Dealmaster —

Today’s best tech deals: Fire HD Kids tablets, Fitbit trackers, and more

Dealmaster also has deals on Nest gadgets, pre-owned games, and ANC headphones.

Ars Staff - 7/14/2021, 3:17 PM

Today's Dealmaster includes a sweeping sale on Amazon's Fire HD Kids Edition tablets, a couple of deals on recommended Fitbit trackers, a wide-ranging pre-owned games sale at GameFly, and offers on wireless headphones and USB-C chargers we like. You can find our full curated roundup below.

Note: Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

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Featured deals of the day

Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids (32GB) 8-inch tablet for $89.99 at Amazon and Target (normally $140): This is $10 off the lowest price we've tracked for Amazon's kid-friendly 8-inch tablet, which we recommended in our most recent holiday gift guide. The only time it dropped lower was around Black Friday last year. The discount comes as part of a wider sale on Fire HD Kids Edition tablets: if you want a bigger screen and slightly better performance, the 10.1-inch Fire HD 10 Kids Edition is down to a new low of $130. The slimmer "Kids Pro" models are on sale, too, (as are the entry-level Fire 7 slates, which we don't recommend, given their sluggish performance and lower-resolution displays compared to the 8-inch models that don't cost that much more). Either way, these slates come with drop-friendly bumper cases, two-year warranties, comprehensive parental control options, and a year-long subscription to Amazon's Kids+ service, which houses various books, shows, apps, and games aimed at young ones.

Apple's entry-level iPad still has a far more extensive app store, a much more premium design, and much faster hardware—don't expect Minecraft or Roblox sessions to run all that smoothly here—but it's also way more expensive, especially after you factor in the cost of a case. The Fire HD experience might not be as tidy, but it's sturdy and relatively safe. If you'd like to keep a child entertained, there aren't many better options in this price range.

Fitbit Versa 3 fitness smartwatch for $198.95 at Amazon, Walmart, and Target (normally $220): A recommendation from our best smartwatches guide, the Fitbit Versa 3 is a good, relatively affordable option for those looking for a more fitness-focused smartwatch. The app selection isn't as rich as that of an Apple Watch, but you get six-day battery life, an always-on display, a water-resistant case, built-in GPS, and most of Fitbit's usual activity-tracking package. We've seen this deal a few times over the past several months, but outside of a drop to $180 this past May, it matches the best price we've tracked.

GameFly Pre-Played Sale: Various used Switch, Xbox, PS4, and PS5 games discounted at GameFly: If you don't mind buying pre-owned, this fairly wide-ranging used game sale brings lower-than-usual prices on a number of recent games. Highlights include Assassin's Creed Valhalla for $18, New Pokémon Snap for $40, Resident Evil Village for $38, and the PS5-only roguelike Returnal for $45, among others. The usual caveats with buying used still apply, but GameFly is a fairly reputable reseller, and you don't need a GameFly membership to take part in the sale. The company says each game comes in its typical case with any manuals or DLC inserts that would normally come included.

Anker PowerPort III Nano (2-pack) 20 W USB-C wall charger for $24.79 at Amazon (normally $30): We recommend Anker's PowerPort III Nano in our guide to the best iPhone 12 accessories for offering a speedy 20 W charge in an ultra-compact design. Its prongs do not fold, and it uses Anker's proprietary PowerIQ charging tech instead of the USB-C Power Delivery standard, though we haven't had any reliability issues in testing. It doesn't supply enough power to charge up laptops or bigger tablets, either, nor does it come with a capable USB-C to Lightning cable to enable its fast charging. Still, it can top up a new iPhone 12 at full speed, which is nice for a wall charger that can fit in a pants pocket, and if you need spares, it undercuts Apple's own 20 W charger on price. This deal comes within a dollar of the lowest price we've tracked for a two-pack.

Jabra Elite 85h Bluetooth noise-canceling headphones for $149.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart (normally $210): While it can't touch Sony's WH-1000XM4 in terms of active noise-canceling strength, Jabra's Elite 85h is another set of wireless headphones we like, with a better microphone for calls, an excellent 35 hours of battery life, and a balanced sound that doesn't overdo the bass out of the box. Its large control buttons are easy to use, and its design conveniently powers on as soon as you unfold the headphones. If you don't need ultra-strong ANC or can't afford the step-up to Sony's pair, the Elite 85h is a good alternative at this price, which matches the lowest we've seen.

Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) 7-inch smart display + Google Nest Audio smart home speaker for $139 at eBay (normally $200): Our recent review called the Google Nest Hub the best bedside smart display, and as of this writing, eBay has a few nicely discounted bundles that pair the device with other Google Nest smart home gadgets. This one packs in Google's Nest Audio speaker, but others include the company's entry-level Nest smart thermostat and diminutive Nest Mini smart speaker. All of these come from BuyDig, a trusted retailer we've linked to in the past.

Laptop and desktop PC deals

• Apple Mac Mini (2020) mini desktop PC—Apple M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD for $599.99 at Amazon (discount seen at checkout—normally $665).
• Apple MacBook Air (2020) laptop—Apple M1, 13.3-inch 2560x1600, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD for $899.99 at Amazon (discount seen at checkout—normally $960).
• Apple MacBook Air (2020) laptop—Apple M1, 13.3-inch 2560x1600, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD for $1,099 at Amazon (discount seen at checkout—normally $1,165).
• Dell Inspiron 14 (5410) laptop—Intel Core i7-11370H, 14-inch 1080p, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD for $685.99 at Dell (use code: 50OFF699—normally $950).
• Dell G15 Ryzen Edition (5515) gaming laptop—AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, 15.6-inch 1080p 165 Hz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, GeForce RTX 3060 6GB for $1,077.99 at Dell (normally $1,450).
• Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (2021) 2-in-1 laptop—Intel Core-i5-1135G7, 13.5-inch 2256x1504, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD + SteelSeries Stratus Duo wireless game controller for $619 at Best Buy (normally $700).
• Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 2-in-1 laptop—Intel Core i3-10110U, 13.3-inch 1080p, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC for $329.99 at Amazon (normally $390).
• Lenovo Chromebook Duet 2-in-1 Chrome OS tablet—MediaTek Helio 60T, 10.1-inch 1920x1200, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC for $229.99 at Staples (normally $280).
• 32-inch Dell S3221QS curved monitor—3840x2160, VA, 60 Hz, FreeSync for $349.99 at Dell (normally $390).

Video game deals

• GameFly Pre-Played Sale: Various used Switch, Xbox, PS4, and PS5 games discounted at GameFly.
• GameStop Deal of the Day: Buy 3 PS4 games $29.99 and under, get 2 free sale at GameStop.
• Monster Hunter Rise (Switch) for $49.49 at Amazon (normally $58).
• Bravely Default II (Switch) for $49.99 at Amazon (normally $60).
• Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Switch) for $14.99 at Nintendo eShop (normally $30).
• Immortals Fenyx Rising (Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox) for $24.99 at Amazon and GameStop (normally $33).

• Nier Replicant Ver.1.22474487139... (PS4, Xbox) for $39.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop (normally $60).
• Overcooked! All You Can Eat (PS4, Xbox) for $19.99 at Target (Switch version for $30—normally $40).
• Demon's Souls (PS5) for $49.94 at Walmart and GameStop (normally $70).
• Scarlet Nexus (PS5, PS4, Xbox) for $49.94 at Amazon and GameStop (normally $60).
• Metro Exodus: Complete Edition (PS5) for $29.99 at Amazon (normally $40).
• Subnautica: Below Zero (PS5, PS4) for $24.99 at Amazon and GameStop (normally $30).
• Shadow of the Colossus (PS4) for $9.99 at PlayStation Store (normally $20).
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt—Complete Edition (PS4) for $9.99 at PlayStation Store (normally $35).
• Returnal (PS5, used) for $44.99 at GameFly (normally $70).
• Hitman 3 (PS4, Xbox, used) for $21.99 at GameFly (normally $50).

• Control: Ultimate Edition (PC) for $15.99 at Humble (base game on Game Pass—normally $40).
• Max Payne 3 (PC) for $6.99 at Steam (normally $20).
• Chrono Trigger (PC) for $7.49 at Green Man Gaming (normally $15).
• Final Fantasy VIII Remastered (PC) for $10 at Green Man Gaming (normally $20).

