t great, and the included display notch — which is also found on both the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros — can make using the menu bar more challenging until you get used to it. If that doesn’t bother you, however, you can get a configuration with 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, an 8-core CPU and GPU for $699 ($100 off) at Best Buy.
The M4 MacBook Air has a speedy processor, and double the RAM of previous models. It has a thin and light design, all day battery life, and still starts with 256GB of storage.
The 13-inch MacBook Air with M4 is Apple’s latest thin and lightweight laptop, and it’s our top pick in The Verge’s guide to the best laptops right now. It’s not a MacBook Pro, but Apple’s M4 processor in the Air is still mighty capable. In our tests, it only throttled under heavy load from creative applications, which is understandable given its fanless design. The machine comes with 16GB of RAM as standard rather than an optional upgrade, but the base configuration still comes with just 256GB of storage, so be mindful of that limitation if you work with a lot of larger files.
Apple hasn’t increased the number of ports on a MacBook Air since reintroducing MagSafe to the M2 model in 2022, but this generation has Thunderbolt 4 ports rather than Thunderbolt 3 for faster file transfer speeds. Another notable addition is the 1080p Center Stage camera from the MacBook Pro, so you’ll stay in frame if you move around on a video call. Battery life should last all day, though your experience will vary depending on how hard you push this machine.
You can currently get a configuration of the 13-inch with M4 with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and a 10-core CPU and GPU for $799 ($200 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. If you need a larger screen, you can get the 15-inch MacBook Air with the same specs for $999 ($200 off) at Amazon and Best Buy.
The entry-level MacBook Pro with M4 starts with 16GB of RAM — double that of its predecessor — and a 512GB SSD for the same starting price of $1,599. It also gets a third USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 port and comes in a new space black option.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with a 12-core / 16-core M4 Pro chip starts with 24GB of RAM — a 6GB increase over the prior generation. It also has a 512GB SSD, three Thunderbolt 5 USB-C ports, an optional nano-texture display, and a 12-megapixel webcam.
The 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro starts with 24GB of RAM and offers more computing cores (14 for the CPU and 20 for the GPU) compared to the 14-inch model. It also picks up Thunderbolt 5 ports and a new 12-megapixel Center Stage camera.
The M4 generation MacBook Pros are Apple’s fastest laptops yet. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 starts with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, and comes equipped with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and a MagSafe charging port. It can send video to two external displays simultaneously (the previous generation could only handle one) and has an improved 12-megapixel Center Stage camera with better video quality.
The M4 MacBook Pro and M4 MacBook Air run on the same chip, but the Pro’s cooling system is better, so it handles resource-intensive tasks (including games) without throttling as easily. The laptop’s 14.2-inch screen is bright (up to 1,600 nits when viewing HDR content), and supports the P3 color gamut, both of which are important to professionals who rely on color accuracy when editing photos and video. The display has a 120Hz refresh rate, so scrolling through webpages or moving windows around should appear smoother than 60Hz screens. In our stress test, which included editing 33-megapixel RAW images and working with a large photo library in Adobe Lightroom, the laptop ran for 12 hours without kicking up the fans or feeling hot to the touch.
If you want even more power, you can jump up to the 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 Pro processor. It comes with 24GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, a 12-core CPU, and a 16-core GPU. The M4 Pro MacBook Pro has over twice the memory bandwidth of the base M4 MacBook Pro, so it should perform better across the board. That said, it might be tough to notice the benefits of its extra memory and processing power during casual use, but it will come in handy when you’re pushing the laptop to the limits while video editing or playing games. It has three Thunderbolt 5 ports, and you can use that extra bandwidth with an external SSD with fast transfer speeds, to name an example. You can also get the MacBook Pro with M4 Pro with a 16-inch screen if you’d like to work on a larger display.
Right now, the 14-inch M4 model with 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU is $1,299 ($300 off) at Best Buy and $200 off at B&H Photo. You can get a 14-inch M4 Pro model with 24GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, 12-core CPU, and 16-core GPU for around $1,786 at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo. The 16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro with 24GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, 14-core CPU, and 20-core GPU is currently on sale for around $2,234 at Amazon and B&H Photo.
We chose Microsoft’s 7th Edition Surface Laptop as one of the best laptops you can get because it’s the top Snapdragon Copilot Plus PC we’ve tried yet. The laptop runs on a power-efficient ARM processor that doesn’t skimp on performance. Its 13.8-inch 2,304 x 1,536 120Hz screen supports Dolby Vision HDR (High Dynamic Range) and looks very nice. It has a large, precision haptic trackpad that gives you plenty of room to tap and swipe, an offers satisfying feedback no matter where you press it.
