Though it doesn’t get the respect of Black Friday, Presidents’ Day is actually a very good time for deals. Many stores have dedicated sales in place to help you celebrate George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, just like the former presidents intended. Best Buy is especially known for its robust Presidents’ Day sales, and this year is no exception.
The retailer has officially cut the ribbon on this year’s deals and Engadget’s here to find the cream of the crop. Here are the best finds in Best Buy’s Presidents’ Day sale. There’s plenty of tech, but no axes to chop down a cherry tree (sorry, George.)
Two years out, this is still the latest release of Apple’s entry-level tablet. Despite getting somewhat long in the tooth, this is still a great tablet that’s perfect for consuming content, playing games and surfing the web. The 10th-gen iPad usually retails for $450, so this is a massive discount of $100.
The A14 Bionic chip is plenty capable, with enough power to do stuff like exporting 4K video clips and editing RAW photos in Lightroom. The battery life is robust, with USB-C charging, and the landscape-oriented front-facing camera is a great addition. The display lacks anti-reflective coating, like the iPad Air, and it doesn’t support the P3 wide color gamut. Otherwise, this is well worth a purchase, particularly at this price point.
Portable gaming has come a long way in the last couple of years, thanks to the runaway success of consoles like the Steam Deck and, of course, the ASUS ROG Ally. This surprisingly powerful handheld usually costs $700, but Best Buy knocked $100 off to honor noted gamer Abraham Lincoln (he absolutely smashed at Hades.)
This portable console easily made our list of the best handheld gaming systems, and with good reason. It boasts a user-friendly interface and enough horsepower to play modern PC games. It’s also extremely capable of emulating classic titles, for those proficient in that mystical art. The ROG Ally’s a bit bulky when compared to certain rival consoles, but this sale gives you plenty of bang for your portable gaming buck.
Looking to ditch dumb bulbs for the glorious world of smart lighting? Best Buy’s selling a Philips Hue two-pack starter kit for $90, instead of $130. As the name suggests, this pack includes two bulbs and the company’s Bridge device. This Zigbee-powered controller lets you simultaneously control up to 50 lights and accessories via a proprietary app. You can set custom automations and make adjustments from anywhere with a stable Wi-Fi connection.
The Philips Hue line topped our list of the best smart light bulbs. We loved that these bulbs offer a wide range of color options, allowing users to easily experiment with ambient lighting. We also enjoyed the mobile app and easy integration with other smart home devices.
If your wrist has been feeling a bit bare lately, slap on a smartwatch. The well-regarded Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is a fine choice here, and Best Buy’s selling it for $240 instead of $300. This is the company’s latest and greatest release and we called it a “practical, wellness-centric smartwatch: in our official review.
The Galaxy Watch 6 also made our list of the best smartwatches, and this holds particularly true for those locked into the Android ecosystem. The battery life is on-point, getting around 30 hours of use even with the always-on display enabled. The watch also makes it easy to log a vast array of health metrics, from heart rate data to menstrual cycle data and beyond. The fall detection feature can be buggy, which may be an issue for some.
If you want to dive into the wild and wacky world of live-streaming, you’ll want to upgrade your webcam. Logitech’s C922 is a decent option with several pro-level features at a price that won’t cause your bank account to go into the red. This bundle typically costs $100, but Best Buy has knocked $20 off the price.
The bundle includes the Logitech C922 webcam and an adjustable tripod mount. The camera records at 1080p at 60fps. It also boasts an auto-focus feature, a nice 78-degree field of view and an integrated microphone.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.