Back-to-school sales live blog: Best deals at Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy now

If you missed it last month, the new MacBook Pro M2 is back on sale. Best Buy and Amazon have it on sale for $1,149. That’s $150 off and the second best price we’ve seen. (It was $200 off very briefly last month). In our review of the MacBook Pro M2, we said it delivers blistering performance (thanks to its M2 processor) and epic battery life. (It lasted 18 hours and 20 minutes in our tests!) Best Buy has all colors on sale, while Amazon only has the Silver model at $1,149.

MacBook Pro 13″ (M2/256GB): $1,299 $1,149 @Amazon (opens in a new tab)
MacBook Pro 13″ (M2/256GB): $1,299 $1,149 @ Best Buy (opens in a new tab)

Happy Friday to everyone ! Deals Editor Louis is taking over the blog live this morning. There’s a ton of great deals going on today, so I’ll give it a shot. Verizon is kicking things off with a buy, get a free sale on 5G smartphones. Unfortunately, they don’t make it easy to navigate eligible phones, so you’ll have to click through to each individual product page. ::Clenching fist in frustration ::

However, many phones are eligible. For example, the entire iPhone 13 family (minus the iPhone 13 mini), the entire Galaxy S22 family, and the Pixel 6/Pixel Pro (but not the Pixel 6a). Scroll to the middle of the page, click “Buy one of our best 5G
phones and get one from us” and you can check out the phones. Note that you will need to sign up for 5G unlimited data to take advantage of BOGO offers.

Sale of BOGO phone: buy one, get $800 off @ Verizon (opens in a new tab)

This speaker is perfect for monitoring the sound of dorm parties, and it’s also surprisingly affordable. For its price, you won’t find a better performing Bluetooth speaker than the OontZ Angle 3. It produces crisp, clear vocals and crisp highs, and it even delivers some bass. Its IPX5 weather resistance means it can take a splash of rain, but don’t go dropping it in a pool.

OontZ Angle 3: was $59 now $39 @ Amazon (opens in a new tab)

A reliable backpack is a back-to-school essential that every student needs, and don’t let the cheap price of this Matein laptop backpack fool you either. This is one of the coolest backpacks on the market.

The 27-liter bag includes a padded laptop sleeve that can hold up to a 17-inch laptop. It also has a USB charging port, which connects to an in-bag power bank that allows you to charge your devices without having to open your backpack. But you will need to provide your own batteries as they are not included.

Matein Laptop Backpack: was $41 now $29 @ Amazon (opens in a new tab)

Looking for a streaming device for your college dorm? Look no further because the Fire TV Stick 4K is currently 20% off at Amazon.

We rank it among the best streaming devices available for good reason. It offers 4K Ultra HD streaming at 60fps with HDR support and includes an Alexa voice remote. Right now it’s $10 off this back to school sale, but we’ve seen it drop to less than $25 off in the past, so if you don’t need it right away, it might be worth worth waiting for a bigger discount.

Amazon Fire TV 4K Stick: was $49 now $39 @ Amazon (opens in a new tab)

If you’re looking for a Chromebook and low cost is your top priority, this Lenovo machine is a great choice. It’s a no-frills laptop ideal for everyday tasks such as taking notes during lectures or surfing the Internet. It packs a 14-inch LCD screen, Celeron N4020 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage. It even comes with a free headset. Remember, this is a budget machine designed for light duty.

Lenovo CB3 Chromebook: was $279 now $169 @ Walmart (opens in a new tab)

Warning: you will need to log in to your Amazon Prime account to see this offer, but once you do, Amazon has a nice surprise in store for you. It has the brand new unlocked Pixel 6a on sale for $436.52. However, you can activate the digital coupon (you’ll find the digital coupon box below the sale price) to save an additional $37.52 at checkout. That gives you a final price of $399 and the cheapest unlocked Pixel 6a we’ve seen. Again, you’ll need to log into your Prime account to see the digital coupon option. Alternatively, non-Prime members can get the Pixel 6a unlocked with a $50 Amazon gift card for $449, which is still a bargain. (You basically pay full price for the phone and get a free $50 GC). Check out our Google Pixel 6a review for our full take on this phone.

Pixel 6a unlocked: $449 $399 on Amazon (opens in a new tab) (core members)
Pixel 6a unlocked with $50 GC: $499 $449 on Amazon (opens in a new tab) (non-members)

No matter how good your laptop is, at some point you’ll need to hook it up to a monitor. When you do, it’s the monitor you’ll want by your side. It gives you 28 inches of screen space in 4K glory. It also supports HDR content and has USB-C, HDMI and VGA connectivity. It’s a steal at this price (and the cheapest it’s ever been).

HP 28″ 4K Monitor: $379 $199 on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

Both the Lenovo Chromebook Duet and the Duet 3 earn a spot on our list of the best Chromebooks. Although we haven’t reviewed the Duet 5 yet, chances are it will follow in the same footsteps as its predecessors. That means you get a great screen, solid battery life, and great overall performance for just $379. I should point out that this model comes with a 13.3-inch 1080p OLED display, which is very rare for a Chromebook.

Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 OLED: $499 $379 @ Best Buy (opens in a new tab)

If you’re looking to block out the world around you without wearing heavy headphones, these headphones are for you. In our review of the Bose QC noise canceling headphones, we praised their superb noise cancellation and warm/rich sound quality. We also really like the built-in mics for top-notch call quality and PDA use. Be warned that they are a little bulky, but overall they are great, especially at this price.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones: $279 $199 on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

The 10.2 inch iPad is one of the best tablets out there. Yes, there are iPads with bigger screens or faster processors, but we like the 10.2-inch model because it packs enough muscle power for just about any task. At $299, that’s a modest $30 off, but it’s the cheapest price we’ve seen for this tablet yet.

iPad 10.2″ (64GB/2021): $329 $299 on Amazon (opens in a new tab)