The laptop has a pair of USB 4 ports, one USB-A 3.1 Gen 1 port, plus a headphone jack. One of the concerns of using an ARM-based Windows PC has been software compatibility, but this model proves that’s no longer something to be as worried about. It runs Photoshop, and apps compiled for X86 processors work thanks to Microsoft’s Prism emulator. Be sure to check the compatibility of the specific Windows app you rely, though, as there’s still a chance they won’t work as intended.
Even after our toughest tests, the battery lasted seven hours. That’s with 100 percent screen brightness, after downloading multiple Steam games, attending video calls, and running through multiple projects in Photoshop. Using the laptop with less power-hungry apps, including Slack, WhatsApp, Discord, and Chrome, the laptop used just 30 percent of its battery in seven hours. For the best battery life, you’ll want to stick to using native ARM apps when possible. If you want to make the switch to an ARM-based laptop to get some of the benefits MacBook users have had for years, the 7th Generation Surface Laptop is worth checking out.
You can get a 13.8-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop (7th Edition) with a Snapdragon X Plus processor, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD for $999 ($100 off) at Amazon. A model with the Snapdragon X Elite processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD is on sale for $1,099.99 ($300 off) at Best Buy.
Acer’s Spin Chromebook is configured with Intel’s first generation of processor with an NPU. It also has Google Gemini baked right into the OS, and if you sign up for a new Google One AI premium plan, your first year of service is free.
Verge reviewer Antonio G. Di Benedetto chose Acer’s Chromebook Plus Spin 714 as one of the best laptops for students because it offers an excellent balance of power, battery life, specs, and value. It’s also made the cut in our guide to the best Chromebooks because it supports Google’s Gemini smart assistant, and comes with a one-year subscription to Google’s One AI premium service. The current-generation laptop is a solid choice a year after it was released thanks in part to its Intel Core Ultra 5 Series 1 processor, which allows you to run Linux apps instead of being limited to software solely available through Google’s Play Store.
On to the specs: The laptop has a 14-inch 1920 x 1200 resolution touchscreen display, which can be flipped 180 degrees, so you can use the laptop as a large tablet if you prefer. The Plus Spin 714 has two Thunderbolt 4 ports and an HDMI port, which is an acceptable array of ports for a Chromebook. However, it only has 8GB of RAM, which will likely be a performance bottleneck if you intend to keep dozens of tabs open.
If your needs are relatively light and you don’t mind working mostly in the cloud instead of with local files, this is a solid computer. You can grab the Chromebook Plus Spin 714 for $629 ($170 off) at Best Buy.
The Asus Zenbook S 16 features AMD’s Ryzen AI mobile processors. It’s one of the thinnest and lightest 16-inch laptops available and doesn’t cut corners on performance. It’s a mighty machine that can handle all sorts of heavy workloads with ease and grace.
We chose Asus’ Zenbook S 16 as another one of our top recommendations for students, but it’s a solid laptop for anyone who wants a large-screened Windows laptop. In our tests, the 16-inch 120Hz 3K (2,880 x 1,800) OLED display emits vivid colors and excellent contrast. The laptop was more than capable of handling common tasks, including video chats using its 1080p webcam, music streaming, but its graphics and gaming performance is what really sets it apart from laptops in its size and price classes.
This machine runs Cyberpunk 2077 at around 77 frames per second with the resolution set to 1080p with AMD’s FSR 2.1 upscaling software turned on. The laptop isn’t designed for gaming, but it’s good to know it’s up to the task if you’re willing to turn down some graphical settings. The Zenbook S 16’s battery lasted 11 hours during our testing. However, the percentage indicator in the Windows taskbar would often fluctuate, making it difficult to pin down exactly how much juice was left.
You can get a configuration of the laptop with 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor for $1,299.99 ($500 off) from Asus if you sign up for a free Asus membership. We signed up for the membership, and it took about five minutes from start to finish.
Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2025, RTX 5080)
Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2025, RTX 5080)
Asus’ ROG Strix Scar 16 is a powerful gaming laptop configured with a 16-inch 2.5K 240Hz screen, Nvidia 5080 graphics card, Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage.
If you want to take a powerful gaming PC with you on the go, Asus’ ROG Strix Scar 16 is one of the best we recommend. It has a 16-inch 240Hz Mini LED display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600. The screen can’t quite match an OLED when it comes to rich contrast, but you get Dolby Vision HDR here, and its color accuracy impressed us in our tests. The laptop has larger keys instead of a number pad, which makes sense for a gaming-focused laptop. If you need a number pad, you can bring up a touch-sensitive one by clicking and holding the top part of the laptop’s large trackpad.
