Almost everything with high-end memory or storage is more expensive these days, and tablets are no exception, so we’re glad to see that Amazon and Best Buy have the most recent 11-inch iPad Air with the M4 chip on sale for $649. That’s $100 lower than the new retail price that went into effect (alongside plenty of other Apple price hikes) in June. You can also grab the 256GB model for $749 (usually $849), and the version with a cellular antenna for $799 (usually $899).

We reviewed the M4 iPad Air when it released in March, and found a very similar experience to the previous generation, for better or worse. The upgraded internals give the system a performance boost and better connectivity, like Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, but otherwise this update is short on notable or exciting features if you’ve used an iPad Air the past few years.

Read our Apple iPad M4 Air review.

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Other deals to consider

• The Garmin InReach Mini 2 is discounted to $249.99 at a variety of retailers, including Amazon, REI, and directly from Garmin. This compact device uses a satellite connection, which requires a Garmin InReach subscription, to provide emergency services, location sharing, and even text messaging when paired with smart device.
• Best Buy has the Anker 140W 4-Port Laptop Charger on sale for $55.99, a $24 discount off the usual price. With three USB-C ports and a USB-A port mounted on its bottom to prevent sagging in your outlet with multiple devices plugged in, you can easily charge a weekend worth of devices. The built-in display lets you check your total power usage at a glance, or make sure you’re charging at the right power level.
• Amazon is selling the Marshall Stanmore III Bluetooth speaker for $199.99, half off the usual retail price and matching the lowest price to date. While it doesn’t have a phono pre-amp, it does have RCA inputs for use with a properly-equipped record player, and vintage amplifier styling that helps set it apart from the crowd of other speakers.

While many gaming headsets come with extra features, the tradeoff is that they’re often uncomfortable and heavy. A lightweight, affordable alternative that can connect to a bunch of platforms is available at Woot. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P in cyan is on sale for $59.99, a 45 percent discount from their usual $109.99 price.

This headset, like most of SteelSeries’ models, feature a stretchy strap on the headband to offset its weight, plus a removable boom mic so you can take them on the go. While they sound good right out of the box, the SteelSeries app offers over 200 game-specific equalizer profiles that can enhance the sound experience, emphasizing the sound of footsteps in shooters, for example, or adding a richness to the music in cinematic games.

This version of the headset is compatible with Windows and macOS computers, PlayStation consoles, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and Android and iOS mobile devices. They include both a Bluetooth connection for calls and mobile use, and a compact low latency USB-C dongle for listening over a 2.4GHz wireless connection. They’re advertised to last up to 40 hours on a single charge, and can fast charge for up to nine hours of gaming in just 15 minutes via USB-C.

If you’re looking for a feature-packed pair of earbuds that won’t break your wallet, Best Buy has the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro on sale for $139.99. That’s $40 lower than the current Amazon price, and a big discount from their original retail price of $249.99. These well-equipped earbuds feature excellent sound quality, crisp transparency mode, and a clear microphone for taking calls on the go.

When we reviewed the Buds 3 Pro, Chris Welch was particularly impressed by the audio quality, which he described as “full and detailed” with strong bass and treble. One standout feature are voice commands, which let you quickly adjust the volume or control media playback by simply speaking the command, no wake phrase required. They have excellent battery life for the category, and IP57 water and dust resistance.

Read our Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review.

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Other deals to consider

• The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is discounted to $399 at Amazon, $100 off its usual price. This compact vlogging camera is mounted to a handheld gimbal, helping ensure steady shots and crisp video even while walking or moving around. It’s capable of shooting 4K video at 120 frames per second, and is surprisingly sharp for a small and budget-friendly camera. Read our hands-on.
• Amazon is selling four packs of Philips Hue smart plugs for $77.48 total, where each unit would normally cost $37.99. These compact plugs add connectivity to almost anything you’d normally plug into a wall, with support for a direct Bluetooth connection, or smart home integration if you also have a Philips Hue Bridge.
• You can grab the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless from Woot for $239.99 (usually $379.99) and save an additional $5 once per Woot account by using the code WOOTGAMING at checkout. This premium gaming headset features multi-system connectivity through the USB hub, active noise canceling, and swappable batteries for nearly endless gaming. Read our review.

Are you curious about custom mechanical keyboards, but don’t want to spend hundreds just to get started without being sure you’ll enjoy the hobby? You can grab the 65-percent Glorious GMMK 3 mechanical keyboard at Woot for $34.99 (usually $139.99) by entering the coupon code WOOTGAMING at checkout, and first-time Woot customers will get an extra $5 off when using the same code.

It’s a well-equipped keyboard out of the box, particularly for this price, and with its support for swappable switches, it’s a great platform for exploring keycap and switch options from different makers. It’s wired only, includes a full set of double-shot PBT keycaps for both Windows and macOS, and comes with linear Glorious Fox switches pre-installed.

As a 65 percent mechanical keyboard, the layout favors just the essentials to keep a compact footprint. That means dropping the row of dedicated function keys, and limiting the extra buttons to standard modifiers, plus a couple of spare buttons for page up and down. There are still arrow keys for gaming and OS navigation, and a customizable knob for volume or media controls. Under the hood, the aluminum plate and gasket system are modifiable and upgradeable, letting you dial in the typing experience and sound.

The smart speaker market is more or less dominated by major tech companies: Apple, Google, Sonos, and Amazon. But WiiM’s powerful 100W Sound smart speaker is an attractive alternative because it’s not locked down to play nicely with select music services. It supports over 20 services, and it sports Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 and ethernet, giving you multiple ways to connect. Additionally, it taps into standards used by other speakers, including Chromecast, Spotify Connect, DLNA, Alexa Cast, and more (AirPlay 2 is off the table, though its Pro Music Streamer supports it). In other words, it can be added to multi-room setups you may already have in the Google Home or Amazon Echo ecosystem.

The black and white versions are rarely discounted, but they’re each 15 percent off at Amazon and directly through WiiM. Normally $299.99, they’re $254.15.