Gaming deals

• Nintendo Switch Pro Controller for $59 at Amazon and GameStop (discount seen in cart—normally $65).
• Hori Split Pad Pro handheld game controller for Nintendo Switch for $39.99 at Amazon and Walmart (normally $50).
• AtGames Legends Ultimate arcade cabinet—24-inch display, includes 300 pre-installed games for $499.98 at Sam's Club (normally $600).
• HyperX Cloud Alpha gaming headset for $69.99 at Amazon and GameStop (normally $87).
• Razer DeathAdder Essential gaming mouse for $24.99 at Amazon (normally $29).
• Wingspan board game for $43.16 at Amazon (normally $53).
• Pandemic board game for $19 at Amazon (normally $30).
• Codenames board game for $10.89 at Amazon (normally $14).

Electronics deals

• Apple TV 4K (32GB) 4K HDR media streamer for $169 at Amazon, Walmart, and Sam's Club (normally $179).
• Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K HDR media streamer for $37.99 at Amazon and Target (normally $45).
• Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids (32GB) 8-inch tablet for $89.99 at Amazon and Target (normally $140).
• Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro (32GB) 8-inch tablet for $89.99 at Amazon and Target (normally $140).
• Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids (32GB) 10.1-inch tablet for $129.99 at Amazon and Target (normally $200).
• Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro (32GB) 10.1-inch tablet for $129.99 at Amazon and Target (normally $200).
• Fitbit Charge 4 activity tracker for $98.95 at Amazon, Walmart, and Target (normally $115).
• Fitbit Versa 3 fitness smartwatch for $198.95 at Amazon, Walmart, and Target (normally $220).
• Garmin Forerunner 245 GPS running smartwatch for $249.99 at Amazon (normally $270).
• Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 58X Jubilee wired open-back headphones for $129 at Drop (normally $170).

• Jabra Elite 85h Bluetooth noise-canceling headphones for $149.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart (normally $210).
• Jabra Elite 85t true wireless noise-canceling earbuds for $179.99 at Amazon and Best Buy (normally $215).
• Apple AirPods Max Bluetooth noise-canceling headphones for $477.81 at Amazon and Best Buy (normally $549).
• Beats Flex Bluetooth in-ear headphones for $39 at Amazon and Walmart (normally $45).
• SanDisk Extreme (500GB) portable external SSD for $84.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Adorama (normally $90).
• Logitech MX Master 3 wireless office mouse for $79.99 at Staples (use code: 74638—normally $100).
• Logitech MX Keys for Mac wireless keyboard for $79.99 at Staples (use code: 74638—normally $100).
• Logitech MX Master 2S wireless mouse for $49.99 at Lenovo (use code: MXMASTER50—normally $60).
• Sony Alpha 7 II (body only) full-frame mirrorless camera for $898 at Amazon (normally $1,355).

Smart home device deals

• Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) 7-inch smart display + Google Nest Audio smart home speaker for $139 at eBay (normally $200).
• Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) 7-inch smart display + Google Nest Thermostat smart thermostat for $166.99 at eBay (normally $225).
• Amazon Echo Glow multicolor smart lamp for $19.99 at Amazon (normally $30).
• Eufy Smart Scale P1 wireless digital scale for $29.98 at Amazon (clip 25% coupon—normally $40).
• TP-Link Kasa HS210 3-way smart Wi-Fi light switch for $16.61 at Amazon (normally $21).
• TP-Link Kasa KP303 smart Wi-Fi 3-outlet power strip for $22.79 at Amazon (normally $26).
• TP-Link Kasa HS300 smart Wi-Fi 6-outlet power strip for $49.99 at Amazon (normally $54).

Accessories and miscellaneous deals

• Anker PowerPort III Nano (2-pack) 20W USB-C wall charger for $24.79 at Amazon (normally $30).
• DJI Osmo Mobile 3 handheld smartphone gimbal for $79 at Amazon and Walmart (normally $99).
• Amazon Kindle Unlimited 6-month membership for $47.86 at Amazon (24-month for $143.80, 12-month for $80.30—normally $60).
• Dyson Cyclone V10 Allergy cordless stick vacuum for $349.99 at Newegg (normally $450).