Today’s best deals: Apple Watch SE, gaming laptops, SSDs, and more

Today’s best deals: Apple Watch SE, gaming laptops, SSDs, and more

Today’s best deals: Apple Watch SE, gaming laptops, SSDs, and more

Ars Technica

It’s Wednesday, and that means it’s time for another Dealmaster. Our latest roundup of the best tech deals from around the web includes a strong discount on the 44 mm version of the Apple Watch SE, which is currently down to $229 at Amazon and Walmart.

The discount only applies to the variant with Apple’s silver case and blue sports band, but if you can live with that—or don’t mind swapping in a new band later—this price matches the lowest we’ve tracked. For reference, this variant has typically gone for about $260 online in recent months, while Apple itself sells the device for $309. If you prefer a smaller case size, the 40 mm Watch SE is also available for $229, though we’ve seen that price more commonly for that model.

We generally recommend the higher-end Apple Watch Series 7 as the best smartwatch for iPhone users, but the Watch SE remains a compelling alternative for those on a tighter budget. For roughly $100 less, you retain most of the Series 7’s core features, including the same messaging, heart rate tracking, and general watchOS support. You lose the larger, always-on display of the flagship model—i.e., its screen won’t stay on when you put your wrist down—plus more advanced features like blood oxygen monitoring, ECG support, and slightly faster charging speeds. It’s also worth noting that we’ll likely see new Apple Watch models introduced this fall. But if you need to save cash, the Watch SE is a fine product, and it should represent a solid upgrade for those coming from an older Apple Watch model (think the Series 3 or below).

If you don’t need a new wearable, our roundup also includes the lowest price we’ve tracked on a wellreviewed (and massive) OLED gaming monitor from Gigabyte, as well as a new low for LG’s A1 OLED TV. The latter is a year-old model that sacrifices gaming-friendly features like a 120 Hz panel, variable refresh rate, and HDMI 2.1 ports, but it still brings the deep contrast you’d expect from an OLED display, so if you don’t plan to game heavily, it’s a strong value at its current price of $1,000 for a 65-inch model.

Elsewhere, we have Apple’s (older but still great) MacBook Air for $100 off Apple’s MSRP, plus more lower-than-usual prices on recommended gaming laptops and peripherals, speedy PCIe 4.0 SSDs for those wishing to upgrade a PS5’s storage space, and more. Check out our full curated list of deals below.

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

Featured deals of the day

Apple's AirPods Max is a <a href="https://arstechnica.com/staff/2021/11/best-black-friday-headphone-deals-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommended pair</a> of noise-canceling headphones for iPhone users willing to pay a premium for better-sounding wireless headphones.
Enlarge / Apple’s AirPods Max is a recommended pair of noise-canceling headphones for iPhone users willing to pay a premium for better-sounding wireless headphones.

Jeff Dunn

Electronics deals

The Fitbit Luxe is a <a href=
Enlarge / The Fitbit Luxe is a simple but svelte activity tracker.

Corey Gaskin

Laptop and desktop PC deals

The <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/11/apples-m1-macbook-air-has-that-apple-silicon-magic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2020 MacBook Air</a> with Apple's M1 chip.
Enlarge / The 2020 MacBook Air with Apple’s M1 chip.

Lee Hutchinson

Video game deals

God of War was one of <a href=
Enlarge / God of War was one of our favorite games of 2018, and its recently released PC port works as it should.
<em>Ori: The Collection</em> bundles together two of the <a href=
Enlarge / Ori: The Collection bundles together two of the better Metroidvanias of recent years.

Microsoft

Gaming deals

<em>The Fox in the Forest</em> is a card game <a href=
Enlarge / The Fox in the Forest is a card game we recommend for two-player game nights.

Accessories and miscellaneous deals