Under the hood, Asus fitted the ROG Strix Scar 16 with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, 32GB of RAM, 2TB of storage, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card with 16GB of dedicated video memory. The laptop’s display supports Nvidia’s G-Sync technology, so you shouldn’t see screen tearing or other graphical anomalies when playing games. The laptop has three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, an ethernet port, and two Thunderbolt 5 ports. You can use either the HDMI 2.1 port or Thunderbolt 5 ports to carry a 4K 120Hz video signal to a compatible TV or gaming monitor.
In case aesthetics matter to you, the ROG Strix Scar 16 has RGB lighting on its underside as well as a dot-matrix LED array that can display animations on its lid. These features aren’t new, but each can add some flair to your setup. Right now, you can get the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 in its base configuration for around $2999.99 ($300 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.
Update, August 5th: Updated pricing and availability, and added new deals on Apple’s MacBook Air with M4, the MacBook Pro with M4 Pro, the Asus Zenbook S 16, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16, Microsoft’s 7th Generation Surface Laptop, and Acer’s Chromebook Plus Spin 714.
The Find My Skechers line keeps Apple AirTags secure and out of sight. | Screenshot: Skechers
If you’re a parent with kids in school or kids who are independently exploring their neighborhood for the first time, then there’s a good chance you’ve considered stashing a tracker somewhere on their person for added peace of mind. Skechers is making that a little easier with a new line of sneakers for kids that feature a hidden compartment in the sole, which is designed to securely hold an Apple AirTag so you can track your child without worrying about the tracker itself going missing.
There are currently several different styles and color options in the company’s new Find My Skechers line, with size options ranging from toddlers to eight-year-olds. Lifting the sneaker’s insole and a fabric web liner reveals a plastic compartment recessed into the cushioned midsole that holds and protects an AirTag without inhibiting its wireless communications.
You can already find a lot of AirTag accessories that let you attach an AirTag to an active child more securely than just slipping the tracker into their pockets, where it can potentially fall out while they’re playing. Skechers’ solution goes one step further with a lid on the compartment that’s screwed into place. That should help prevent kids from tampering with it and, given the AirTag’s compact size, make it safer for toddlers still experimenting with cramming things into their mouths.
As an added safety feature, the shoes don’t feature any branding that hint at there being an AirTag inside them. They look like every other sneaker that Skechers sells, making them one of the more covert ways to keep tabs on where your kids are.
If Apple maintains its tradition of introducing a new iPhone lineup in September, Jefferies analysts expect the mysterious iPhone 17 will cost more than its predecessors. In a note published on Wednesday, the analysts predicted a $50 price increase — a 4% to 5% jump from 2024 — to offset the impact of tariffs.
The price hike would likely exclude the base model, Jefferies said, and affect the Pro, Pro Max, and the rumored slimmer iPhone model.
As of Wednesday, the retail price of the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199.
Jefferies assumes 40% of the iPhone 17 will be made in China for US consumers. If the average cost to build it goes up by $20 to $25, a $50 bump in price "may barely cover the above cost increases."
During its last earnings call, Apple told investors to expect a $900 million tariff hit for the June quarter
Despite the expectation of a price hike over tariff costs, Jefferiesanalysts expect Apple to report a strong June quarter on Thursday. They think increased demand for iPhones from consumers who feared price hikes drove higher sales.
However, the spike in demand sparked by tariffs in April and May seemed to cool in June, UBS analysts estimated. They expect a softened demand for the iPhone 17 in September.
Apple's next-generation software updates are just a couple of months away, but Apple isn't done with last year's releases just yet. Apple has released iOS 18.6, iPadOS 18.6, macOS Sequoia 15.6, watchOS 11.6, tvOS 18.6, and visionOS 2.6 to the public today, fixing an issue with sharing movies from the Photos app but mostly patching a long list of security vulnerabilities.
For iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, the list of resolved CVEs covers everything from the Metal graphics API to WebKit to networking to filesystem permissions issues. All told, each of these updates patches over two dozen vulnerabilities, and the other OS updates cover many of the same flaws. According to Apple's release notes, at least, none of these vulnerabilities are being actively exploited in the wild—you should patch as soon as you can, but there appear to be no known zero-day vulnerabilities.
For iOS and iPadOS users in the EU, the updates also include a mechanism for installing alternate app stores and for installing apps directly from websites, in accordance with the EU's Digital Markets Act.
Smartwatches do more than just track your steps and deliver phone alerts to your wrist. The best smartwatches go even further, giving you the ability to pay for a cup of coffee, take calls and connect to apps like Spotify all without whipping out your smartphone.
