We track online retailers all the time and we’re already seeing plenty of early Labor Day sales that are ripe for the picking. Right now, Amazon and Best Buy have the Apple AirPods Pro andApple iPad Mini on sale for as cheap as $220. Discounts on Apple devices are quite rare so if I were you, I’d take advantage of these deals quickly because they may soon be gone.
Apple AirPods Pro
— $220, was $249
If you’re planning to get yourself a pair of true wireless earbuds for your iOS device, it’s best to get the AirPods Pro instead of the original ones with the wireless charging case. For just $50 more, you get an ocean of difference in terms of sound performance and call quality. You also get a customizable fit, sweat-resistance, and active noise cancellation – all of which are sorely missing in the standard AirPods. Let’s start with how well the AirPods Pro fit. You get three sets of interchangeable soft silicone eartips that will stay put in your ears no matter how much you move. Don’t get us wrong, the original AirPods were very comfortable as well but they were just one size and had the annoying tendency to keep falling off. Gym rats and other health aficionados will also appreciate the AirPods Pros’ IPX4 water resistance. These are the buds that you can confidently take to the gym without having to worry that they’ll be damaged (just remember to take them off before you shower). Apple’s latest H1 chip that’s embedded in each AirPod has immensely improved sound and call quality. You’ll definitely hear the difference especially if you’re upgrading from the original AirPods. Finally, noise-canceling is superb, almost as good as over-ear headphones. The AirPods Pro are shockingly good and a huge win for Apple. Get them at Amazon today for just $220 instead of the usual $249.
Apple iPad Mini
– $350, was $400
When it comes to small tablets, Apple’s iPad Mini has no real competition (except perhaps the Microsoft Surface Go, but that costs way more). Although its external design remains unchanged, it boasts plenty of notable upgrades underneath the hood. The fifth generation of the iPad Mini is now powered by the A12 Bionic processor, the same chip found in the iPhone XR and XS and iPad Air. It’s plenty fast and you won’t encounter any real problems when using apps, playing games, or even editing photos in Lightroom. And since it runs with iOS 12 you can do split-screen, which is hilarious and looks super crowded on a small screen. Speaking of the screen, the iPad Mini’s LCD display remains as great as ever. It’s bright, colorful, with perfect black and whites. Although sold separately, we recommend that you get the Apple Pencil 1st Gen so you can use the iPad Mini as a tool for drawing. It’s fast, responsive, and works great across apps that support it. Finally, it warms our hearts to tell you that this tablet still has a headphone jack, and battery life remains amazing as usual. By the end of the week that we’ve had it the battery was still at 31% (though we only used it occasionally). Apple claims that with continuous video playback it will last for 10 hours, which is pretty good. Get the Apple iPad Mini today at Best Buy for $350 instead of $400.