WiiM also makes the Sound Lite, which is also discounted by 15 percent. Originally $229, it’s $194.65 at Amazon and WiiM. It has the same dimensions, connectivity and performance output as the Sound (plus, the ability to use AI to adapt its sound quality to your room), but it lacks the 1.8-inch touch display that can show off album art, and there’s no voice remote included — those are around $33. That said, you can wirelessly pair these speakers and other recent WiiM products to each other to build a surround sound setup. Read more in our coverage.

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Other great Verge-approved deals

• All colors of Apple’s AirPods Max 2 over-ear, noise-canceling headphones are down to $429 at Best Buy as part of its 60-year anniversary sale. Originally $549, this sale brings them down to their second-best price, only bested by Prime Day’s $399 deal. Amazon has fewer colors available at this price. In our review, John Higgins praised their improved sound quality and noise cancellation effect, but wished certain things about it had changed. At their original price, he would have liked a proper carrying case included with purchase. But, at least with this discount, you can get a nicer case with the cash you’ll save.
• Look, sometimes you just need a cheap TV, not an amazing one. If that’s you, there might be a 58-inch Hisense 4K QLED Roku TV that’ll do. Normally $399.99, the QD5 is down to $189.99 at Best Buy. It doesn’t seem particularly impressive, but it’s a feature-packed TV at a good price. Beyond having built-in Roku guts for streaming movies and TV shows, it supports Dolby Vision, HDR 10 and HLG, and its game mode supports variable refresh rate and auto low latency mode (though, it tops out at 60Hz refresh rate).
• We highlighted a deal on the Godox ES45 key light recently, and the deal is back on at Amazon. The $20 off sale brings the powerful key light setup down to $119, and while it doesn’t match Elgato’s Key Light one-for-one with specs, it’s a great value that costs $60 less. It has adjustable color temperature and brightness, and its settings can be easily tweaked with its controller, which gets recharged by sticking magnetically to the back of the light. A key light is great for adding a strong light source to your room. It can be used to light you directly, or aim it at the wall to be softly illuminated in light that bounces off.

Smartphone cameras are convenient, but they lack the charm of analog instant cameras. If you’re trying to relive the nostalgia of waiting for an instant photo to develop, Amazon is selling the second-generation Polaroid Go instant camera with a 16-photo film pack for $71.99 (usually $109.99). That’s the lowest price we’ve seen for the bundle, with a pack of film usually costing $21.99 on its own. Plus, it’s four dollars cheaper to buy the bundle than to buy just the camera on its own.

With its more compact footprint, the Polaroid Go 2 shoots on smaller film to match. Where classic Polaroid photos are 88mm x 107mm, the Go film is 53.9mm x 66.6mm, a great size for sticking to your bulletin board or stashing in your wallet. The camera has a USB-C port for charging the battery, which can run for up to 15 packs of film on a single charge.

If you’re a student looking for an affordable laptop, I have bad news and I have good news. The bad news is that computer prices are out of whack due to the ongoing RAM and storage crunch, making some a little pricier than they used to be and others wildly more expensive.

The good news? Despite that, there are still many great options, including the selection we’ve tested and highlighted below.

Before you go for the cheapest option you can still find, consider biting the bullet on a more powerful laptop, especially if you’re buying for a college student. Prices are likely to continue rising well into next year — especially since all the memory being made through 2027 is already allocated. You can get a mostly tolerable laptop for under $500 and a good one for around $700, but spending more to get something like a MacBook Air gets you better build quality and enough performance headroom to last through four years of college and well beyond. (Many Verge writers and editors are still using M1 MacBook Airs from 2020). But even the modest options below (new or refurbished) should easily be good for more than a few years. The key is to avoid something that feels slow or janky on day one, if you can. It’ll only get worse from there.

If your school or curriculum recommends certain laptops or minimum specs, then you already know what to aim for. If not, our rule of thumb is to go with a Mac running Apple silicon or a Windows laptop running Intel or AMD chips released in the last few years. (For Windows machines, don’t go any older than 2022 or 2023 — Intel’s 13th-gen “Raptor Lake” or AMD’s Ryzen 7000 series.) Snapdragon X chips are also great options unless you’re a college student who needs to run specialized software not compatible with Windows on Arm (or if you want to play games). 

But try to get 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage or more if you can — especially for college students. Eight GB of RAM is workable on macOS with the MacBook Neo, but Windows laptops struggle a bit with it. And for the most budget-conscious or anyone shopping for younger kids, a quality Chromebook is still great.

The best cheap laptop

The MacBook Neo is the easy pick for students from middle school to high school who need a laptop. There’s still no beating its balance of build quality and good-enough performance at this price. Students and teachers can get it starting at $599, and Apple offers refurbished models for $599 for the rest of us as well. If you can justify spending an additional $100, it’s worth getting the model with twice the storage and a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, which makes logging in and entering passwords much less of a hassle.

The A18 Pro chip is powerful enough for most high school students (and adults), and everything from its trackpad to its speakers and screen range from good to great, which is not the case for Windows laptops in this price range. Its only shortcoming by comparison is having just two USB-C ports. The 8GB of RAM and 256GB of base storage mean a student eventually pushes the limits of what this laptop can do sooner than a more powerful MacBook Air, but the Neo is still significantly cheaper.

Read our review of the MacBook Neo.

The best laptop for college

The Neo is the best cheap laptop, but the MacBook Air is still the best laptop for most people, and the standard recommendation for college students. Every part of it is a step up from the Neo: It has a much more powerful processor, and it starts with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of much faster storage. And few laptops can match the Air’s overall build quality. It also means spending $1,299 (or $1,199 for students) on a 13-inch model, or $1,499 for the 15-inch. It’s a shame the Air no longer starts at $999 like it did just last year, but it’s still worth springing for if you’re buying for the long term.

The Airs have been so good for so many years now, you don’t miss out on much by buying a refurbished model if it’s substantially cheaper. Keep an eye on Apple’s refurb store, and retailers like Best Buy sometimes have great deals too.

Read our review of the latest MacBook Air.