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you already know all of the benefits of a smartwatch. You’re ready to invest, or upgrade from an aging accessory, but we wouldn’t blame you if you if you didn’t know where to start. There are dozens of smartwatches available now, including GPS running watches, fitness trackers that look like smartwatches and multi-purpose devices. Plus, you’ll want to consider factors like durability, battery life and operating system before you spend a lot of money on a new wearable. We’ve tested and reviewed most major smartwatches available today and these are our top picks.
Yes, there are still companies out there trying to make “fashionable” hybrid smartwatches. Back when wearables were novel and generally ugly, brands like Fossil, Michael Kors and Skagen found their niche in stylish smartwatches that took cues from analog timepieces. You also have the option to pick up a “hybrid” smartwatch from companies like Withings and Garmin – these devices look like classic wrist watches but incorporate some limited functionality like activity tracking and heart rate monitoring. They remain good options if you prefer that look, but thankfully, wearables made by Apple, Samsung, Fitbit and others have gotten much more attractive over the past few years.
Ultimately, the only thing you can’t change after you buy a smartwatch is its case design. If you’re not into the Apple Watch’s squared-off corners, all of Samsung’s smartwatches have round cases that look a little more like a traditional watch. Most wearables are offered in a choice of colors and you can pay extra for premium materials like stainless steel for extra durability. Once you decide on a case, your band options are endless – there are dozens of first- and third-party watch straps available for most major smartwatches, and for both larger and smaller wrists, allowing you to change up your look whenever you please.
Factors to consider before buying a smartwatch
Compatibility
Apple Watches only work with iPhones, while Wear OS devices play nice with both iOS and Android phones. Smartwatches made by Samsung, Garmin, Fitbit and others are also compatible with Android and iOS, but you’ll need to install a companion app on your smartphone.
The smartwatch OS will also dictate the type and number of third-party apps you’ll have access to. Many of these aren’t useful, though, making this factor a fairly minor one in the grand scheme of things.
Price
The best smartwatches generally cost between $300 and $400. Compared to budget smartwatches, which cost between $100 and $250, these pricier devices have advanced operating systems, communications, music and fitness features. They also often include perks like onboard GPS tracking, music storage and NFC, AMOLED displays, and long battery life, things that budget devices generally don’t have.
Some companies make specialized fitness watches: Those can easily run north of $500, and we’d only recommend them to serious athletes. Luxury smartwatches from brands like TAG Heuer and Hublot can also reach sky-high prices, but we wouldn’t endorse any of them. These devices can cost more than $1,000, and you’re usually paying for little more than a brand name and some needlessly exotic selection of build materials.
Battery life
Battery life remains one of our biggest complaints about smartwatches, but there’s hope as of late. You can expect two full days from Apple Watches and most Wear OS devices. Watches using the Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor support extended battery modes that promise up to five days of battery life on a charge — if you’re willing to shut off most features aside from, you know, displaying the time. Other models can last five to seven days, but they usually have fewer features and lower-quality displays. Meanwhile, some fitness watches can last weeks on a single charge. If long battery life is a priority for you, it’s worth checking out the watch’s specs beforehand to see what the manufacturer estimates.
Communication
Any smartwatch worth considering delivers call, text and app notifications to your wrist. Call and text alerts are self explanatory, but if those mean a lot to you, consider a watch with LTE. They’re more expensive than their WiFi-only counterparts, but cellular connectivity allows the smartwatch to take and receive phone calls, and do the same with text messages, without your device nearby. As far as app alerts go, getting them delivered to your wrist will let you glance down to the watch face and see if you absolutely need to check your phone right now.
Fitness tracking
Activity tracking is a big reason why people turn to smartwatches. An all-purpose timepiece should function as a fitness tracker, logging your steps, calories and workouts, and most of today’s wearables have a heart rate monitor as well.
Many smartwatches' fitness features include a built-in GPS, which is useful for tracking distance for runs and bike rides. Swimmers will want something water resistant, and thankfully most all-purpose devices now can withstand at least a dunk in the pool. Some smartwatches from companies like Garmin are more fitness focused than others and tend to offer more advanced features like heart-rate-variance tracking, recovery time estimation, onboard maps and more.
Health tracking on smartwatches has also seen advances over the years. Both Apple and Fitbit devices can estimate blood oxygen levels and measure ECGs. But the more affordable the smartwatch, the less likely it is that it has these kinds of advanced health tracking features; if collecting those kinds of wellness metrics is important to you, you’ll have to pay for the privilege.
