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Somehow, we’ve reached the middle of April, which means graduation for the class of 2022 is just around the corner (congrats in advance). If you’re looking for a pricey-yet-practical gift, Apple’s newest 14-inch MacBook Pro would certainly be a welcome present. It’s an especially good one to consider today now that this model is on sale for just $1 shy of its best price to date. Right now, Amazon is selling the M1 Pro-powered MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD for $1,749.99 ($200 off). Note, however, that the current discounted price applies at checkout.
We gave the latest 14-inch MacBook Pro, which can be configured with either Apple’s new M1 Pro or M1 Max processor, a rare 9.5 out of 10 in our review. We were impressed with almost everything about it, namely its lightning-fast performance as well as its excellent battery life, which is among the longest we’ve seen in a laptop yet. We also liked its stunning Mini LED display and its extensive port selection, which includes a Thunderbolt 4 port, an HDMI port, and a full-size SDXC slot. What we didn’t like so much, however, was its expensive price tag. Yet, with today’s $200 discount, we feel even more comfortable recommending the laptop.
Skullcandy’s Jib True earbuds are one of our favorite pairs of inexpensive wireless earbuds. For less than $30, you get a six-hour battery life and an IPX4 sweat resistance rating. The sound quality isn’t incredible, sure, but for the price, it’s fine. Plus, unlike Jabra’s more expensive true wireless earbuds, you can use either of Skullcandy’s Jib buds independently. You can also pair these buds with multiple devices, but note that, unlike with more expensive earbuds, Skullcandy’s Jibs don’t remember all of the devices you’ve paired in the past. That means you’ll have to keep adding them to their Bluetooth list manually.
Still, the inconvenience is a small price to pay given the budget-friendly earbuds are on sale in multiple colorways right now at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo for $26.99 instead of $29.99. It’s a small discount but one that matches the earbuds’ best price of the year.
Looking for something more affordable than the 14-inch MacBook Pro? If you don’t mind sacrificing a lot of power, Samsung’s Galaxy Chromebook 2 is about a fourth of the price and an excellent choice, particularly for its screen. One of the best Chromebooks you can buy, the convertible boasts a QLED panel, thus enabling higher contrast and more vivid colors. It also comes with better battery life than its predecessor, which allows it to last nearly seven and a half hours on a single charge.
It’s a great buy that’s an even better option today now that Amazon, Best Buy, and Samsung are taking $150 off the model we tested, which is equipped with an Intel Core i3-10110U chip, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of eMMC storage for $549. While that’s not the all-time low of $499 we saw last year, it’s certainly one of the Chromebook’s better prices to date. In addition, you can also get a $150 discount on the lower-specced model with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of eMMC storage, and the less powerful Intel Celeron processor at Best Buy and Samsung, both of which are selling the model for $399. Read our review.