A Windows laptop nearly as nice as a MacBook Air

Asus Zenbooks are some of the sleeker, better-looking Windows laptops, and the Zenbook A14 is Asus’ wannabe MacBook Air. It has a good Snapdragon X Plus chip, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a lovely OLED display in an ultra-light chassis (it’s just 2.4 pounds / 1.09kg), all for $1,000 or as low as $700 on sale. It even has a solid port selection, with one USB-A, two speedy USB4, and HDMI 2.1. I really enjoyed the larger Zenbook A16 version when I reviewed it, but the A14 is even lighter and significantly cheaper. Like its larger sibling, the A14 is coated in Asus’ Ceraluminum finish that gives it a nice textured feel and unique look. (It’s a beige laptop!)

A cheap laptop with a great processor

Acer’s Aspire 14 AI didn’t impress me with its screen, speakers, or build quality when I tested it against the Neo, but for $500 or $600 on sale, which it often is, it’s hard to beat. It has a solid Intel Lunar Lake processor, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a bunch of speedy ports. Getting two USB-A, two Thunderbolt 4, and HDMI 2.1 on a $600 laptop? Hell yeah.

A Lunar Lake chip means you get great battery life, and you can even do some light gaming. Its screen isn’t pretty and everything creaks, but with the money you save you can overcome some of its shortcomings with a mouse and monitor. Just keep in mind that the appeal of this laptop is what you’re getting for the price. If the deal winds change and Aspire 14 AIs are selling for $700 or more, consider something else.

Read our review of the Acer Aspire 14 AI.

A formidable 16-incher for about $500

I’m still testing the HP OmniBook 3 for a full review, but I’ve used it enough and I like it enough at around $500 to give it a nod. Its speakers and screen are not good quality, but they’re slightly better than the Acer Aspire above — just don’t look too close, or you’ll notice that its 1920 x 1200 resolution isn’t very sharp at this scale. At 16 inches you’re getting a big screen for cheap, but this laptop doesn’t feel large, as it weighs only 3.65 pounds / 1.66kg and is about 0.63 inches / 16mm thick (at its hinge, where it’s slightly thicker). And its sizable battery and efficient Snapdragon X chip allow it to last long on a charge. Plus, it’s got an ample-sized numpad for you numbers people.

Consider a refurbished ThinkPad

ThinkPads are awesome. They have great keyboards and trackpads, sturdy builds, lots of ports, and even a TrackPoint. They’re typically very expensive when bought new, and they have a reputation for lasting a long time. They’re Lenovo’s business line, so there’s a constant stream of used ThinkPads entering the secondhand market when companies refresh their fleets. That makes them a great candidate for buying refurbished or used. Lenovo sells many refurb units directly, so you know you should be getting something in good shape. Many of them are still expensive, but this ThinkPad T14 is an attractive example, offering a 13th-gen Intel chip, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for around $700. Or for a bit more you can get this ThinkPad L14 Gen 5 with a newer Intel Meteor Lake chip for around $1,000.

And for the more adventurous folks out there, you can pick up an even older ThinkPad on the cheap and install Linux to give it new life.

Our go-to pick for a cheap Chromebook

A Chromebook is good for web browsing, doing homework, and nailing the basics of browser-first computer use — when done well. The Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 is a mainstay of The Verge’s laptop recommendations, despite being a few years old. It’s very affordable at just $350, and even with its 12th-gen Intel chip and 8GB of RAM it’s more than serviceable for ChromeOS. Google’s new Googlebooks are coming in the fall, but some early leaks are pointing at those potentially being pricier laptops (making me wonder what exactly their appeal will be).

A great convertible Chromebook

If you can afford a slightly pricier, newer, and better Chromebook than the Asus, check out the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514. Its full price of $749 is a bit much, but when discounted to $600 like it is at the time of this writing it can be worth it. The Arm-based MediaTek Kompanio Ultra in this Chromebook paired with 12GB of RAM gives it very good performance and excellent battery life. And since it’s a convertible, it’s also great to use with an optional stylus for note-taking, drawing, and sketching.

Read our review of the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514.

For RPG fans who dig Persona-style turn-based action and who are pursuing games with original stories and fantastic tunes, look no further than Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. This praise might come off sounding weird, but I really like that Sandfall Interactive’s breakout hit isn’t overly long compared to RPGs it was inspired by. It’s worth buying while it’s $33.17 at Amazon (requires you to clip the coupon, originally $49.99).

This is a rare opportunity to save quite a bit on one of 2025’s best games, though it’s on Xbox Game Pass if you subscribe to that. Unfortunately, the deal is only available for the Xbox Series X version and doesn’t extend to PlayStation 5. On PC, you can grab a Steam code from Fanatical for $35.49, which is also a nice deal. Read our review.

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Other great Verge-approved deals

• There are some great preorder incentives for Google’s Pixel 11 phones, especially if you also want its new Pixel Watch 5. The base Pixel 11 with 256GB of storage includes the watch at $130 off the usual combined amount. Normally $1,298, Amazon is offering the bundle for $1,168, which essentially reduces the price of the watch from $399 to $269. Buying the pricier Pixel 11 Pro that’s bundled with the watch will save you even more. Normally $1,499 together, the bundle is $1,248 — $250 off the watch and now just $100 more than the base Pixel 11 bundle. If you want more camera features, you should get the Pro. Read our hands-on previews.
• I like including good deals on gaming laptops when I find them, and I found another one at Walmart. Gigabyte’s 16-inch A16 laptop that packs Nvidia’s capable RTX 5070 (8GB VRAM) graphics chip, among other powerful components, is down to $1,249 ($600 off). It’s a great value based on its gaming performance alone; Considering it has Intel’s Core i7-13620H and 32GB DDR5 RAM to go alongside the GPU, there isn’t much you won’t be able to play at the highest graphical settings. The laptop also has a 1200p IPS screen that has a 165Hz refresh rate, and it has a 1TB SSD installed. Its RAM and storage can be upgraded to 64GB and 4TB, respectively.
• Gruv is hosting weekend deals on a range of 4K Blu-ray sets through Monday. The Matrix Deja Vu set that includes all four films (minus The Animatrix) is $34.99, which matches the best price I’ve seen (it’s currently $50 at Walmart). Chernobyl, the haunting five-part miniseries from HBO, is $14.99. Jurassic World: Ultimate Collection contains all Jurassic movies through Jurassic World Dominion and costs $49.99. Best of all, if you’re a new shopper at Gruv, using the code FIRSTGRUV15 will knock 15 percent off your first purchase of a single item.