Music
Your watch can not only track your morning runs but also play music while you’re exercising. Many smartwatches let you save your music locally, so you can connect wireless earbuds via Bluetooth and listen to tunes without bringing your phone. Those that don’t have onboard storage for music usually have on-watch music controls, so you can control playback without whipping out your phone. And if your watch has LTE, local saving isn’t required — you’ll be able to stream music directly from the watch to your paired earbuds.
Displays
Most wearables have touchscreens and we recommend getting one that has a full-color touchscreen. Some flagships like the Apple Watch have LTPO displays, which stands for low-temperature polycrystalline oxide. These panels have faster response times and are more power efficient, resulting in a smoother experience when one interacts with the touchscreen and, in some cases, longer battery lives.
You won’t see significant gains with the latter, though, because the extra battery essentially gets used up when these devices have always-on displays, as most flagship wearables do today. Some smartwatches have this feature on by default while others let you enable it via tweaked settings. This smart feature allows you to glance down at your watch to check the time, health stats or any other information you’ve set it to show on its watchface without lifting your wrist. This will no doubt affect your device’s battery life, but thankfully most always-on modes dim the display’s brightness so it’s not running at its peak unnecessarily. Cheaper devices won’t have this feature; instead, their touchscreens will automatically turn off to conserve battery life and you’ll have to intentionally check your watch to turn on the display again.
NFC
Many new smartwatches have NFC, letting you pay for things without your wallet using contactless payments. After saving your credit or debit card information, you can hold your smartwatch up to an NFC reader to pay for a cup of coffee on your way home from a run. Keep in mind that different watches use different payment systems: Apple Watches use Apple Pay, Wear OS devices use Google Pay, Samsung devices use Samsung Pay and so forth.
Apple Pay is one of the most popular NFC payment systems, with support for multiple banks and credit cards in 72 different countries, while Samsung and Google Pay work in fewer regions. It’s also important to note that both NFC payment support varies by device as well for both Samsung and Google’s systems.
Other smartwatches our experts tested
Apple Watch Ultra 2
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is probably overkill for most people, but it has a ton of extra features like extra waterproofing to track diving, an even more accurate GPS and the biggest battery of any Apple Watch to date. Apple designed it for the most rugged among us, but for your average person, it likely has more features than they'd ever need. If you’re particularly clumsy, however, its high level of durability could be a great reason to consider the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Apple Watch SE
The Apple Watch SE is less feature-rich than the flagship model, but it will probably suffice for most people. We actually regard the Watch SE as the best smartwatch option for first-time buyers, or people on stricter budgets. You’ll get all the core Apple Watch features as well as things like fall and crash detection, noise monitoring and Emergency SOS, but you’ll have to do without more advanced hardware perks like an always-on display, a blood oxygen sensor, an ECG monitor and a skin temperature sensor.
Garmin Forerunner 745
Garmin watches in general can be great options for the most active among us. The Garmin Forerunner 745 is an excellent GPS running watch for serious athletes or those who prize battery life above all else. When we tested it, we found it to provide accurate distance tracking, a killer 16-hour battery life with GPS turned on (up to seven days without it) and support for onboard music storage and Garmin Pay.
Amazfit Bip 6
The Amazfit Bip 6, an $80 smartwatch from Zepp Health, didn’t quite make the cut. As a fitness tracker, it’s decent, but it’s a frustrating smartwatch. For workouts, the built-in GPS tracks runs and rides without your phone and, combined with the heart rate and blood oxygen sensors, collects a good amount of data to create accurate pictures of your exertion levels, cadence and pace. It’s remarkably lightweight but doesn’t feel cheap and the AMOLED screen is bright and sharp. It’s not an always-on display, but lifting your wrist wakes it reliably.
The sleep tracking data is on par with what we measured on other smartwatches and there’s even a daily readiness score that compares your sleep quality and the previous day’s exertion to estimate how physically prepared you are for the day ahead — similar to what Pixel Watches, Fitbit devices and Garmin watches offer. And since the watch battery lasts for over a week on a charge, you may be a lot more apt to wear it to bed than a watch you have to charge daily.
We weren’t expecting an $80 device to be a serious Apple Watch challenger, but the Bip 6’s glitches and overly complicated interface (both on the app and on the watch itself) were disappointing. During a week of testing, I got multiple repeated notifications, even after they were deleted, along with suggestions to stand when I was actively doing chores around the house. The watch faces are not customizable, so it was hard to get the info I needed at a glance (the Zepp app has lots of paid watch faces that may have what I wanted, but I didn’t want to pay $3 for something that’s free elsewhere).
