Today’s best deals: Chromecast, Amazon Fire tablets, Kindle Paperwhite, and more – Ars Technica

Today’s best deals: Chromecast, Amazon Fire tablets, Kindle Paperwhite, and more

Ars Technica

It’s time for another Dealmaster. Our latest roundup of the best deals from around the web includes a nice discount on Google’s Chromecast with Google TV, as the 4K media streamer is currently down to $40 at various retailers. This discount has popped up a few times in the past, but it matches the deal price we saw around Black Friday and comes in $10 below Google’s MSRP. We’ve only seen the device available for less once, but that deal also required you to sign up for Sling TV service.

In any event, the latest Chromecast is the top pick in our guide to the best streaming sticks. Its interface is better at organizing and surfacing content you might actually like than alternatives from Amazon and Roku, it supports all the requisite apps and HDR standards (along with Dolby Atmos), and its remote is compact with a sensible layout. Recent reports suggest that Google may launch a successor later this year, but if you need a new streaming player today, this is a good price for what we think is still the best value in this market. If you prefer a less personalized approach from your media streamer, though, note that Roku’s Streaming Stick 4K is currently on sale for $30; its UI is far more basic, but it performs just as well.
Besides that, our roundup has the return of a few all-time low prices on Amazon’s Fire HD 8 tablets, which remain worth considering for those who want a competent tablet for the lowest price possible. Amazon has discounted its latest set of Kindle Paperwhite e-readers as well: the standard model, which our review called the best option for most people, is now $30 off at $110. That’s within $5 of that device’s lowest-ever price. We also have a couple of sweeping “buy two, get one free” sales at Amazon and Target, a “buy one, get one 15 percent off” sale on gaming digital gift cards at the latter, plus deals on LG’s C1 OLED TV, a few first-party Nintendo Switch games, and the highly recommended Logitech MX Master 3, among items. You can see our full curated list below.

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Featured deals of the day

Amazon's Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablet comes with a protective bumper case, a two-year warranty, and a one-year membership to Amazon's Kids+ service, which includes a variety of kid-friendly shows, books, games, and the like.
Enlarge / Amazon’s Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablet comes with a protective bumper case, a two-year warranty, and a one-year membership to Amazon’s Kids+ service, which includes a variety of kid-friendly shows, books, games, and the like.

Jeff Dunn

Electronics deals

Compared to the standard model, the Signature Edition of Amazon's 11th-gen Kindle Paperwhite quadruples the storage space (from 8GB to 32GB), supports Qi wireless charging, and adds an auto-adjusting backlight. Most people should get the basic (and still-excellent) Paperwhite, but for those willing to pay extra, those are nice luxuries.
Enlarge / Compared to the standard model, the Signature Edition of Amazon’s 11th-gen Kindle Paperwhite quadruples the storage space (from 8GB to 32GB), supports Qi wireless charging, and adds an auto-adjusting backlight. Most people should get the basic (and still-excellent) Paperwhite, but for those willing to pay extra, those are nice luxuries.

Andrew Cunningham

Logitech's MX Master 3 is a pricey but excellent wireless mouse.
Enlarge / Logitech’s MX Master 3 is a pricey but excellent wireless mouse.

Jeff Dunn

The Google Chromecast with Google TV is the top pick in our guide to the best streaming sticks.
Enlarge / The Google Chromecast with Google TV is the top pick in our guide to the best streaming sticks.

Jeff Dunn

TV and home entertainment deals

The 2020, M1-equipped Apple Mac mini.
Enlarge / The 2020, M1-equipped Apple Mac mini.

Samuel Axon

Laptop and desktop PC deals

<em>Link's Awakening </em>for the Switch is a faithful remake of the classic Game Boy Zelda game but with a vibrant, updated look.
Enlarge / Link’s Awakening for the Switch is a faithful remake of the classic Game Boy Zelda game but with a vibrant, updated look.

Video game deals

<em>Disco Elysium </em>is an engrossing and deeply well-written RPG.
Enlarge / Disco Elysium is an engrossing and deeply well-written RPG.
The first-generation (left) and second-generation (right) Apple Pencils. The former is meant for the base iPad and older iPad Airs and Minis.
Enlarge / The first-generation (left) and second-generation (right) Apple Pencils. The former is meant for the base iPad and older iPad Airs and Minis.

Samuel Axon

Accessories and miscellaneous deals