With memory prices still high and showing no signs of dropping, we’re always happy to find a good deal on a budget-friendly system with an adequate amount of RAM. Best Buy has the HP OmniBook X Flip discounted by $300, bringing the cost down to $699.99. This model is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 5 and 16GB of LPDDR5X memory, which should be great for both web browsing and homework, and a 512GB SSD for storage. The screen is a 1920 x 1200 LED touchscreen, with a fully rotating hinge for tented or tablet mode.

While the Intel Core 5 Ultra may not be the most powerful chip for heavy workloads or gaming, the OmniBook makes up for it with strong battery life and connectivity. HP claims the system can run for over 22 hours of video playback on a single charge, and fast charging can take the battery to 50 percent in just 30 minutes. The laptops include two USB-C ports, one of which supports Thunderbolt 4, two USB-A ports, HDMI 2.1, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

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Other deals to consider

• The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are discounted to $189 (usually $229) at various retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, and directly from the Google store, with the latter two also marking down the new olive color that was just introduced yesterday. These earbuds feature a smaller and lighter design than their predecessor, with excellent ANC and an improved transparency mode. Read our review.
• Woot has an Anker 20,000mAh power bank on sale for $26.99 (usually $49.99). With up to 15W of charging power over USB-C and USB-A, you can keep your phone or other devices topped up for hours, and the display on the side lets you check the current charge level at a glance.
• You can grab a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 at Best Buy for $399, a $40 break from the usual price. This compact video camera shoots surprisingly cinematic video, with a stabilized sensor and built-in LCD screen for keeping your framing dialed in. Read our hands-on.

Robot lawnmowers are finally good enough to take a lot of work out of maintaining a yard, but they’re still not set-it-and-forget-it machines. If you don’t want these autonomous cutting machines to tear up your lawn or go roaming in your neighbors’ yard, you’re still going to need to keep an eye on them. But with some oversight, they can take a big chore off your hands. 

This summer I tested five bots on my flat, three-quarter-acre, coastal South Carolina property with sandy soil, centipede grass, and lots of trees. Things went much better than last year’s trials and tribulations, thanks to huge improvements in navigation and maneuverability. Basically, they stopped getting stuck. My lawn has never looked better, and my spouse — who had sworn off robot lawnmowers after a user-error injury — is now a convert. His riding lawnmower has been idle for over a month.

The consistency of robot mowers is impressive. Running daily and shaving just millimeters at a time, these mowers have created a noticeably lusher lawn. I walked out on it barefoot this morning — something I’ve never done before. The best part is that they work quietly around the clock, without bothering my pets, the wildlife, or the neighbors. I also love the professional-looking lawn lines they make.

What’s better

The key upgrades this year are network RTK navigation, fallback navigation systems, and improved all-wheel-drive to tackle rougher terrain.

RTK — real-time kinematic positioning — is the satellite positioning tech most automowers switched to over the last few years as they’ve ditched boundary wires. It uses stationary ground-based reference stations (antennas), along with GPS, to provide very precise location data, down to a centimeter or two. It’s used for surveying, drone navigation,  and anything that needs that fine level of precision.

Every mower I tested, apart from the Lidar-based Dreame, comes with its own RTK antenna that needs to be installed in your yard with a clear view of the sky; trees, a neighbor’s house, or your own roofline can all block the signal. In my previous testing, I didn’t get a single RTK mower to run successfully in my backyard, where I have very spotty GPS coverage.

This new crop all now offers NetRTK as an option. This taps into a network of existing RTK reference stations through a cloud connection, and requires a Wi-Fi or 4G connection on the mower. Most worked out of the box without me needing to install the antenna, but you’ll need to check if your house is covered, as coverage varies.

RTK mowers now also use a secondary navigation tech such as lidar or vSLAM to keep on track when the signal drops. This improvement in navigation, plus bigger, more capable machines, meant I no longer spent my summer dragging confused mowers out from under oak trees. 

What still needs work

However, automowers are far from perfect. 

These are autonomous machines with blades, and leaving them to their own devices comes with risks. One spent three days methodically destroying a patch of my lawn before I noticed. Another took out two outdoor extension cords. Several models dug sandpits in bare patches, and another tried to climb up a small tree. 

Obstacle detection is better across the board, but it still has a long way to go. Hoses, cables, and cars are still a challenge — my family now knows to check under the wheels before driving away. 

No one has really solved gates yet, either (although they’re trying) — I still have to manually open mine to let the robot mow the full property. And, while every manufacturer currently advertises NetRTK coverage as free for the lifetime of the device, there are obvious downsides to relying on a cloud service to mow your lawn. Finally, automowers are still expensive, and I have concerns around long-term durability.

Like their siblings, robot vacuums, there are myriad models on the market now; the right one for you will depend on the size of your yard and your landscape. To find the mower that worked best for me, I tested four top-of-the-line models with specs capable of tackling my challenging terrain and large expanse of my backyard: The Husqvarna 420 IQ ($3,299), Mammotion Luba 3 AWD 3000 ($2,799), Navimow X430 ($2,499), and the Dreame A3 AWD Pro 2500 ($3,099.99). I also tried the entry-level Roborock RockNeo Q110H ($1,299) on my front lawn, which is more like a standard suburban lawn. 

Also like robot vacuums, robot lawnmowers fall under the new FCC robot ban, so while existing models can continue to be sold and supported in the US — including all the models reviewed here — the fate of new models is in question.

The robot I’d get for my yard

The Segway Navimow X430 ($2,499) is by far the best mower I tested. This 60-pound beast looks like Darth Vader’s dog, and was the only mower I tested that didn’t get stuck once. Its 4WD wheels combined with impressive suspension rolled through the potholes, over sticks and rocks, even small tree branches. It navigated around my chickens and across the tall, uneven transition from my front yard to back yards — it was the only bot that could mow both in one trip (with the gate open).

It uses a combination of RTK, vSLAM, and vision-based tech to navigate, and it covered my entire property without once getting lost or stuck. It features impressive “xero-turn” maneuverability enabling it to pivot smoothly with no lawn damage. Its dual-disc, 17-inch cutting width covers more ground, and it was able to mow most of my backyard in under three hours — nearly twice as fast as most competitors. I really liked the remote-control mowing feature, which was handy for tidying up the edges of the lawn and more sensitive areas such as around flower beds.

