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Friday’s best deals: iPad Air 5 pre-order discounts $60 off, M1 MacBook Air, more

Heading into the weekend, all of the best Apple deals are now live with some pre-order iPad Air 5 discounts up for grabs. That’s alongside only the second M1 MacBook Air price cut of the year and these Nanoleaf Shapes Mini Triangles HomeKit lights at $80. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

Apple’s all-new iPad Air 5 sees pre-order discounts

Apple’s all-new addition to its iPadOS lineup is officially going up for pre-order today, and Walmart is celebrating the launch by delivering the very first price cut on the new release. Currently you can score the new 10.9-inch iPad Air 5 (2022) Wi-Fi 64GB for $559 in all five colors. Down from the usual $599 price tag at Amazon, this is delivering a new all-time low ahead of beginning to ship for the March 18 launch day. The 256GB model is also on sale, and down to $689 from the usual $749 price tag. 

Apple’s new iPad Air 5 arrives in the same 10.9-inch form-factor we saw last time around, with some notable internal improvements to justify the refresh. Now powered by Apple Silicon for the first time, there’s an M1 chip with Neural Engine at the center of the experience. Its 12MP Ultra Wide front camera comes backed by Center Stage support, and the 10.9-inch display rocks True Tone, P3 wide color support, and an antireflective coating. Staples from last time like Touch ID in the power button and Apple Pencil integration are onboard, as well. Learn more about iPad Air 5 over in our coverage.

M1 MacBook Air on sale for only second time this year

Amazon is now offering Apple’s latest 13-inch M1 MacBook Air 256GB for $929. Dropping from the usual $999 price tag, today’s offer amounts to only the second discount of the year, the lowest price since back in January, and $70 in savings. You can also save $100 on the higher-capacity 512GB model.

Lately all of the M1 Mac deals have been focusing on the more prosumer side of Apple stable, with this MacBook Air offer finally delivering a chance to save on its entry-level M1 experience. Centered around a 13-inch Retina display with Apple Silicon under the hood, there’s also a pair of Thunderbolt ports supplemented by Wi-Fi 6 as well as 256GB or more of storage and 8GB of RAM. Get a better idea of its performance in our hands-on review.

Nanoleaf Shapes Mini Triangles HomeKit set hits $80

Amazon is now offering the Nanoleaf Shapes Mini Triangles Smarter Kit for $80. Down from the usual $120 price tag, this is delivering the best price in over eight months at within $3 of the all-time low. Not only are you looking at $40 in savings, but also the first notable price cut of the year at $20 below our previous holiday mention.

Much like the larger Shapes lights, Nanoleaf’s Mini Triangles integrate with the brand’s whole lineup of on-wall accessories and deliver all of the same modular, multicolor lighting, just with smaller modules. In total, you’re getting five of the lighting panels in the set alongside the controller and power supply that will integrate with your Siri, Alexa, and Assistant setup. 

Score an ESR iPhone SE 3 Clear Case at just $7

After seeing the new iPhone SE 3 go up for pre-order today (best deals right), ESR is getting in on the savings to outfit your new device with some protection. Via its official Amazon storefront, you can now score the ESR Air Armor iPhone SE 3 Clear Case for $7. Down from $12, today’s offer amounts to 42% in savings while marking the best price we’ve seen.

Delivering a slim design that won’t add too much bulk to your handset, this clear case will still keep your iPhone SE 3 scratch-free while showing off whichever colorway you choose. It has some more rugged corners for added drop protection and a raised lip around the front to keep your screen safe when placed into a table or other surface.

Anker’s PowerExpand Elite Thunderbolt 3 hub sees rare open-box discount

Woot is currently offering an open-box Anker PowerExpand Elite 13-in-1 Thunderbolt 3 Hub at $269. Normally fetching $300 for a new condition model at Amazon, this is the first discount we’ve seen since November and a rare chance to save $31 on the popular workstation upgrade.

This 13-in-1 Thunderbolt 3 dock expands the I/O of your Mac with just a single cable. On top of sending 85W of power passthrough to your machine, it’ll also yield a 4K HDMI output, Gigabit Ethernet, two USB-C slots, four USB-A ports, and SD card readers to ensure you’re set with legacy ports and the like. You can get a closer look in our Tested with 9to5Toys review

Best trade-in deals

9to5Mac also keeps tabs on all the best trade-in deals on iPhone, iPad, MacBook, Apple Watch, and more every month. Be sure to check out this month’s best trade-in deals when you decide it’s time to upgrade your device. Or simply head over to our trade-in partner directly if you want to recycle, trade, or sell your used devices for cash and support 9to5Mac along the way!

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