Marketing details state that the Bip 6 can auto-detect workouts, including walking and bike riding. During testing, I walked once or twice per day for over one mile and went on two bike rides, but no workout was ever detected. The watch integrates with Apple Health, so I was able to see how it compares to the data my Apple Watch gathers. After a week of wearing the Bip 6, with no changes to my daily routine, I averaged 400 fewer calories burned and 2.4 fewer miles tracked each day. That was possibly the biggest disappointment of all. — Amy Skorheim, Senior Reporter
Smartwatch FAQs
Is there a difference between a smartwatch and a fitness tracker?
While smartwatches and fitness trackers share some similarities, they’re designed for slightly different purposes.
A fitness tracker is primarily focused on health and activity tracking. It keeps tabs on your steps, heart rate, sleep and workouts, and some even offer advanced metrics like blood oxygen levels and stress tracking. Fitness trackers are generally more compact, have longer battery life and are built with activity in mind.
A smartwatch, on the other hand, is like a mini smartphone on your wrist. It offers fitness tracking features, but also lets you do things like reply to texts, take calls, use apps and control smart home devices. Many smartwatches support voice assistants, mobile payments and even LTE connectivity, so you can leave your phone behind in some cases.
If you mainly want health and activity tracking with long battery life, a fitness tracker is the way to go. If you want a more connected experience with extra features, a smartwatch is the better choice.
How long do smartwatches last?
How long a smartwatch lasts mostly depends on two things: battery life and overall durability.
Smartwatch battery life varies a lot depending on the brand, features and how you use it. Basic models with e-ink displays or monochrome screens can last a week or more, while full-featured smartwatches like the Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch usually need a charge every day or two. If you're using features like always-on display, GPS tracking or LTE connectivity, expect the battery to drain faster.
Physically, a good smartwatch should last several years before you need to upgrade. Premium models with scratch-resistant glass, water resistance and strong build materials tend to hold up well over time. However, software support matters too — brands like Apple and Samsung typically provide updates for at least a few years, while some budget smartwatches may not get long-term software support.
You can expect to charge most smartwatches daily or every few days, and if you take care of them, they should last 3-5 years before an upgrade is necessary.
How much should you spend on a smartwatch?
How much you should spend on a smartwatch depends on what features you need and how often you plan to use it.
If you just want the basics — step tracking, notifications, heart rate monitoring and basic fitness tracking — you can find some solid budget-friendly options from brands like Amazfit, Fitbit and some Wear OS models. These usually have decent battery life but may lack premium features like LTE, advanced health tracking or third-party apps.
In the mid-range smartwatch price bracket, you’ll find popular models like the Apple Watch SE and Fitbit Versa series. These offer a good mix of fitness tracking, smart features and design quality. You’ll get better build materials, more accurate sensors and app support, but battery life might still be limited to a day or two.
High-end smartwatches like the Apple Watch Ultra, Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Garmin Fenix/Epix series offer advanced health tracking, rugged designs, LTE connectivity and longer software support. These are great for serious athletes, outdoor adventurers, or anyone who wants the latest and greatest features.
If you just want a simple smartwatch for notifications and fitness tracking, a budget or mid-range model will do the job. But if you want a premium feel, advanced health tracking or LTE connectivity, it’s worth spending a bit more. For most people, $200 - $350 hits the best balance of features and value.
Do all smartwatches have GPS?
Not all smartwatches have built-in GPS. Some rely on your phone’s GPS, while others have it built-in for independent tracking.
High-end and fitness-focused smartwatches, like the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch and Garmin models have their own built-in GPS. This means they can track your runs, walks, bike rides and hikes without needing to be connected to your phone. It’s a must-have for serious athletes or anyone who wants accurate location tracking without carrying a phone.
Some budget and mid-range smartwatches (like some Fitbit and Amazfit models) don’t have built-in GPS but can use your phone’s GPS when connected via Bluetooth. This works fine if you usually carry your phone while working out, but it’s less convenient if you prefer to leave it behind.
Some very basic or budget smartwatches skip GPS entirely and rely solely on step tracking or motion sensors. These are fine for casual users who don’t need location tracking.
Can you leave your phone at home and still use a smartwatch?
Yes, but it depends on the smartwatch and what you want to do without your phone.
If your smartwatch has LTE or cellular connectivity , you can make calls, send texts, stream music, use maps and even access apps without your phone nearby. However, you’ll need a separate data plan from your carrier, which usually comes with an extra monthly cost.
Even without LTE, some smartwatches can still do plenty on their own, including track workouts and GPS routes (if they have built-in GPS), play music offline (if they support downloads from Spotify or Apple Music), may contactless payments with features like Apple Pay and Google Wallet and control smart home devices.