The Segway’s speed does mean a few blades go untrimmed, and its rain sensing relies on weather data from the internet, which meant it often didn’t mow because it predicted rain that never came. Setting up the NetRTK was a bit tricky, mostly because I had to put the charging station in an awkward spot to connect to the GPS (it can’t be under an awning or up against a building as the mower also needs a clear view of the sky). 

A good lidar-based alternative

The Dreame A3 AWD Pro 2500 ($3,099.99) is the best option if you can’t rely on RTK. Its lidar and camera-based navigation performed nearly as well as the Segway in my backyard, only getting stuck a couple of times. It doesn’t need a clear view of the sky, so you can place it anywhere, and its sliding edge-cutting deck worked slightly better than the Segway’s EdgeSense feature in my testing. (Beware, it’s set to a fixed 1.2-inch minimum). 

But in my testing, lidar was the least reliable navigation tech, and sometimes the A3 declared the job complete when it wasn’t. Lidar robots do best in a fenced-in yard, as they can more easily get lost and wander off into your neighbors’ yard, something that never happened with the RTK robots. 

While the Dreame rarely got stuck, its turning mechanism wasn’t as smooth as the Segway, and it dug several sandpits in various spots where there was no grass. I do like its “Garden Guardian” mode that uses the camera as a roaming security guard, and it can also identify when people cross its path and warn them that it’s working. It’s been mildly hilarious watching it surprise the heck out of dog walkers passing by the front yard.

An expensive but reliable option for yards with no trees

Husqvarna’s Automower 420 IQ ($3,299) is a good option for a standard yard. It has the longest warranty (four years), the easiest app and controls, and a modular design for longevity. It’s 2WD, but its large wheels tackled uneven terrain well. It requires an RTK antenna and has the option of cloud-based RTK (in some areas), but its backup navigation for satellite dead spots requires installing physical boundary wire. 

I tested this in my neighbor’s yard using the physical RTK antenna, as they have fewer trees and clearer views of the sky. It navigated well, but it uses radar for obstacle detection and has no camera at all. This meant it wasn’t as good at dodging objects as the others, and ran into the bushes once and tried to climb a small tree.

But if you have a large, uncomplicated, tree-free yard, it’s a good option thanks to Husqvarna’s broad support network, free-for-life cellular connectivity for both theft and NetRTK (should you need it), and impressive performance. 

More reliable navigation, but spotty software

The Mammotion combines all three wireless navigation types — RTK, lidar, and vision — making it ideal for properties with spotty GPS coverage like mine. But it’s less nimble than the other AWD models thanks to lower ground clearance and weaker suspension.

Its turning mechanism also tore up a couple areas of my garden, particularly a shaded area near my neighbors’ sprinklers, which stayed damper than other spots. Mammotion has acknowledged this issue, telling The Verge “We’ve identified that a recent update to the turning logic caused some unwanted results. The mower turning too sharply might tear up the grass to some extent, especially when the ground is wet and slippery, or the grass isn’t very thick.” 

They’ve deployed several software updates to address this, but we should all be wary of relying on software updates to fix fundamental problems with an expensive lawnmower.  

A budget option for smaller yards with or without trees

The $1,299 Roborock RockNeo Q110H is my budget pick. This rear-wheel-drive mower was impressive on my flat, treed front yard, although its lack of all-wheel-drive meant that the occasional large tree root stopped it in its tracks. That, and its more limited range, is why it’s half the price of other mowers here. It offers RTK and vSLAM navigation, with the option of antenna or NetRTK. 

The RockNeo is remarkably similar to the Segway Navimow i100N I tested last year, with a few upgrades, including better camera-based obstacle detection, steeper slope navigation (up to 45%), and a wider cutting blade. It can also be used for manual remote-control mowing and has a built-in edge-cutting feature, although there’s the option of an edge-cutting add-on module, which I haven’t tried.

Edge cutting is still very much a work in progress for all mowers. Some do well straddling the edge, but if you have a fence or delicate boundary, that won’t work. Companies are trying all sorts of solutions — including special attachments. Ecovacs Goat A3000 Pro Lidar looks to be the most promising, thanks to a side-mounted string trimmer. But for now, you should plan to keep your manual trimmer handy.

Robot mowers have improved significantly over the last 18 months. Advances in navigation have solved my main pain points from my last round of testing, and bigger, beefier bots are now better at navigating the varied terrain of American yards. Today, the right bot will maintain your yard beautifully with minimal effort. While they still need oversight and the occasional rescue, and they haven’t solved every problem, they do take a lot of the work out of maintaining your yard.

Photos and videos by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

If you’re looking for a mechanical keyboard that can give your desk a touch of retro flair, Amazon has 8BitDo’s Retro Mechanical Keyboard with Dual Super Buttons on sale for $69.99, one of the lowest prices we’ve seen for the bundle. The styling on this keyboard is thorough, with blocky retro legends on the rounded keycaps, and supplementary buttons and detailing to help match the theme.

Despite how it looks on the outside, the internals on this keyboard are modern, with support for Bluetooth, 2.4GHz, and a USB wired connection, and compatibility with both Windows and Android. The 87-key setup is mounted on white Kailh Box switches for that vintage clicky sound, with a volume knob and function keys for quick controls.

The included dual super buttons connect to the keyboard, and can be programmed to a variety of key combinations and functions without the need for any additional software. These sizable buttons are great for easy access to shortcuts like copy and paste or media shortcuts, and the bundle includes one, but you can connect up to four to a single keyboard.

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Other deals to consider

• Best Buy has the Aukey 2-in-1 MagSafe Qi2 wireless charging stand discounted to $27.99 (usually $49.99). The stand can charge your iPhone and AirPods at the same time with up to 15W of power, and folds away neatly for travel or to clear desk space.
• You can grab a Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge with 512GB of storage at Woot for $669.99, almost half off the retail price of $1,299.99. The phone stands out with its remarkably thin and light design, and still has recent generation smartphone features, like a SnapDragon 8 Elite chipset, 200MP camera, and 6.7-inch 1440p display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Read our review.
• The Lego Icons Transformers Soundwave set is on sale at Amazon for $168.96, almost matching its all-time low price. This 1,505-piece set can transform between the character’s robot and cassette player modes without any disassembly, and the included sound effects block helps give this kit a fun twist.

Looking to get your hands on the latest Pixel devices? After weeks of leaks and rumors, Google has officially announced its next generation of Pixel phones and watches.

The base Pixel 11 starts at $899, the Pro and Pro XL are $1,099 and $1,299 respectively, and the Pro Fold starts at $1,899. The watch comes in two sizes, with the smaller 41mm model starting at $399, and the larger 45mm model starting at $429. The phones are available for preorder now, and will ship on August 20th, 2026.

If you're looking to preorder an unlocked phone on its own, your main options are Best Buy, Amazon, and directly from the Google Store. All three are runni …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Google just added four new phones to the Pixel family: the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. They're slightly more expensive than their predecessors, but they come with some notable upgrades, including improved cameras and a new Tensor G6 chip that should deliver faster performance. The phones also have new photography tools, like Magic Capture, along with improvements to Gemini Intelligence, expanded Live Translate capabilities, and the ability to use Circle to Search directly through the camera.

To make deciding whether you'll upgrade or hold onto your last-gen phone a little simpler, we're focusing on co …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Looking for great pair of earbuds that work particularly well with Android phones? The Google Pixel Buds 2a are currently discounted to $99 (usually $129) at various retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, and directly from Google. These very capable Bluetooth earbuds come in four colors, with a lightweight fit that helps them disappear into your ears. With ANC and transparency mode support, and a close integration with Gemini, they’re a great choice for anyone with a Pixel or other Android device.

My colleague David Pierce reviewed the Pixel Buds 2a on their release in October of 2025, and was impressed by the excellent sound quality, impressive ANC and transparency modes, and comfortable fit, particularly at the price point. The biggest complaint we had about these earbuds is that they lack some of the advanced features when paired with an iPhone or iPad, similar to how AirPods don’t support their full feature suite with Android phones.

Read our Pixel Buds 2a review.

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Other deals to consider

• Costco members can grab a discount on Star Fox for Nintendo Switch 2. Normally $49.99, digital codes for the game are only $42.99 and deliver via email so you can get playing right away. This reimagining of the classic Nintendo 64 game adds in cinematic new cutscenes and updates the graphics to modern day standards, showing off the improved power of the Switch 2. Read our review.
• Looking for a charging block with a little attitude? The Anker Nano Smart Display Charger is discounted to $25.99 (usually $39.99) at Amazon and supports up to 45W of power over USB-C. It has a tiny screen that can show charging and device info, or a cute little face in case you need some company while waiting for your phone to recharge. Read our hands-on.
• Amazon has the Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light discounted to $76.29, a 30 percent discount from its usual price of $108.95, and just slightly above its all-time low price. In addition to slowly lighting up in the morning to help you wake up smoothly, it also functions as an FM radio for quiet music at bedtime, and a reading light with 20 different settings.

If you’ve got international travel coming up, an adapter is essential for keeping your phone, earbuds, power banks, and other gadgets charged. Anker’s Nano Travel Adapter is one of our picks from our guide to the best gadgets for summer travel because it can charge up to five devices at once, yet it’s small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. It’s also available in black for just $19.99 ($6 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and directly from Anker (with code WS7DV2BNB82J) matching its best price to date.

The Nano’s four built-in sets of prongs should keep you covered in “over 200 countries and regions,” according to Anker. It also features two USB-C ports and two USB-A ports, along with an AC outlet for plugging in a standard wall charger. A single USB-C port delivers up to 20W, which should be enough to get an iPhone 17 to 50 percent in less than 30 minutes. That’s not enough power to charge most laptops, making the USB ports better suited for smaller gadgets like phones, tablets, earbuds, and power banks. You can still charge your laptop, however, by plugging its wall charger into the AC outlet.

What’s more, it’s designed to take up as little space as possible. The adapter’s only an inch thick with its prongs folded in and, at 3.8 ounces, weighs less than a smartphone. Just keep in mind that the Nano doesn’t convert voltage, so you’ll want to make sure gadgets like hair dryers and electric razors support the voltage at your destination before plugging them in. 

The cost of the Nintendo Switch 2 is going up by $50 on September 1st, 2026, resulting in a $499.99 price tag for just the console. We’re just weeks away, but Costco is offering a fantastic $499.99 bundle for its members that includes a Nintendo Switch 2, a 256GB microSD Express card (usually $59), and a one year subscription to Nintendo Switch Online’s Expansion Pack tier, which normally costs $49.99 per year. That’s over $100 in value, and a great way to kickstart your Switch 2 experience.

The Switch 2 has 256GB of internal storage, so a microSD card is likely something you’ll need eventually for storing more games without having to constantly manage your library. With first-party Nintendo games typically running between 10 and 25GB, and larger third-party games reaching 50GB, a 256GB card should store anywhere from 5-20 additional games.

The Switch Online subscription includes a variety of features like cloud saving, online play, plus classic NES, SNES, and Game Boy titles. The Expansion Pack adds games from the GameCube, Game Boy Advance, N64, and Virtual Boy, and includes features for modern games, notably the Switch 2 upgrade packs for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. 

Read our Nintendo Switch 2 review.

Getting a keyboard with customizable Hall effect sensors is more affordable than it used to be, and you don’t need to compromise on quality to get a good deal. Keychron’s aluminum-clad K2 HE with a 75-percent layout is down to $103.99 (was $130) at Amazon, which matches the lowest price we’ve seen occur a few times throughout the year. The option with wood siding is $111.99 at Amazon, also 20 percent off its original price.

The keyboard can connect via USB-C, or wirelessly via Bluetooth or with a more reliable 2.4GHz connection. Its key bindings, actuation points, and much more can be configured in Keychron’s web-based tool. Or, you can flash your own firmware to the keyboard thanks to its open source QMK support.