If going phone-free is important to you, look for a smartwatch with LTE and built-in GPS for the best experience.
Can a smartwatch make calls without a phone?
Yes, a smartwatch can make calls without a phone — but only if it has the right features.
Some smartwatches have built-in LTE connectivity, meaning they can work independently from your phone. You can make and receive calls, send texts, stream music and use apps as long as you have a mobile data plan for the watch. However, you’ll need to pay for a separate cellular plan and battery life drains faster when using LTE.
If your smartwatch doesn’t have LTE, it can still make calls, but only when connected to your phone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It essentially acts as a remote speaker and microphone for your phone’s calls. Watches like the standard Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch (Wi-Fi versions) can do this. However, if your phone isn’t nearby or connected to Wi-Fi, calling won’t work.
Some fitness-focused smartwatches (like certain Garmin, Fitbit and Amazfit models) don’t have a built-in speaker or microphone, so they can’t make or receive calls at all — only show notifications.
If calling without a phone is a must, make sure to choose an LTE model with a built-in mic and speaker.
What's the difference between an Android and Apple smartwatch?
The biggest difference between Android and Apple smartwatches comes down to compatibility, features and ecosystem integration.
Apple smartwatches (Apple Watch) only work with iPhones. If you have an Android phone, you can’t use an Apple Watch at all. Android smartwatches (Wear OS, Samsung Galaxy, Garmin etc.) mostly work with Android phones, but some also support iPhones with limited features. If you have an iPhone, the Apple Watch is the best choice. If you have an Android phone, go for a Wear OS or Samsung Galaxy Watch.
Apple Watch (watchOS) has the best app support with seamless integration into Apple’s ecosystem (iMessage, FaceTime, Apple Pay, Apple Fitness+, Siri etc.). Android smartwatches offer more variety, with access to Google services (Google Assistant, Google Wallet and Google Maps), and some support Amazon Alexa or Samsung’s Bixby.
In terms of design, Apple Watch has a single design but comes in different sizes and materials. It’s sleek, but your only real customization comes from bands and watch faces. Android smartwatches, on the other hand, come in tons of styles and brands (Samsung, Google Pixel Watch, Garmin, Fossil etc.), meaning you can pick a round watch, a rugged design or a luxury-looking model.
If battery life is important to you, the Apple Watch lasts about a day or two per charge, depending on usage and model. Many Android smartwatches (especially Garmin, Amazfit or Mobvoi TicWatch) last multiple days or even weeks on a single charge.
Georgie Peru contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/best-smartwatches-153013118.html?src=rss
If you need a laptop for school or work, our top recommendation is Apple’s 13-Inch MacBook Air with the M4 chip, which is at an all-time low price of $799 ($200 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. The machine is thin and light, yet its M4 chip is powerful enough to handle more intense workloads, including 4K video editing, or keeping dozens of tabs open. It can even play games like Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimateand Dead Island 2 at respectable frame rates.
Apple MacBook Air 13 (2025, M4)
The M4 MacBook Air has a speedy processor, and double the RAM of previous models. It has a thin and light design, all day battery life, and still starts with 256GB of storage.
One of the biggest changes with this generation of MacBook Air is that Apple finally bumped the default amount of RAM from 8GB up to 16GB. Having double the amount of memory compared to earlier models will allow you to run more apps simultaneously without slowdown. The entry-level MacBook Air with M4 still starts with 256GB of storage, which can’t be upgraded, so you may want to pick up a configuration with a larger SSD instead if you work with a lot of large files.
The M4 chip powering the laptop is over 20 percent faster than the M3, according to tests we conducted while reviewing the machine. We don’t expect it to struggle at all during everyday tasks like streaming video, or working on spreadsheets and documents. The processor also yields great battery life, allowing you to get through a day of work or study without reaching for the charger. This is the laptop I use for my work at The Verge, and I’m able to write and go to meetings all day without worrying about the battery dying on me.
The MacBook Air’s 12-megapixel webcam is sufficient for video calls with friends or colleagues, and its speakers sound better than you might be expecting for a laptop this size. And if you need a laptop with a larger screen, the 15-inch MacBook Pro with M4 is on sale starting at $999 ($200 off) at Amazon and Best Buy.
Three more deals worth your time
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 is one of the best foldable phones we’ve tested, but its $2,000 starting price is steep. To make it a bit more digestible, Amazon is offering a free $200 gift card when you pick up the 256GB or 512GB configuration. The Z Fold 7 has a slim design, 8-inch screen when opened, and all-day battery life with moderate use. Its triple-lens camera array impressed us, especially the bokeh effect when taking photos in portrait mode. If you prefer flip phones, Amazon is offering a $100 gift card when you get Samsung’s $1,059.99 Galaxy Z Flip 7 with 128GB of storage , or a $200 gift card when you get the $1,219.99 model with 256GB of storage.