In case you haven’t owned a Hall effect keyboard before, they’re worth considering if you’ve wanted more granular control over how much (or how little) effort is needed to press a key. What’s more, the sensors support Rapid Trigger, which primes each switch for another input long before it has been fully released, possibly letting you get the jump on opponents. The switches are hot-swappable, and the keyboard natively supports Windows, macOS, and Linux. This is a nice-looking keyboard for the money.

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Other solid Verge-approved deals

• I don’t really like to recommend Nvidia RTX 5060-equipped gaming laptops that cost more than $1,000, but there’s a good deal happening at Walmart on a $1,099 model that’s $600 off. Gigabyte’s Aero X16 has a 16-inch 1600p 165Hz IPS screen, AMD’s capable Ryzen AI 7 350 processor, the aforementioned Nvidia GPU, rounded out with 16GB of 5,600MHz DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD. I haven’t used this exact laptop, but we’re familiar with Gigabyte’s wares around here, and this is a sleek, almost Razer Blade-esque laptop with specs that mostly warrant its price. If the price of RAM and storage ever goes down, the laptop can be upgraded with up to 64GB and 4TB, respectively, with its additional slots. The configuration that has an RTX 5070 and 32GB of RAM is currently $1,499.99 at Best Buy.
• A couple of Sony’s recent InZone gaming headset releases have hit their lowest prices today. The InZone H9 Mk. 2 is its flagship wireless headset with the same drivers as the WH-1000XM6 headphones, plus a comfy design and great active noise cancellation. Their original $349.99 price felt high considering their near-all-plastic design, but $248 at Amazon and $249.99 at Best Buy is more reasonable. They sound phenomenal. Sony’s wired InZone H6 Air are discounted for the first time, and cost $178 (was $199) at Amazon and $179.99 at Best Buy. They are lightweight and have an open-back design, which to some adds a more realistic sound to games and movies (at the expense of sound isolation — they don’t block any noise whatsoever). Read our coverage of the H9 Mk. 2 and the H6 Air.
• Hoto’s USB-C-chargeable electric screwdriver is almost always discounted for major deal events, but it’s also cheaper on any given Monday, apparently. The screwdriver, which has three torque settings and includes 12 two-inch-long bits, is selling at Amazon for $27.99 when you enter the code WH4J6L4A at checkout (otherwise it’s $50). It’s nice to let technology take over sometimes, especially when what the Hoto screwdriver specializes in can possibly save you some pain from repetitive wrist motions. Also, it’s nice that it has a built-in circular LED light to illuminate dark spaces you’re working in. Walmart has a very similar Hoto screwdriver for $29.99, though it comes with fewer Torx bits.

There’s something magical about using instant cameras that smartphones can’t match. You can capture a moment, print it out, and then give the photo as a gift or hold onto it. Image quality won’t be all that good, but imperfections are part of the allure.

We tested instant camera models from popular brands and landed on a handful that we think are the best. Some aim to preserve the classic experience above all else, while others support companion apps and the ability to print stored photos.

Fujifilm’s latest Instax cameras are the best out there for most people. The company’s Instax Mini Evo is a bit pricey, but it produces great-looking images and offers a lot of creative control. If you’re shopping on a tighter budget, the Instax Mini 13 also takes good photos but has fewer features. The Polaroid Flip is the best retro-focused experience (be warned: prints are pricey!), while Kodak’s Mini Retro 3 might be a better purchase for some because its prints are quite affordable by comparison.

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The best instant camera

Film type: Fujifilm Instax Mini film / Film size: 2 x 3 inches / Weight: 285 grams / Charging method: USB-C / Companion app: Yes / Other features: LCD screen, smartphone printing

Fujifilm’s Instax Mini Evo is a hybrid instant camera that bears a resemblance to its premium X100 line of cameras that cost hundreds more. Its vintage dials and buttons look so stylish that they caught the attention of passersby as I walked around Los Angeles.

It’s easy to balk at its price tag, but this camera offers a level of flexibility that sets it apart (and could save you from wasting a bunch of prints). The camera’s dials also let you apply lens options and effects, from retro filters to monochrome shades, and you can even remotely trigger shots from the app. Its 3-inch LCD screen can be used as a viewfinder, and it also lets you preview and select which images you want to print. The camera’s internal storage tops out at 45 images, which is more limited than we’d prefer, though you can send photos from a smartphone to print. Plus, unlike the Instax Mini 13 (a more budget-friendly pick mentioned below), the Evo uses a USB-C port for charging.

Read our full Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo review.

The best instant cameras if you’re on a budget

Film type: Fujifilm Instax Mini film / Film size: 2 x 3 inches / Weight: 327 grams / Charging method: AA batteries / Companion app: None / Other features: Built-in selfie mirror, self-timer, film counter

Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 13 is a more budget-friendly option that can take great photos mostly on par with the Mini Evo. It’s easy to use (just twist its lens to turn the camera on or off), it outperforms other budget instant cameras we tested, and we like its bright, playful designs. Its biggest improvement over the Mini 12 is its self-timer, with both two- and 10-second countdown options. Meanwhile, the Instax Mini 41 looks more sleek, but it lacks the Mini 13’s self-timer and costs about $23 more usually.

The Mini 13 produced more true-to-life photos than the non-Fujifilm instant cameras I tested. I also appreciated the Mini 13’s generously sized physical viewfinder and that it shows your remaining shots, which is useful given that each print costs about $1.

Like many instant cameras, it struggles in low light, though the built-in flash brightens dark scenes. The flash can’t be disabled, and it’s very powerful, which resulted in a handful of overexposed shots during testing. It lacks Bluetooth connectivity along with creative shooting modes found on pricier cameras, so you can’t edit photos, apply filters, or choose from different lens effects before printing.

Fujifilm’s Instax cameras produce excellent-looking photos, but each print costs around $1. Kodak’s hybrid Mini Shot 3 Retro is pricier up front (it retails for $159.99 but it often on sale for much less) but much cheaper to buy film for, making it the better budget pick (or beginner-friendly pick). Replacement cartridges are often around $20 for a 60-print pack. And, because you can preview photos before printing, you’re less likely to waste prints.