If you want to keep your phone charged while roadtripping this summer, Baseus’ 163 Watt Retractable Car Charger is currently $29.99 ($20 off) at Amazon. The charger has a pair of 31.5-inch retractable USB-C cables, a USB-C port, and a USB-A port. One of the USB-C cables can deliver 67 watts of power, while the others can output around 33 watts each. The charger can be rotated 180 degrees vertically or 270 degrees horizontally, so you can freely adjust its position based on which ports you’re using and the location of your devices.
The Google Pixel Watch 3 is currently $269.99 ($80 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. It’s one of our top recommendations for Android users due to its improved fitness tracking features, screen size, display brightness, and a new feature that’ll call emergency services if it stops detecting a pulse (in the US and Europe only). The smartwatch also benefits from direct integration with Google’s services, so you can check footage from your Nest security camera on your wrist, or use it as a remote for your Google TV. It’s a great watch at a good price, but it’s worth keeping in mind that the Pixel Watch 4 may be announced soon.
India has ordered the blocking of 25 streaming services — many with millions of viewers and even paying subscribers — for allegedly promoting "obscene" content.
Apple released the macOS 26 Tahoe public beta today, alongside the public betas for iOS, iPadOS, and other operating systems.
The headliner this year is the new Liquid Glass aesthetic that Apple is introducing across its entire product lineup this year, and aside from that, there's nothing coming to the Mac that feels quite as significant as the iPad's new multi-window multitasking interface.
But macOS remains Apple's most powerful, most flexible, and most power-user-friendly operating system, and per usual, there are a few new things coming in other than the big headliners. Here are a handful of under-the-hood and lesser-publicized things coming in Tahoe, both for those who install the public beta this summer and who install the final version of the update in the fall.
The Mac and the iPad are different devices that do different things. This has been the line from Apple executives, from its initial introduction to the advent of touchscreen PCs to just last month when Apple’s Craig Federighi talked to us about iPadOS 26’s new multitasking features.
But it sometimes feels like this internal commitment to keeping the devices separate has held the iPad back as its hardware has become more capable. A mouse cursor? Sure, we’ll add it, after a few years of insisting on keyboard-and-finger interactions, but we’ll make it round and imprecise instead of pointy because the iPad is Different. Windowed multitasking? Sure, we’ll give you a version of it, but you can’t do whatever you want with the windows, and we’ll tie it to a weird new interface for grouping them, because the iPad is Different.
I respect the desire not to take the path of least resistance here, which would be to imitate the Mac by default without trying to do anything new. And it’s not like you could just move macOS elements over totally unchanged; having a touch-first user interface and touch-first apps means the iPad’s system needs to work well with both touch and a keyboard-and-mouse/trackpad setup. It needs to work well in landscape and portrait modes.
As promised, Apple has just released the first public beta versions for the next-generation versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and most of its other operating systems. The headlining feature of all the updates this year is Apple’s new Liquid Glass user interface, which is rolling out to all of these operating systems simultaneously. It’s the biggest and most comprehensive update to Apple’s software design aesthetic since iOS 7 was released in 2013.
Rather than getting iOS 19, macOS 16, and watchOS 12, all of the new operating systems this year are labeled as version 26, a shift to a new year-based version numbering system meant to make releases more consistent across all of Apple's platforms.
The one major update that isn’t getting a public beta is visionOS 26. If you want to test the new software on a Vision Pro, you’ll need to sign up for the developer betas instead—just know that when Apple chooses not to release a public beta, there’s usually a good reason. You might risk additional instability, an increased risk of data loss, or even damage to your device, so tread especially carefully.
In January, YouTuber Jon Prosser posted a video to his Front Page Tech channel that claimed to be “your very first look at iOS 19,” the operating system that Apple would announce as iOS 26 a few months later.
Though Prosser claimed he “could not show the real video of what I saw” because he wanted to protect his source, the rest of the video showed a mock-up for a redesigned version of the Camera app, which ended up being a preview of the company-wide “Liquid Glass” redesign that Apple would show off at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June (Prosser also posted more extensive iOS 19 previews in April, including one labeled “the biggest iOS leak ever.”)
Months after the fact, Apple confirmed that Prosser got an early look at the new OS and the Liquid Glass design. It did so by suing Prosser and a man named Michael Ramacciotti for leaking Apple’s trade secrets (as reported by MacRumors).
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