The Mini Shot 3 Retro affords you more controls than the Instax Mini 13; it sports an LCD screen for previewing photos, it lets you print photos from your phone via Bluetooth, and you can upload ones you shoot to social media using Kodak’s Photo Printer app. The companion app features frames, stickers, filters, and other effects that would look great in a scrapbook. There’s even a beauty mode and Snapchat-style filters. However, photos taken with the Mini Shot 3 Retro lack sharpness and sometimes have an excessive pink tint, and the prints also feel flimsier.

The best instant cameras for retro fans

Film type: Polaroid i-Type Color Film / Film size: 4.2 x 3.5 inches / Weight: 648 grams / Charging method: USB-C / Companion app: Yes / Other features: Scene Analysis

If you’re looking for an instant camera that offers a retro-inspired experience, the Polaroid Flip might be for you. Its classic design and flip-up lid resemble vintage instant cameras like the Polaroid 600, and its square I-Type film prints iconic white-framed photos that look like authentic Polaroids. Yet the camera has modern features like Bluetooth, USB-C charging, and a beginner-friendly companion app that adds convenience and creative control.

The Flip improves on my former retro pick, the third-gen Polaroid Now Plus, with clearer shots and fewer wasted photos. That’s important, as you don’t want to waste any of the eight I-Type sheets that come in a pack that’s $18.99. The Flip’s sonar autofocus and a four-lens hyperfocal system result in sharper images, plus it has an excellent flash — it’s the most powerful of any Polaroid camera I’ve tested. The Scene Analysis feature also helps by warning if a shot is likely to be over or underexposed, or if you’re too close to your subject (these warnings didn’t always get the exposure right).

The Flip has a few downsides, in addition to its costly film. It’s the heaviest camera on this list, not to mention it’s awkwardly sized, making it tough to slip into a purse or easily carry around. Prints also take 15 minutes to develop, during which they must be shielded from light. Low-light performance remains a weak spot as well, and I struggled to capture indoor shots given the contrast and saturation are lower than with Instax film. Sometimes, this gave my pictures a more dreamy, vintage look that felt artistic, but you might not be into it.

If the Flip seems too bulky or expensive for you, the third-generation Polaroid Go is a smaller retro-inspired alternative. It weighs just over a pound and fits easily in the palm of my hand. At $89.99, the latest Go is the most affordable Polaroid camera available, with film that costs only a little more than Fujifilm’s Instax sheets (a 16-sheet pack runs $21.99).

The Go skips advanced features found in the Flip, including creative shooting modes, Bluetooth connectivity, and a companion app for editing photos. It’s a straightforward point-and-shoot camera with a self-timer and large selfie mirror. The smaller prints may disappoint those who prefer traditional Polaroid sizes, but its simplicity and portability make it an approachable way to enjoy the classic Polaroid experience at a much lower price.

Update, August 6: Added the Instax Mini 13 and Polaroid Go Gen 3, made the Instax Mini Evo our top pick, and designated the Kodak Mini Retro and Instax Mini 13 as our budget picks.

Looking to spend a weekend inside with a good binge? Gruv has The Lord of the Rings trilogy on 4K Blu-ray marked down to $49.99, just below Amazon’s price and only a little bit higher than the all-time low we usually see around Black Friday. This version includes both the original theatrical releases of all three movies — The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King — as well as the extended editions, in case you want to spend 12 hours immersed in Middle Earth. New Gruv customers can also save an additional 15% by entering the coupon code FIRSTGRUV15 at checkout.

Originally released between 2001 and 2003, the Peter Jackson-directed films were shot together in New Zealand, allowing for the trilogy to sweep through theaters three Decembers in a row. They were a hit with audiences, as well the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, plus this Tolkien fan, whose older brother snuck him out of school to go see The Return of the King at 13 years old (sorry, mom and dad). These are, in my opinion, the definitive way to watch the movies, with tons of extra content that helps cover even more of the rich world and its storied characters.

The Birdfy Feeder Rookie is a good option if you’re new to birdwatching or simply don’t want to spend a lot on a smart feeder, and several configurations are on sale. The standard model is down to $59.99 ($60 off) at Amazon, which is close to its lowest price. It includes seven days of access to its AI-powered features that can identify different kinds of birds (after the trial expires, it can identify birds up to 10 times per day without a subscription). Alternatively, you can get a version that permanently unlocks its AI bird identification for $85.49 ($34 off) at Amazon, or pick up the standard model with a solar panel for $79.99 ($60 off) directly from Birdfy.

The Rookie covers the basics offered by most smart bird feeders. It features a 1080p camera that lets you watch visiting birds from your phone throughout the day, with notifications alerting you when there’s activity. The camera can also capture slow-motion video and color night vision that you can replay in the Birdfy app. Unlike many smart feeders that place the camera in the center of the seed bin, Birdfy’s camera is located to the side, which provides a closer view. You can also share access with friends and family.

The Rookie has an IP66 weather-resistant rating, and its built-in battery can last up to four months on a charge; you can also get a version with a solar panel for $20 more. The feeder holds up to 1.3 liters of seed, too, so you shouldn’t have to constantly refill it, and it comes apart easily when it’s time for a cleaning.

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Three more Verge-approved deals

• You can buy Fujifilm’s pink Instax Mini Evo bundled with two packs of film (one color and one monochrome) for $212.90 at B&H Photo, which is a rare deal. That’s like getting one pack of film for free, along with a roughly $22 discount on the camera itself. If you prefer the black model, it’s also on sale with one pack of color film for $236.50 (about $22 off). The Evo is my favorite instant camera because you can preview shots before printing to avoid wasting film and print photos directly from your smartphone. It also looks stylish and produces better-looking prints than most instant cameras I’ve tested.
• Nothing’s Headphone (a) are down to $164.99 at Amazon, which is their second-best price to date. They offer solid noise cancellation for the price and can last more than five days on a charge, while letting you listen over USB-C or a 3.5mm cable when needed. Plus, they’re IP52-rated for dust and water resistance, which isn’t something you always find on over-ear headphones. Read our review.
• The Lego Star Wars K-2SO Security Droid is down to $71.99 ($18 off) at Amazon and Walmart, matching its best price to date. Based on the Imperial droid-turned-ally from Star Wars: Andor season two, the 845-piece set lets you build a 16-inch-tall display model complete with an information plaque and a standard-size K-2SO minifigure.